Our architect warned us that digging a new foundation on a new site would be disruptive (to say the least) and that it would take several years for the land around the house “to heal.” During construction I have described the piles of dirt, sand and rock in our yard as a moonscape. But this week all that changed. Joe and Clint from Drew Corp teamed up to define the circular drive and loam the areas that will return to field or become lawn. Let the healing begin.

Plus, Joe dug a retention pond to collect excess water from our geothermal well bleed. We are lucky to have blue clay in our soil so the pond water will not seep into the earth too quickly. It’s filling up already. The bottom is 30’x30′ and the top will be wider. The pipe is to keep it from overflowing the berm.

For us, the most exciting thing was to see our front yard transformed from a contractor truck parking lot into a graceful pedestrian-friendly space with a plantable bank along the repaired stone wall.

This inspired us to purchase and plant native trees, shrubs and perennials. We planted high bush blueberries (Northland, Patriot and Duke varieties), huckleberries, harvest moon witch hazel, cardinal red twig dogwood, crimson comet button bush, Lenton rose, purple leaf hazelnut, Jacob’s ladder, wooly thyme, creeping thyme, coneflowers, black pearl coral bells, blue flag iris, Joe Pye weed, nanny berry, spicebush, hazelnut, ilex and “Becky” Shasta daisies! Wildflowers and herbs to be added.

Inside the house, Kerry Munn overcame his challenge handling fragile hand-blocked wallpaper, completing his job. He covered the walls of four farmhouse rooms and the back hallway with antique and designer papers. He said customers are always happy to see him come but even happier when he leaves because that means the project is done. He may be done, but carpenters still have work to do on the basement ceiling and Chris is still here, painting the front door.

The end of our construction project is in sight, but there will be no end of projects for us at the Red House in the years to come. And when we want to relax, all we have to do is look out one of our many windows.