Basic footprint of the cabin

 First b b que

 everything with the handsaw

 Mother's Day

Things are moving along.  Should have a roof on the cabin by the end of next week, which is non too soon since it's been raining a lot.  Rain has been good for our planting though and also may have given us some good clues about our spring locations.  So far planting has been fruit trees - maybe 30 or so of many varieties and decorative bushes and hedge row type stuff. 
Never ending bureaucracy surrounding trying to get electricity to our spot is slowly moving along - right now we are working on getting the access road recognized by the local municipality - lots of funny stories surround it all - at least it's better to laugh than get worked up about the way things work here sometimes.
We are off to Rio this weekend to celebrate Joana's b-day - hopefully we can go to the beach for the first time. 

taking shape

Things are beginning to go vertical.  Basic platform of the cabin is in place and second lumber drop is coming this week.

 Regina has begun planting lots of decorative plants and some fruit trees.  We were supposed to get a delivery last week of more stuff but they never showed up - hopefully this week

This is the basic footprint, uncovered area is to be a deck

Worms and wood

 This is the Berne (botfly) worm i squeezed out of shawnee - he has tons and luna a few - and now I have em too.  But we all took meds for it and seem to be getting better

 first lumber load

 first structure - just something to be in shade and out of rain

 first decorative planting to make a hedgerow

Beginings of cabin structure which will be about 7m x 5.5m (23' x 17')

 View from behind the house we are staying out - gives an idea of the landscap

 evolving clearing of overgrowth

 Dante on Easter

Sunday April 12th,
Regina and I are working in the store today (a couple of early sales made for a decent day - among mostly poor sales days of late).
We continue to make micro steps forward on all sorts of fronts (lots of two steps forward - one back).
Process to get energy gets more involved all the time, although we did get some good news the other day that may help speed things along.  What is clear is that alternatives are necessary and probably better in some ways.
We are getting a lumber load dropped on tuesday - so some new things will start evolving soon

Everyone is getting acquainted with different types of local bugs/allergies/parasites
I got some skin reaction that has been no fun waking up with scratching fits, shawnee and luna have flea and ticks non stop and both have just started with some wierd worm that we are still perfecting the technique for squeezing them out (very disgusting)

Clearing on our land is pretty much good enough for the moment in general terms - with our focus now more on finding our two or three spring sources and getting those areas better organized.  Our first effort with some local help was ok but not inspiring - so we are working on finding some new people to try.  But main thing now is to start building a cabin
sam

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