My Journey

During my shakedown trip I have dealt with two thunderstorms, several rain storms, a power outage in the park’s shoreline system, and a bout of food poisoning. I am happy to report that my camper does not leak and the battery will keep everything running for at least two days. Work on my house is […]

Last week I reluctantly began a phase of home construction I was hoping to skip. There will be a gap of at least six months between the end of my rental agreement and issuance of the certificate of occupancy that will allow me to move into my new house. In January the rental agent told

More than 18 months after my well was drilled I was finally able to take water samples to be tested. I had to wait for power to run the well pump and then I had to run the water for 10+ hours to purge the industrial residue left from drilling. But last week I got

When the construction crew leaves for the weekend Lucy and I head to the property to tackle our projects. This weekend I built the final step in the first section of trail I cleared into the ravine. I sculpted the steps using tree roots, fallen branches, rocks, and a few garden stakes. At the top

My house is starting to take shape! After the foundation was poured (Photo 1) it was backfilled and the drain field was installed (Photo 2). 18 pallets of Faswall blocks were delivered (Photo 3) and the construction crew began building the walls (Photo 4). The electrical outlets and conduits were installed (Photo 5) and yesterday

The foundation is being poured today! I was very fortunate to find a concrete contractor who has worked with chemically sensitive clients before. He mentioned issues that had not occurred to me. For example, I knew I needed concrete without the additives, such as formaldehyde, that makes it dry quickly, but I did not know

Construction of my new home finally began this week, with a new contractor and a new plan. I still cannot afford to build everything at once. The current plan is to build a basic house that will qualify for a certificate of occupancy, move in so I can stop paying rent, and then finish off

The first download of my trail cam showed the expected deer and rabbits plus an unexpected bobcat (photo too fuzzy to share) and a bear (photo 3, below). It also took quite a few photos of me and Lucy pruning blackberry brambles.

The search for a new contractor continues. Meanwhile, I am settling in. I created a woodland office so I have a comfortable place to meet with contractors. (Photo 1) I cleared Himalayan blackberry brambles that were growing along a section of the ravine’s edge that jutted into the ravine, dropped wood chips, and planted a