The property was practically a blank slate when we arrived in November 1999. We could do anything we wanted, any way we wanted; it was all ours to build our dreams.
When we first moved in, the land had not been touched by domestic livestock for over 50 years (perhaps as much as 100 years), except for pigs in the pigpen. The previous residents kept 3 acres around the house perfectly manicured, worked a half-acre garden plot, and kept the rest of the extensive grasslands in hay production (though they often neglected to cut the hay on time). They had cut down a few small areas of forest and planted baby pine trees, but the majority of the forest area remained the natural mix of trees that planted themselves when the humans were looking the other way.
Humans hadn't left much of a mark on the property either: it contained only a microscopic but historic house, three old and dilapidated barns, a shed with a hole in the roof, a run-down but usable outbuilding about the size of an outhouse, a falling-apart historic chicken coop, an old well that had later been filled in with concrete, and a few remnants of fences left to mark the property line.
We had lots of fun standing at the far end of the 30-acre pasture with a video camera pointed at the house, showing the wide open expanse of unbroken grass. Oh yes, there was room for anything at all - you could build a castle and an entire village, with room to spare.
Open expanses like this provoke dreams in everyone. Our friends, our acquaintances, and even random strangers all have ideas.
However, the greatest thing about having an untouched piece of land is that it is UNTOUCHED. Every time you do anything to it, it becomes a bit more, well, touched. Nature provides exquisite beauty, and few of us can even approach her expertise. Anything you do will destroy or overlay something that already sits there.
We bought this place because we loved its beauty and its seclusion. That's why we try to think before we build, and we try to build sparingly. We want to create paradise by just a few enhancements to the land. We don't want to spoil the land, or make it ugly, and we can't create something anywhere near as nice from scratch. Sometimes a blank slate is best left blank!
Back to Vicky's home page or Jenny's home page.
Back to the farm page.