Retirement Red Zone

Living in the “Retirement Red Zone,” you just want to get something started – stick a stake in the ground somewhere, and start the process.  Planning and building a home takes a few years.  We needed to get started.  We’re not getting any younger here!

When last we left you, we had just gone under contract on land in Cashmere, Washington – the geographic heart of the state and home to Aplets and Cotlets.  Four long months later, we closed on a 22-acre parcel of land in a bucolic canyon just west of town.  

It’s a bucolic canyon by design, the result of 35 years of land assembly, subdivision, re-platting, boundary

adjustments, agreements for wells and roads, and very specific CC&Rs by the man who sold us the property.  I had sworn I would never be happy on land with covenants – we’re moving away from all that city stuff, right?  Well, we came to the realization that controls protect us from rural excesses:  dirt bike tracks, abandoned trucks and cars, mobile homes, etc.  But honestly, I don’t know how someone who didn’t have a background in land development could possibly have bought a parcel this complicated.  Turns out I have skills.

As we looked for land, I had in the back of my mind a small vineyard.  A winery was never in my dreams, but I figured I grow stuff, so how hard can grapes be?  And all I’d really want to do is grow really good grapes and trade them for really good wine at a nearby winery.  Never did I anticipate we’d find a piece of property already developed.  But get this – it’s not a vineyard, it’s an orchard.  A 14-acre cherry orchard.  Yes, that’s right.  Wally’s a cherry farmer now.  Transition #1.

This purchase set us on a new path on this journey called life.  Looking ahead a few years to life in the canyon, our big house in Bellevue became a burden.   Unable to rent our condo after Barrie moved out, we decided to just move there, and sell the house now, rather than wait until next year.  So quickly we:  carpeted and painted the condo; put in granite counters in the kitchen of our house; painted the house inside and out; put down new carpet; refinished hardwood floors.  A very busy August.  Let’s call that Transition #2 – Wally and Leslie downsizing from 4,000 sf to 1,000 sf, and getting the house on the market.

Transition #3 wasn’t so fun.  Our youngest daughter Annie graduated from the University of Washington in June, and in late August, we moved her to San Francisco.  And it’s been hard to have her so far away – no more Sunday dinners with the girls.  But this was a dream of hers for many years, and dang if she didn’t pull it off.  She’s living just off of Fillmore Avenue with her friend Anne Ramsey, working at Madewell, looking to start a career of some sort, and living her life.  She’s on her journey and we couldn’t be prouder of her.

The house went on the market September 11, and just two weeks later, we received two offers.  As of this writing, we are under contract and set to close on Wally’s birthday.  That will be Transition #4. Now we’re holding garage sales and selling furniture.  Six dump runs and counting.  Lightening the load.  More to come.  

Blossom Time in April

Looking SSW across to our hill after harvest

Each season is beautiful

  Here are some images from the property.

Wally and I got a chance to harvest some cherries, even though the sale had not closed by harvest time.  2011 was the latest harvest our seller ever had - July 24-27.  But it was a good year, and he saved them from the late rains.

 Thanks to our friend Janice for the cool hats!