I can't wait to return to Two Holt and take pictures of the new land. But until then I will share the realtor's picture which doesn't really show the lot itself--it shows the view from the lot.
Remember when I shared here about our problems trying to build with the steep watershed restrictions in our Mirror Lake area? One of our options was to purchase the lot behind us that had been inherited by two elderly brothers and just recently put on the market to add to our footprint. But they wanted entirely too much for that lot. Tamara, a friend of ours, suggested, "Go walk around the other guy's property seven times...think Joshua and Jericho." Well, guess what? We made that offer and after a bit of discussion it was accepted. I was quite shocked! It appears the new owners had no connection to Highlands and just wanted to sell it quickly. So Two Holt will soon boundary Hickory Hill Road and Wyanoak Road, the road behind it. Yes, we're still restricted to building on and/or covering 12% of our land, but now we can build the exact addition we want and a driveway up to it and we don't have to destroy the existing driveway and parking area. And owning the lot ensures no one will ever build behind Two Holt--so we will continue to enjoy the privacy and quiet solitude. I can't wait to return to Two Holt and take pictures of the new land. But until then I will share the realtor's picture which doesn't really show the lot itself--it shows the view from the lot. So the next couple of weeks will bring a flurry of activity in closing this land deal. I surely am missing our little cottage, but I probably won't be able to return to Two Holt until the end of May.
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After I worked all day Wednesday, Phil picked me up at school and we headed to Highlands. We walked into Two Holt around 9:00 p.m., turned on the heat to get the place nice and toasty, and went to bed a little after 10:00. How wonderful it is to wake up in Highlands! The hickory trees are a vibrant yellow and the red maples throughout the town are showing off, too. The picture below shows still more hickory yellows at Two Holt. I think I know why they named this Hickory Hill Road. The town planning and development code official, Josh, came by to see us on Thursday and, together, we started scrambling to find the space for the new bedroom/bath and drive-in basement we are hoping to add. Two Holt sits directly across the road from Mirror Lake and this little town surely protects its natural resources! We are under strict watershed restrictions and can only cover 12% of our land--that includes rock paths, driveway, parking area, house, covered deck--any impervious surface. Josh told us that the state legislature very recently decided to allow gravel to pass as a permeable surface. We can replace our parking area with gravel and gain enough of a footprint for the addition. Phil and I bought new Highlands sweatshirts while shopping downtown. I love the little shops on Main Street. Each has its own unique storefront look. Friday morning after a hot breakfast of sausage gravy and biscuits, Phil went to work. He raked and raked and raked even as the leaves kept falling... He blew the leaves off the roof and cleaned out the gutter. Late that morning, Don Cook came by to bring us the plans he has been working on for Two Holt's addition. We looked and dreamed... Late Friday afternoon, Phil and I set off to see the Shadow of the Bear just a few minutes from downtown Highlands. From mid-October to early November, between 5:30 and 6:15 on sunny days, the autumn sun setting behind Whiteside Mountain causes a shadow resembling a bear to be cast over the valley. People come from all over to see "the bear" and today was no different. I met people from Mississippi, Louisiana, Georgia, and Florida today while waiting for the bear. Phil and I shivered in the 38 degree cold weather and waited for the sometimes elusive bear to appear. Around 5:30, we saw what we called "the shadow of the turtle." 10 minutes later it morphed into what we called "the shadow of the hippo." At 5:45...look who showed up! The bear! And just to prove that we really were there and didn't just copy someone else's photograph (*wink, wink*), here's Phil, me and the bear. After watching the bear for a few minutes, we said goodbye to everyone there and made the short drive back up Hwy 64 to Highlands. We stopped by a favorite little restaurant for calzones. We spent the evening warming up in cozy Two Holt. And boy-oh-boy, later that night our electric blanket was much appreciated as the night time temperatures plunged to 24 degrees! I always sleep with the front window of our bedroom uncovered so the sun coming up over the mountain wakes me up. I smile each morning as the soft sunshine begins to filter through and gently strokes my face. Saturday morning we decided to use blueberries we had in the freezer to make blueberry turnovers for breakfast. Yum! We ventured out long enough for a short drive and an even shorter visit to the grocery store for a few items. We enjoyed watching the falling leaves when we returned. Phil and I emptied and washed the garden pots and the window box. Friday night's freeze killed all the colorful annuals which had filled the pots with color for months. We left two garden pots of hostas and one pot of brunnera which will, hopefully, return next spring. We decided to use more of the blueberries in the freezer and baked two cobblers. We kept one for us and took one over to our neighbors across the street, Clem and Carolyn. Then we settled in for a night of Auburn football. Sunday morning we drove into town to worship with our Highlands church family at First Baptist Church. I cannot even begin to tell you how much we love these people! After having blueberry cobbler for lunch and sadly packing up to head back to Alabama, we said goodbye to Two Holt. BUT we plan to be back in two weeks!
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Phil & SharonMarried 40 years and hoping to enjoy many more! Archives
December 2019
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