I am evil forest...

"... Kill a man on the day that his life seems sweetest to him."

- John Darnielle "Mountain Goats"

"The work on the house moved slowly, both because of cash-flow problems and because they wanted to ensure that every decision was adequately discussed and agreed on. This very slowness, however, put a strain on both of them, as Gregor saw his building weekends stretch out into the future and as Judi worried about how long she would wait for her space to be finished. Ironically, however, the process of planning  and building together was seemingly allowing Gregor and Judi to come to terms with each other's needs and differences. The fact that they now shared, and planned to share, more spaces together than they originally deemed possible, seemed like a good omen. How could they relate--I wondered--when all this work was finished? Was the building such an intrinsic part of both of their lives that there would be some kind of letdown when it was all over? For some people, living in space together is the main challenge--creating that space just an irritant along the way; for others, the creation of space together is the relationship."

This story ends in tragedy. On Sunday, October 20, 1991, the combination of hot weather, tinder-dry vegetation, strong winds, and a small grass fire that apparently had not been totally put out led to a conflagration in the Oakland-Berkeley hills of devastating proportions. The urban forest of eucalyptus and Monterey pine trees that atrracted so many to these steep hillside lots was a major component in the rapid spread of the fire. The attractive narrow, winding roads, including the one that led to Gregor and Judi's still-unfurnished house, were a significant impediment to the rapid response of the fire department. Gregor's body was found in the backyard; he died trying to save the house. Judi, on a business trip, was out of town. The depth of her grief at losing her lover, her home, and all her possessions is impossible to imagine."
pp. 172- 173

From: "House as a Mirror of Self" by Clare Cooper Marcus