ADJUSTING TO CHANGE - Final Segment (Scroll down for earlier segments)


     In another effort to make our move easier, I petitioned the city to have our septic tank at the farm moved to a sacred spot on our new property.  I thought the tank with a golden plunger mounted on top would be a nice memorial.  After all, I had invested a good part of my life in the old tank.  I had even planned to set aside one day a year, where we would stand by the tank, (holding our breath, of course), in a moment of silence.  Sadly, the city denied my petition.  Apparently, there was no precedent for a septic tank memorial.  I guess you could say the city threw a plunger into my plans.

     What we would probably miss the most was “mole town.”  At the farm, we had cultivated a nice-sized “mole community” in our front yard.  We had watched the community grow.   We knew many of the moles by name.  There was Bob, and Fred, and Digger, to name a few.  We were just beginning to attract tourists.  I had even printed up brochures, marketing our moles on the same level as the prairie dog towns of South Dakota.  If we would have been there one more year, I’m certain we would have made National Geographic.  Before we left the farm, I tried to secure a “starter” mole for our new home, but without success.  I guess it’s just as well.  You hate to break up established mole families.

     After being in our new home for several months, I was walking through our yard one day and discovered Fred and Digger had returned.  I didn’t realize moles had a homing instinct.  It was good to see them back.

     We also had an elk herd that would visit frequently.  We liked the elk, but they were hard to mow around.

     Even though we were no longer in the farmhouse, we would always carry the millstone, I mean memories, of drapes rustling in a strong wind,  power outages,  frost on the sofa, a bat hanging in the utility, a bird sanctuary in our daughter’s bedroom, and a septic tank backed up to the Canadian border.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      

     Once our home was built, it was time to landscape.   If I would have thought about that before we built, I would have stayed in the farmhouse.  Everything was on a bank.  Most of my time was spent keeping my balance.  I could see I was over-matched.  So I read an article in a magazine called “Taming the Slope.”   It would have been easier taming a cornered badger.  We finally decided to go with an inexpensive, natural look; something that wasn’t pretentious; something that would irritate the neighbors.  So we went with the weeds.  We liked them.  They required little maintenance.  We threw in a few dandelions for color.  We added a few flowers for the deer, which they enjoyed immensely.

     If there are any of you that are interested in building a new home, I would be happy to act as your consultant.  I can help you with the necessary adjustments in making your transition a smooth one.  I also have some great landscaping ideas.   

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