On Tue, 05 Oct 2004 16:06:51 GMT, patrick conroy
calmly ranted:

On Tue, 5 Oct 2004 09:39:31 -0500, "Swingman" wrote:


All the above notwithstanding, I am seeing a trend toward smaller houses in
the last couple of years as the population gets older. AAMOF, I am building
one now in one of the most desirable, upscale areas of Houston that is only
2980sf, with porches and balconies front and back, and a garage in the back.

An old retired couple down the street from me just built an 8,000
s/f mansion for the two of them. It has taken 2 years so far, but
the roof is on now and contractors still go up and down their drive
at least a dozen times a day. WTF do they need that much space for?
Silver Yuppies, I swear. It's a McMansion on the riverside, complete
with all the false gables, rounded and pointy thangs here and there,
and a 7' wide driveway. The concrete trucks had a HELL of a time and
the trucker with the trusses hauled himself out of there and brought
them back on a shorter and narrower truck after almost taking out
trees on both sides of the little lane where the house resides.



When the kidz are gone - the first thing I'm tearing down is... the
lawn!

"Take paradise and put up a parking lot." makes a helluva lota sense
to me now.

Joni said "They paved paradise and put up a parking lot.", Pat.
I've never seen any good reason for a lawn. AAMOF, I'm thinking
of minimizing my front lawn when I tear out the spirea rootballs
this winter. My neighbor has volunteered his time and tractor for
the job. I think I'll put a nice used-RR-tie perimeter for the
St. John's Wort to grow in along the road, and then mound up a heap
of dirt and rocks on the front "lawn" where I can plant ANY other
things--things which -don't- need weekly mowing. The butterfly bushes
I put in last year are nearly covering the sides of the bridge (over
the no-water moat I built last year) now, so it all looks better.

I have enough room to put up an outbuilding on the West side. That
might be about right for a spray finishing and fumin' shack.


--
Strong like ox, smart like tractor.
----------------------------------
www.diversify.com Oxen-free Website Design