Well - after a busy summer, Tim and I and the kids are set to embark on another wild year. As much as we would love to duplicate our first "wild year," it is time for us to set down roots somewhere and make a home. We are just in the final stages of buying 120 acres of land in the Grande Prairie area. This will eventually be where we build the home we've talked about for years. Of all the things we've ever disagreed on - one thing we have always managed to agree on is our house plan - so that is good. We are in the north though and as much as it would be nice to start and complete our house this fall, there just isn't time. Our next wild year will be spent living in a shop on our land.
We have purchased raw land, ie. no driveway, no power, no water, no buildings (except for an OLD outhouse that leans strongly to the south and a steel grain bin!) In the next month or so, and hopefully before the snow flies, we hope to get a 30x40 or 40x60 (still undecided...) shop built to spend the winter in. Until that happens we will be living in a 21' holiday trailer. Yup, all 4 of us in that tiny space cooking, bathing, getting ready for work and school. Don't feel sorry though! We could go and pay monthly and dearly for the next long while and upgrade to a much bigger unit, but I would rather put that money into the shop this year and house next year and get it done. We may just have to have an old timey barn raising to get into the shop in time!
We were told by Atco Electric that we will likely be waiting for up to 6 months for power (I am hoping that this the "worst case scenario" and that it will come in sooner, but we are prepared if that is not the case.) I am used to living without power though and heating with wood - so this will not be a stretch. We have a shiny new inverter generator that will help us along until Atco gets to us.
In the next few weeks we will build a driveway, prep the shopsite, move as many of our belongings as there is room for into the steel grain bin for storage and hope for the best. The kids start school Monday (Cohen) and Tuesday (Nola) and as happy and sad as we are about that, it will free up some days to set to work on this new project. I'll post some pictures soon and keep you all posted about our newest wild year that we are jumping into holding hands and holding our breath...
I didn't know you guys were finally doing this-where's the pic's?
ReplyDeleteIt would have been interesting if you posted some pics. :-)
ReplyDeleteYou seem to have abandoned your blog, but I thought I would say hi anyway. I grew up nine miles north of Germansen Landing, many years ago. The store looks much the same as when the Westfalls owned it, but Gilliland Lodge across the river seems a little different.
ReplyDelete