Ready. Set. ....Go!

It's been awhile.  Sorry. 

We've had a long slow busy fast winter.  And now it's finally time for construction to start at Poverty Ridge.  

View from the driveway as you enter the property; taken mid-winter before outhouse and tree-removal was complete

[Side note: Poverty Ridge is what Ryan's parents fondly dubbed the beautiful piece of property along Rapid Creek that they went into debt to purchase 33 years ago at a time when it might not have made sense but was an opportunity not to miss.  To this day we still tend to refer to it as "The Land" and aren't so sure it feels right yet calling it "ours," as it seems to be no more ours than Ryan's mom's and siblings'.  We feel so lucky and blessed that we will soon call this place our home, but hope that all will feel welcome there.]

Backing up a bit, Ryan and I finally built the long-dreamed-about deck on our "point" somewhere during late fall on the nice days between snow storms.  It's the best spot on our property and if it weren't for the solid rock, precarious cliffs and inaccessibility, we would have loved to put our living room views right there.  But I think this will do for a nice little spot away from the house for coffee, yoga, picnics, daydreaming... 

shown before the railing was finished!

The rest of the nice winter days that we could escape to the land were spent cutting down trees where the house will go, stacking firewood, managing brush, and so on.  I've also been busy with the continuing planning for the house, and the never-ending decision-making which is really just getting started! 

There are no services at our site except electricity.  We had hoped to get the well drilled last fall, but typical construction industry delays coupled with a giant early October snowstorm meant that once winter hit, all bets were off until the road thawed out and was passable for a giant well-drilling rig.  

As of Monday, the rig made the trek in on our 1 1/2 mi gravel/dirt hilly road and has been drilling since.  Today they were at 205' deep and still going...not expecting to hit water until over 400', but the sooner the better for our pocket-book! 

And we are headed out there first thing tomorrow morning to meet the builder and excavator for dirt-moving to commence!