Shootin' and Choppin'

Well we have broken in the land hill-billy style.  My husband and I have officially shot on the land and chopped down a few trees....well he took the trees down.  Someone needed to photograph! 

I am really not good at all, but it is fun to think so.  I get mad at my husband periodically for calling attention to my lack of proper form and patience.  Oh well.  At least 22 ammo is good for "plinking."

July 17th is the day we officially took down the first tree.  With our fancy Husky chainsaw John was able to tear into quite a few little trees.  A few were cedar trees with beautiful red wood on the inside and they smelled good enough to eat!!  I took pieces home so John could remove the bark.  I now have all these little red cubes of woody heaven.  Love it.

The property is starting to grow on me.  It smells fresh and earthy and of course the view is so pretty.  Each time I go I try to imagine the future - a paved drive way, all the trash and piles of tinder removed with grass in its place, a driveway lined with trees, and a beautiful log home at the top of the hill.

John with the first officially cut down tree.  It was a tiny thing, but it was monumental to us.  :)

And won't the view be so much prettier without this witch looking dead cedar?  I am hoping to get some useful red wood from it though.  Hubby mentioned some red cedar Adirondack chairs.  Ohhh, so exciting!!

We are excited.  It will be a long journey, but hopefully one well worth the wait.

Closing

We closed on the land yesterday.  It was interesting how small the stack of papers was for us to sign.  I didn't feel any different once leaving, I guess for some reason I thought upon entering the attourney's office that I would walk out feeling "taller" or "prouder" to be a land owner, but I think that's going to take some time.  It was a good experience though.  Our realtor and lender were very nice and helpful and seemed appreciative of our business. 

So we are now land owners.  Ten beautiful acres overlooking a national park with a scenic view that is breathtaking.  The view is what had me from hello.  We pulled into the property initially and I remember a firm "hell no" coming from my lips to my husband.  He asked that I at least humor him enough and walk to the top where a previous foundation had been laid.  When I did and turned around, I was hooked.  From then on I was okay with the mentality that this might be our future building site.  I have to find myself picturing it finished, or at least glorious parts of the building process because the land right now in its current state is such an ugly duckling.  It will take so long for us to make it a beautiful swan.  But we're sure going to try.

After leaving the signing we decided to celebrate and get small cheeseburgers and a birch beer at a local favorite that sells these mini burgers kind of like a White Castle--but a thousand times better.  However, upon getting the burgers to go, we are walking back to the car through our downtown and it starts to thunderstorm and pour rain!  I couldn't run and I had to take off my flip flops.  My husband was carrying the bag of burgers and the bag gave out due to the rain and the burgers fell out into the alley.  I scooped them up (luckily they were wrapped in wax paper) and we continued to run.  Once in the car, we would have been more dry to have jumped in a pool I'm pretty sure.  We just laughed.  Memories right?!

The beginning

Our journey has officially begun.  I can't begin to describe how nauseating it was to get a cashiers check for our down payment.  I never in all my life thought that I would have the funds to begin this type of project, but here we are.  I know that we're making a big decision, but it feels like the right one.  My instincts tell me so.  And even though I get to see friends going to the beach and returning with their trinkets, memories, and pictures this summer while I have my 10 acre piece of land (in all its vacant, clear cut glory), in the future I will be glad.  This moment of sacrifice will be worth it. 

Closing is tomorrow afternoon.  We went for our last check on the land today and all is well.  The prior owners stole the gates on the property, and therefore we had to go purchase new ones.  The shafty job that was done before was almost irreparable in the sweltering heat, but we prevailed (more like my poor husband) got the new gates up.  He has his first blister of this whole experience!  :)  So after two trips to Tractor Supply, because we some how figured on two 8-foot gates when we needed two 10-foot gates, one job is done.  If that is the least of our problems in this beginning stage, I'm happy with that.