We purchased Rivendell in June 2022 and since then, I'm really proud of the progress we've been able to make. Most of our accomplishments have been with half-working hand tools and (mostly) Paul's hard labor. I think we were both surprised by the strong emotions that surfaced as we watched an excavator come up our dusty road.
Things just went to a whole new level.
The perc test has been started. A perc test tells the contractor where to place the septic tank. Our home will be built on Rivendell proper (highest point on property), which made the lower pasture the closest potential for a septic tank.
The pasture now has about a dozen large holes dug. I don't quite understand the process, but it seems like they have to dig a test pit of some kind and observe the water absorption. So, they dig these test pits in different locations to see which location will be the best.
We've been biting our nails as the whole of the property sits on granite and while we thought the land would perc okay, we weren't positive. My shovel has hit granite many times and let's just say, it's not at all accommodating. Building on top of rock has unique considerations and blasting rock is not something we are interested in doing.
We had some good and bad news.
The good news is the pasture looks to be ideal for septic.
The pasture's soil is a permaculturist's dream. Whatever we plant in the pasture is going to thrive. Soil conditions are perfect and my mind is already spinning with designing the space and future home for our larger animals.
We won't have any issues placing a large septic tank in the lower pasture.
The bad news.
We thought we would perc Bree, while we perc'ed Rivendell, as we anticipate building a second smaller home there. Well, it looks like we've only a couple feet of soil before rock, which makes septic installation more challenging.
Thankfully, Paul and I have become pros at turning lemons into lemonade and we quickly started to investigate our options.
Around the perc work, we continue to work on the top of the road.
Water is the biggest contributor to the deterioration of an unpaved road and we can see the changes the recent storm made.
The road is actually crushed granite, which makes it extremely durable. We will not likely ever need to pave this road because of its composition but we will need to smooth things out. It sounds like it is one of the first things they will tackle when construction starts. In the interim, our job is to trim back all of those trees.
We've quite the job ahead of us.
They may look like ordinary trees from 15' away, but as soon as you step up close, you realize that they are overgrown and unruly. Live trees have grown over dead ones and there are layers and layers to be sorted out.
Our work days start in the dark and end in the dark. Each day, we are blessed with Rivendell's spectacular sunrises and sunsets, which acts as a reminder to start and end each day with gratitude.
We remain focused and dedicated to our mission. We are moving closer and closer to the day where we will bring home those animals who need a home the most.
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