At long last: Excavation!

  Laura and Adam stopped in Monday, May 19, to see the land. Adam was excited for Petie to explore, perhaps find some deer tracks. Laura figured she'd read a book. First they walked the Pumpkin Vine.

Dennis found flowers along the Pumpkin Vine, perhaps phlox?

Laura was glad she agreed to wear jeans.

 For a North Carolina dog, Petie sought shade from the heat frequently.

We now have a table in our kitchen. Frequent picnics ahead!

Petie decided it's time to get this house DUG!

Regardless of consequences.

I stopped in on Tuesday between appointments for some quiet time in my womb room and enjoyed the view.

We don't yet have any kind of a schedule. Frankly, lots needs to be done before we can dig. (The sorts of things dogs don't care about.) Maybe I'll make a garden. Anyone have recommendations about a fish pond?

It's a long, long road

Dennis thought you might like to see the driveway.

These are the only mushrooms he has found after hours of searching.

When you come to visit, you'll be greeted by Yawsantwa, a statue by Sunday Mahaja, part of his lost tribes of Israel series. Yawsantwa is a goddess mother figure of Ghana.

May 10 land dedication

 

Dennis and I invited you here for three Purposes:

·         To remind us that we are caretakers, not owners, of this land

·         To give you a chance to enjoy the land

·         To invite you to give us ideas for how to use the land

 

The driveway is in and Dennis cleared a path from the Pumpkin Vine bike trail. He also put string around the house,  delineated a walk and the garage and put up warning signs.

Helen Glick had earlier asked me what was blooming and I had said nothing. (This reflects my lack of knowledge and some of my uncertainty about how to plant the land and keep it native, yet have some of the flowers I love.) She said there is always something to use for an arrangement and found honeysuckle bushes, wild cherry tree, sumac and wild grape vines and created an amazing arrangement.

As people arrived, we invited them to explore the land, for fun and to help us find out about the land and to locate stones for the fireplace, good locations for benches and gardens, etc. We learned that we have wild raspberries and strawberries, May Apples, a red fox with den identified with wild turkey feathers and rabbit parts outside, spring beauties, skunk cabbage . . .and maybe a marijuana plot.

Josue Vielman tells me about great places for a bonfire and to hang hammocks while Jorge Vielman listens.

 

Everyone was invited to create a sign of a place special to them, real or imaginary, to put on our post. (You may add one when you come to visit.) John Buschert chose his Goshen street.

 

 

Then we gathered for words of dedication, women and children on one side, men on the other, as appropriate in conservative Mennonite tradition. :)

Dedication:

Buying 35 acres of land at this time in our lives is complete nonsense if we plan to mow and garden all of it. In fact, down at the Goshen city offices, we’re known as the crazy people who took a year to own that complicated northeast property. But Dennis has a vision of living on a special piece of land and I have the vision of sharing this exceptional find with others.

Dennis retired two years ago; I left my work three years ago. Wendell Berry says, “It may be that when we no longer know what to do, we have to come to our real work, and when we no longer know which way to go, we have begun our real journey.” This land is big enough for us and you and another hundred people to journey on. We hope that when you want to walk and pray, you come over; that when children you love need a stream to play in; you come on over; that when you need to study wetlands for a science project, you know where to visit. We look forward to hearing your ideas for how we might care for the land and make it available to others so that these acres are full of the steadfast love of the Lord.

To bless the land today, I invite you to take a stake and some bubbles. We’ll bless these. Then take your stake and a group of people to a special place you find on the property. If you are highly mobile on this land, please go further away. Put all your names on the stake and a few words of blessing. Pound the stake in the ground and blow bubbles to the north, south, east and west. Pick your things up and let’s gather for the blessing.

(Face the east) As we look to the east, land of the rising sun which daily reminds us of the empty tomb, we ask you creator to remind us of new beginnings every day. We ask your blessing on this land and neighbours to the east and on us, as we seek your wisdom.

 

 

(Face the south) As we look to the south, Place of Passion, Fire, Creation and inspiration, whose warm breath reminds us of summer days, we ask you creator to ignite our hearts with love. We ask your blessing on this land and neighbours to the south and on us, as we seek your love.

 

(Face the west) As we look to the west, the land of the setting Sun, of water and Autumn's whisper, Bless us with the knowledge of peace which follows the harvest of a fruitful life. We ask your blessing on this land and neighbours to the west and on us, as we seek your peace.

 

 

(Face the north) As we look to the north, place of quiet, stillness, of cave and deep earth, Place of thankfulness for the knowledge and blessings that have come to us with time, We ask your blessing on this land and neighbours to the north and on us, as we seek your quiet in our souls.

After you plant your stake, you might blow bubbles in each of the four directions, saying “We ask your blessing on this land and neighbours to the east and on us.

If you find stones near your blessing spot, bring them back and join them with any your brought with you to form a cairn under the Double Oak. Then come to the kitchen and join us for refreshments.

For now, please bless the land, that it become a place of healing where we hear God speak.

  ---

The words were followed by conversation and food we often serve: dried fruit/nut mix, popcorn and chocolate chip cookies, with cold drinks provided by family and friends.

Let us know when you want to come visit this special piece of land! (Dennis and Eric continue to hunt morels.)

 

 

Land dedication

You're invited!

Double Oak land dedication

May 10, 2013
2:00-4:00 p.m.

Come help us rejoice in 35 acres of nearly pristine land and dedicate it to the use of God.

2:00 land exploration and activities
3:00 blessing

We’ll provide: snacks, water, activities for all ages, port-a-pot, driveway to Double Oak

Please bring, as possible: an interest in helping us learn and think about how to use the land, stones from your own land, folding chairs or blankets to sit on, camera/gps/books to help identify plants and wildlife, hammer, hiking shoes or muck boots (depending on your interest in exploring), tick protection, clothing appropriate to weather

Carpool or bike if possible. Please don’t park on Herman or Steury.

Postponed if there is rain. Call to confirm: 330-749-8794 (Susan)

Let us know you are coming if possible.
Joy!

Drive in

The drive way now extends to the Double Oak tree, so Dennis and I took the truck back yesterday.

Currently the driveway has several bases and 2" pieces of ground up cement.
Tuesday it will be filled in with ground up (also recycled) asphalt.
The city requests that the lane be 20' wide for fire trucks.

We put culverts in for an existing stream trickle.
Here one can see flowers close by (can you identify?) and the rich muck of the wetlands.

The land was so pristine. Even with care we are messing some up. Here is one of the culverts.

Is this skunk cabbage? I couldn't smell it.

Now do you believe Goshen has wetlands?
Oops...this is Santa Monica beach, 3 miles from where Joel, our son, and Mikaela, his wife, live in California.
We visited last week. Highpoint: dolphin/whale safari . . .well, after just being with our kids.

Thursday we also moved the house about 20 feet, east and north, to take better advantage of the natural slope of the land for the walkout basement.

Crowd sourcing:
Do you know of anyone who has a Solar Pathfinder that we could borrow? I understand that one uses this to place solar panels to best receive rays.

Joy!
Next post will be an invitation to our land dedication, May 10. Send SusanMarkLandis@gmail.com a note if you'd like directions. Can't come May 10? Just get in touch; we'll now be out often!

peace to you and yours and theirs and whomevers,
Susan

Timber!

This is really quick because Dennis and I leave today to visit our most beloved of sons, Joel, and his wife, Mikaela, in Los Angeles, Santa Monica and Hollywood. I need to download some Kindle books before we leave, as well as throw some clothes in a suitcase. (I truly hate packing. Too many decisions and things to remember! Dennis has it down to a science, with a three column check off list.)

 

Yesterday, even as we met with Thomas Mast, our builder, others began cutting trees and chipping small branches. For the first distance, we must follow the existing driveway, which has grown up over the decades. Where we had choices, Dennis and Thomas carefully wound around trees worth saving. Total length: close to 1000 feet. Yeah. Takes my breath away also.

 

We'll save some wood to use in our decorative fireplace. The house is so tight that we won't use a fireplace for axillary heat. Wood we don't use will help stabilize the driveway.

 

Sunday Dennis and Eric Kauffman (sp?) spent hours looking for morals (sp!!!). They didn't find any, so might look again after a rain.

 

The driveway might take about two weeks. It's about three until the foundation can be dug. Mast's engineer needs to work up Dennis' (final) plans, the footprint needs to be approved by the city, and Mast needs to sit with his subcontractors and put a bid together.

 

None of it seems real . . .perhaps when the foundation becomes concrete?

 

Oh, and last week I met a six-year-old neighbor. I asked if he liked trucks, because there would soon be huge ones going past his house to work on our driveway. He ran and got a spade and a child-sized shovel and offered them to me to use while digging the driveway. Great joy!

Susan

 

 

Save the date!

May 10, 2014

2:00-4:00

No, we're not getting married--we did that decades ago and it's still working.

We ARE having a land dedication May 10 afternoon. This MIGHT include:

--having you help explore the land and give ideas what to do with it
--food
--words of dedication

We MIGHT ask you to bring:
--chairs and spreads to sit on
--stones/rocks from your property to join with ours for cairns
--identification books for plants, birds, etc

Our hope is to have enough driveway to get back to the house area AND to bring back a table for food and a port-a-pot.

More later!

Susan

Good things come to those who wait and wait and wait and

March 28, 2014 exactly one year to the date we first sat with our lawyer and LaVon Troyer, land owner, we signed papers to purchase our 35 acres of paradise. I had begun to think we should call this our Never Never Land....

April 9 Dennis and I walked around the land and had our first picnic on it. I couldn't wipe an idiotic grin from my face. The land felt totally different when I tromped about as an official caretaker rather than a highly interested party. Below are photos from our afternoon.

(As I skimmed past entries, I realized how poorly the photography is reproduced. Yes, most of the photos are with my DROID, but STILL. When I make them 'original size' the resolution is best, but they are huge. Suggestions?)

We began by walking back the earlier discovered driveway until we reached the culvert. Dennis wanted to follow the stream down to the wetlands. I plodded along in my new muck boots which are going to be used as little as possible . . .OUCH!


Stream that passes under the driveway culvert. Is that watercress? Take a look below at a close up:


I had never walked in the wetlands before and Dennis had only minimally. They aren't very accessible much of the year. But he wanted to show me a second stream:

Meandering stream that comes in from under the Pumpkin Vine side and was likely a drainage ditch at some point. (If you are familiar with the Pumpkin Vine, our property is west of the first two benches north of Lincoln. However, the piece is oddly shaped and does touch Route 4 just west of the Spanish speaking church.)

These streams cry out for children to explore them!

Time out from the land tour while I tell you about my brother, David's, and my favorite play space when we were kids. Next to our house was a wooded lot with a steep hill down to a stream. We played down by the brook for hours and hours. Streams, especially bubbling brooks, have always spoken volumes to me ("But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream." Amos 5:24). I had hoped for a stream on our property and accommodated myself to not having one. But there are TWO. This one, farther into the wetlands, won't be accessible much of the year until we create a path. That layer of grass will soon be taller than I am.

But a question for you to comment on below. We do want to treat the land with care. How does that relate to cleaning out streams, or adding rocks so they make a bit more noise, or damming water to create a bit of a pond? And when we begin to think about gardens, what kinds of plants might we want? I don't know the philosophical difference between what is 'native' to Indiana wetlands and higher ground and what is native and good for this spot.



Deer tracks we followed.



Spent cartridge near one of the many deer stands



Our house will stand close to the Double Oak for which it is named. The walkout basement is
Shelter from the Storm, but that's for a later blog. The stake with the orange flag is for the driveway.

Double oak leaves and branches--can anyone identify the type of oak?

I've been making cairns under the Double Oak, inviting friends to join us. When you come to visit,
bring stones from your place to add to ones from our place and make your own cairn.



Dennis striding back along the driveway





Our first meal on the property: baguette with cheeses, sun dried tomatoes and artichokes
(Thanks, Venturi, for the idea!), fruit, carrots and chocolate chip cookies on a duvet from The Depot.



See how the land drops off? Dennis commented, "What I like about this land
is that it has some elevation differences....in northern Indiana!"




Two types of pinecones on the same branch. I'm guessing some are more mature than others?

Celebration!

When there is enough of a driveway that cars can get close to Double Oak so that those with mobility issues can join us (and just as importantly, so we can bring a port-a-pot back), we'll dedicate the land. I'm still dreaming what that might mean. Stay tuned; I hope this celebration happens in May, but the land has been full of time-delay surprises. If you'd like to help us explore the land before then, just get in touch!

 

peace,

Susan

 

We are looking for:

• Someone to help us think about landscaping, naturally, around the house. The land slope lends itself to a walk-out basement, but we want to be careful.
• a vehicle (golf cart? four wheeler ?) to make carrying people and things around the property easier

Ideas for the land dedication which may include:

• time to explore and pray for the land
• building cairns
• identifying flora and fauna
• talking and singing and eating . . . . .

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