So much more than a tour house… Last Friday, Julie Dodson and I met at the Idea House to knock around some ideas about construction details. We had set a time and I was just about to leave to meet her when a text came through….”I’m on a rescue mission!”

True to form, Julie had stopped at the Brenham animal shelter on her way to Round Top from her Houston office. The shelter director had told her about a recent intake on the short list because of age (11 years) and limited space. Julie sent a picture which, by the way, did say more than one thousand words possibly could have. See Julie with Moses. Moses Movie for Idea Cottage House.

Mark Massey and I clearly understood her detour and her lateness. I’ve always been of a mind that the eyes tell it all…oh my, those eyes that looked back at us on that text! Nothing to say beyond the fact that there was a sweetness there that deserved saving and future happiness.

Rescue Mission

Which brings me to the core reason for this Country Cottage Idea House – benefiting our area animal shelters: the Gardenia E. Janssen facility in La Grange, and the Brenham Animal Shelter. Both organizations are in constant need of funding to adequately serve the Washington and Fayette county communities. As an example, in Brenham (a fabulous facility, by the way), no monies have been available for testing animals when they arrive – for anything, including the deadly and highly contagious PARVO virus, nor are standard inoculations in the mix. Unfortunately, for too many animals, a future life is not in the cards. But, the lack of testing jeopardizes the chances of many more. Julie is on a mission to raise funds to help fill that void with this creative house tour project.

Mark Massey and I, Lewis Tindall Construction, Walker-Zanger tile, Eco Services Landscaping, Sherwin-Williams (and this week we are hoping Lowe’s will come aboard) have been here to help, and we’re inviting more to do so.

Kathy Johnston is writing these segments about the Country Cottage Idea House. Open on March 24, the idea house is available for purchase to be moved to a new location once complete.

Country Cottage Idea House

During the show, when the house is finally open to tour (target date is March 24), we’ll be on a shared mission to reach Julie’s set goal of raising $10,000. Without any “angels” touring, that would be 1,000 people through the door who will each donate $10 to the shelters. Doable? We certainly hope so.

So does “Rambo”, now renamed “Moses” by Julie. “When we were bathing him, he was lying on his back in the tub and looked just like Moses, adrift on the Nile,” she explained.

Thanks to Julie, Moses hasn’t been set adrift in life, nor has he found his forever home. But he is healthy, inoculated, heart worm free, and more importantly, safely ensconced in a foster home. Follow his progress…and the Country Cottage Idea House. Stay tuned.

The Country Cottage Idea House is for sale to be moved. Inquiries to Frank Johnston, Broker, Heritage Texas Country Properties, 979-249-7315