FROM RAGS TO RICHES
Janet had been working for a lawyer friend while going to college. Her lawyer friend had a severe stroke and was almost totally handicapped. Then one day she got a call that he had killed himself. She was heart broken and we tried to console her as best we could. Our living circimstances changed as she inherited his estate. After awhile we purchased 25 acres of land and then an additional 120 and then 90 more. all adjecent to each other. Enter a new career, Logging. Talk about baptism by fire. I learned logging the hard way. I was robbed blind by corrupt loggers and crooked mill owners. I finally learned to log pretty good and bought my own skidder.{logging machine}
MY SKIDDER USED FOR LOGGING
I continued making more sculptures, so many I needed more storage space so I decided to build a small castle out of field stone. Of course I didn't know what I was doing. But I learned pretty fast.During these five years Janet sponsered five art shows for me and other area artists.
Nothing was ever sold but it was a good experience. Everything was going well when tradgey struck.
TRAGEDY STRIKES
Four of my five children had left home and the youngest was doing well in school we we noticed a drastic change in his behavior. To make a long story short he was diagnosed with schizophrenia. He had to be hospitalized and we were all devastated by this as we had been through this before. I burried myself in my work and found a beautiful location while logging to build my castle. The roads were built and thousands of stones were hauled and the castle was begun. Then another problem arrose as I was not seeing so well and found out that I had cataracts and could not see well enough to continue logging. I got behind in my property taxes and the town seized 90 acres of my land for back taxes. To make a long story short it was an illeagle corrupt political act,but it is water over the damn. My life had to go on. I eventually got my sight back and was able to continue my work logging, castle building and sculpture making. It has been 15 years now since my sons illness took place and his condition has stabilized and he tries very hard at living on his own. Castle building has all but stopped now. Another tragedy strikes.
FIRE STRIKES AGAIN
I had to seek a new method of income and decided to turn the oldhomestead into apartment buildings. I ended up with four apartments and materials for a fifth one. Most of the materials were gathered by tearing down old buildings that were to be demolished. One morning I was working and was finishing up around ten o'clock and had gone to the store. On the way back I saw smoke billowing 200 feet in the air. Yes my building was on fire. To make a long story short the fire dept was in another town practicing fire drills and could not get enough water to put the fire out. I was devastated as I had no insurance and yelled at the fire chief and was arrested for god only knows what and hauled off to the police station as my house was still burning. The good thing was that no one was hurt although many animals were killed and my tennants were homeless and had lost all their possessions. The next day it was reported that I had interfeared with the firefighting. This was an absolute lie.
HOUSE BEFORE THE FIRE
GOOD NEWS, UP FROM ASHES
What a mess. It took 30 days to clean up all the ashes. Over 3,000 wheelbarrow loads were burried. Help came from many materials gathered by my neighbor John. A generator was donated by a Dentist friend and my old friend Charlie helped me put together a livable dwelling for the winter. Over the years I have neglected my health and am paying for it now. I have made many strides and will succeed in this my major concern now. The castle will go on.
NEW WINTER DWELLING TWO MONTHS AFTER THE FIRE
THE CASTLE ALWAYS UNDER CONSTRUCTION
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