More Pictures

 This creek runs through our land but this particular spot is at the bridge along the road into our land from the main road.  Dogs usually take a swim here

 We are making inroads on clearing brush and getting a feel for the area near the road.  We spent yesterday trying to locate one of the natural springs.  We got close (basically following the wetness trail uphill) but haven't quite found the source.  Tomorrow should be exciting as we have additional people coming to help clear.  We hired a crew of four for two days to start with and see how things go.  hopefully we can define a location and get started with initial cabin after easter. 

A few hundred meters after the bridge from the above pic is the curve at the end of this picture which is where our land begins.

Last evening we went to a community meeting that is held every other month by a group of owners that try and organize improvements and spread awareness about a multidude of issues (they also operate an online forum of the same nature).  So we meet a lot of people and really enjoyed the mix and attitude of people there in addition to being well received.

Bugs are terrible at times and between them and trying to cut brush all day - my skin is on fire and i often wake up scratching at night.  Dogs love there freedom here- never on a leash and in and out of water all day.  One problem is we can't leave them at home (unless we tie them up or lock them in our single room) - because the place isn't fence and they just come after us in the car.  On friday we went into town and we tried just going in the hopes they would eventually just turn around - but  a mile and a half in they were still chasing us so we just let them in.  I got a bike so I can go back and forth if Regina has to go into the store and the dogs made the 6K trip in pretty good shape - although all three of us were sore next day because none of it is flat

pictures

 Main House (Roseangela's) we are staying it bath house off the back

 Back of the house

 This is our outdoor kitchen and little building in back is bedroom and bath

Rear of main house

 Regina's store

 Entry to our property (road is for us plus two other properties - our's is in middle)

 This is what most of it looks like

 Regina at beginning edge of land

 Starting to clear brush

Regina in action

three weeks in

The past few weeks have gotten us pretty settled in to a comfortable new living situation.  We are renting a little shack behind a main house house that is bedroom and bathroom  and there is a separate little outdoor kitchen.  It is very comfortable and about 2.5 miles from our land, about 45 min from Regina's store and about an hour from Regina's mother's house.  The owner of the house (Roseangela) spends about 75% her time here and rest in Rio (about 2 hours away).  We have been putting in stints clearing brush at our land and getting a feel for things.  Also been dealing with Electric utility to get going on getting connected to grid, but that is looking like a many months proposition at this point and will only get us part of the way as we will need to have a large part of distance covered at our own cost.  For now - we will continue clearing brush and pick a spot to put our first building.  Probably will get some help within a week or two to help move things along.  A lot of our time has just been getting to know the area and resources around here. 
Life can be broken into two distinct categories for now; up on the mountain and down in town.  Where we are is called Brejal, and it is a few miles uphill from a town called Posse, which is about half an hour from the outskirts of Petropolis (where Regina's store and her mother and two brothers live).  Often, going down the hill involves getting into traffic jams and always is a reminder of the huge mass of people coming and going, while things calm down considerably as you go up the hill and get into the farms and residences. 
I'll get some pictures up soon, but our internet her is very precarious (it's by radio wave) and very slow so it's hard to get things out at times. 
The dogs are well and appear to enjoy a lot of freedom and ability to roam. 
Things are moving slowly and it's an adjustment from a more frantic existence I've been used to.  Some of the slower aspects have been a nice break, lot's of cooking (in a pretty simple kitchen), hanging clothes out to dry etc.  Overall, life in the US and here is very similar, but there are many many small differences that provide a refreshing shock to the system.

More later
Sam