We have 5 beautiful acres full of memories. We bought this property in Jan 1993, we moved on it in the summer of 93, moving our house (not just household, but the entire 2 story house) 70 miles.
We first moved the storage room which became our cabin while building, digging the well, putting in septic and plumbing, basement, etc. 10 of us in a 10x16 storage room! It was fun, because it was temporary.
So the memory's seem forever. Jon was born that year so Gina, Jon, Monica, Mark and James don't ever remember living anywhere else.
When we first bought the place, the trees, bushes and undergrowth were so thick, you couldn't walk through the forest. We horse logged one truck load of logs and Rick took a rototiller through to make a path while we all worked to smooth it out and clear a way to walk though to the back.
The service berry bushes were thick and had lots of berries. I canned some, but they really don't have much flavor.
Well over the years forests change, we had a cow that grazed our under brush, we took down the dead trees for fire wood. Children built one play/tree house after another. Dead branches now began to build up on the ground and we needed a major clean up for fire safety and looks.
But 5 acres is overwhelming.
Then I heard about a grant they put out for this area. They pay 90% of the cost to clean up and fire safe our property's out here.
So we did it. It was scary, because although each person in our area has 5 acres, we are in a neighborhood. I don't feel like we have neighbors since our trees give us privacy.
The guys doing the job were very kind as James told the story's of his "climbing tree" or the trees that Paul, Mark, Jon, James and Hans decided take down as lumberjacks.
After, front yard. You can see neighbors pond here.
Before
After
This is the machine, it would take down a tree and then mulch it into chips. Anything on the ground it ate and mulched.
BeforeI'm getting used to it. At first I could see the neighbors, but now I don't even think about it. It just looks clean.
