There she blows...

We have water! We hired a well driller and he has been working for a week trying to get through the mountain of rocks we will live on. He ran into some stubborn boulders down about 140'. He made it though and we have 180' well. We were really hoping he would find water close to the top. Our worst case scenario would have been 400' or deeper like some of the wells in our area. We got lucky...( or blessed).

Century Farm and Counting

Here's a fence full of kids during the celebration of reaching the 100 year mark back in 1996. These are all Smith Kids. Kelsey, Dylan, Morgan, Brandon, Breanne, and Jeremy. Love the fresh faces!!

Pee Wee

Here's a picture of Phyllis on the ranch at Lower Cove. Her nickname was Pee Wee. She's the youngest of the seven children born to Story and Agnes. Mason 1915, Judson 1916, Manford 1918, Lovene 1920. Raymond 1921, Della 1924, then surprise eleven years later Phyllis 1935.

On the Map

This is our address: 68389 Kerns Loop Cove OR 97824. Back in 1896 great-grandparents Mike and Lydia Morris rented 320 acres in this area. They moved here with their son Story after spending 7 years in Elgin. In 1900 they bought it for $12,000 in promissory notes to be paid over 13 years. They were able to pay it off in 7 years. In 1912 their son Story and his new wife Agnes bought 80 acres up the road 1/4 mile known as "the old Pearce place". Mike bought another 160 acres next to his own land and Story bought another 240 acres across the road. The family now had 800 acres of land out in Lower Cove. Story Morris owned all the property after his parents were gone. His children all inherited portions of it. Gareld's mom Phyllis got the 80 acre Pearce place now affectionately known as "The Property". She willed it to him. Thank-you.

Home Sweet Home

.....pick blackberries at the property, hunt on the property, trap shoot at the property, release pheasants on the property, look for antlers on the property, shoot squirrels on the property, family photo shoot at the property, pick rocks at the property, glass the hill on the property, hike to the canyon from the property, eat plums on the property, there's bears on the property, pick apples at the property, take friends to the property, dream about the property, inherit the property, LIVE on the property.

I am starting a blog! I want to record our progress from start to finish as we make our move out to the property. We've always called it "the property" as long as I can remember. We have spent a lot of time out there over the years. The kids love the property, too. So join us on this journey and see it all unfold here as it happens.