March 2007 - Time to Clear the Land

Our first day "up the mountain" we had a visit from our neighbor, Sherry McCloud. She introduced herself and asked us for our names. Larry said, "Larry and Lolly." Sherry repeated our names and said, "Larry and Lolly -- why that's so cute I could just puke." Then she laughed and let go a stream of tobacco. We were a bit chagrined, but it was all very friendly. Sherry was interested in what we were going to do with the cleared trees. The deal we made with Sam was that he essentially owned the trees with the exception of a small quantity of hardwoods that he would haul to the mill, sell, and give us credit for. The rest he would sell to the pulp mill and the cost of trucking and fuel would cancel that out. But Sam was happy to leave them piled on the land so that Sherry could spread the word that anyone interested in cutting and splitting the logs for firewood was welcome to them. It seems a lot of our neighbors have wood-burning stoves to heat their homes and water. It eventually all disappeared and we felt right neighborly about it.

The thing I find so funny about Sherry dropping in that day is that I envision her down at her place saying to herself, "I believe I'll go meet the new neighbors -- oh, wait a minute," then she loads up on chew and says, "now I'm ready." After having this conversation with Sam he teased me that once I lived down here I'd feel the pressure to fit in and that I'd eventually take up the habit myself. I told him it would be a cold day in hell, but now when I see him he asks if he can "bum a dip." (Sam doesn't imbibe.)

Here we go!

Happy Lolly.

The view starts to reveal itself.