The property on which the Cottage is located was purchased by my parents in 1973. They proceeded to build the main house on the property during 5 subsequent summers with help from friends and children, eventually retiring here in 1978. At that time, the house was habitable but not finished. My father's hobby was wood working and my mother's was gardening. I am the eldest of 3 children. The property is now co-owned with my sister and nephew. Our brother has sadly has passed away. I chose to make Taos my home and now am the property manager. I live in Taos, 10 minutes away from the Cottage.

Claude Bodson purchased this cottage in 1973

My parents came to Taos searching for a place to retire after years of teaching in Ohio. When they saw this property, they made an offer on the land immediately. The land was unimproved but had many beautiful trees and the Rio de Don Fernando running through it. Coming from Europe (Belgium to be exact), they saw the value and potential of the property. My father, and architect's son, immediately went to work drawing up house plans. Before returning to Ohio at the end of the summer, the basement had been excavated, cinder block walls were put up, and the cement slab was poured. Not afraid of manual labor, they did a lot of the work themselves. The building of the house continued over several summers and they finally moved here permanently in 1978. At that time, the house was heated with wood. The Cottage started as the wood shed, built partially with the remaining logs from the house building. Those log walls are still visible as outside walls and inside in the stair well. The area over the wood stack which is now the bedroom was originally built as a lumber drying room. Remember, a wood worker needs lumber for his craft. The lumber he used to make furniture came from various locations including some black walnut from the property in Ohio!! The building went through many changes over the years and finally became the Cottage as you see it currently in 2004. The work was done by a local general contractor and myself with the help of a plumber and electrician.

In my mind, the benefits of this location location! Close to Taos, it is easy to zip into town for groceries, a movie, or a good restaurant. The clean air and sunshine are a definite draw, the night skies are awesome and on occasion you really can see the Milky Way. The tall cottonwood trees and majestic pines offer homes to many birds and small mammals. On occasion, a bear has been seen lumbering down from the mountain on its way to the river. Coyotes roam the hills and can be heard regularly and occasionally seen. In other words, it is a nature-lover's paradise.