John Boyd and I spent the entire day yesterday getting the 14x70 trailer ready to be transported. We stopped by Lowes and I purchased some 2x4's and sheets of plywood. A total cost of $580, ontop of the $1,000 to purchase the trailer and $1,500 to transport the trailer.
And Huckins is reluctant to give me the entire $82,200, or ANY part of it back. *Sigh*
Getting all of the junk out was a chore unto itself. John built a fire and we started burning what couldn't be salvaged. Seeing as the trailer has been used for storage for years there was a LOT to haul out.
My dogs found a dead cat in the small bedroom and I left in disgust at their joy.
They were just tickled pink at this treasure they had found.
After pulling out all of the molded filthy carpet we could see the light of day. Actually the light of day was coming in from two floors, living room and hallway, that need replacing. *Grin* The entire floor. And three walls. Living room, hallway and master bedroom. And the trailer needs a new roof.
Still, despite the small size (900 sq feet) and the extensive damage it wasn't difficult to see the possibilities and know that if this wasn't going to be a permanent home it certainly had the strong possibility of becoming a comfortable, warm and somewhat pretty accommodation that could easily become a luxury tack/mud room or guest home down the road.
Like all women I tend to think ahead so while John was pre-occupied with the realistic things, like stabilizing the rotten walls, and disconnecting the utilities, my mind was racing onto "stuccoing" the outside, perhaps building straw bale walls around it to make it look like an adobe cabin. Having a derelict looking trailer on the land wasn't going to appease me, no matter how pretty I could renovate the inside.
John stopped working long enough to draw an illustration as to how the trailer can be used as a frame to build a "frame" cabin and then simply pull the trailer out and build from the inside.
The opportunities it afforded are diverse and do-able, and I feel blessed to have a chance to get on my feet on property purchased to be our residence. After 3 1/2 years of constant court cases I honestly and truly had given up all hope of ever being able to move onto that land.
Still the recession is hurting this region something awful. The Lazy J is selling up all but a handful of horses, Smiths Cutting horses sold out and moved to Portales, Hubbard is considering relocating Ruidoso Downs racetrack, and it seems that our economy, already seeing unparalleled numbers of foreclosures, and businesses on the verge of bankruptcy, is in for some serious times ahead.
For today I have to worry about getting electricity to the land, praying that the well works and I can find an affordable pressure tank, finding low priced sheet rock, metal roof, plywood, heating system and plumbing material. And dream about the exterior. But today I have HOPE. *Grin*
Hope is faith holding out its hand in the dark. ~George Iles
Hope is some extraordinary spiritual Grace that God gives us to control our fears, not oust them. ~ Vincent McNabb.
