Author and artist Jim W. Coleman sits inside a structure he envisions as remarkably similar to "The Bossman's" house. In his forthcoming novel, "Omens II: The Rogue," Cliff Rilek ends up on property very similar to this, working for Hurley Waldrip, a.k.a., The Boss Man. Over the years, Jim has visited this house, but only to look upon it from afar. On this day, he was invited inside for a tour and was overwhelmed by the workmanship. Overlooking a cemetery, this is the ideal place to set this novel, and Jim was happy to have a chance to tour the interior of the home and to sign the guestbook as well. Click here to read a sample chapter from "The Rogue." The dream scenes in this chapter are set on property like this across from a local cemetery. Be very afraid. And gather rocks so that they might provide you some shelter. "Omens II - The Rogue," is coming.

Posted by Jim W Coleman at 11:35 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The long-awaited sequel to my novel, "Omens," is coming before you know it, and it is turning out to be the most heavily-researched book I've ever written. It's amazing how much research can go into a work of fiction. Set along the Historic Rogue Loop between Merlin and Wolf Creek, Oregon, the fictional characters are set in real places and in real situations.

My fans and friends will instantly recognize this as similar to Hurley's "the Bossman" house. We've stared at this house and wondered about it for years, through three research trips and then again by examining photos of it at home. On this trip, we got to tour the house, and pictures will be posted soon. In actuality, it's a beautiful cob house, made of straw, mud and sand. It is open to the public and we signed the guest book inside. The house is located across the street from the Wolf Creek Cemetery, a hop, skip and a jump from the Wolf Creek Inn.

The house was built by Michael "Meka" Bunch, Natural Builder, Designer and Gardener. Click here for more information on Michael Bunch, and his cob house. Many more photos are coming to the blog as soon as I can get them all processed!

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As we approached the back of the house to begin our tour, you can imagine our excitement. We had admired this structure for years and never knew it was open to the public. After hanging around near the cemetery for nearly an hour, Jim finally got up the muster to approach some adults on the property to inquire about the house.

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When visiting Michael "Meka" Bunch's cob house at Wolf Creek, Oregon, be sure to sign the guest book, as I did.

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Can you imagine going to bed and looking up at this beautiful ceiling? The house is simply amazing.

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The workmanship is stunning - there are numerous colors, textures, shapes and objects embedded in the walls to all sides.

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Had Hurley Waldrip (The "Boss Man") lived in a house similar to this cob structure, he would have felt very comfortable in this spacious, warm living area.

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Our friends, Paul and Bonnie Funari, accompanied us on this book research trip. Here, they explore the house with wide-eyed fascination.

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There is a beautiful, though steep and narrow, set of stairs leading up to the loft. Be careful on the steps!

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This is the view from the upstairs bedroom windows. Hurley may have watched over his fields from a window similar to this one.

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From the outside, you can see a circular window that frames a set of antlers. Here is how it appears from inside!

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Here is a view of the kitchen, the first thing you see when entering the back door. Everything works, running water and all. There also is a clever garbage chute built into the wall.

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Here is a close-up of one of the unfinished areas of the wall. It's amazing that a solid, beautiful house can be built out of these natural and abundant materials.

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This is a view of the exterior of the house, ground level, facing the field where Hurley hired Cliff to clear rocks to build a rock wall around the property.

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Author and artist Jim W. Coleman poses at the back wall of the "Whispering Hills" cob house at Wolf Creek, Oregon. Throughout the entire tour of the house, Jim was overwhelmed by the craftsmanship.

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The back (garden) side of the cob house at Wolf Creek, Oregon.

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Though in the book "Omens II: The Rogue," the boss man, Hurley Waldrip, has no garden, this property does, in fact, have a beautiful garden. Here, a very resourceful recycling project converted an old satellite dish into an inviting garden entrance.

Posted by Jim W Coleman at 04:54 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)