getting ready to move to the pasture

We received our tree order yesterday. Twenty-five Norway Spruce and five free White Spruce.

We need some privacy between our new home-site and Marvin next door, whose monstrosity of a house looms over the entire landscape for miles. We already planted a row of Lombardy poplars, but since those aren't very long-lived, we'll plant the Norway Spruce in a row this side of the poplars. Although at our ages, I imagine the poplars will outlive our stay here.

That's the front view from our new home-site. Originally the plan was to tear the barn down and re-locate it, and we may yet do that. But it's blocking the view of the road and the renter's trashy trailer, which in my opinion are positive things. What if we simply plant our free white spruce trees just this side of the barn?

That will be our view to the east, and any flaws you see in the picture can be easily cleaned up.

The view to the north; I hope to have a deck on this, the backside, of the mobile home. A deck where, once my privacy trees are tall enough, I can sit in my nightgown if I so desire.

Of course we'll plant some shade trees.

One person said she was anxious to see how I'd "decorate" my mobile home. I'm still laughing at that one. Folks, I don't decorate. I plunk my furniture in place, put a very few items on the walls, and call it home. Someone else asked if I was buying new furniture. Why would I? I like the stuff I have. Well, my Lazy-Boy could use replacing, and with a bigger living room we'll need a couple of occasional chairs (which I'll probably get used, on Craigslist). But no, I don't require new furniture. Especially to furnish a used mobile home.

Can you tell by now that I don't do things just to impress people?

This whole move out to the pasture is for these reasons:
1. I want and need air conditioning, which I've never had and really didn't want until the last couple of years.
2. One closet in a whole house for two people is not enough. I can't wait to have THREE!
3. Two bathrooms will be nice.
4. I'm sick of throwing a breaker every time I use too many appliances at once.
5. I want a view.
6. I want all my living space on one floor. Our upstairs is just a dust-collecting, clutter-ridden, abandoned place.

Oh, I could go on. The reason we're not just putting all this money into remodeling our old house? By the time we re-did the foundation and re-wired the place and added on enough space to make a bigger living room and closets, it would cost many times the money we're spending to do what we're doing. From outside, the old house doesn't look so bad. Trust me, it has more flaws that I do. And that's plenty. Now, at one time we were simply going to sell this place and buy something smaller, with a better house. But we both love our 43 acres: there's room for horses and cows, and places to hunt for morels in the spring, and my cabin. Oh, and Cliff's shop, which we had built to his specifications, and is really a dream-come-true for him.

Life is a series of compromises. I hope this one works for us.

You're going to LOVE the storm shelter Cliff is fixing up, but it'll be awhile before I unveil it to the world.