Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Day One(ish)

It's really not day one. It's like day gazillion, but you have to 'start' somewhere, right?!

So....today was the first day we really 'did' anything on the farm. And since we are who we are, the day started with shopping. But the shopping list for the day was awesome. Seriously awesome. The poor cashier that checked us out was trying to figure out what we were planning on doing today. Poor lady thought that due to our purchasing fishing line, fishing floats and a few different sizes of sinkers, that we were going to go - wait for it - fishing! But no! One of the things we wanted to get done today was to measure the depth of our well. Hence the line, sinker, and floats. Get it? The theory being that we attach a sinker to the line to get it to the bottom of the well, and attach a float to another line, and measure the difference.

This is how far we got today:


Yeah...it was on even tighter than expected.

As the well was dug over 40 years ago, we have no documentation on who dug it, when, or how deep. So. My Dad remembers that it's about 125 ft deep. Unfortunately his track record when it comes to these sorts of things is really pretty awesome, so I'm sure that this is going to be just another notch on his belt. Once we get the damn thing open. That will require a length of chain and a big pipe. For the next shopping list!

We also bought a new chainsaw today. I am so excited. There's just something so sexy about it. I'm in love with it. I reserve the right to change my tune after using it for many hours tomorrow.

What will we be doing tomorrow, you ask? Why clearing the 'driveway', of course!


'I will make this my garden!'
err - that's a chuckit. Gotta get me a sceptor.


The property has two driveways, and the trailer is going down at the end of the one that will one day be mine. It goes along the edge of the garden for a good way, curves downhill and to the right, and ends above the house site that I hope to be mine. One day. *sigh* It also happens to be near the aforementioned well, and looks out over the lake at the very south edge of the property.


In 2 days we will drive an Airstream down this driveway. Yup.

The driveways were graded and leveled 40 years ago, and our lovely neighbor has been kind enough to go through them every year with a mower and sometimes a bush hog. That said - there are a few....ummmm...trees? that have sprung up in the middle of them. A few volunteer cedars, hemlocks, and the ubiquitous pine. Nothing our new chainsaw can't handle, but enough to ensure a tough 2 days for the 3 of us. Oddly enough - I'm really looking forward to it. I have been waiting for more than a year to get this project started - and here it is!

Again. I reserve the right to change my tune in the future, if need be. But I doubt I will :)

4 comments:

Unknown said...

I'm loving reading your posts, Caitlin! How exciting this all is! And I really love your goal of sustainability. If anyone can do it, it's you :) I'm *really* looking forward to hearing more about this, and post pictures of the Airstream (in and out!) as soon as possible, pretty please. Old trailers/campers are probably the coolest thing ever. Lots of love!

Malia said...

Exciting! I'm SO happy for you! I feel like THIS is what you should be doing. Looking forward to your progress :) And I can't wait to visit!

Amelia said...

(Scratch that - 6 documented readers!)

Also, I seriously do very much intend to come down in the spring or summer for a stint, if it's cool with you. I would love that more than anything! And I don't have highfalutin, romantic notions of some Jane Austin-like tea party in the woods -- I would love to be of any real use to you: hauling rocks, stacking wood, lugging, schlepping, painting, weeding, etc... I still have Fais blood, don't I?

caitlinvb said...

Any and every one is welcome to come haul/chop/dig around in the dirt/lug/schlep/whathaveyou. I can offer...ummm...an idyllic setting? No. Seriously. It's gorgeous, and I need any and all the help I can get :)