The Property! July 27, 2011

Finally!   No more just talking about "getting some property" to work on campers. Norm and Jules FOUND the property that they want and are in the process of buying it.

Norm has also already turned in his paperwork telling his bosses that he is retiring in January 2012. What a sweet deal! Sitting around doing nothing and still getting paid! How does THAT work? I need to get a deal like that! Norm told me to put in 28 years like he did and then we can talk about it.

This is it, THE property! Norm & Jules picked out a couple of acres in a small town named Malden before Jules left. Now that Jules is back they are getting all the paperwork signed and finalizing the deal. This is going to be the retirement property where they can work on their old campers and stuff and keep them indoors in the winter. They also are planning on camping on it. I can't wait to move there.

This shot (right) is from the western edge of the property, looking east.

This shot (left) is from the eastern edge of the property, looking west.

This spot is where we will park the campers during the summer. Our own little campground. (The mobile home is just off camera to the right.)

Come spring Norm is planning on building a large barn like thing to work on the campers in. He said he is tired of having to keep covering everything up with tarps when it rains.

Jules told him she didn't care if it was a big building that holds all of the campers or a little one for the one he is working on. Either way, she is going to be in the campground.

The property currently has just a mobile home on it and a metal building that is falling down. 

Talk about a scary place!

Just looking into that shack gave me the willies. No telling what lives in there.

Norm kept bugging me and calling me chicken so I HAD to go in the scary building. I was really nervous, but I did it just to shut him up.

I didn't see anything moving around and I didn't get bit so it was OK. I think Norm wanted me to go in first because he was afraid he would get bit by something. Who's the chicken NOW?

There was a house at one time next to the mobile home. Norm & Jules plan to put up a small log cabin in the future after getting rid of the mobile home. Until then the mobile home will act as a shower house, like at a campground. They are going to do some work on it though to make it nicer while they are using it.

While walking around looking at the mobile home I met a new friend. His name is Jack. He told me he was a donkey but Norm said he was something else that I can't repeat. Its good thing Brock wasn't around to hear Norm when he said it or it would have cost him a dollar for Brock's college fund. 

Jack said he just hangs out near the house. I asked him about the scary building and he said he never goes in there. (Now you tell me...)

Norm and I were suppose to go back out to Malden next week to meet with a guy who takes care of the septic tank. I don't know what a septic tank is but Norm said its probably best that I keep it that way and let the pros take care of it. When I asked Norm what made him a pro he just looked at me funny and said, "I'm paying someone to handle this." I guess that answered my question.

I really wanted to spend more time wandering around on the property and exploring but Norm said we had to get back because it was time to start getting ready for another Vintage Camping Rally. This week we are going to South Bend (Granger) Indiana for the Northern Indiana Rally. That is the rally with naughty gnomes. I'm not a naughty gnome (admit nothing, deny everything, demand proof!) so it is going to be interesting to see how things go.

Talk to you soon,

Travis