This is the place

When we moved into Second Chance Ranch in the spring of 2010, the elderly seller left us what she called “treasures” — items she didn’t have time to take away, things she wouldn’t miss and thought we might like. Some we discarded, some we used or displayed, and others we never touched. We’re leaving a few of those treasures behind for the next owner to discover.

A portrait of the previous owner and the family that she and her husband raised in that house, probably dating to the mid-1960s. The record of their kids’ growth penciled on the edge of a bedroom door. In the garage, a 50-year-old Iverson Road Runner bicycle frame and, affixed to the side of a rough cabinet, a bumper sticker depicting a then-patriotic cartoon mouse showing how Americans felt about Iran in 1979.

We left the campground early yesterday afternoon and drove directly to Second Chance Ranch to fetch the last of our possessions (minus a countertop microwave oven and a couple of potted plants), which we had stashed in the garage. From there we headed to the storage facility, fully intending to move the contents of our smaller unit into the large one.

That didn’t happen — we’ve decided to keep both units until The Move to The Mountain. We determined that trying to consolidate the two would squander energy we don’t have right now.

Honestly, there may not be enough room anyway.

We returned our cable modem, dropped by the bank and then swung back toward the campground, stopping to pick up calzones. Our next-door neighbors, an Indiana family, surprised us with a couple of beers to accompany the late lunch.

I took an “old man nap.”

Our auctioneer and his family visited us later at the campsite to hand us a detailed report and a respectable check. Most of it will go toward paying off the Bumper Bunker — mission accomplished.

The house officially went on the market yesterday, with the illustrated listing going live online around noon. We were relieved to see that it attracted interest quickly, generating two showings yesterday and three more scheduled for today.

We’ve priced it aggressively. (See the chart.) Our asking number reflects, in this market, a charming house in a great location, a fixer-upper that can be occupied immediately.

And so we’re cautiously optimistic — with the emphasis, for now, on cautiously.

The park where we’re staying is packed. It’s the weekend, after all, and this is a lake-life community catering to weekenders, boaters, golf-carters, profilers and, increasingly, Columbus-area elites. To say that it’s not our thing would be an understatement.

Still, we’re pleased to report, The Campground Vibe survives. We’re once again immersed in a culture we love — good neighbors, fast friends, great stories, simple living. A surprising number of tent campers occupy the fringes of this commercial park. Parked behind Ernie is a repurposed 1948 Spartan Bus, a tasty bit of 74-year-old eye candy brought down from the Cleveland area.