BIG PROJECT

LET THE CONSTRUCTION BEGIN

 

Some of you may have thought that we disappeared since we returned from our Mexican condo.  Quite to the contrary, we have been involved in a major project that has consumed much of our time, particularly Mrs. T's.

 

As many of you know, Mrs. T and I have owned about 160 acres (about 65 hectares) just south of Zanesville, Ohio, for several years.  The property had been in Rebecca's family for about 100 years.  It had been strip mined for coal many, many years ago and Mother Nature has since reclaimed it – this was well before reclamation laws were on the books.  We have been intending to build a smaller house there since we acquired the property.  Well, we ran into difficulties from the people then living on the next-door property.  They would not allow us access through their property which would be necessary to get to ours.  Their position was illogical but we had no choice but to pursue legal remedies.  We spent several years going through two cases of litigation and additional actions by the Muskingum County Commissioners.  Finally we reached a settlement, but one that although it provided an easement to our property on paper was in actuality impractical geographically and financially.  And then these folks sold their property.  The new neighbors-to-be are quite a bit friendlier and much more sensible.  We were able to reach an agreement quickly, albeit at a cost of about 30 acres (12 hectares), and are now able to access our property.  (We have since concluded that the people who caused our difficulties probably were stealing lumber from our land.)

 

Next came the protracted process of obtaining a construction loan.  Our credit is superior, the builder's credit is fine (he is the brother of new neighbor), but the bank's procedures lumbered along agonizingly.  Each week they required some new information.  Rebecca handled the process adroitly and with great patience; she knew I would not be nearly as understanding.  Finally, the loan was approved and we signed the papers about 10 days ago.  Construction probably will have commenced by the time you receive this. 

 

We hope to continue with more blog as the building progresses.  Here are just a few preliminary pictures to give you a hint of the forest to which we will be moving.

 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/9151458@N07/sets/72157600418511906/

 

 

Note on the pictures

You may notice that the pictures are now at Flickr rather than Yahoo.  Some of you might know that Flickr is a Yahoo division and Yahoo has decided to end maintaining two photo sites that essentially provide duplicate services.  We have transferred the old pictures to the new site and will make them accessible in the near future.  We have not quite mastered the ins and outs of Flickr, but it should not take too long to provide the same material.  The pictures look better as a 'slide show' and clicking 'details' will provide descriptions.  The pictures are a bit random at the moment. 

 

In case you did not know:  Strip mining quite literally tears out the coal and all the land (overburden) above the coal seams down to bedrock.  This process leaves the land hilly if it was not already so.  A highwall is like a giant step between levels of strip mining.  The highwalls in the pictures are about 40 feet (12 m) high.

 

Enjoy.

Dan and Rebecca

 

http://casa-de-terrible.blogspot.com/

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