Oh my… Where to begin!? Well, WE ARE HERE WE ARE HERE WE ARE HEEEERE! Home. Finally.

We left the city last Saturday, a cold and dreary morning. As we pulled away, down into the Lincoln tunnel, nothing but misty grey could be seen in the rear view mirror. I had imagined giving a last loving gaze at one of my favorite buildings, the Chrysler, as I said goodbye, but she was cloaked in fog, and my last look was instead of some corner bodegas and shady sex shops. I think it was for the best. The waterworks had already started. When we drove by the corner in Hells Kitchen where Scrapple and I first met, I started to cry with the overwhelming sentimentality of it all. After weeks of living in a surreal cloud of dreamy anticipation and excitement, the reality of saying goodbye to a former version of myself and the city and circumstances that had transformed me into who I am now hit me and I couldn’t help myself. Sometimes my tears turn into smiling crying or even better (by better I mean creepier to bystanders) – laughing crying and this was one of those occasions. So happy to be leaving, yet so grateful for all that city gave me.

We rolled up to our new home with everything we owned in a 26 foot moving truck (the largest truck you can drive without a commercial license), including our new Maremma pup, Sophie. She bravely stuck out the whole trip underneath our seat, snuggled up and sleeping, sticking her nose out occasionally to say hello before tucking back under, not to be seen again for hours.

We arrived Sunday night and by Monday, even with half un-packed boxes all over the place, it already felt like home. We woke up early Monday morning to beautiful white blooms on the trees and dawn stroking its rosy fingers across our land. We took Sophie for a walk around the property and basked in finally being here and the beauty of it all. Then we got to work! 

In between bouts of unpacking, we made our first fence, a run to put Sophie in at night (she was getting a little too used to sleeping with us!). On Monday afternoon we drove a bunch of T posts into the soft spring ground and unraveled the first of what I’m sure will be many rolls of woven wire. It was fun and so incredibly nice to actually be doing something instead of planning it. Finally! The water company came by and put in our new system and by the end of the day we could actually drink our well water. Yesterday we cleaned out part of the old red barn for potential temporary goat housing (it still needs a lot of work), walked the perimeter of the property with a few fencing contractors, and met with a few people from the state environmental wastewater office. Did I mention we have extra hands in town? Scrapple’s sister and one of our friends are here lending their much appreciated time and muscles. We would probably still be on Day 1’s to-do list without them! Today we’ll keep going with the unpacking and get started on a mobile chicken coop so we can bring in some feathered charges for Sophie.

Thank you to everyone – family, friends, and readers – so very very much for all of your best wishes, support, and help during the past few months! We’re finally here and we couldn’t have done it without you.

I’ll leave you for the day with a few photos. We’ll devote a post to the pup in the next week or two – so much to say!