unstraightening the driveway

We met with the builder today, to make sure that the driveway was a nice curving one, rather than the straight line the bulldozer had roughed in. Excavation-Man was splendid to save 2 extra trees at the start of the driveway, which gave us a nice start to the s-curve we had anticipated for the drive. Thereafter, however, he took an as-the-crow-flies approach: straight as an arrow.

A lot more trees came down yesterday, and I actually saw two come down. . . . scarey stuff.

Here's the pile that still remained. Much of it will stay, and be cut up for firewood. It hurts. But the clearing is beautiful - especially in the morning sun.

the clearing

It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. . . . Of course I wasn't there when it was going on, and the excavator left things pretty neat when he left after the first day. Here's one large oak that was left behind.

I can begin to see what this will 'look' like - I was afraid all I would see was devastation. Below is the driveway, looking back towards the road.

This is the worst of it, right here. Although I think there will be another largeish area cleared tomorrow, off to the right.

Introduction

Yesterday I met with the builder to discuss which - if any - trees could be spared within the LOD: "limits of disturbance." (one that won't make it pictured above. . . .)

I felt like an executioner.

Excavation-man is supposed to have shown up this morning at 8 am, to start clearing. I'm excited, but horrified. What devastation to wreak upon 12-plus acres of pristine forest land so we might have the privilege of living there! And yet the land itself will be in better shape once we do arrive. . . . At least from the human perspective of productivity. There will be fruit trees and herb gardens instead of scrub trees, and a wildflower meadow instead of the same, with thorny brambles, wildroses and raspberries.

This has been two years in the making. We're on our second architect, and finally got our building permit a week or so ago. Tom Builder is set to go and, in fact, we've heard more from him now that he has his first payment, than we did even when he was trying to get the contract! In short - he's 'good-to-go'. So far, anyway!

The picture above is of one of the beech I wasn't able to save. . . . It's very big (my arms don't come close to able to reach around it - which I know, because I kissed it yesterday. . . .) and leaning towards where the house will be. The king said it had to go. The 'king', by the way - little 'k' - is my liege lord and husband. I'm the queen in our little kingdom.

Here's the "before" picture. . . .

Welcome.