Well, I don't have to think about that anymore

Ever since we moved to Colorado, 

our old house on County Trunk N

 in Luck, Wisconsin

 has held a soft spot in my heart.  

The house I grew up in.  

A house that was built around a 100 year old log cabin.  

The Johansen homeplace.

Several times over the past 45 years, the house has been up for sale.

Discussions about 'should we buy it?' for me always ended without taking any action but with a general feeling of 'no way'.

Most recently, the house again on the market, but looking like it had gone pretty much to rack & ruin, I talked about it again with my nephew Kyle.

He thought we could rent it and wondered if I was interested.  

He was feeling an emotional pull to the house, I couldn't imagine how it could be a good investment.

I continued to watch it be for sale and the price get lower and lower.

Maybe in the back of my mind there was an idea that if the price got low enough...then?

But recently I heard via nephew Kris, that one of the Holm kids had made the purchase

and was taking the house down.  

Cousin Ty Tretsven (second cousin once removed) was helping with the demolition and sent a picture of some old wallpaper wondering if I might remember it.

Maybe there is a faint bell ringing, 

but my 'way back machine' doesn't really give me any certain memory of this wallpaper.  

But what it did do, is stir up an interest to see the house one last time.

On Saturday, I was headed to Luck to watch the great nieces' dance recital, so took a drive out West on County Trunk N first, to see if anyone was working at the house so I might get one last look before the demolition was finished.

As I came over the hill, this is what I saw.

I was a little too late to see the house.

***

The pictures that follow were taken of what is left of the house.

It was an odd feeling to see it like this.

As luck would have it though, I pulled in to snoop just as the new owner and her mother pulled in to check on the fire and to start clean up.

The new owner is a young woman, Kaitlyn, who is my second cousin twice removed, 

I think you call that a shirt-tail relative!

She works for Polk County Land and Water and is very interested in the swamp that is on the property, she is also interested in knowing when / if the land was farmed.

Kaitlyn is also very interested in the past ownership of the property.

It was nice to talk to her and see how excited she is 

&

 it made me feel good about the old home place being no more.

Old stone foundation joined by newer basement of block

This old tree used to be a great place to play.
We called it the monkey tree and I remember the canopy of the tree dropping close to the ground making a natural playhouse under the branches and leaves.

These pines were big when I was a kid, but they are huge now.

One of the original 'logs' from the 100 year old log house part of the building.

Old pines

The new owner, Kaitlyn, and her Mom, Barb, admiring her 'new house'.

When I was a kid, there was a barn in this area.

So, this marks the end of the County Trunk N house, but the beginning of new life for that property under the stewardship of a young woman who loves the land and who loves the swamp.

It is an ironic meaning to the term 'house warming'.

***

The next several photos were taken as a panoramic view standing in the driveway, starting out pointing west and moving counterclockwise across the yard.

Pano 1

Pano 2

Pano 3

Pano 4

Pano 5

Pano 6

Pano 6 again

Pano 7

Kaitlyn thinks that this might be the site of her new build, looking South across the fields to the woods beyond, but hates to lose these two old pines.

She also offered that I should stop in anytime I want, just to look around.

I admire her bravery in taking on such a big challenge and wish her the Best of Luck!