Update….

From there to here…..

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Where to start…..January was a tough adjustment month. Not being able to get off my driveway was the first challenge, heating issues and things not working came in after. I did get over the initial shock of nothing moving on the mountain in the winter.

I had some amazing sunsets and moonrises.

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Found the area doesn’t have a big homeless dog issue, but does have other foster needs. I have to admit that at first I thought this sign was for fostering dogs….

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I was able to get some Caymus wine to help me through it all. 🙂 The name seems to fit the whole scenario.

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Found all the things the previous owners never declared and some things they just said worked that did not. Including the leaking roof, water main not working and both gas fireplaces broke. That was just the top of the list. I have door issues, seems they had not heard of plumb and level. I have water issues mainly they didn’t have gutters on some parts and what little they did have ran right to the foundation. Yup, issues there. I can work with the damage, but I needed to stop any new issues. So, there is that…….

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I thought I could get some contractors and skilled people out, but quickly found the area is a desert when it comes to getting workers or contractors. The things I did get people out for they either charged for things they didn’t do, didn’t do it properly, didn’t ever call back, didn’t know what they were doing or just took advantage. Frustrating….!

I did put in a generator in the first month that never worked and that haunted me until recently. It became a daily siege where I had to become this person I don’t want to be, but it is the only way to get action. I finally made a big enough stink that Generac had to do better. It is a long frustrating story that I will tell another time.

This all prompted me to start looking for competent and skilled labor from OFF the mountain, which I found readily. I have a growing list of contractors and skilled labor that have done an amazing job in everything. So the key, hire people from OFF the mountain. Or at least not in my town….lol. People warned me about this when I moved here.

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The days were passing quickly….Spring was moving in and things were starting to look green. Took a long time for everything on the mountain to come into spring. It is slow roll into the season here, it comes in stages. The dogwood in front of my house bloomed first. It was just beautiful. Not surprising, we had a spring snow storm.

Spring Snowstorm

The landscaped changed….

I found blueberries growing in abundance on my property!!!

YUM

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Discovered some interesting places … Who doesn’t need “good stuff cheap!” 😉

Does he look like Albert Einstein, or what?!

Kentucky Fried Chicken is alive and well….and why not, it is only about 45 minutes from Kentucky.

Bought a juicer and got down with some fresh mountain strawberries!

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There was a lot of craziness in-between and many venting sessions with my cousin who is an angel. I decided that another redirection on my road is the remodel of the money pit I purchased. Lesson here, get a good inspector and don’t trust your real estate agent. At least tilll you have vetted them. I had a great agent, but my house was way out of his area so I went with someone not really known to me. I did the 17 hour round trip with poor complaining Circe to see the house first. If I had been closer, I would have noticed the warts….lol. I am going to start breaking down my remodel (and basic crazy life events) in the pages here. I have gotten somewhere….I am at a new place on my journey.

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I leave you with Circe who had to have surgery the first month. A HUGE mole just grew in two weeks after I moved here. She was not a happy puppy about that. Never underestimate bored pups. She has eaten shoes, clothes, house socks, rugs and -dare I say it- a sanding block. Somehow that didn’t upset her digestion.