Back to the Land

Well the harsh winter never really did arrive this year, but whatever chill we had has certainly left now. After 6 months of luxury apartment living, we are preparing to go "back to the land" once again. We are returning with renewed excitement and energy as the spring has brought blooming red buds and rhododendrons to our neighborhood, and we talk about the garden we hope to cultivate. I have spent a couple of days preparing the first bed of our vegetable garden....

The camper has been moved closer to the tent, and we are discussing other strategies to make life in the temporary shelter just a bit more comfortable this year. We learned so much last summer... the way the sun moves across the sky... how to maximize shade in the late afternoon... what things we truly need and use, and what things just take up space. It was only a year ago that we "downsized" and "simplified" our possessions to move here, yet I find myself, once again, donating a carload of mass.

Our building project moved ahead, bit by bit, even during the cooler months. The lack of rain and snow allowed us to install the septic system in mid-January... With that done, we now have all of our initial land development and utilities completed. Power, water, septic, and road access.When we first moved to the land last June, we were hauling water from the street, using candles and flashlights at night, and bathing with a bucket behind the tent.... yikes. Thankfully that was very short lived!

 Scott also took advantage of the laundry room/office in our apartment, and completed the building plans for the first structure- a barn/shop with a studio apartment on the second floor. We submitted the plans last week and will need to wait 4-6 weeks now for the county's approval.

In the meantime, we have plenty of gardening, clearing, and landscaping to do.... We are looking forward to another hot summer with dusty days on the land, trips to the river to cool off, and just being back home.