When you arrive and find Breathe Easy perched atop one of the highest hills in the region, encircled by trees but with a broad view of the sky, you might wonder why we built it as we did. We did it to embrace the sky which is at the heart of our work and our life together.

We, Arjen (Ed) and Jerrine Verkaik are sky chasers. We chase storms and tornadoes, but we also chase the ever-changing clouds, northern lights, lightning and, yes, rainbows. You can see some of our work at the house and also at www.skyartstock.com. We photograph and write about the glories we see and you may notice a couple of books we wrote when you are perusing our library shelves. (Under the Whirlwind, Spacious Skies, The Severe Weather Watcher Guide and Wind, Weather and Waves)

When we designed and built our home in 1999-2000 you could see for miles, but we also planted 11,000 trees (nature is queen here) and they have created a wonderfully private island of peace that we and, we hope, you will find very soothing.

We worked hard to incorporate lots of light and environmentally inspired features into the house. The polished concrete floors have radiant heating and serve as a heat/cool sink to moderate the temperature in both summer and winter. The steep roof overhang is a passive solar design and the walls of the house are very thick, providing efficient insulation and great sound control from one section of the house to another.

Because we are often away on photography expeditions we started sharing our home, offering short-term rentals so that others can be renewed and inspired by the natural beauty that surrounds us. We take great pleasure in knowing that groups, large and small, are coming together in love and friendship under the roof of Breathe Easy.

Enjoy your stay here. We hope that it brings you joy, relaxation, laughter, inspiration and love.