Dream home in a dome

WINTER HAVEN - What is your dream home? A cottage on the beach? A log cabin in the mountains? Gerry Merrell and her husband Bill had a funkier vision, and they're almost finished building it.

They wanted a monolithic dome home, and they now have one in Winter Haven.

"Could you ever go back to a traditional home?" we asked. "Oh, my gosh! No, no," Gerry Merrell shot back.

Their house is actually a series of domes all linked together -- 6,000 square feet in all. Although the look is funky, it actually has practical money-saving features. The cost of heating and cooling is a fraction of what it would be if the Merrells had built a traditional home.

They also say it's hurricane proof because the wind just whips right over the over the top.

To save money, the Merrells did most of the work on their house by themselves. They laid tile, installed rebar, and made cabinets. It was a long haul.

"I am not a spring chicken. I am an old hen," commented Merrell.

"But a happy one?" we asked.

"Oh, yes. I'm happy" said Merrell.

Happy because she now has the perfect place to nest.