Well, I'm now the proud owner of 2.9 acres of land with a 30 year old mobile home on it. Two mobile homes, actually. Neither one is in great condition, but both are habitable. Sort of. Kind of. Maybe.

The flooring needs replacing. I don't mean just the floor covering, but the actual floor itself. The ductwork for the HVAC needs replacing. The yard is infested with ticks and fleas. The fencing is nowhere near sturdy enough to contain the dogs.

First step - replace the floor and flooring! Tomorrow (July 27th, 2008) I'll go out and begin the task of removing the old floor covering and seeing how bad the floor itself really is. Having almost gone through a couple of soft spots during the walk-through, I know at least those two places will need repair. I'm sure there will be more.

Next up - replacing the welded wire fencing with something a little sturdier. I was thinking chain link, but I'm leaning towards 1/4 inch mesh now. If I can find it in a heavy enough gauge, it should not only keep the dogs in, but snakes and other undesirables out! Fortunately, I won't have to re-fence the entire yard initially. All I need is a section near one of the two homes that the dogs can use (and not escape from) for their outdoor needs. I can do the rest at some future time, after I've seen about a proper home. Even so, this is likely to be the biggest expense, other than the land itself.

Finally - call in a pest control company to take care of the parasites currently living there.

Once that's done, I should be able to move the dogs and I to the new location and start working on making my current home "habitable". Sadly, the years (and the dogs) have taken their toll on both the structure and the yard. There's no way I can sell it in its current condition, but sell it I must, since I'm now in debt up to the very hilt and need out from under the load.

I don't mind, really. My life has been so enriched by those who have passed through here (and those who are still here), that it's really a small price to pay. My life has never been defined by what I own, but by what I've accomplished. I would like to think I've accomplished a lot while in this home and that I can accomplish more at my new location.

One never knows.