| Prelude |
When we arrived in Grayling
early in April of 98 we took up residence in a local campground. The snow
was no longer. After our mortgage approval, we spent many an hour
at the Grayling Home Sales. There were important things to accomplish
such as carpet type and color. Should we have an electric water heater
or gas. Once all such things were decided the house was placed on order.
One of the big events was going to the 911 Office to obtain our house number. We were awarded; 1982 Evelyn Avenue Grayling Michigan 49738. |
| Preparation |
While awaiting the start
of construction, we spent almost every day preparing the site. There
was the low hanging limbs over the road to cut away. The campfire
type wood had to be saved from the building site. Then too was the
replanting of pines. Pa must have reset the stakes showing the 'preferred' location of the house at least three or four times. If you look real close in the pictures you can see the stakes. You will have to look closer to see the hand driven well. |
| Clearing |
The construction crew
did arrive with vigor. Up the South drive they did come with a back
hoe and dozer. The bucket was lowered to fighting position - down came
the first tree. The dozer made short time of the stumps and underbrush.
A young fellow cut the felled trees to length. Several holes
were dug. The logs were driven vertical in the holes and brush placed
on top. Our little forest is under two feet of sand. The back
hoe was used to pull the hand driven well - the pipe is now our flag pole. |
| Hole |
Do ya know what? The
only purpose of all that clearing was to make room for one BIG
hole in the sand. To the best of their ability they put the hole
where Pa had placed the building stakes. Just to make sure Pa restaked
the bottom of the hole. |
| Foundation |
The big hole in the ground
did not stay empty very long. Soon after it was dug a different construction
crew arrived and filled the hole with concrete and building blocks. The
very first thing they did was to replace Pa's building stakes. They
used a laser devise to plant their own. |
| Arrival |
At last the arrival day
of the house did come. What a sight to see the two sides coming down
Evelyn Avenue. The delivery men parked them in the North drive. Yep,
the dozer fellow made the drive wide enough. |
| Assembly |
The wonders of wonders,
the two sides do in fact, fit together. No no, they did not in this
case lift the units onto the wall. Nope, they rolled the sides on
over a set of rails. The house does not sit on the outer wall - sits
on the pilings in the middle of the hole. |
| Utilities |
A bare house in the middle
of a woods is not much use.. One needs, electric, water, fuel, and phone.
We had two water wells for a while. Water from the first 100 foot well was
not clear. The 'well man' brought back a second rig and put down a
second - 180 feet. We were downstate for the laying of the phone and
power lines. |
| Completed |
My oh my how proud we were to see the
house together. Lot 79 of AuSable Woods North never looked so good.
You will note there is not yet grass to mow. |
| Furniture |
One of the things we
did during the preparation phase was to order furniture. First we
thought of removing the furniture from the Motorcoach. But, ya know
what, it is attached and much to hard to remove. Oh how proud we were
to have new stuff to put in a new house. Ma was in charge of arrangement. |
| The End The Beginning |
In the two and half months
of April, May and some of June in 98 our life style did change. After sixteen
years of life 'on the road' - 'home was where we parked it' we
found ourselves with a house on a solid foundation. A Motorcoach nor House,
however - not a Home make. Home is where you are and place your heart. The
two pictures that follow show our mobile life and our current. |
| Improvements |
This area remains underdevelopment and
is the best part, the future. |