We're Expanding!

Current Cranky Puppy Farm shown in red. The 2 new lots are in yellow.

And I'm not just talking about our waistlines.  ;-)

 

A neighbor of ours that owns two vacant lots just north of us (behind where our solar panels are going) decided he wanted to get rid of them because he was tired of mowing them and needed the money.  Luckily, he contacted us.  We've wanted those lots for about 9 years now, so I guess this does prove that patience pays off eventually.

 

The lots are level and will be a great place to put our orchard, a huge garden and some berries.  I'll probably move the bees over there as well. And this couldn't be better timing, because we need to transplant the apple trees that are currently located where the solar array is going.  Now we'll be able to dig them up and put them right back in the ground.  It's not an ideal time to be stressing them with a move but hopefully they'll be OK.

 

There's some work to be done, however.  That gray strip in the picture above to the left of the properties is a one-way street from north to south. Along the west side of the new lots, there's a retaining wall that is falling into the street and the vegetation is so out of control that it's sticking out in the street.  To avoid scratching our vehicles, I stopped driving that way a long time ago.  So the neighbors are ecstatic that we're going to be cleaning all that up.  I'd love to terrace it and put in some beautiful shrubs and flowers on the lower terrace.  Additionally, we put up a new chain link fence a couple of years ago that runs the property line between the old and new properties, but it should be fairly easy to put in a wide gate so we can get carts or a mower up there. 

 

With this addition, the possibilities are endless and we are having so much fun thinking about what we can do with the space.  We're considering joining in next summer's Urban Farm Tour, so we have a lot to do to get the new space ready for that.  So exciting!