Rustic Exteriors

Maybe something like...

Traditional Exterior design by Minneapolis General Contractor Lands End Development - Designers & Builders

OR this...

Traditional Exterior design by Portland Architect Richard Brown Architect AIA

OR this...

Traditional Exterior design by Boston Design-build Timberpeg Timber Frame

OR this...

Traditional Exterior design by Boston Photographer Carl Vernlund

We Have Power

We have FINALLY been able to run power to the land. It has been quite the saga in getting this part of the construction done.

We have essentially two power runs:  one to the main house area to the north and one for the cottage near the creek. The well is closer to the creek so we have placed the temporary power pole to the well site.

Next will be to finish picking up the brush and trees downed by the power company and burn all of our brush piles. We have five very large ones to burn.

Toby Hemenway

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Planning for Foundations

We're planning to do some more clearing this weekend to open up the underbrush where the cottage will go. The plans for the roads and drives are pretty solid at this point, but given some of the land's features with substantial organic matter in the soil, it will need to be stripped with compacted fill put in place for the road bed and foundation at the cottage.

I also have decided to pace the workshop just to the east of one of the larger trees in the cleared upper area (see photo). This site is already nearly level, but we will need to strip the organic ,matter and back fill with compacted fill.

I have contacted TG again and we will try to go this weekend to see what he thinks. I'll post some before and after photos.

Bunyip Basics

I think I'll use this to determine contour lines for now. The laser level will come later.

Road Changes

I put up the road sign at the main road, which now places us officially in the system. Maple Creek Drive is marked.

I also closed the drive at the creek with temporary obstruction and posting of private property. Hopefully this will provide some security.

Clearing the Road

We've done a LOT of work in the last two weeks in clearing the road and putting down road bed. We have also reached a milestone in crossing the creek.

TG and his crew have done a great job in getting us the basic pathway into the property and across the creek. They encountered a LOT of subsurface water due to the poor drainage of the overall site, which will have to be managed once summer dries everything out.

I worked directly with him and his dozer on Saturday to start clearing some of the upper area and making basic paths through some of the thicker wooded areas. I will have to do some more precise clearing, but now I can with my basic tools and my tractor.

Pipes Down

Pipes Down -- looking across

Rough clearing and dozer work of drive to the creek -- Note the waterlogged sides

After smoothing and placement of roadbed over the waterlogged areas

Upper Drive looking south BEFORE clearing

Upper Drive looking south AFTER clearing

Looking south across the new and rough bridge. This will require rework in the future with sidewalls and likely a poured concrete pad across the top

Open the Gate

On Sunday, I took a couple of hours and worked on the entrance to Maple Creek Drive. I removed the gate and the interior posts and then cut back shrubs and barbed wire. I then took the wire fencing and folded it back on the remaining posts with good results.

Maple Creek After Rain

More Clearing

I cleared some more pathways this afternoon after work.

My goal is to get some visibility in the area to be cleared with the bulldozer. I need access so I can visibly mark the boundaries for the bulldozer. The present path is VERY think with underbrush -- se the before and after photos.

Map of Area to be cleared -- outlined in Pink
The photos below were taken from the spot of the push pin

BEFORE

AFTER

We're Somebody Now!!!

We got a call from the Western Arkansas Development Authority after surveying the road and the location of our driveway (sometime in the future) and we have our new address. We're now officially somebody!!

I met with TG, the earth moving/excavator guy, on Saturday and got his bid for the placement of the concrete pipes and building the road base over the creek -- now known as Maple Creek -- and his bid was great. He came in about $1,000 UNDER what I thought he would bid, which is nice. He is also going to do some clearing of the upper land where the houses and barn will be placed.

It's so damn thick I just can't get any visibility from where we have cleared.

View from the end of what will be the turn onto the mid-section of the property just across the main creek. The small tributary visible in this picture is flowing south into Maple Creek.

Looking forward in this picture should be the view as you drive into the mid-section of the property where we hope to build the houses and barn and main living areas. The small trees are thick here and basically impassable. I hope to do some rough clearing here so that TG can do good work with the dozer following roughly the outline in the picture below (outlined in pink). The picture above was taken roughly from the spot of the pushpin below looking roughly in line with the drive direction.

Clearing a Path

Yesterday was an outstanding weather day. Temps were in the 50s in the morning and the 60s in the afternoon and no clouds and little wind.

I met with TG who works for himself doing earthwork and excavation about placing the concrete pipes to bridge the creek and help to clear woods and create the basic road bed to get to the building area in the center of the land. He seemed clear on a plan and I await his ideas on costs.

I spent the remainder of time clearing brush and small woods with the Husqvarna trimmer fitted with the Grass Gator blade attachment. Thank goodness I bought a set of replacement blades, because they got abused. But -- o howdy -- does it work well. Combined with the Husqvarna chainsaw, I was able to do some amazing clearing by myself in just a few hours.

Cleared the area circled in pink along the western border from creek to mature woods (at the North)

My body is sore this morning, but I got a LOT accomplished.

I cleared the entire western border of the property of all thickets, bushes, and small trees. I can now mow the area with a push mower without difficulty along this path. Thank goodness for my Carhardt double duck pants...the stickers were plentiful.

BEFORE clearing -- looking North

AFTER clearing -- similar view

Finished path -- looking North

Finished path -- looking South