DIY Hobbit House

[Gina]

Pretty damn slick if I do say so!  I would love to live in this house!

http://now.msn.com/hobbit-house-built-by-simon-dale
This beautiful DIY 'Hobbit' house was built for less than $5,000
14 hrs ago

Whether you're looking to build a new home on a budget, trying to save the environment, or just love "The Hobbit," Simon Dale has a house for you. The Wales man constructed this house for less than $5,000 using only found materials. It's built into the side of a hill and bears a striking resemblance to something from The Shire. So, if you've got a couple grand (and between 1,000 and 1,500 man hours to spare), why not make a Bag End of your very own? Dale says: "This kind of building is accessible to anyone. My main relevant skills were being able bodied, having self belief and perseverance and a mate or two to give a lift now and again."

[Eupher]

I just started reading "The Hobbit". I'd read at least two of the Tolkien "Ring" books as a kid, but have long since forgotten the details.

Everyone calls the "Ring" books a triology, but the liner notes say they were actually 6 books, plus appendices.

"The Hobbit" was written in 1937, long before the "Ring" books came along in the mid-Fifties. So, the story begins with Bilbo Baggins and Gandalf and a buncha dwarves setting off on their adventure. Bilbo ain't a happy camper, necessarily, but the story is new and it's fresh, at least to my eyes. Should be a fun read.