Richmond Woods: November 2011

Purchase and Location

I bought this property in 2005 and named it Richmond Woods for my father who taught me about nature and respect for the wild. It's located in Alabama near the Alabama/Georgia state line. The small nearby village of Mentone, AL has been a mountain retreat for 150 years for people escaping the summer heat of Birmingham and Atlanta. My companion, Carolyn, has helped me every step of the way.

A Cottage in the Woods
When you were little, did someone read fairy tales to you? Invariably, there was mention of a cottage in the woods. Our plan is to build such a place: handmade, no architect plans, buying local materials or using salvaged materials. The purpose of this blog is to document our progress.

Saturday, November 12, 2011

Continuing Work on the Pole Barn

Leaves are turning red and gold. Early November. Fall seems late this year and it has been very dry. We still have tomatoes in Atlanta as I post this November 12. No frost yet. The usual frost date is said to be around October 15 in Atlanta. It has been cool and nice for working up at Richmond Woods. After Carolyn left with Lance and company to catch a plane for Virginia following the family campout, Russ stayed on to fill with concrete the holes with poles. It has taken several weekends. Here's the progress.

Lance and Amber put plastic up over the screens on the porch during the campout. It will be like a greenhouse once the leaves are gone.

Working on the holes. Russ made forms so the cement is in the hole, completely surrounding the poles (Russ wants the polebarn to be around after he's gone so Haydyn and Hollie can use it).

Then, repeat. Over and over. Let's see... 40 x 80lb bags of quikrite? I know I bought 15 then he bought 15 more and this weekend (tonight), he bought more. It would have been more than that but Chuck suggested adding crushed limestone and even brought it over. To the right: view from the cottage window: beautiful leaves.

Here's a beautiful leaves selection. This is a gorgeous place in the spring and fall. Summer is a bit hot! And winter a bit cold! Fortunately, we have the woodburning stove.

To the right, the new little gardenias are growing! I have them in a new sunny bed and with lots of manure so I hope they are happy!

Up on the hill last weekend. WOW! And to the right, a bearded hedgehog mushroom, we believe! It is said to taste like an Italian white truffle and those sell for $50/oz! New career at RW: mushroom farming? We're intrigued.

A Family Camping Trip and Giant Progress on the Workshop

October 21-22. After a beautiful previous weekend, the forecast was for freezing temperatures for the annual family campout. Therefore, we invited everyone in the cabin. Lance and Amber covered the screen with plastic to stop the breeze (below, left) and we put the glass in the porch door. Then we fired up the woodstove. Although we were nervous because of everyone eating chili and varying opinions on nightlights, it was quite pleasant. The leaves had not begun to turn in great numbers.

Below, left: the Hollie and Heather corner; right: Lance and Amber, in the rack, smartphones glowing.

We had a campfire and prepared the traditional s'mores

It was more of a work weekend than anyone planned. Chuck came over and led the charge. Russ certainly was not expecting it but by end of the day Saturday, all the poles were up for the polebarn workshop! WOW! It's something we could not have done by ourselves. Below, pole #1... getting the technique down.