Hello Neal,
you wrote:
" ... First is a cottage in the mountains of Colorado, or maybe Wyoming. Nicely wooded acres, with a lake downhill about 100 yards away. My cottage would be study and rustic, and inside very warm, plush with lots of heavy paneling. The ground floor would be split into the kitchen and living room, wrapped around the big stone fireplace. An open staircase would lead to my bedroom and study. It would snow me in 4 months of the year, so I would not have to go anywhere until spring. Isolation!
..."
Apart from the mountains of Colorado, or Wyoming, and a missing lake (yet - we are at least planning a bigger pond) you just described our house very well
. Including the snow we have this year
And a sturdy heating system, plus warm water prepared by tubes or a water jacket around the fireplace - hope to install this next year (2011).
Regarding airships, THIS would be MY dream house:
Greetings,
Catfish