Closings

Finally, after a blizzard of texts, emails and phone calls; we close 10/10/10AM. Yeah, I know … whole lota' 10's.

Starting to pack up the hilltop home … lots of memories. I remind myself how fortunate we were to be able to build our dream house and live in it for 20 years. Every room, every door and window … planned by us. I wanted light and lots of it. And i wanted views, in every direction. I argued with the architect and won. He added windows and doors with windows. 

We were there when the 1st scoop of Earth was moved. Before the framing started; I was planning gardens and dreaming of the park I would build. 

About time framing started our dear friend, Maggie arrived. Together, we took the blueprints and a picnic lunch to the work site. Sitting in the field behind the house; that's when Mags said "look at the blueprint; they're framing the back of the house wrong!" Aghast, i looked and looked again. She was right. We became 2 unpopular ladies. But from then on i was on the job site several days a week and took pictures.

We shared our home with family and friends but the best of times happened on the porches, front and back. The porch where at 6pm we gathered to share our thoughts; looking out over the Kentucky River canyon or watching the Nighthawks soar and swoop in the field behind us.

2001 Max joined us. We were walking the property line when accosted by a smallish energetic black cat. Given the remoteness of our home; it was obvious the cat was abandoned and hungry. Philip fed him a can of tuna, which sealed my fate. For the next 18 years Max was my steadfast companion. He terrorized the local dogs; Angus, a hulking lab and and ? a rambunctious Blue Tic Hound. 

The gardens; how i loved the gardens. I almost couldn't bear to be inside. Cold, wet, snowy days made me morose. Mistakes … I made so many. Our Kentucky Hilltop was beyond my California or Illinois expertise. Roses were a disaster and what i didn't kill; the deer ate to nubbins. 10 years i battled the deer. They used my gardens for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Finally, with the help of a small electric fence i prevailed. The deer are still with us. Now they trail a different path and the gardens thrive.

When we moved to the hilltop; there wasn't a tree in sight. We built on an abandoned tobacco field. The top soil was mostly stripped of nutrients. I was desperate for shade as the Kentucky sun was relentless.

I planted over 150 trees and shrubs and beyond count perennials. I planted  for loved ones:
Liquid Amber - Mom and Dad
Walnut - Nommer
Redbud - Aunt Igy
Larch - Aunt Marilyn
Magnolia "Elizabeth" - my sister
Ginko - Michael
Crepe myrtle - Grandmother Morgan
Rose of Sharon - Grandma Grace
Red Canna - Grandma Dooley
Red Geraniums - Dad
Mums - Philip

I planted native trees, hardy trees, no two of the same variety, hoping to stem the tide of pests and disease. Some of my trees are 40-50' tall; most of my yard is now in the shade. 

The laughter, the tears, the quiet snowfalls, the fall colors, the spring burstl … we are so lucky!

I don't know what the new owners will do. I hope the hilltop continues to ring with love and laughter. After we sell, probably early spring, I'm not going back but moving on.

Comments

  1. LaurrieSeptember 25, 2019 at 1:35 PM

    Beautiful memories . . . loved reading about it all. Your last two words are the key: "moving on" !

    ReplyDelete

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