Property Progress in Photos

Since retirement in June, we have been too busy to even notice we are retired. I am teaching two classes at University of Mary Hardin-Baylor, where the motto is Together, we live with purpose, on purpose - a perfect fit for this time in my life. Spencer is busy preparing to become a Certified RV Technician through NRVTA so he can serve Belton and the surrounding communities, and to continue serving, and earning, wherever we travel in our RV.

We are hoping to land our first work camping job in early spring.

Toward that end, we have been working to get our property in shape and our home base built. This post is a picture journey of our progress since June.

Preparing the Property

Although we cleared a large portion of our property prior to retirement, we wanted to add a few more RV sites for additional income. Lots of brush pushing, cutting, and burning. We have become great friends with and supporters of volunteers from the Sparta Volunteer Fire Department.

We have always talked about having a small stock tank on the property....some day. We have had so much equipment in use that Joseph can't seem to stop when the day ends. He started digging some black dirt for a project. He hit clay and just kept on digging. No water yet as we finished it right after the heavy rains, but we can't wait to see what spring rains bring.

Site Work and Landscaping

After clearing brush, we got busy moving dirt, hauling rocks and pulling weeds. Without the need for creative punishment created by antics of three busy boys, we have had to do all the grunt work ourselves. Spencer can't stand to waste any natural resources, so we have used every single rock, plus some we hauled in, somewhere in the landscape.

Small rocks stacked "just so" become borders for the RV sites. Larger rocks serve as tree borders.

All our sites are full, and we have THE BEST tenants. We even have a tiny home filling one of our sites. These folks are great neighbors and we are building a great community.

We have set aside the plot in front of the tiny home as an orchard. So far, I am fighting the deer off from our four baby peach trees. We have pecan trees, pear trees and apple trees in the works for this area.

The orchard will be a great addition to the two natural peach trees Spencer found when he was clearing brush.

They were smothered by briars, poison oak, hackberry trees and other brush and had not seen clear daylight in years.

One of the trees received a massive injury during the clearing process, but I have been nursing it back to health, and am hoping these two mature trees serve as a foundation for future fruit harvests.

We brought lots of plants from South Texas. These red yucca succulents were in pots all around our pool on North Padre Island. Spencer separated them, and we can't wait to see them flourish along the cedar and rock fence that lines our property.

Bath House and Laundry

One of the first amenities we promised our tenants is laundry facilities. The facility is still a work in progress, but it is a testament to our community that everyone is happy to use what we have until all work is complete. We are using the washer and dryer from our house, and we use the honor system for funding. Everyone just puts their money in the box and makes change as they need it.

I also provide a supply of the homemade, all-natural laundry detergents I make and use. Click HERE for the recipe. It's from the FreshMommy blog by Tabitha Blue, a great site to follow for all-natural home DIY recipes and ideas. I modified the recipe to add borax and create a Heavy Dirt recipe for added cleaning and odor control on our work clothes.

Spencer is working in the laundry today, adding insulation and this GREAT re-claimed metal to the ceiling.

The laundry/bath house will eventually feature a full bath and work area with rustic, re-claimed - meaning cheap or FREE - decor.

Our Tiny Barndominium

I continually tell people that I am truly surprised by how much I LOVE living in our RV. So I know that when we finish our tiny home, I will be full of gratitude for my many blessings, and happy to have a place for everything and everything in its place. And the everything will be quite minimal, as every time I go to the storage building to get something, I find one or two more "somethings" that I can do without.

Anyway, progress on our tiny home base continues.

The first few pictures are electrical, water, and sewer going in.

Then we hauled a LOT of dirt, framed it up, installed the plumbing and poured the concrete slab.

You may have noticed a constant in the progress pictures.

Whether it is hauling dirt and rock, designing landscaping, running equipment, installing electrical lines and boxes and septic tanks, plumbing an entire house, or general carpentry, my amazing husband knows how to do it all.

And he does it cheerfully and artfully.

And sometimes he re-does it several times to get it right for himself, or because I decide I like it a different way.

He really is a dream boat of a husband, a loyal best friend, and the guy I will always want by my side for every endeavor.

It's a good thing he loves me, because I have more projects.

Coming Soon....

Metal walls for our barn/tiny house are coming in a couple of weeks. While Spencer has been busy preparing for the walls to go up, I've been dreaming about decorating. Check out all the wood, and this AMAZING reclaimed bead board I found from a barn near Schwertner, Texas, a size and type that is no longer available for purchase. This stuff is OLD. It was a beast to locate, load, unload and stack, but it is a gem of a find.

We (mostly Spencer) will be busy sanding and sealing it, in preparation to install it on the ceiling in our tiny living quarters. It is going to look SOOOOO good.

Follow along with End Marks - Paving the Road to Retirement to keep up with the progress on our place and tiny barndominium.

And coming soon, watch Mile Marks - Feeding Our Wanderlust, for details of another trip to Pennsylvania where we plan to enjoy the fall leaves, hug Josh and Ariel, visit the Liberty Bell, and smack some Philly Cheese Steak.

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