Rock
Eddy Bluff: Coming home
"Many people spend half of their lives trying to get away from home
and the other half struggling to come back." anon
___________________________________________We had been gone from Maries county for roughly 30 years, drawn away by forces that finally lost their pull. It felt good to come home! It wasn't easy, or convenient, or even, at last, in touch with something primal. It was simply something wanted!
There was the timber, and the rock-strewn hills, and the people, and the way things looked so stark in winter...and, of course there was the spring and fall, which everyone loved. And, too, the way the land rubbed you...the way it used to rub before many later places that were blurred and crowded and of no memory
Location...Location...Location! The rules for living in tight wads. Coiffured ladies, all in long cars, selling life! Life in regimented houses, away from the rabble, in measured distances from well-located neighbors. It wasn't easy! In the end it was wrong...all wrong! It was at last a quiet ecstasy to leave it all, to walk away into the hills.
The Bed & Breakfast Retreat
Rock Eddy Bluff (the country business) was an afterthought. The idea for such a thing occurred to us later, after our repatriation, the house built. It germinated from the realization that we were profoundly lucky to have this special place. That we should share it! First, why the name "Rock Eddy Bluff?"
Entering Maries county from the south, the Gasconade river curves in a broad sweep against wooded hills, quickens over a shoal, then relaxes into a deeper pool set against limestone bluffs. Because a series of large boulders rise above the water here, this short stretch of the river has long been known locally as "Rock Eddy. " (Thox rock is the largest of the rocks.)
Presently, guest accommodations at Rock Eddy Bluff consist of two cozy cottages overlooking the valley, an old-time cabin secluded in the trees near the river, and a scenic three-room bed and breakfast suite on the top floor of our bluff-top home.
Guests at REB are offered solitude, relaxation, and a spectacular view. These can be supplemented as they desire with canoeing, fishing, hiking, horse-drawn wagon rides, nature walks in the woods, bird watching, hiking, and excursions to local attractions and eating establishments. Our guests hail from diverse locations and from various walks of life. A typical guest at REB is a city dweller who readily confesses a desperate need to escape for a few days or a week.
Especially heartwarming are guest's comments as they depart:
"Its hard to leave but we must. Thanks for the memories!"
"REB makes you rethink your priorities."
"..a wonderful experience." "Memories to last a lifetime. We feel blessed."And so, though REB can be described as our own dirt road, home-based enterprise, it has proved
to be much more. After all the work and bother, we find the effort adds an extra dimension to our
lives. In short, we feel appreciated!
Tom & Kathy Corey