It has been quite a while since I’ve posted any West Street updates. But, that doesn’t mean things haven’t been happening! In fact, so many things have happened in such a short amount of time, it would have been too confusing for everyone had I tried to post updates.
In short, a month ago we officially said goodbye to our home on West Street after having it listed for sale for just one {very quick} month. Then, just this past weekend, we said a big HELLO to our new home in the Driftless Region of Wisconsin. As a part of the 34 acres we just acquired, we have inherited some 1,500 hazelnut bushes. So, during the time we were working on purchasing the property, we affectionately called it “The Nut House”. And I will be real with you……that nickname wasn’t just because of the hazelnuts. We are taking on a very unique property, and a very unique lifestyle, and most would say we are a little nutty for doing so.
But we are excited. We have found our forever home in an amazingly beautiful location. Or, at least the bones of our forever home. Over the next year {or so} we will be doing a full renovation of The Nut House, or as we have described it to our friends and family, the Barn Castle {the house looks like a barn and a castle had a baby…complete with wood siding and steel roof}.
{picture taken on closing day, July 17th, 2015}
The story behind the Nut House is quite a unique {and nutty} one. The very first, original owners built the small commercial kitchen {the bottom half of the tower on the barn castle} to run their organic frozen pizza company out of. They grew almost every single thing they put onto their pies and the farm was called “One Sun Farm” at the time. When they decided to expand their business, they built on the long rectangular portion of the building in hopes of serving their tasty pizzas to diners from all around the area. The second level of the large rectangular dining hall, and the upper level of the kitchen {the tower portion of our castle} were added on to supply housing to farm help.
During this time, they were also planting permaculture crops {ones that come back on their own year after year}. So, along with the 1,500 hazelnut bushes, we now also have an acre of asparagus, multiple apple trees, raspberries, blueberries, currants, plums, blackberries, grapes, and some other goodies I am sure we have yet to discover.
{the view from one of the rooms in the tower}
The one major thing our new Nut House was lacking was a “normal” heating system. All that the house currently has for warmth is a wood burning stove in the middle of the dining hall and a wood burning stove in the kitchen {that also powered the still remaining commercial pizza oven}. This caused us quite the headache in securing financing, but we finally found a solution, and the HVAC guy is coming in a week to install heating and air. If this is something that you are considering getting done, then you might want to consider getting a HVAC installed by AnytimeHVAC. However, the decision is up to you. As well as getting a HVAC installed, we decided that, for security reasons, we should get the electrical guy to install our new home security camera and monitor.
Yes, we’re in need of a HVAC company to come and fix our issue. If you’re in need of a HVAC professional like we are, you might want to check out someone like Cary HVAC experts as they should be able to solve any of your HVAC related problems. However, we are planning on doing most all of the construction work ourselves. We learned a lot on West Street and we are super excited for the possibility of what our castle can become.
Obviously, our lack of heating also meant we had no air conditioning, which is essential for the hot, summer months. There was no way we weren’t getting air conditioning, and decided to employ the help of a professional to install it in the new building. If you’re in the same position as us, click to visit this professional who can sort your AC troubles out!
{our split level driveway….our red pole shed is behind me while I am taking this picture}
Are you wondering, “What is going to happen to West Street Story?”
Oh don’t you worry, I’ve got big plans. Before I dive into the renovation updates, I will be switching over the blog to it’s new name and branding.
Introducing:
LIFE ON THE HOLLOW ROAD
For privacy purposes, I am not going to disclose our actual street name or address. Just know that in the Driftless Region there are many valleys, and many hollows, and the names of roads in the area follow suite. Our property happens to be in a hollow, on an appropriately named road. So, instead of West Street, the blog will now be named The Hollow Road {I couldn’t convince Graham that “The Nut House” was a good name for the blog}.
I haven’t made the official switch yet as far as website address and other blogged-ness goes {add that one to your dictionary}. This announcement post was my first step. But, watch for everything to be updated {including a face lift to the style of the blog}…..and no need to go running off to update any bookmarks that you may have, it should just all be automatic for you. However, I wanted to make you all aware of the new name {so that you would recognize it} before I started any transitioning.
ADOPTION UPDATE
We are to the point in the process of just simply waiting. We are done with our home study and are now officially in the mix of adoptive parents that the agency shows to birth parents. So, we wait. Every time my phone rings, though, I am hoping it is the agency. Therefore, for anyone that calls me and I sound a bit disappointed when I answer….this is why. I love you, and love that you are calling me, but I would love that “you’ve been matched” phone call just a little more.
PS…..how long until the “nutty” puns get old?
