Feliz Cinco de Mayo!
Well, we're here, we're up, we're in, we're unpacked, and we're electronically reconnected!
Aside from a major case of nerves when we left, the trip went smoothly. Oh, and the Quantum Mechanics assistance...you see, the van was making weird sounds and even lost power for a few seconds, on the Penna turnpike no less...Rob asked his guides to please help fix the problem. The van motor roared a couple of times, settled down, and the rest of the ride went smooth as glass. Meantime I was doing some hefty praying myself...I was very nervous, I think it was because I was leaving my "safe place" for the unknown.
Upper Michigan is awesome! The bridge we crossed was 5 miles and the day was crystal clear, it was an experience I won't soon forget! The lakes were blue glass...awesome!
We got here at about 5:30. While the house was what we expected (we'd seen photos), the yard was not. Seems that when the owners left (lovely lady BTW) some friends moved in. They totally, and I mean TOTALLY, trashed the place! A neighbor had cleaned the house itself (took out over 20 bags of garbage, they'd even left their dirty laundry right where it lay), but didn't have time for the yard. Which is as it should be, what she already did was beyond friendship! It's our mess now. Rob is getting it cleaned up, bit by bit, it is a daunting task, even for him! There are literally tons of rusting metal, from car parts to snowblowers to engine blocks to...to...to...Not to mention a ton of wood (which is good since it is wood heated, that will all be put to use), but by far the worst...they walked away and left their animals to die! The dogs and goats were rescued, we've started feeding and befriending one of the cats (there are two, haven't seen the second one) but the chickens and the rabbits all died, and there is something rotting in the freezer in the barn (a goat? a deer? hard to tell and I, for one, am not looking further into it!) Rob said it was maggot ridden and the stench was horrible, that is enough info for ME!
There is a field on either side of the property, one I don't know if they'll hay or what, we haven't seen anyone there, the other has cows in the morning and is all grass. We're heard grouse, turkeys, wolves, fox, coyote, seen Eagles (including a Bald Eagle eating something right beside the road!) There are apple trees, and they're budding out already. We've ordered 25 Brahman pullets, the big breeds like that lay their eggs all year (most chickens stop laying in winter) and with their size they weather the cold much better then smaller breeds...and they lay HUGE eggs! Got to locate some rabbits, oh, and Phoenix is heavily pregnant!
Because they just walked out and left, some of the pipes in the basement froze and broke, Rob replaced them, we also had to replace the hot water heater and will have to replace the circulator pump on the outside wood heater. Rob also did find a big woodstove in one of the two old mobiles on the property, brought it in and installed it, so white the one stove doesn't work, the other one is doing an awesome job of keeping us warm!
the house is considerably smaller then our *old* place, but then again that place was HUGE, this is much more "manageable", the downstairs is a kitchen, bedroom and bathroom, nice layout, very practical. I love the walls, they're cordwood and 16" thick! The upstairs is a workshop and a big room, now Robbin's bedroom/study. There is a nice porch, another porch downstairs, and even a playground! With swings and a "fort" for Robbin to play in. While one of the mobiles is falling down, the other has been converted into a barn, chicken coops already there, just waiting for the pullets to arrive!
And the best thing...the air is SO clear, the water cold and clean (the water where we were was sulpher and nasty) the stars at night AWESOME, and it is QUIET. All I hear is windchimes and birdsong (and critters galore) NO traffic, NO trains!
And we've already had a visitor, one of my friends from an MS group, who happens to live only about 15 miles away! She brought a friend, we all hit it off really well, nice to have friends!
Well, I guess that's enough of an update for today!
Aside from a major case of nerves when we left, the trip went smoothly. Oh, and the Quantum Mechanics assistance...you see, the van was making weird sounds and even lost power for a few seconds, on the Penna turnpike no less...Rob asked his guides to please help fix the problem. The van motor roared a couple of times, settled down, and the rest of the ride went smooth as glass. Meantime I was doing some hefty praying myself...I was very nervous, I think it was because I was leaving my "safe place" for the unknown.
Upper Michigan is awesome! The bridge we crossed was 5 miles and the day was crystal clear, it was an experience I won't soon forget! The lakes were blue glass...awesome!
We got here at about 5:30. While the house was what we expected (we'd seen photos), the yard was not. Seems that when the owners left (lovely lady BTW) some friends moved in. They totally, and I mean TOTALLY, trashed the place! A neighbor had cleaned the house itself (took out over 20 bags of garbage, they'd even left their dirty laundry right where it lay), but didn't have time for the yard. Which is as it should be, what she already did was beyond friendship! It's our mess now. Rob is getting it cleaned up, bit by bit, it is a daunting task, even for him! There are literally tons of rusting metal, from car parts to snowblowers to engine blocks to...to...to...Not to mention a ton of wood (which is good since it is wood heated, that will all be put to use), but by far the worst...they walked away and left their animals to die! The dogs and goats were rescued, we've started feeding and befriending one of the cats (there are two, haven't seen the second one) but the chickens and the rabbits all died, and there is something rotting in the freezer in the barn (a goat? a deer? hard to tell and I, for one, am not looking further into it!) Rob said it was maggot ridden and the stench was horrible, that is enough info for ME!
There is a field on either side of the property, one I don't know if they'll hay or what, we haven't seen anyone there, the other has cows in the morning and is all grass. We're heard grouse, turkeys, wolves, fox, coyote, seen Eagles (including a Bald Eagle eating something right beside the road!) There are apple trees, and they're budding out already. We've ordered 25 Brahman pullets, the big breeds like that lay their eggs all year (most chickens stop laying in winter) and with their size they weather the cold much better then smaller breeds...and they lay HUGE eggs! Got to locate some rabbits, oh, and Phoenix is heavily pregnant!
Because they just walked out and left, some of the pipes in the basement froze and broke, Rob replaced them, we also had to replace the hot water heater and will have to replace the circulator pump on the outside wood heater. Rob also did find a big woodstove in one of the two old mobiles on the property, brought it in and installed it, so white the one stove doesn't work, the other one is doing an awesome job of keeping us warm!
the house is considerably smaller then our *old* place, but then again that place was HUGE, this is much more "manageable", the downstairs is a kitchen, bedroom and bathroom, nice layout, very practical. I love the walls, they're cordwood and 16" thick! The upstairs is a workshop and a big room, now Robbin's bedroom/study. There is a nice porch, another porch downstairs, and even a playground! With swings and a "fort" for Robbin to play in. While one of the mobiles is falling down, the other has been converted into a barn, chicken coops already there, just waiting for the pullets to arrive!
And the best thing...the air is SO clear, the water cold and clean (the water where we were was sulpher and nasty) the stars at night AWESOME, and it is QUIET. All I hear is windchimes and birdsong (and critters galore) NO traffic, NO trains!
And we've already had a visitor, one of my friends from an MS group, who happens to live only about 15 miles away! She brought a friend, we all hit it off really well, nice to have friends!
Well, I guess that's enough of an update for today!
posted by Yoda Mamma | 5/05/2007
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