2004: A lot, and a lot of ideas

When we lived in England, we were fortunate to live in a second home on grounds of the village manor. This setting, and village life in general, shaped our view of how we wanted to live upon our return to the US. We wanted land ... protected views ... a pond ... room for horses ... and ample wildlife.

Finding such a setting in southeastern Pennsylvania, close to several metropolitan areas, was a daunting task, but find it we did. Our 8-acre parcel was the "flag lot" in a small housing development, set back from the rest of the lots with farmland on each side. And it included a large (~1 acre) pond. Perfect! The plot plan gives an idea of the general lay of land.



















Pre-construction, the lot was completely overgrown, full of the highly invasive multiflora rose.

Construction began in early 2004, and moving day came in late September. For the rest of the year, our primary exterior activities consisted of:

• Clearing about 2 acres for pasture at the back of the lot
• Putting down grass seed in the pasture, and in the front and back yards, which were pretty much a mud pit
• Hauling away brush and junk that had accumulated on one side of the lot.

December heralded the arrival of hundreds of Canada geese. The spring-fed pond never completely freezes over, creating one of the few places for geese to swim & bathe.