For those viewers who like maps this is a topographic map of our area. Rock Lake Road angles downward to the left, Long Road branches off to the Southeast near the upper center of the map. Our property is between these two roads. In the upper center of the map is a red section line. That line forms the south boundary of our property. There is a small pond or "wetland" shown just to the west of Long Rd. Our house is just about due south of that pond, close (80 ft) to the section line. the property is about half mile wide along the section line, and 390 feet wide. In the county plat it's actually two properties, ten acres on Long Road and ten acres on Rock Lake Road. If we ever get hard up for cash we could sell the Rock Lake Road half.

I downloaded a satellite photo of the property. You can see how the center is mostly a grassland, with areas of trees running in lines and groups.

Here is a closer satellite photo of the property. Near the center of this view you can see a rectangular grey area which was the graded house site. The RV and truck are parked nearby. You can also see our curved driveway coming up the hill from Long Rd. This photo was taken in summer of 2005 after the site was prepared and before the building construction began.

Getting back down to earth here is a view of Long Road looking north from our driveway which we sometimes call "Glenconey Road." We sometimes decorate the house number signpost with a seasonal decoration. This summer it's a flower that spins in the wind.

Here is a view of Long Road from our driveway looking south. We come and go generally from the north so we don't very often drive south. Long Road goes about ten miles father south into the next county and eventually gets lost among little used farm roads.

Here is a picture of our lower area along Long Road. It serves as a buffer zone between the world and ourselves. This is the area where we had a large pile of steel beams and roofing last summer. It's empty now. We don't go down there very often.

Some of the lower area is very pretty woods with grass and wild flowers.

Our house is back from the road about 400 feet. We don't like being right out on the road. Some of our neighbors built their homes on their lower space right out by the road. We extended the driveway and utilities up the hill. You can see our large home through the trees if you look, but the dark green color blends in with the woods and you probably wouldn't notice it if you were just driving by. You might not even see it if you were looking for it.

Here is a picture looking up the driveway from Long Road. If you look close you can see the house through the trees, more of a shadow than a view. The garbage company comes out this far so we ented a small dumpster. It's bigger than we usually need but it's their smallest available.

The steep part of the hillside is a natural rock garden with moss and little flowers here and there.

As you come up glenconey driveway you loop to the north next to the cliff to get up the hill, this is the first view of our home as you emerge from behind the cliff.

Continuing up the driveway you see more of the loop and the house.

As you round the loop in the driveway the house is largely obscured behind some trees which grow in rows and clumps.

This is what you see if you turn around and look down from the hilltop towards the driveway you just came up. Directly below is the sewage drain field, plants love a drainfield, and the driveway to the left through the trees.

This area is SE of our house, on top of the hill, looking toward the east. You can see where the hilltop ends and the land drops off sharply.

That's enough photos for one page. Next page will be a walking tour west of the house.