In order for the house to be moved, the foundation had to be knocked out and the house put on metal beams. Then the house was pulled by two or three vehicles, one of which looked like a giant Army jeep, up to its current location. The move took one day. I didn't take any pictures because I didn't want to watch. I did see the house halfway up its move when I came over to get the mail at midday.
Getting back in the house took another 4 months. The house sustained minimal damage in the move, but the foundation had to be rebuilt and everything had to be hooked back up. Construction was still booming at that time, so unfortunately we were not a priority with contractors.
Here are a couple of shots up to the house taken early April 2008 (when the garden was more advanced than it is now). Very different than it was before the move, needless to say. Much more open.
Mid-April 2008, looking across the big perennial bed to the path cleared for the house and the woods beyond. Just behind the pine trees on the left side of the picture is a large ditch which carries the water shed from the surrounding land. This ditch was not the reason we moved the house; the creek that is 3/8ths a mile from the old house site necessitated the move.
Early May 2008, standing on the opposite side of the ditch, which used to be covered in trees, looking toward the neighbor's pasture.
The vegetable garden and view down to the big perennial bed, the old house site, and our horse pasture. Eventually I want to wreath the front yard with garden and join it to the big perennial bed -- the area between the lawn and big perennial bed is a nuisance to mow.
East side of house, vegetable garden and view to neighbor's pasture.
October 2008
July 2008, on the western side of the house looking down pathway to old house site. I intend to keep this pathway clear, as this is where we lead the horses from the paddock behind the house down to pasture. We're also planning on putting footing for a riding arena over the old house site.
In right of this picture you can see the brown sedge seedheads in the ditch behind the big perennial bed. The ditch has some nice things growing in it already: Clethra, Hearts a Bustin, Joe Pye Weed, Aronia, and Virginia Sweetspire. I've added snowbell and sweetbay seedlings, Rosa palustris scandens, and a paw paw tree, all of which are still very small.
View from upstairs window November 2008, showing our pasture, the old house site, ditch, big perennial bed, the bed next to the neighbor's pasture, and the neighbor's pasture off to the right. The area in the foreground is where the horse trailer was parked in the previous post.
Beginnings of bringing the house gardens together with the big perennial bed.
Currently we are enjoying this open space
(May 2008)
(May 2008)
but there's still a lot of landscaping to be done. I love it. It's like a being writer with a blank sheet of paper in front of her and pen in hand, imagining all of the possibilities!
