Across the road from our place is a big open field. That piece of property was originally owned by the same person (let's call him Joe) who sold us our Homestead. Back then Joe set up several open sided sheds to shield equipment and other items from the weather and he cleared a large portion of the land of trees and stumps. It was Joe's sand box if you will and he much enjoyed using that land for whatever struck his fancy.

Eventually Joe sold the lot to another nearby landowner with the understanding that he could still use the property as if it were his own. In return Joe promised to maintain the land as he would his own, a good deal for both parties by any measure. Keeping the land included continuing to mow the open field and maintain the outbuildings and fences.

When I first moved in and saw the now severely overgrown lot across the street (Joe had not cut it for two years while he was trying to sell this place) I asked him if the owner would mind if I cut it back. It was a bit of an eyesore and I wanted to bring it back to its previous state. Joe assured me that the owner would not mind if I continued the tradition of land stewardship he had started. In these parts, while the land is individually owned, there is often an understanding between people who know each other well that transcends verbal or written agreements.

Early this summer the actual owner stopped by to inspect his property and to check out the new guy and gal in town. We had a very pleasant extended conversation and then accepted his invitation to walk the length of an old logging road to the end of his property to catch a view of Pilot mountain off in the distance. It was after this that I asked his permission to use his land in exchange for maintaining it as best I could. He was pleased and readily accepted.

A few weeks later I came to a similar agreement with my only other contiguous neighbor and now I have use of all the property that surrounds me. At the head of this page is the image of the lot across the street as it was shortly before we moved in. Below from a slightly different angle you can see what it looked like after is was cleared and mowed a few times and we used the "deck" that was formerly hidden in the weeds to offload our new standby generator.

I will keep all updated as I continue to clear land across the road.

Cognitive Dissonance