# 550 - Country House - Land Clearing Galore!

Closing on our house this week has been very exciting, draining, and a relief. Closing the business end of the transaction almost seemed unreal. The process took so long that I should have started it one year earlier. So now we are onto the next step of clearing the land, which for us feels like LAND CLEARING GALORE!

We arranged for our acreage clearing crew to show up early Saturday morning for their first day of land clearing at the home-site. After our closing, that afternoon we had a final meeting with our land clearing supervisor before the actual work was to commence, I tried to mentally and emotionally prepare myself for our acreage to be forever transformed. This is a bit difficult because even though we are building our dream home, I knew, as of Saturday, that area of our forest would be forever altered. That area has acres of gorgeous towering trees and it is one of my favorite places in the world to stroll through.

Since the excavation crew would be here Saturday morning, Sgt. Dave decided to hand-chop the Wild Cherry tree down so we could pull it aside for the long drying process so it can be used for some project down the road. Using an axe, he felled the Wild Cherry. Since dusk had arrived, we decided to head back to the RV and go back the next day to pull the tree aside.

However, the next morning, which was a day before the land crew was expected, we awoke to the sound of large machinery being operated nearby. We have a land-owner next door and they sometimes mow and then bale hay, but they were not baling hay. The only other possible way that such close work with large machinery would be possible was road work, and no such work was occurring.

Sgt. Dave launched himself out of bed, threw on something appropriate and ran outside with messy hair, a gun and wide eyes.

Within a few minutes, he returned with a few pictures taken on his iPhone...the pictures were of the crew clearing our acreage!

It turns out that our builder spoke with our excavator and told him that every hour counted and he wanted him out there within 24 hours!

 

But, nobody called to tell us of the change and since it was the very first work day of the entire construction process that will require months of work, it was definitely unexpected to get started earlier than planned.

You can see the bulldozer in the background with one of the crew
standing there in a denim shirt. That helps give perspective.

After the crew had worked a few hours, a strange thing happened...The dark forest floor beneath the dense canopy was giving way to light...lots of light!

The dogs didn't quite know what to expect. Their first moments out there were tense as they wanted to attack and growl and bark at the machinery and people on their territory. It was nerve-wracking for me as well to get it across to the dogs that this was okay. They seem to sense the excitement in the air.

Gracie is brindle and appears to be camouflaged right into the scenery as
Howdy sticks out like a Shepherd often does. Liyla is at my side.

Also, Sgt. Dave works most Saturdays and had planned to take off to be with the crew as they began clearing the acreage, but since they weren't supposed to be there on this day, he had to continue with our normal routine of him getting up and off to work.

 

 

As Sgt. Dave headed for work, I could hear the crew working and I suddenly remembered the dang wild cherry tree had not been pulled to the side before the crew got started. In the distance, I could hear large equipment running simultaneously with a chain saw as the bulldozer was a mean machine of positive and impressive destruction.

So, as of me sitting here writing, we have just finished Day 2 of land clearing with a huge pile of trees being burned, slowing but surely the pile is burning. But, the clearing is by no means finished, there is still much to do. However, the burning of the debris is critical...we cannot do anything until the pile is burned down because the debris is so massive that it is taking up space that is actually part of the home-site and we don't want to be burning massive debris next to the new construction taking place. That's a stupid kind of risk that I'm not willing to take.

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Even so, the vision I have held for our country home setting has been shifting around in my mind's eye for so long, but it is coming to life, bit by bit. I stood at the home-site as the bulldozer knocked another tree down and couldn't believe that the vision is emerging, the vision is appearing right next to me in real life! I stand there and can SEE what I have imagined and dreamed. It is pretty odd and I am one tremendously blessed woman. My husband has sought to give me a home that I can use as a nurturing tool; he trusts that I will make our home as good as any home can be for the two of us and that it will be a welcoming touchstone family home for gatherings with our children and grandchildren and so on.

I pray for continued good health for my husband and I throughout this process and into LONG old age so that we may enjoy the fruits of our labor. May God continue to shine his face upon us and may we continue to see the good in everything!