Let the plans begin!

In balmy 35-degree weather, we met Sam, Graham Wright (an expert on solar energy and characteristics),  Rick and Sid at the land this morning. Graham's purpose today was to evaluate the solar properties of our build site and help us quantify how much solar gain we can expect from the property as it is, and what to expect it to be if we remove some trees. Rick and Sid brought three iterations of potential house plan, varying slightly in size and layout. We compared the potential plans to the now-visible potential build site. As it turns out, the flat part at the top of the ridge is pretty narrow, which affects the way we will build the garage, and the best site seems to be as far east as we're allowed to go (the restrictions on the land prohibit us from building closer than 200 feet from the eastern property line). It was great to be able to actually see what we were doing, and we all agreed that the house site became very obvious with all the obstructive brush removed. We could envision a patio with a beautiful, peaceful view, and our pros paced out where the main floor would be and where we'd likely dig in for the daylight basement. My mental picture is coming together, and the more clearly I see what we're heading for, the more thrilled I am.

We will have to make some hard decisions, though. One of them is removing some of the trees. I love trees and I hate to take any down, but there are strategic areas where we could get potentially significant solar gain (and a stunning view) by removing the sun-blocking trees. Fortunately, we have lots of trees on all sides of us, and the view beyond the trees in question is of even more trees in the valley below -- a more beautiful view than the trees themselves. One option that Sid mentioned is to limb up the trees first, to see if that makes enough of a difference, before committing to removing them. That would be more palatable, though I don't think it's realistic for all of them; we will need to thin the stand at the least. Fortunately, we have time to digest this and consider the best course of action for us.

Another hard decision is what we will sacrifice in our house. We just don't have the funds to build as completely energy-tight (passive house) as we would like for the size we're looking at. We could save money by splitting our house equally between downstairs and upstairs, but the fact is that we want much more of the house on the main level than on the lower level. We have much to discuss!

The team discusses the possibilities of the site and placement of the house and yard.

Graham sets up his solar-measuring tool.

The reflections of the trees show how much light they block; the grid inside shows how much solar we get get at each angle throughout the year. With this tool, we can measure our expected solar gain and see the effect of the trees. We can take this information and balance it with how we build and what we want, to help us decide how and what to build.

This is where the clearing of the well road ended earlier this week; now you can see the road turns to the right, where the well actually is.

To the left, the well; straight ahead, the front of the property.

The fork to the well.

The well is clear!

I can see clearly now ...

I just learned that poison oak can take up to a week to emerge, depending on the sensitivity of the skin, so I could yet find out that I have more spots. Oh no! Crossing my fingers ... .

Today the land is being cleared. The difference is unbelievable! We can actually see the ground! The clearing wasn't complete when I was there (they were still working on the bushes between the build site and the stand of firs), so I'll go back tomorrow to see what additional progress has been made at that point. I'm glad I went, though: They cleared part of the well road, but stopped when the tractor (with a brush hog on the back) couldn't get any further. Fortunately, I got there before they were finished because I was able to show one of the guys approximately where the well is and explain to him that we need to be able to get to it. They also had a backhoe with a thumb (and treads) on site, so he said he would try to get through with that. If that doesn't work, he said he can come back with bigger equipment. He also said that they do excavation, too, so it's likely that we'll see them again when it's time to dig the foundation. Too bad I didn't introduce myself properly and get his name. Hopefully I'll remember my manners next time.

Standing near the front of the land, looking in toward the build site. 

From the entrance to the property, looking toward the build site (east). 

Clearing the land with the tractor.

The newly cleared well road.

The end of the well-road clearing. 

From near the entrance to the property, looking over the build site.

From the build site, looking back toward the entrance to the property.

Itchy, itchy ...

Well, damn. I don't mind the cuts and the splinters, but I am really not enjoying the poison oak. I was crouching so low through those bushes the other day that I managed to get it on my neck and even a little on my face (though I think I probably spread it to my face by scratching before I knew I had it). Itchy, itchy, try not to scratchy, scratchy ... . The last time I had poison oak was this summer (after exploring the land with a potential designer/builder, I believe), and I just had a little patch on my lower back, just under the belt line -- which had been completely covered. I finally thought to use calamine lotion and it cleared right up, but of course now I can't find my calamine and had to buy a new one. That's okay; I'm sure we'll be needing lots of calamine lotion once we actually live on the land!