Raw Land
Somehow this gem of a property kept skipping off our radar the majority of the time we were land searching. We'd been told about it, but something held us back. We must have looked at 10-12 different pieces of land before finally come to look at this one.
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The trek to the spot which is now our homesite was steep and a challenge to convince Calla to keep going. Old growth White Pines lined the bushwhacked path that gave way to a stunning patch of Fall autumn afternoon light. I won't ever forget that moment. I made sure to look up, the colors filtering through the thin, frail leaves. I stepped behind one of the trees so the sun wouldn't be directly hitting the lens of my camera.
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I knew capturing this view was tantamount. My heart strings were pulled and I could picture us eating on our back or front porch, overlooking the valley in the late afternoon of a future fall, and I knew this was to be our home. But I also knew that it would take awhile before we both really knew it. But I was willing to be patient.
October 17 - 30, 2016
Siting the 1st House
Somehow this gem of a property kept skipping off our radar the majority of the time we were land searching. We'd been told about it, but something held us back. We must have looked at 10-12 different pieces of land before finally come to look at this one.
​
The trek to the spot which is now our homesite was steep and a challenge to convince Calla to keep going. Old growth White Pines lined the bushwhacked path that gave way to a stunning patch of Fall autumn afternoon light. I won't ever forget that moment. I made sure to look up, the colors filtering through the thin, frail leaves. I stepped behind one of the trees so the sun wouldn't be directly hitting the lens of my camera.
​
I knew capturing this view was tantamount. My heart strings were pulled and I could picture us eating on our back or front porch, overlooking the valley in the late afternoon of a future fall, and I knew this was to be our home. But I also knew that it would take awhile before we both really knew it. But I was willing to be patient.
March 7 - May 12, 2017
The Driveway
December 13 - 27, 2016
Our driveway may be the single most important factor in the story of our homestead. There were so many varying factors that could go well/wrong. We visited Paw Paw almost every day, watching progress. Witnessing the trail that would lead everything else up that hill in building our home.
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We watched majestic grand father and grand mother White Pines fall. I continue to struggle with the idea of our footprint, albeit small relative to the whole of 25 acres we bought. I feel like we honored the trees well we did cut. Visiting each one before it moved on to it's next purpose. They were balancing beams, or obstacle courses, and good fodder for discussion about the cycle of life and how to be a good steward to the Earth. That is what we are, after all, just stewards of this magical land for a time. We pass through, like the Native Indians have passed through. Like the worn deer paths leaving their mark.
Breaking Ground
May 18 - June 27, 2017
Our driveway may be the single most important factor in the story of our homestead. There were so many varying factors that could go well/wrong. We visited Paw Paw almost every day, watching progress. Witnessing the trail that would lead everything else up that hill in building our home.
​
We watched majestic grand father and grand mother White Pines fall. I continue to struggle with the idea of our footprint, albeit small relative to the whole of 25 acres we bought. I feel like we honored the trees well we did cut. Visiting each one before it moved on to it's next purpose. They were balancing beams, or obstacle courses, and good fodder for discussion about the cycle of life and how to be a good steward to the Earth. That is what we are, after all, just stewards of this magical land for a time. We pass through, like the Native Indians have passed through. Like the worn deer paths leaving their mark.
Raising the 1st Floor
When I imagined building our house on our own, I pictured community work days with potlucks, lots of kids running around our open house seat while the work got done, just like I had taken part of for other friends building their own place. But everyone does this dance differently and our journey has looked like creatively figuring out ways to work together with just the two of us. While this method has been admittedly slower than we would have liked, it allowed us to work within our schedule, since David can often be called away last minute for real estate business.
The unexpected surprise for me in the wall raising was our investment in and use of wall jacks. They are these funny looking contraptions you can essentially use solo to raise pre-built walls. I honestly was skeptical that they would work, but they blew me away. We were able to raise pre-built walls in a matter of an hour or less each. If you're considering building yourself, I highly recommend using them.