Good Lord, this is overwhelming! It doesn’t help that I’m trying to finish a new novel and run a business, as well as keep the home fires burning and all that, but every time I think of the new farm, I get a little panicky over everything that needs to be done. Not much, but a little.
The problem, of course, is that when that happens, I tend to freeze up and just sit with my thoughts jumping all over the place.
The solution, on the other hand, is that I’m a compulsive list-maker and super-efficient. I guess it balances out . . .
On Friday, we closed on the farm. Easiest and shortest closing EVER. We each signed in two places, I handed them a check, and we were done!
Then we drove out there—our agent had never seen the place, except in pictures, and we needed to see how large a dumpster to have delivered. Conclusion: a really BIG one.
Having been out there, once, we knew there was a lot of stuff. A lot. But we were hoping the auctioneer would have gotten rid of a lot more than he did. Starting to wonder if he actually sold anything at all.
Went back into town and checked out the local lumberyard. Have a ton of stuff to order, and here’s the beauty of small towns: the guy said, oh, no, we don’t like to take credit cards over the phone, you just wait until the order comes in, so you can make sure it’s what you really want. Wow!
He sent us out to a farm store, which we never found, but we did come across a tool and heavy equipment rental place. Nice! So the guy’s two brothers-in-law live near our new place, and he grew up there too, and he went to school with the listing agent . . . and on and on! Plus, he gave us a couple names for small engine repair, and I’m sure he’ll have a lot of other info for us too, down the line.
We’re still going ‘round and ‘round with the electric co-op. Sheesh. Slow. The dumpster should be delivered in a few days. Still waiting for the insurance agent to call me back—he’d said Thursday, but no. Not Friday either. Sigh.
So, the lists. We have to call the lumberyard by 4:00 p.m. Tuesday, in order for our stuff to be in by Thursday; otherwise, we have to wait another week. We’re trying, of course, to buy local as much as we can, but today we made a run to our now-local Home Depot. Naturally, a second trip will commence tomorrow—that’s how we roll.
What it comes down to, for our 4-day work weekend, is all the stuff to clean up the place and the building materials for our campsite outhouse. And the gate. And the “POSTED” signs, for sure!
Next week, Prep Monday might be a day late, but you can look forward to some before and after pics and a rundown of the completed part of this project . . .
Robin Writes 
Sounds exciting, Robin “:) Don’t forget to find out where the septic system is (tank and bed) before the old owner disappears on you “:) –and where any old, unused wells may have been, which can be very deep holes lined with rock, but covered with rotten boards and raspberries…safety is an issue, old spikes, etc, preferably sweep the whole place with a metal detector, find old barbed-wire fencing laying under the grass, etc. BEST luck with it, there’s nothing like an old place! If you have anything that needs identifying, like old equipment, send a pic!
LikeLike
Good thinking, Raymond! The septic is a lagoon, already found that, and the only well is behind the old house. And yes, we’re bringing the metal detector – never know what we’ll find!
LikeLike
Also, don’t forget to save ALL old tools, axe heads, hammer heads, handles intact or not, ie. you may have old forge tools/hammers etc. and ‘unidentified’ types only old-timers know what they were used for–such items can be quite valuable and can be sold later.
Old, forgotten barbed wire is a serious problem on some places, tetanus in the making, it can be under 3-4″ of grass and sod –and still wicked. Do yourselves a huge favour and get ”cut” gloves which are almost indestructible, they won’t prevent pokes from sharp thistles, but will prevent serious when handling old sheet metal, etc. “:) Another thing, if there is no ‘root house’ watch for a deep hole dug into the ground at quite an angle, lined with rocks–the old-style root house. I found one on my place that was about 3′ in diameter, 10′ long (deep) and dug in at a shallow angle of about 40 degrees–lined with rocks. It was in the vicinity of, but separate from an old stone ‘basement’ hole also lined with rocks.
LikeLike
Of course! I’m kind of an “old thing” junkie…Dennis says that’s why I married him. *snicker
LikeLike
When I get overwhelmed at the next six weeks and all it entails for me, I’m going to think of you and all you are doing. Exciting? Yes. Scary? Yes. Exhausting? Yes. Worth it? Hell, yes!!
LikeLike
🙂 At least YOU are moving somewhere warm – every time we try to go down to our new place, it snows! I hope that’s not a pattern…lol!
LikeLike
[…] the garden instead of writing), and you can read more about her and her self-sufficiency project at Prep Monday, one of her weekly blog […]
LikeLike