Through Another Person's Eyes

We've had our focus intently on the old farm house rehabilitation of late.  We live and breath the "next steps" in getting to the end of what we fondly call, "phase 2."  How will we know when we get there?  Well, the old farm house will have level floors upstairs and down, completed through the sub-floor, with necessary electrical and plumbing "corrections" completed.  We still have a ways to go, but we are making headway.

September 2010, floor being removed
to expose what lies beneath...

February 2011, Judy observing progress
as new beams and piers are added

However, with the focus on the old farm house, the pond house has not been neglected, but has been squeezed into minuscule moments of attention. I was annoyed as discovered, on my recent visit, that the warmer weather had brought out the kids/adults on the go-carts and four wheelers.... though they all have large properties on which the COULD make trails for their riding pleasure, they insist on tearing up the private road that we must all pay to maintain....

Ahh, the Ruts of Spring

And the Precious Rut makers

It had been several weeks since I'd even taken that pleasant and relaxing walk down the path through the woods to enjoy a few moments on the pier.  So, I took that walk through the woods to the pier last week. There I discovered we'd had visitors.  Those "visitors" had attempted to take the canoe, and, when they were unable to loose it from its tether, left it upside down to fill with rain water.  Not the first time this has happened, I have grown accustomed to having to periodically bail out the boat or canoe, and flip it upside down again.  It's annoying, to be sure and I will be happy when the house finally sells.

Canoe -- Obviously "Tampered With"

Oh yeah, throw in your litter while you are at it!

They tried to cut through....
guess their pocket knife wasn't up to the task

Still, the Geese are Happy in the Pond

And the vulture? flies overhead

This weekend, while wrapping up a Craiglist transaction, we discovered the seller was preparing to leave his current house and sign papers to purchase another home.  We chatted about the house he was moving to, and about the pond house we have for sale.  He was immediately interested in seeing the property and, though we doubted it would lead anywhere, decided it couldn't hurt if he took a look.  We provided him with a flyer so he'd be able to walk the property the next day.

Another Craigslist Load

Or Two....

Sure enough, the next day he called, very excited.  He'd taken a look at the property and LOVED it. (As an aside, this actually constitutes the FIRST potential buyer to even look at the property since it was listed in July).  In the message he left, he asked that I return his call. He wanted to talk about buying the property.  Naturally skeptical, still, I did return his call and we agreed to meet at the house later in the afternoon, when his girl friend (a post office clerk I have known for several years) could join us.

So, with the wicked thunderstorms threatening, we arrived at the pond house at a little after 4 PM yesterday.

Storm's a Brewin'

We all walked down to the pond, and the girl friend liked it just as much as he did. He just could not stop remarking about how he LOVED the sound of nature that filled the air. They didn't seem at all phased by the fact that as we approached the pier, we spied four youngsters (early teens) on our property by the pier.  They saw us and started to make a quick exit, but I called to them and convinced them to stay put until I could reach them and talk to them.  I don't think these kids were doing anything more than trespassing, but they were treated to a "Judy lecture" nonetheless. They left, probably to tell their friends that the mean woman caught them on her pier....after all, the private pond and the woman's pier SHOULD be their playground, right?

Judy Meets Trespassers

Rain Starting to Fall on Pond

Then, as the rain drops started to fall, we took the tour inside. Where I saw a house that had not been vacuumed in more than a month, a house plant that had suffered from not being kept in its favored tropical environment, a couple of closets that still need to have their contents boxed and removed, and a closet whose clothing rack needs to be reinstalled, they saw a "perfect" home.... one that they could see moving into next week if we could, "work a deal."

Well, we shall see if the "deal" he comes up with is one we can agree on.  I remain a skeptic, but it was nice to see the house and the property through another person's eyes.  To be honest, since I had that house built on that property, people have consistently loved it, when seeing it for the first time.  Everyone is surprised to "discover" it even exists back there.  But, with no real estate agent bringing any prospective buyers to see the place, it is easy to begin to believe nobody will be interested.  At least showing it to these two renewed my hope that, if agents will at least bring the potential buyers, they WILL be able to make a sale.

Much as I do find it a beautiful parcel, I will be very happy to know it is being enjoyed by new owners.... perhaps.... one day.....

From Pond House front Porch, Fall 2010

Lake from Pier, July 2010

Pond House, July 2010