Getting Started

A little history and a few photos before we begin...

It's been years getting land, preliminary buildings and equipment, home design and RETIREMENT all in hand so we can finally begin developing Clearwood, our 10 acre retirement homestead. In 2004 we purchased land in the Ozark Foothills to house a Wood Miser; yes, a wood cutting machine that Butch swears was not a mid-life crisis purchase. Thought he'd like to cut some wood. Our in-town neighborhood homeowners association at the time good naturedly tolerated this behemouth sticking out of our garage until a barn - Little Big Barn - was first drawn on a bar napkin then built on the ten acres. When drilling for water we came up dry. Not to be undone by one dry well we dug another and hit a lovely natural gas pocket that should carry us to our grave....one way or the other...and has led to creative thinking when considering what else to do on this property.
Butch, lovingly known as Renaissance Man conjured up numerous ways to use our bounty. A small lumber operation...pole barn, kiln, truck and tractor to start, raising bees, growing mushrooms and then eventually a hydroponic greenhouse to produce lettuce and possibly tomatoes. I say eventually because for right now we can only handle the wood cutting, bees, mushrooms AND building a home to take us into our rockin' on the front porch with The Rolling Stones years. The hydroponic greenhouse will be in our 2012 picture. Fortunately, Little Big Barn has an 800 sq. ft. living quarters so we are on property to manage and enjoy the day-to-day journey.
Our house plan is a Southern Living Home Plan Tideland Haven #1375 that we had customized by their architects. We will be forever thankful to a couple who blogged their experience building this same plan in Louisiana. It was helpful to see how the house looked as it was going up and when it was finished. Our building budget dictated fewer French doors and windows, straighter exterior walls and roof lines and our living space needs called for a larger dining room and sun porch. On paper we are pleased with the redraw. Building always requires adjustments so we know to be open for change!