Final Move

I'm moving next week, about 2 miles down the road, still in Michigan. I think I'm gonna love it - its a old farmhouse (a Sears house which brings up all kinds of research for me to follow up on) on a 100 acre operational Fruit & Horse farm. I've been packing for awhile and I'll get the keys a week from Wednesday with the furniture being moved on Saturday, the 18th. 

Turns out Sears sold about 70 thousand of the 'kits' from 1908 to 1940 and this one looks to be one of the 350 designs, a Sheridan, and was built in the late 1920's. The house was sold in 1951 (the year I was born) to a family that owned it up until recently. The Missus died in 1998 at the age of 88 and her husband in 2003 at the age of 96 - he'd already planted his spring garden that year. Their son  lives about 1/4 mile down the road and he was in his late teens when his parents bought the house. He and his wife walk everyday and are very helpful in the history they remember. 

It's a huge house - 3 bedrooms and bath up and 1 bedroom, bath, dining room, kitchen and living room downstairs plus a basement. One of the out buildings can be used for my soap-making since it has a sink, bathroom and heater. It's amazing. 

The current owners live about 1/2 mile away in his historic family home but the land was sold and the owner is a big business guy accumulating land in the area. This is why the current owners farm the land but live elsewhere so its a great opportunity for me. There are 100 acres with apple, sweet cherry and peach orchards. About 5 horses and he'd like to do more horse rescue - I've already got a good relationship with one of the horses. You can see pics if you scroll down. 

There are fine with me adding goats and chickens and I'm seriously considering bee-keeping. The owner has already tilled up a 20x20 patch for my garden this year and I can start planting right away. The garden is where the family had an organic composted garden for many years so the soil should be excellent. Corn & Tomatoes are on their way.