And instead of meetings with a homebuilder and contractors, I'm laying low, watching lumber prices go up, up, up . . .
Watching steel prices too . . .
And instead of jostling for campground sites with hordes of travelers, I'm cat-sitting for them. This is Simon . . . YouTube has alot of good videos to amuse cats.
Before Simon and Dylan, there was Lily in Woodstock, Maryland, followed by Pete and Roger in Roanoke, Virginia. In Roanoke, I walked daily in a cemetery instead of busy hiking trails . . . hello Ms. Clatterbuck, hello Mr. Trinkle, hello Ola May . . .
Last April, I planted a dozen baby Norway Spruce trees on my buildable lot . . .
See my vegetation above? I got a certified letter from the city claiming I had to mow my overgown vegetation, followed eleven days later by an email from a city erosion inspector claiming I had to sow seeds on my denuded lot. WTF? I pay Sport the Bush-hogger to mow every six weeks.
While I was tucked away in the North Carolina woods with Simon and Dylan . . .
And a dentist in Morehead City made my very first crown when an old filling broke.
Not a very blog-worthy past eight months, eh?
PS: After my cat-sit in Beaufort, NC, I camped at my lot in Salem, Virginia. The clover I planted is coming up nicely according to my 4-legged neighbors.
I was on a long waiting list with a driveway company in October and November. They finally excavated a six-inch deep 140' long construction driveway . . . .
. . . then I laid the weed control fabric . . .
. . . . then they topped it with a foundation of 4" layer of big rocks and a surface layer of 2" of pugmill.
The construction driveway is now ready for construction vehicles!
Hey Terri!
ReplyDeleteGood to hear an update from you. I had been wondering if you'd started your build yet, but everything's been so crazy in the real estate world, you may as well wait. I saw something yesterday that prices are starting to stabilize and plateau in some major markets, which should have a domino effect on everything else. Let's hope, anyway! Glad to hear you are staying well and keeping busy.
Besides higher prices for steel and lumber, there's also a shortage of construction workers and knowledgeable well-trained installers of windows, doors, HVAC systems, utility trenches, concrete slabs, etc. Yes it's all crazy! Thanks for your concern Laura :)
DeleteThanks for the update, sending healing thoughts your way. Love.light.peace
ReplyDeleteThx Kathryn.
DeleteTeri, I've been wondering how you're doing and am glad you posted. It sounds like you've been making the best of these challenging times. We've been running into problems with our home renovations—windows that we ordered in March keep getting pushed back.
ReplyDeleteHow cool that you're cat sitting to avoid the crowded campgrounds created by the pandemic pandemonium. We're traveling differently, too, and are choosing to stay in a small RV park for a couple of months for our initial foray back into RVing.
I'm curious about the outcome of your surgery. I have Dupuytren's, too. I've had it about 20 years and am hoping it won't progress to contracture. Hope you're healing well! (P.S. Not sure where you are now, but we're in Western North Carolina near Brevard.)
Speaking of windows! I'm also having problems just ordering one triple-pane window that I'm willing to keep in storage until I need it. I had Dupuytren's surgery 5 yrs ago on both hands, both are still contracting, one worse than the other, so I had it done again on the worse one. My dad has it too, but at age 97, his never got worse so he didn't need surgery. I suspect this recent surgery will be a disappointment to me despite the splint and PT exercises, etc. Ask me again in a year's time OK? Hope you aren't near the Fred floodings in western NC, sounds like another weather disaster. I'm in Beaufort NC cat-sitting for Mona and Bolo.
DeleteSo sorry to hear that you've had surgery twice. Ugh. I've been taking supplements that seem to keep it from progressing and have helped soften the nodules and thickening of the cords (curcumin, bromelain, and serrazymes). I'm hoping to avoid surgery, but as you found with your dad, the condition varies with different people and no one knows why. I hope you heal well!
ReplyDeleteWe were flooded in our campground here in Lake Toxaway near Brevard...but we were on high ground. Crazy times all around!