Septic system

The installation of the laterals for our septic system began yesterday. The laterals are just inside the fence to the pasture closest to the house.

Septic system positioned just outside the gate to the pasture

Placement of laterals and line that runs from the house

view from North to South

The initial placement looked as though it might block the drive through the gate. So the field for the laterals was moved a little to the South to clear the area where vehicles will pass into the pasture.

Much of our discussion yesterday focused on where to acquire the dirt to cover these lines. Our "perc" test indicated the need for better soil around the lines. Luckily, we have soil near the draw that is of the quality needed.

The soil that is removed to cover the laterals will be replaced by soil taken from the draw to form the small pond that we are installing. The coordination of those two tasks will help avoid leaving the soil exposed for an excessively long period. Taking soil from our own land will also save a lot of money and helps to offset the cost of the pond.

Rick will reseed the soil over the lateral lines and the area where we remove and replace the dirt near the draw with a prairie grass and wildflower mix. I suppose that will start to sprout this year if there is enough rain.

Hopefully all this new seed means that Spring will bring an even greater variety of starter plants for my native flower gardens. And these lateral fields will provide the indoor plumbing we all depend on for comfort :-)

Our little piece of heaven - in the beginning

In October 2011 Brent and I embarked on a journey that began with the spotting of a little "For Sale by Owner" sign on a hill. You couldn't see the property from the road - just the hill. But once you drive over the hill...well, that's when you see the possibility.

So here is a little tour of what we saw:

A little cinder block house

A beautiful view East, South, and West

A ton of grass (aka a pasture)

An old cinder block garage 

...And trash

There was a lot of trash (less now, but still a lot). And, yet, we thought, "You know, that could work!"

The hill slopes off to the South and East, perfect for the home we wanted to build. There is a small well. It's only a few miles from 3 towns, only 5 more miles from our work and the same commute time. Hmmm.

So Brent did some figuring and thinking and made a big decision. He chose to convert his cash into this solid as earth investment. And we gained a little piece of heaven to care for and love.

Then we really started to dream...and plan... :-)