Parental Guidance

This was an exciting sight to behold when I came up Glenview last night for my nightly visit. The grade level floor looks as though it's about to be poured!

Here, Dad is standing in front of the office door to Valley Read's waiting room. And mom is coming down to check things out. She came prepared with her little rubber boots. I think it's actually possible that Jan is MORE excited about this build than me ... and that's saying something!

Yup, she's happy with the boys' handiwork thus far, but not without a thorough inspection.

Can you believe this is just the first floor!

This is the size of my house in relation to the size of my mother :)

Mom's thinking she'd like to tidy things up, but is willing to leave well enough alone.

And Dad thought he'd get a bit more bulldozing in for good measure!

We're all pretty darn excited about this build and Dad even called me a pioneer as the first Campbell to build a house!

It's been a tad quiet the past few days, but finally today there has been slight movement! It looks as though they're preparing to pour the foundation. As one would, every evening after work I head to the castle site, kick off the shoes and don the boots. I love wandering around in the dirt imagining how things are going to take shape. This is without a doubt the most exciting thing I've ever done and I'm loving it all! Even if I'm still a bit taken aback by the weeness of Glenview Castle's footprint, I am very excited and proud to be apart of the "tiny house" movement! Here are some more pics ...

So, remember how I said I'm building a tiny house ... well these pics should give you a good idea just how tiny. The hole has been dug, the footings now in, and the slab soon to be poured. I'll admit when I first saw just how wee the footprint is, it actually caught my breath a bit. BUT, I'm coming around now and still just as excited watching this castle take shape :)
I now have a driveway, spot for the house and lots of land to work with when Spring comes and the landscaping begins! Such an amazing adventure ... more to come!

... and even more clearing. Now I can definitely get a sense of where Glenview Castle is actually going to sit! So, I've snapped a few more pics. I'm also getting an idea of where my driveway is going to be, off of Glenview. Now my lot looks quite a bit bigger and not as dramatically graded as I thought it would. Aaaaand, I still have three nice trees in front and some lovely maples in the back. Ever since I first saw this piece of land, it's felt like home! Just think how exciting it will be when that foundation is poured ;)

And for those wondering why I'm calling this place Glenview Castle ...

I like to call this "building within one's means". When I say I'm building a house, that's not to mislead one into thinking I've won the lottery and am building a gargantuan home. My house will have more of a modern, geometrically energy efficient tiny home "slant" to it. It has a very small footprint of 18x20 square feet with three floors. The bottom level of my home will house Valley Read. And the top two levels will house me :) This is going to be one cozy and highly insulated home that won't take much to heat. The front of the house rises 30 feet and is south facing, so all those windows in the front will soak in the sun. Perhaps in time I may retrofit some solar panels ...

 

Finally, after many years of dreaming and planning and refusing to take no for an answer, a spot is being cleared for my little house! Soooo ... let the digging begin! The corner of Glenview and Parkview is already looking transformed now that it's shed a few trees, scraggly bushes and hedges. Yet, still so many trees remain and that suits me just fine. I walked around my little lot tonight after day 1 of clearing and took pics for your perusal. If you stick with me, I will be posting pics and perhaps videos as the construction begins and progresses!