in between the rain drops

It won't stop raining, bah!  So little work has been done in the past week.  Need to hire a crew of ducks with umbrellas in order to get any freaking work done out there.  At this very soggy snail's pace, I might have a completed house by fall.  The weather people are predicting more rain for the next three days.  Central Indiana could get as much as 8 more inches.  Sure glad I'm in Southern Indiana! 

Speaking of water (as if we needed any more),  got the water set up and marked where the water meter will be placed.  One day last week while my husband was on vacation "we"  did some chainsaw work.  I say "we"  but I was only a witness.  I'm not allowed to use the chainsaw.  This could be based in part from past experiences with bad outcomes with power tools and sharp objects ;-)

mudcity usa


Haven't been to Wildbranch all week until today, mainly because we got a bunch of rain and I figured there wouldn't be much progress.  Boy, was I wrong.  Port-a-pottie, electric line had been run and the foundation poured.  That giant gapping hole of red clay and rock is starting to look like it could become a house!  I am astounded at how quickly things change at the building site.  I admire the workers and the builders and appreciate how they can pull all the pieces together to build a house.  I need to remember to ask them how many houses they have built in their careers.  I'm sure that they think what they are doing is not a big deal, but I sure do.

The mud at Wildbranch is red and intensely sticky, leaving red stain on anything that is a lighter shade such as the white flowers on my rubber boots.  After we got home I tried to spray off my boots but couldn't get all of the muddy stain off and its cold today so I've given up and will wait for the mud to harden and chisel it off lol.  


Hard to believe we could possibly get more rain next week, but that is what is forecast--every bloody day next week.  So I don't know if it will dry out enough up at the site for the trucks to bring in the lumber.  But my job next week is to work on getting all the paperwork done for the water meter to be installed and the line to be hooked up.  Oh yeah, here's what's cool about the water--I have to read my own meter.  Isn't that too funny!

concrete!

Every day is like Christmas.  After driving around for an hour looking for the water company which does not have a physical address, by shear luck found it and missed the pouring of the concrete for the footers.  That was a nice surprise because I thought they were only going to build the forms.  Bob The Builder (yes his name really is Bob) and his crew cranked out the work today. 

the road to wildbranch:  part 2

Visited the site today and the basement was indeed dug out.  A massive amount of red clay stained rock seemed to have exploded out of that hole--more than I can ever possibly landscape with.   It all looked  quite ugly and I had to really stretch my imagination  to see a house there BUT it has occurred to me that I will have one more basement to stuff full of stuff!  Secret hoarders, eat your hearts out!


On a brighter note (yuck, yuck), the electric main source has been marked near where the house will be.  Also, the woods are bursting with soft green and dotted with purple blasts from the eastern red bud.

the road to wildbranch: water

In addition to the basement being dug, today holds the promise of an additional adventure.  I'm going to attempt to get the water hooked up.  South Harrison Water Company does not have a physical street address so here are the directions from their website:  

Directions to South Harrison Water Office from Corydon, Indiana 

From Louisville, take I-64 west and get off at the Corydon, IN exit (Exit 105).  At the end of the exit ramp, turn right onto State Road 135 south.  At the third traffic light (Federal Drive) turn left.  This street will take you through the town of Corydon.  At the second traffic light, turn left onto State Road 62.  Follow State Road 62 east out of the town of Corydon.  Proceed approximately 2 miles and turn right onto Corydon-New Middletown Road.  Follow Corydon-New Middletown Road approximately 3.5 miles to the town of New Middletown.  At the 4 way stop sign, turn left onto New Middletown Road.  Water company office is located on the left approximately ¾ mile east of town.  Look for the tall water tank.  Call  the office at (812) 968-3425 if additional instructions are needed. 

For a normal, non-directionally challenged person, these directions are sufficient.  However, when its ME it's quite possible someone will need to assemble a search party to come find me.  So do that, will ya, if you see no further posts from me within the next 48 hours?  ;-)

 the road to wildbranch: part 1

Well things are finally starting to move.  Today the bulldozer cleared trees, did some road work, and grading.  Gravel was laid in the lower part of the road. I had a crazed day and couldn't get out there until 7:00 p.m. and was relieved to find that the trees had been removed within the flagged areas that I'd marked months ago.  Even though I am pleased, I have a bittersweet feeling as well.  It was hard to think about coming onto this land where no one has ever lived and changing it to fit my needs.  I am respectfully grateful for the space and quiet and thankful for God's handiwork.  I'm trying to make the smallest footprint possible.  One of my parishioners advised me to look for arrow heads because this area had lots of native people activity long before the bulldozer and I got here.

Tomorrow the basement will be dug and Friday the footings get poured.