The Sloe Lane

Who could resist this cocktail of sloe gin, amaretto, Southern Comfort with a twist?

I’ll confess straight up I’ve had a busy week and – as anyone who lives in the countryside can likely empathise – I have done an extravagant amount of driving. Between airport drop offs, grocery runs and other far flung commitments, I’ve driven almost 800 kilometres. All in a matter of days. And I haven’t really gone anywhere.

After extensive Googling I’ve decided to accept there are no luxurious rehab centres in exotic climes for sufferers of Extreme Driver Fatigue. (Please God, inspire someone to invent one, preferably overlooking the Andaman Sea)

So there’s nothing else to do but to hide the car key and fix myself an inspiring cocktail. Not my usual Pimms either. I feel like I need to get sloe down.

Alabama Slammer 

15 ml (1/2 oz) sloe gin 
30 ml (1 oz) amaretto
30 ml (1 oz) Southern Comfort
Dash of lemon juice

As I sip my drink (to slam would be to waste) I realise rather quickly I need a porch to go with my drink. And perhaps a swing chair, balmy heat and some southern hospitality.

Alabama may be the perfect location for a weekend home. Beaches and BBQ sound good to me.

It would be easy to talk in cliched tones about Alabama – sass about hillbillies, pick ups and Confederate flags – but I’m not buying into that narrow vision. Not when this classic song swirls in my mind as I take another sip of my cocktail.

Alabama may just be everything good about the south. Charismatic music, poignant civil rights and indigenous historical sites, pristine beaches on the Gulf, comforting cuisine and heat. Serious heat. All things that pique my curiosity particularly when here it’s six degrees outside tonight.

Marion AL, USA

USD$110,000

When I happened upon this house I couldn’t believe my eyes. So close to my USD$100,000 budget and so utterly beautiful it took my breath away. I know it may be too expansive to be a low maintenance weekend home but, well, I don’t really care.

Circa 1840 the house is – quite rightly – on the National Register of Historic Places. It is a L-shaped two-story home on nearly two acres. Four bedrooms, two baths, ten foot ceilings, plaster medallions, heart pine floors, new kitchen (which I’d probably paint), fenced dog yard (we country folk like those), detached office (hello craft room!) and garage (for the enormous ‘pick up’ I simply must have).

Perfect symmetry, pillars and to-die-for black shutters. Stunning

Delightful grounds

Two words. White. Paint.

A quick polish of the floors and I’m moving in. The wallpaper? If it’s in good condition, it stays, I love it

 

Citronelle AL, USA

USD$58,500

This gem is a little smaller and so is the price tag. Once again perfectly symmetrical, glistening white and with undeniably stylish black shutters.

It has nearly two acres of garden and four floors including a basement and attic. I am gobsmacked.

Three bedrooms and three bathrooms on 1.8 acres of parkland like garden

Lovely original features

Could be transformed to look like this without much fuss

Mobile Al, USA

USD$50,000 – $100,000(Auction)

This rather large 3,100 square foot family home has four bedrooms and two bathrooms. Since it will go to auction it’s hard to pin point the exact price.

This gorgeous pile has such huge potential I can barely contain myself. Other houses on this historic street sell for triple the price range. Though the other houses on the street probably aren’t in the same state of disrepair. This poor old dame has been trashed, I suspect by the previous occupants.

A southern classic

I’ve lived in worse, I really have

This glorious southern belle is also on Dauphin Street and is for sale for $399,000

I’d be happy in any of these weekend homes but I’d have to ship my entire family out to Alabama to be with me.

So I’ll take all three.