An old friend of mine called this spring with the news that he and his wife were buying 15 acres in the country. They had gotten a real good deal on the place, but the buildings were in questionable shape. To add to the adventure, they were buying it sight unseen (if you don’t count Google maps and photos). Their goal was to set up a market-garden operation.
This past weekend, we made the trek to see what they had found. As we drove in, we found a dense stand of trees around the house, a mid-20th-century barn in good shape with a straight back, a house full of additions, and a number of small outbuildings in varied shapes.
Our friends welcomed us and immediately took us on tour. What quickly became apparent was how much work our friends had done in the less than two months they had owned the property. Weeds, brush and trees were cut and cleaned up. Garden beds were renewed, and trash was removed. The house had been transformed from vacant and ill-used to clean, bright and full of potential, though much work was yet to be done.
They found treasures, such as an old camping trailer sitting in the woodlot without wheels and with top left in the raised position. Many would have had it hauled to the scrap lot. My friend planned to mount new wheels and tires, clean up the body and replace the top. He had recognized its potential for hauling fresh produce to market.
Such recognition is a small victory of sorts and keeps the fire burning bright. It is making something out of nothing or a near nothing that others might discard. It is part of the great adventure one embarks on with a move to the country.
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