Skip to main content

Green Acres


I almost bought a house last month. So close, in fact that I stopped over at Sears to check out lawn mowers. You know, those neat Cub Cadet types where you have a beverage holder and can actually make mowing somewhat fun.
Nancy and I looked at it when we were back in September. I loved it. 5 acres nestled in the prettiest green Illinois valley. 10 miles north of Galesburg and only a short jag over to BFE, it was ideally located. It even had a barn. A small one but it looks like a barn, so it is. I even had everyone in the family kind of rooting for me. But, sadly, the foreclosure company chose another offer. There were a couple of middling problems, like mold and non-too-safe wellwater, but we could have handled that, I suppose. Yep, that could have been my summer home and could have wintered down here. Sure sounded neat. I pictured myself, with cup of coffee in hand, in the morning belting out a couple of bars of "Green Acres" lounging on the front porch. Also saw myslf conferring with neighbors over the weather as I pondered my 4 acres of grass or hay or whatever it was. Perhaps they would have called me "Baron". I had envisioned my dog, my full-size pick up truck, my telescope (did I mention it had a small deck off the upstairs bedroom?) and lots of open roads for riding the Kawi. It was heaven.
Oh, well, it was fun to think about and I sure gave it a Hell of a go, but guess, as they say in the real estate world, it wasn't meant to be. I am rather crestfallen that my dream home has been sold.



This is the front porch where I would sing "Green Acres", and look over to see my land and perhaps some deer frolicking in the morning fog.


Had a deck off the upstairs bedroom. And, yeah, that's a swimming pool back toward the barn.



Side view.


My 'almost' barn.


4 acres. What do i do with it? Dirt track, mini putt-putt, nudist colony?






I doubt if I find anything like this again that i could actually afford, so I'll mourn for awhile and think wistfully, '...what might have been.'

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Flashback Friday

Class, Or Lack Thereof The Dwight Vice gravestone in Oquawka, Illinois. I bring this old chestnut out every so often just to remind me that class is classless.  Dwight Vice was killed in his home near Oquawka in 2001.  It was one of those things that can generate crime:  two guys thought Dwight had a lot of money stashed at home because of his pot-selling sideline to supplement his fishing job.   Not really one of those big drug deals gone-bad things.  Marijuana was, according to the trial, about the only stuff Dwight sold.   But these two guys barge into the house and killed Dwight and attempted to kill his 11 year old kid, Darryl, before they took off with what money they could find.   His son, now 23, was stabbed in the back and left for dead.  He survived and is wheelchair bound and has undergone several surgeries to repair his wounds.  He will be paralyzed for life.   None of this is pleasant.  Reading the f...

The Mary Davis Home - Part 2

None of these pictures were taken by me,  they came right from the MDH website.  I am posting these so that friends who have never seen inside where I worked can gain access.  After 27 years I have many stories, tales and acquaintances.  But, I wouldn't know how to express them appropriately in a few paragraphs.  I enjoyed 98% of my stay there and hope I made a difference in the lives of a fraction of the kids who entered.  The original MDH at this site was just the front part.  The large red-roofed area in back was added on in the 90's. This is the Jerry Carlton library.  It was unofficially named after one of the counselors who truly loved the place.   He passed away around 2002, I think.  Mr. Farber looks like he is explaining a few things to a client. The classroom. Activity area with the gym behind the windows. Another shot of the classroom. It was a little different area to teach since we had 2 classes and 2 teachers i...

Tuesday Tidbits On Wednesday

This week I will be heading up to the Cabin in the Woods.  I think I have come up with a long list of things to do and take care of.  As is usually the case, however, it won't take long till I miss the girls. It's kind of a Stockholm Syndrome in reverse, or circle.  My primary concern is Alfred and her substitute situation for the next few weeks before I head back for a Dr.'s appointment and do a little sitting to help Kenzie out.   But I suppose we'll all adjust and do nicely.  On my part I am looking forward to no diapers and some rec time.   ++++++++++ This is me when I am heading up to the Cabin In The Woods. ++++++++++ Oh yeah. ++++++++++ Poor Alfred.  It'll get easier, I swear. ++++++++++   One of my dreams is to find something like this or an old car tucked away in a barn somewhere.  That is the closest corollary we have nowadays for finding a buried treasure....