First Reader and I drove up to the property to look-see at what’s left of the snow. The short answer: Not much. The mud, however, is another story. While the snow is melting, there are still plenty of patches where thick, sticky mud would make heavy equipment operators miserable. (C) 2023, JJ ShaunThe view from … Continue reading Rebuilding the Dream, Pt 127

First Reader and I drove up to drool in our new house this past week again. Despite the high winds repeatedly ripping some of the protection from the roof (the company keeps putting more back on), it looks good. No squatters of either the four- or two-legged variety have moved in. Those have been a … Continue reading Rebuilding the Dream, Pt 126

Happy New Year, everyone. After a couple of weeks of shouting into the Void about still being displaced, First Reader and I have accepted that the dream of returning to the mountain will have to wait until Spring. Having heard from our sales rep this week, she confirmed what we were beginning to suspect—the house … Continue reading Rebuilding the Dream, Pt 125

Merry Christmas, everyone. Nothing has changed on the building front. The ‘bomb cyclone’ that blew across the United States last week prevented much of anything from happening—well, that and the holidays. Our household spent the coldest days bundled up inside, grateful the power didn’t go out like it did in some regions. The hardest part … Continue reading Rebuilding the Dream, Pt 124

After another week of waiting, we’re still looking for a team to bring our home up the mountain. We’ve had bites but no commitments—yet. I don’t know why we expected this part of the building process to be any different than the rest of it has been. After all, it’s been an uphill struggle all … Continue reading Rebuilding the Dream, Pt 123

This has been a frustrating and depressing week as our building process is in limbo. I called our sales rep this week to ask about the status of getting someone to drag our modular up the hill. The news was dismal, to say the least. All the macho men who last summer crowed about how … Continue reading Rebuilding the Dream, Pt 122

Nothing happened this week except for more frigid weather and snow. Mr. Contractor is still waiting to hear from Ms. SalesRep, saying she found someone to drag our house up the hill. Overnight temperatures have dropped into the teens and single digits, so the slab will get poured after the house is set. Happy, happy, … Continue reading Rebuilding the Dream, Pt 121

Only a little got done at the property this past week. Between the frigid temperatures and the Thanksgiving holiday, Mr. Contractor spent the week with his family. He got the backfill as complete as he could before he left. (C) 2022, JJ ShaunBackfill along the south and west walls. (C) 2022, JJ ShaunLooking south and … Continue reading Rebuilding the Dream, Pt 120

Work on the house is going slowly. Mr. Contractor has been steadily moving dirt and burying the back side of the basement. His goal still is to have the basement ready to receive the house by the last week of November. (C) 2022, JJ ShaunLeveling the area above the house. (C) 2022, JJ ShaunThe window … Continue reading Rebuilding the Dream, Pt 119

First Reader and I drove up to the property yesterday afternoon to see how the house was coming along. Mr. Contractor was busy backfilling the west side of the basement. (C) 2022, JJ ShaunMr. Contractor backfilling dirt. It was a pleasant surprise to find him working on a frigid Saturday, moving dirt from one of … Continue reading Rebuilding the Dream, Pt 118