Early winter moving

Susan (who isn't writing well. Feel free to send edits.)

The photos I don't have are of snow covered driveways, both at our duplex and the storage unit. They both have vehicles stuck in them. The temperature hoovers around 15 degrees in both, with strong wind chill dropping it further. And to my amazement, in both people are not frustrated, but good-naturedly figuring their way out of the problem.

Saturday December 14 we loaded up the rest of our earthly goods at the Orrville house. The family buying it on land contract is eager to more in; they've been living with five people in a one bedroom apartment. Snow during the night made a few roads bad, but the worst didn't come until after we were loaded up. I thought most of the house was already packed and moved--after all, Dennis had brought loads out each time he came to Goshen and Maynard Miller had earlier brought his truck out with many things--but the odds and ends (very odd, for the most part, at the end) took up the entire 25-foot truck yet again. In fact, we left a few things behind for another trip.

We weren't completely packed into boxes when the Oak Grove crew showed up. They worked hard and fast, especially when Art Neuenschwander held a gun to their heads . Linda Jaquet did her amazing cleaning of the house, except for the last of the living space where we still had things stacked when she left. Bob Krabill, Bob Amstutz, Dennis Ramseyer, Dan Jaquet, Paul Miller and Cheryl Neuenschwander got everything cleared out and on the truck by 12:30. Welma Mast came to check how things were going. We still had some clean up to do. She kicked us out of the house so we could make the trip back to Indiana mostly in the light and did the final four hours of cleaning herself. The new owners are moving into a clean house, thanks to our many friends.

As Dennis ate a bit of lunch before we left for Indiana, he mused that we wouldn't be able to fit all this load into our Goshen storage unit. I called around and found the last rental place still open post-noon on Saturday. The owner promised, beyond kindness, to have the place plowed out and meet us to do the paperwork Sunday afternoon.

The trip from Orrville to New Paris is typically 4-4.5 hours. This one took about 6 because of snowy roads. As we got closer to the duplex, and knowing that Kauffmans were out of town and our shovels were on the truck, we began wondering about the driveway. Turned out, it had 5" of snow on it. Dennis gunned the motor and made it halfway up the drive. It's modestly long. While he, with boots on, walked to the house to consider next steps, I looked at the beautiful snow in the dark of early night and wondered where my boots were. The over-stuffed trunk? The unorganized back seat? To my unexpected joy, I found them while rooting around for my purse. See, there is always SOMETHING good that happens.

Unbeknownst to me, Jim had told Dennis where the snow blower was and taught him the trick to start it. An hour later we rocked the car out of its stuckness and drove into the garage.

Sunday Dennis blew the drive clear again and we left to meet the owner at the second place in Goshen where we are renting a storage unit. When we arrived, it was very obvious that the place had not been plowed out, even though the plowing contract said it would be by 7:00 am. Maynard decided he could get the truck in and Rich and Brenda Hostetler Meyer drove John Weaver Glick, Michael Miller and us back in their SUV. Cold temperatures kept us moving and in less than 1.5 hours the truck was unloaded and the door carefully closed on the stuffed storage unit.

But the empty truck couldn't make it out. (Agreed. Yet another awkwardly phrased sentence. But Maynard COULD make it out, just not with the truck.) The group went to Weaver Glicks to warm up and enjoy the soup Sally had made. The mood was problem solving rather than frustration, calling numerous people for ideas. Finally someone rumored that the storage place was being plowed out, so the guys jumped in a car and drove back. Hooray! The truck was freed!

We now have earthly items stored at two different storage places, the HM farm, my mother's, and here at the duplex. We're realizing we won't be digging a foundation soon. (No, we don't yet own the land.) But we are very thankful for the treasure of friends these past days, who have sheltered us from the storms of snow, cold, too many things to pack and carry, and the emotional upheaval of moving. Thank you. Thank you!

 

Goshen Saturday morning

Susan

No new photos of the land or a driveway or a basement or even a snowy tree, which is what this blog is supposed to be about, so a few notes about living in Goshen. For an update, including some progress, on our building project, see the status updates page.

Of course, we're actually living in New Paris just now, seven miles from the south edge of Goshen, about 15 minute drive from downtown. One can't find five acres of woodlands to live on in Goshen . . .Oh wait! We DID!

Today's morning had these unexpected pleasures:

• Meeting with Willard Swartley to receive a comp copy of his new book, Living Gift: John's Jesus in Meditation and Poetry, Art and Song. He used several entries from the Seasoned books (free: Contact Susan). (Swartley's book is available on Amazon.)
• Picking up our monthly CSA meat: hamburger, a chicken, pork chops and bacon. http://blueheronfarms.org Local, organic, grass-fed--what's not to love, except the photos of the cute baby animals on their website?
• Arriving at the Goshen Farmers' Market http://www.goshenfarmersmarket.org/ just in time to buy from local artisans.

I've been collecting locally made yarns from places I've visited, beginning in Santa Fe. Today I added a skein from Patricia Oakley (www.beriewede.com). I plan to make an afghan, but currently the yarns don't look all that great together and I'm incredibly far behind on projects.

Food finds included locally roasted nuts for stocking stuffers, elephant garlic and a loaf of Rachel's four-pepper bread. I also bought a sizeable blue spruce bough for a dollar to make into a Christmas tree and two bittersweet branches to give it color.

The glow of my day came from meeting Viki Graber, a fourth-generation willow basket weaver. We talked about her great-grandfather's weaving and then she let slip that she raises her own willow . . .and it is a LOCAL Indiana plant quite easily grown! My grandmother Mamie (Susan) Martin Martin wove baskets from pine. I've made a few baskets over the years and have wanted to learn to weave more . . .and now it is possible that I can even grow my own willows! Viki is likely going to be teaching classes in basket weaving (I didn't get to take the 101 course in college) and might give me willow starts. I hope that willows will find one of our soils amenable.
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Confluence-of-Willows/190246057701840

Last night I served Equal Exchange cocoa at Ten Thousand Villages for two hours. Most people were startled and perhaps even unbelieving when I explained about children slaves harvesting cocoa.

But this blog is about our land and building, not my life. Please join me in hoping that soon we can share driveway and foundation photos with you.

Driving on through

Written by Susan 

Dennis, Thomas Mast (our builder/contractor), a representative from Army Corp of Engineers (ACE) and the scientist who created the wetland delineation report walked the driveway Thursday morning (November 7). The ACE man was understandably skeptical. He had peered at the land from the edge months ago and had seen obvious wetlands and not much else. Now, suddenly, an established driveway has appeared exactly where we want one. Curious.

 

 

As you might remember, Dennis had discovered the driveway while weed whacking a path from the legal access into the property. It is quite overgrown, but had likely been used for farm machines. The land has previously been used to grow celery and for sheep to graze. In addition to the raised drive, there was an aging culvert. The wetlands scientist had declared that the drive itself is not wetlands.

 

As I understand, we can now use the established driveway as long as we don't tear any roots up or leave wood chips behind while we clear it for use. Final permissions should come in the next month or so, but we could begin simply clearing now if we wanted to take the risk. We will need to improve and widen the driveway so that a fire truck can use it. On the one hand, this is a city requirement. On the other, I'm a bit careless with candles. 

 

So we are closer to purchasing the land.

There--just to the right of the green tree, which is next to the double oak--can you see the beginnings of a house?

At least a dream of one?



 

Double oak in early November



 The only red maple Dennis has seen on the property, but it has shed it's leaves. You should have seen it earlier.

After walking the land, Thomas and Dennis came back to the Meyer-Reimer house for lunch and we looked over the house plans. Ann Graber Miller has improved the plans Dennis has worked on, giving them her designer's flair (wait until you see the owners' bedroom!). Now Thomas will work on making those plans building-ready, especially the outside elevations, roof configuration, weight bearing walls, window locations and all. He figures this will take 6 weeks. The total driveway construction will take about 2 weeks and the foundation about 1. While some of these tasks overlap, holidays will also encroach on our timing.

We do hope to have Green features in the home. Dennis is working on an amazingly tight shell and efficient heating, cooling and water systems. I hope for reusing and recycling resources and a bit of solar and water care. Any suggestions are appreciated!

When Thomas outlined a sketchy timetable, I said I already has three parties planned--one when the driveway is begun, one when the foundation is begun, and one when the lumber might be written on by family and friends. Perhaps that is excessive, but each teeny step appears to involve moving a mountain! Likely, only one of these will happen--a bit of a fun time when anyone can come by and write/draw all over construction boards with words of blessing and hope. And, of course, we'll have a final dedication joyful party! I'll post times here; you're invited even if you've never met us and are solely interested in those crazy people trying to build on that odd piece of land (as we are known in the Goshen zoning offices).

In personal news, Dennis has begun a snow club at Bethany Christian and is biking whenever possible. I am training to be a volunteer at the Goshen Ten Thousand Villages shop. We are deeply appreciating catching up with local friends and those who drift through, First Fridays, performances at Goshen College and being closer to family. We haven't chosen a church home, but are enjoying getting a flavor of several congregations.

Should you want updates about where we are living and such, check the status page. You may now comment on the pages and sign up for notifications when we post.

http://johnmastconstruction.com/index.php
http://graberfound.com/Consulting

Friends, meet land. Land, meet friends.

Invitations to our place for a meal always include, "Do you want to come early and see the land?" Dennis never tires of giving folks a tour. All we hear in return is superlatives. When Bruce and Helen Glick last night said "We really love it!" I thought they were referring to the caramel apple cider I had handed them when they came in the house door with cold toes. Turned out, the cider was fine, but they also had fallen in love with the land.



Maynard and Emily Lehman Miller drove his book business (Book Finder) 24-foot truck out from Ohio with half a load of our garden and shop items. The 16' beam came along. We now have things stored at the Hostetler Meyer farm, my mom's house and our storage unit, and of course, in this house. Some days I feel a bit like the Oz scarecrow spread all over after a tangle with the witch's minions. I wonder where my boots are? It's supposed to snow tonight.

"Ashes to ashes and dust to dust, from the land we have come and to the land we will return. Blessed be the land which we may care for but never own." Our cairn included rocks from Millers' home, our Orrville home and the property.

Placed under the double oak, of course.

You're welcome to come see the land and bring your own rocks to add a cairn.

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The view on Sunday

This morning I gathered a camp chair, my journal, too much tea (considering the lack of a port-a-pot) and my cell phone camera and headed to the property for a long sit, look and listen.

I found a house stake to sit by. I didn't realize these had been placed, since we don't yet have house plans and haven't bought the property. During this time of unsettledness, I had a sense of place.




The prairie grass (?) rippled in the breeze, like someone had sliced open a down pillow and shaken it on the plants.








This panorama extends from the southeast corner of the house to the double oak, west of the house. The view from every window will be breath taking.

 

The double oak in October

I stacked this cairn weeks ago. Something has disturbed it, a reminder that while we might live on this land, we won't tame it. And don't want to.

 I walked back along the path Dennis had chopped from Herman Street and imagined children playing hide and seek. The leaves are changing and not many flowers are blooming, but I found color close to the ground.  

Can anyone tell if this is milkweed?

  

The soil is definitely sandy.

At the north border of the property, larger trees have been cut.



Requisite sun through the trees photo

Finally I settled enough that I didn't feel the need to record the world through photos. A damselfly landed on my thigh and basked in the sun's warmth. A (garter? ribbon? black with yellow stripes) snake slithered under my chair, intent on its errand. A yellow moth danced by. Insect chirping was a constant background to the trains, breezes, birds, dogs, people talking on the Pumpkin Vine, a rooster crowing (WHAT? Inside city limits?) and a factory phone ringing.

Settling more deeply, I concentrated on the grass undulating around me. Dozens of plants, hundreds of plants, thousands of plants, not one of them demanding to be different from the next, none pouting because it wasn't a tall significant tree., just bending, swaying in the breeze, alive to their surroundings. ahhhh
 

Plants

Somewhere Dennis has notes that identify these plants. The photos were taken the day he walked with the wetland delineating scientists. 

 

 

 

One question I've barely begun to explore: Do we leave EVERYTHING native, or have some spots for gardens of plants I like? For sure, we'll have gardens to eat from, and herbs, but non-native flowers and shrubs and trees?

Friends

Sally Weaver Glick, John Glick and Rich Meyer, evening of our first supper club together



Sally and John joined by Rich Meyer

September 2013 WOW! This land is amazing! shots

Phyllis, Dennis' sister, after seeing Dennis on the property, said she hadn't seen him so happy since Joel was born.

Scientists deliniate wetlands

 

 

To be declared wetlands, scientists do three tests: type of soil, hydrology and number of wetland plants per square yard. The existing driveway is not wetland but the surrounding area is. Great news!

First sign of progress from the road

 

 

September 17: No Goshen property can be dual use, so the commercial billboard on Lincoln Way needed to come down. Dennis did not find the ground mushy.