Greg and Karen Williams have gone back to basics in their lives.
The Williamses and their daughter live in what once was a commune in Burkesville. Now they make their way with nature.
Greg built a two-room house in the late ’70s, soon after he and some friends purchased the land around the commune grounds. Now he and his family are the only people left there, and Greg has added three new rooms to his domicile.
Greg’s livelihood has him filling orders for looms. He takes his crafts to local trade shows, earning money for certain necessities. He also delivers the Louisville Courier-Journal on Sunday.
Karen, meanwhile, sells and trades carpets, rugs and shawls at the craft shows. Karen also finds time to raise herbs and spices and grow vegetables in her half-acre garden
Inside the Williamses’ home one can see all wooden furniture, including chairs and tables which Greg built. Heat is supplied by a wood stove and large windows let in as much sunlight as possible.
Otherwise, there is no electricity or plumbing in the house.
All hygiene worries are taken care of outdoors. The shower has solar-heated water which is held in a black bag draped over a tree limb. The water trickles through a shower nozzle without much pressure.