Some people considered me a hermit. It’s not that I was anti-social, I just absolutely didn’t feel the need to socialize. I was a modern artist at the time I moved out there. I was always artistic and after years of sweat and tears, I gained my degree in enjoyable arts. Painting is my specialty. As soon as I started selling my work, my uncle offered me the use of his old lake home that he rarely used anymore. I was happy. It was a nice sized house, old but with a lot of character. And tons of windows. At first, I didn’t understand why there was no air conditioner. Surely, my uncle wasn’t that cheap, but granted, there was no air duct, but there are ductless air conditioner and boilers in existence. I learned the first summer time why there was no air conditioner. The home didn’t absolutely need it. The home was up on a cliff above a big body of water and full of windows, there was a constant breeze that kept the home cool. As for heat, the home had many big fireplaces and wood stoves/heaters that kept the home warm. Although these needed tending, I didn’t mind. There was plenty of wood on the dwelling to cut down and feed the fireplaces and stoves and this self sufficiency absolutely encouraged me to be reclusive. I spent many, many hours in winter time in my workroom,with the little stove/heater keeping me hot and I spent many mornings sitting before the fireplace in the home office with a superb book. I didn’t feel the need for anyone’s company.