Thanks to all of you who share all of your great ideas - we can do some fun things with this house and save money, too. Kirk in Kallispell, MT

Lauren B.'s Forum Posts: 3
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Average Forum Rating: 4.25



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Natural Springs

Posted to Poplar-Creek-Farm by Lauren B. in Oakland Park, FL on 9/10/2007 4:01:42 PM

More photos:

Photos

Natural Springs

Posted to Poplar-Creek-Farm by Lauren B. in Oakland Park, FL on 9/10/2007

More photos:

Photos

Natural Springs

Posted to Poplar-Creek-Farm by Lauren B. in Oakland Park, FL on 9/10/2007

Free mineral water and right at our front door! I was so excited when I saw the clear running water oozing out from between the rocks under the tree roots and slowly swirling over the sandy bottom. Rocks, roots and sand along with muddy boots are the main clues to a spring. How appealing, and environmentally friendly to have a natural spring-water source on the property and did I mention free? We’ll just hook up a pump, run pipe to the house and always have healthy, clear, spring water. Yeah, not so fast!

According to the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), it is illegal to develop water use without a valid permit. Here’s what else I found out. A water analysis must be done to check for bacteria, inorganic chemicals, petroleum, pesticides and other harmful impurities. Mitchell County and the Toe River Health District require water samples to be taken when the perc tests are done. So when we get to that stage, we’ll know if the water will kill us or not.

The old double wide that’s been on my brother Stewart’s property has had potable water pumped in from a perennial spring up the mountain for years. We all drink it and are still alive, so maybe there’s hope. There's also another spring across the road that created a swimming hole for the kids more than twenty years ago, but is now the unkempt "frog pond" that flows under the road through a tile onto our property. Three guesses what a tile is. The water winds it's way down, about four hundred feet, to the stream leaving behind a boggy, soil-rich path that we are planning on converting to a planting area and trout pond. Once the area is trenched and the water guided to the trout pond, it should dry out and be used for organic gardening. I hope this works and will not remain too wet. Will trade ideas and suggestions for trout...

P.S. The real-estate sign went up last week on the house in Ft. Lauderdale. Wish me luck.

Here are some pics. The ones of the spring really amaze me.

Lauren B.

Photos

View of our (hopefully) free water source #1	View of our (hopefully) free water source #2	View of our (hopefully) free water source #3

Poplar Creek Farm

Posted to Poplar-Creek-Farm by Lauren B. in Oakland Park, FL on 8/31/2007

For Every Season...    

For every season there's a new site for the house. That's what happened to me each time I went to Poplar, NC and checked out the property. While there in the summer, we decided that the cottage should be placed near the soothing, splashes of the stream. After returning in the fall, we noticed the views more and moved the cottage away from the stream and up a little higher. The following trip in the winter was a real eye-opener, we couldn't see much through the blizzard that left six inches of snow. Hello? I'm from Ft. Lauderdale! The runoff from the melting snow in the springs and the bigger creek nearby were creating quite a soggy mess. I can't wait to see what spring brings. This is beginning to remind me of the time I shoved the piano in the living room around three times in one day before I was happy with its location.

You know the unwritten law that states you must visit your land each season to check it out for potential problems before you build you house of dreams? I highly recommend you do this. What started out as a fishing and hunting cabin in the woods has now morphed into a "Craftsman-style country cottage" with French drains, a higher crawlspace, 4/12 roof slopes, and a second floor master studio with its own balcony. We had to have the views from fall. Oh, and remember the chilling twenty-two degree snowstorm? There are not one, but two, count that, two, interior stone fireplaces in the plan. Thanks, Michelle. (She was born in Miami and thinks 65 degrees is freezing.)

Our palace in the woods is really only 1,380 sq. ft. but the more we work the plan the better it gets. My work experience has helped a bit. I have an interior design degree, remodeled and sold many homes as an investor, and currently work as a kitchen designer with your favorite big box. You'd think this should be a breeze for me. It's not!

Here are some summer, fall, then winter pics:

Enjoy,

Lauren B.

Photos

Gravel road to future driveway - notice puddles in summer.	Gravel road to future driveway - fall	Gravel road to future driveway - winter
Soothing, splashing stream - summer	Soothing, splashing stream - fall	Slippery, frozen stream - winter
The clearing - original spot for the future "big" house	The clearing - fall	The clearing - winter
Future driveway to the cottage	Future driveway to the cottage #2

Dreams Do Come True

Posted to Poplar-Creek-Farm by Lauren B. in Oakland Park, FL on 8/28/2007

Poplar Creek Farm, what a big name for such a small place! Three glorious, timbered acres tucked away in the Great Smoky Mountains of North Carolina, bordering the Cherokee National Forest. This is what dreams are made of. So here's the deal... after having lived in Fort Lauderdale, Florida for 42 years, most of my family is ready to bail. My younger brother, Stewart, purchased quite a few acres in Poplar, NC and has parceled them off for sale. That's how I got mine. I make it sound so easy, don't I? Well, it is. You just REALLY need to know what you want in life. Inner peace, time for friends and family, no high debt, grow food for my family and dogs that can run free, are top on the list. The decision to buy wasn't hard, just which parcel?

Stewart thought I was nuts when we started hiking up the mountain and I pulled out the compass and watch, held my arms up like a cross, and began checking each parcel for sun exposure, time of day and south orientation. Are you starting to see where this going? This is what I told him I was looking for: lots of southern exposure, mountain to the north, natural potable water, good gardening soil, no cliffhangers, and trees for lumber. "That's my best stuff!" he cried. (Remember, I'm getting the "friends and family" price, not the "I don't know you" price.) "Yeah, let's go look at it." 

It isn't just three acres of woodland. It is three densely-wooded acres that has two natural springs, a branch (small stream), and faces south, receiving lots of sunlight from 9 AM to 5 PM and has the mountain to the north. To any of you involved in active/passive solar design, sustainable building, green design or whatever you want to call it, you'll recognize these requirements. Now the fun starts...

What to build...? What to build that is nice, roomy, and leaves as small a footprint as possible, and with what money? I gave it all to Stewart! Dad's there now and my daughter, Michelle, just put in a request for a cabin of her own. It's time to put up the For Sale sign in Fort Lauderdale!

Photos