“We’re moving to The Ozarks. … The Mountain, as we call it, will become Our Mountain — we’ll build a house and make our Home on roughly 20 acres of rocky and undeveloped woodland.”
from Ubi Libertas Blog on March 11, 2022
That’s what I said when I spilled the beans about our plans. We agreed last October to buy the property from Deb’s cousin and made it formal several months later. We’ve worked and played all over those 20 acres, clearing and excavating the spot where we’ll build our home.
But believe it or not, it didn’t become official until yesterday.
We’re now landowners-of-record, on the rolls of Marion County, Arkansas. The moment is fitting companion to the bright August day we secured new driver’s licenses, put Arkansas plates on our vehicles and registered to vote.
It took 14 months to get to this point, a span reflecting unwavering trust and family bonds. Deb and I are grateful to her cousin, far beyond what we can put into words, for sharing our purpose and working with us toward our dreams.
We still have a long way to go on The Mountain, but this step makes it more real than ever.
So there’s the “big news” I teased yesterday. It’s significant to us, anyway. I waited to share it ’til I could do so on a day that we were on The Mountain — and that was today, returning for the first time since before last week’s wintry blast.
It was worth the wait. A nine-day absence made the difference between -6°F with a wind chill of -40°F, and mid-70s with a cool breeze.
Kicking back near the summit we listened to the wind build in the valley and roll up the mountainside until it swept over us like a soft wave. The winter woods gave us the year’s best view of neighboring Hall Mountain — though it seemed close enough to reach out and touch, we reminded ourselves that it’s a mile away, standing 300 feet higher.
You might wonder if we felt different up there today, being official landowners and all. And we did.
At least I did.
I believe we’ll go back tomorrow.
Take care of yourselves, Patriots. Stay calm. Stay sharp. Stay free.
#WiseUp #LibertyOrDeath
#LetsGoBrandon #FJB
