Ahhh, I can’t wait to see it in person

This is another image shared by our Realtor in Idaho. We’re waiting, impatiently, for Kirk to get internet so he can send photos with the views near us. The neighbors have ‘dial-up’, Lance is investigating other options. We can live without alot of things, but if we lose communication with the outside world, we may have to fix that house really FAST and sell it even faster. A bump in the journey. It’ll get figured out.

In the meantime, Kirk has landed in Saint Maries, ID! He’s already met some neighbors and they’ve taken him under their wing (thankfully, since his cell phone doesn’t have service in that neck of the woods). Lance has fixed up many houses, but never from 2400 miles away. It’s frustrating for both Knoechel men. Needless to say, the elder brother is VERY anxious to get out there (the minor details of closing on this one, packing up, then heading west).

Aside from the internet and phone issues, there were a few more undesirable discoveries. Not unexpected, when you buy a house via the internet. It’s more remote than we thought, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Apparently it’s 5 miles down a narrow gravel road that you don’t want to 1st navigate at night, or else. There is a shed off the deck, which we plan to use to store firewood. Seems it’s missing 2 sides (clever camera angle hid this). No biggie. You should’ve seen the Sylacauga barn before Lance used his magic wand (and elbow grease) on it. The foundation isn’t quite what we thought, but also, something the Knoechel men can address with finesse. The yard is, as expected, a jungle.

Thankfully, there are more unexpected plusses. The pole barn is bigger and newer than we anticipated. That excites Lance. Our Realtor got a quote for another client to build a pole barn that size and it was close to $30,000. My dad use to always say, “You can tell who wears the pants in the family when you compare the house with the  barn”. Well, Dad, I am very happy to report, Lance is wearing da pants! The house has a tin roof, I’ve always wanted one (I may change my tune after the first night of rain pecking down on it). The roof appears to be in great shape, reports the Knoechel IN Idaho. The interior needs expected updating, but the walls have fresh paint and the good news is, the upstairs is alot bigger than it looks, plus the ceilings are as high as 9ft and drop to 7ft on the sides.  I’m glad Lance and I called dibs on that space. There is even a pantry near the tiny kitchen (you’d be surprised at how many homes don’t have a pantry). That’s a huge plus in my book.

Kirk is LOVING the weather. He’s from Cincinnati, so his 1.5 months in Alabama were even more grueling during June/July. Apparently, Idaho is where to be in the summer months! My local weather shows it’s going to be 95 here in Bama, with a real feel of 103. In Saint Maries, it’s getting up to 83, with a real feel of 85. I’m sure you will all be anxiously awaiting my winter words here. Let’s see if I remember how to drive in the snow. Heck, I grew up in Iowa so it shouldn’t be too much of a shock. I even wore skirts to school (uniforms) and rode the bus in below freezing weather. I’ll be fine, I hope.

Life IS dandy, better than good most days. Thank You, Lord.