So many projects we have in mind! Tom wants to bring in gravel for the RV “bays”, but one has a real low spot, so Tom ordered a load of fill dirt, and spread the whole thing out himself!

We have a dead tree on the edge of the flat, and our neighbor volunteered to cut it down for us. How lucky are we? Maybe he just didn’t want it to land on his deck!

First on the major list was to fence the property. Coos Bay doesn’t have the lowest crime rate, and knowing nothing yet about the area, we made that a priority. Also, because we’ll be leaving the property for extended periods (hopefully getting back to traveling) we’ll feel better with some measure of security.

We decided we really only need to fence off the street side for now. So we did some measurements, made some calculations, and Tom placed an online order for the materials at the nearest Lowes. We traveled the two hours to Roseburg to pick it up.

We got the largest gates we could (also purchased in Roseburg) and planned an opening of twenty-four feet, so that’s where we began: with the posts that would hold the gates (which were the last step).

Tom rented an auger to make the post hole digging process easier. On the north side of the gate there’s a steep incline. On the south side it is relatively flat – so that’s the side we built first.

It only took us a few days to complete. We knew it wasn’t high enough to keep the deer out, but it was pretty ironic that the first deer we saw on the property came soon after the fence was complete. Like they were just letting us know!

In an effort to re-purpose the junk we’ve found when possible, I used a bunch of scrap wood to make a planter area around the RV hookups. We added a hummingbird feeder to the post right away, so I called this the bird garden.

Since it is well past spring planting season, I was able to get leftover plants at half price. This was a fun project and hopefully it will fill in eventually. I even added a makeshift birdbath from a stump found on the property.

Pleasantly surprised with our success at fence building, I decided we needed to make a picnic table. After watching a bunch of how-to’s on YouTube and a run to the local lumber store, we knocked out a large table in an afternoon.

With the scrap wood, we built a bench. I wanted to try a technique I had seen on (where else?) YouTube, called Shou Sugi Ban; a way of preserving wood. Much like pressure treated wood less the harmful chemicals. It was great fun and I felt like I was painting with fire.

Satisfied that I wasn’t crazy, Tom used the treatment on our table as well.

I found shade plants (Hostas) on sale as well, so I plopped them into the outer edge of the fairy garden where I knew they would be out of the way.

My vision is a wall of ferns, but the dirt on the hillside is not stable enough to dig holes in. I found this accordion-type material for erosion control and filled it with dirt and “straw” (weeds) from the compost pile as high as my arms could reach. Then I started adding plants as I could find them. It’s pretty messy looking now, but I have high hopes for the future.

We also found a metal arbor on sale, so now “my” area is established.

One day we took a trip to the nearest nursery I could find – in Bandon – because we wanted to get fruit trees planted as soon as possible. We picked out two trees – one has five varieties of apples grafted on it and the other has multiple pears. However they won’t be available for another month. But while we were there, Tom indulged me in picking up two beautiful Japanese maples, and I was very excited to get them planted into the fairy garden – which is looking better every day.

The weather has been extraordinary – not at all what I expected. We have been working our butts off, but it has been completely enjoyable. After years on the road with no property to care for, it’s kind of fun to be digging in the dirt.

Happy…travels?

Peace & Love, Joy