First i have to say that if my neighbor had put himself on eBay as a neighbor for sale I would have bought him. Flat out, the greatest guy Ive met in a long long time. A former diesel mechanic and race car driver with enough ingenuity to build my dream home for 27k. I couldn't ask for a more likable guy to learn from.
The creek (pronounced Kr- ick ) I'm guessing that this water might get moving through here pretty good and Alex was saying the water came up really high this year due to a beaver building a damn upstream. He couldn't tell me what exactly happened to the beaver, but it seems that Mr Beaver might have met some sort of UN-timely demise. Hence the normal water level.
What this means however is that some of my land is in risk of flooding if another beaver were to move in and set up shop. I not too worried about it to be honest. I think it would take a tremendous amount of rain to flood out my meadow. And I don't take kindly to no beavers clogging up my Crick!
More decisions have been made and many more to come. Alex and I are splitting a dozer rental this week and clearing me a driveway and a home site, unless he buys a back hoe. Either way in the next two weeks or so there will be a heavy piece of machinery doing work in the dirt on my little piece of terra firma.
I apparently need to go to the courthouse so they can give me an address. Which means I need a mailbox. Who knew? Good news is the box will be pretty far from the house to help preserve a little of the off-grid feel.
I also learned that Alex found a spring on his property and just buried a cistern to capture fresh water. Pumps it to the house with a little horse and a half. With a little sweet talk I'm hopeful that his wife will let me bury another cistern right next to theirs. If so, I'm good on water without a well and that's sayin something! Trouble is I cant get them to string power to my land without a well or a septic system. There is no way in hell I'm putting a hole in the ground for water if i have a spring, and I'm not putting in septic due to the fact that it's 2011 and not 1972. Composting toilets are cleaner and obviously provide a resource instead of a liability, so to me its no contest. What that means for power is another question all together. I have 0 plans to let an electric company tell me how to manage my land and I plan on giving them one shot at me as a customer. If they don't want my money then Ill go solar and grow that system until its large enough to do what I need.
Other decisions might involve putting the kibosh on the tipi. I'm looking at a more solid building like a lofted barn to begin with. I think I can make one of those really nice with a bit of work and they will bring it in an drop it off. Probably makes the most sense as a home base of operation.
I could live in this for a year or so. I actually think I could make this really nice and comfy..Ideas? Concerns? Lay em on me!
I need some floor plan ideas!!
Lofted barn. Totally. I'll come decorate when it is all done! It would be a great multi-use building for the future. As cool as a tipi is, I think the barn is far more practical. I love your views on the electric company too. Stand your ground! Oh and awesome score on the cool neighbour! :-)
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