part0023

They returned to Chattanooga for the closing on both properties on Tuesday, July 19, 2022. They had Ricks 4Runner drive them as they now had to move two cars to Tennessee. They read and napped most of the way.

The closings took place in the Century Twenty One offices in Chattanooga. Rick and Marsha had been told what checks they needed to bring. They arranged to pick them up at the Chattanooga BB&T earlier that day. The signings were back to back so both Rick and Marsha were suffering from writer’s cramp .

Rick had contacted the TVA and explained what he wanted to do with a micro-hydroelectric generator. He was amazed at how friendly and helpful they were, as they explained the red tape, he would be drowning in.

They had the flow and drop rates for every piece of moving water in the area. He was told that King Creek would support a generator, but that it would require a pond with a dam. This complicated things as he was now changing the nature of the beast.

He would have to submit engineering studies that modeled his pond and dam with the resultant outflow. Of course, there would have to be an environmental impact study done. These had to be submitted to the TVA and the Army Corp of Engineers.

They didn’t want him to cause any flooding or change the area and kill some endangered critter. Never once was it said that the TVA might not want any competition in generating electricity.

It didn’t really matter what Rick may have thought of the regulations, it wasn’t that he had any choices.

He explained his thinking to Marsha, “I am going to proceed with the permit applications even knowing that they will take several years. At the same time, I think we should dual-source our power and put up a solar farm. I want to be off the grid as soon as we can.”

Marsha was a little reluctant about solar power until her main objection was answered. She didn’t like the idea of all those panels disturbing the nice roofline of the house she envisioned.

Once Rick understood this, he suggested the panels be ground-mounted, with a slight rise between them and the house, so they wouldn’t be a distraction.

Now all they had to do was go out to their property and select a site. Since the day was hot, they wore polo shirts, walking shorts, and tennis shoes. Their drive out to the farm was punctuated with talk of what they wanted in a house and outbuildings.

It was now King Creek Farm instead of King Creek Ranch. Marsha finally convinced Rick that it might appear uppity to their new neighbors. Rick backed down but didn’t tell Marsha that he had remembered the King Ranch in Texas, which he thought was the largest ranch in the United States. He didn’t want to look like he was horning in on their name.

They went up the driveway of the farm bordered by King Creek. Once they got to the old farmhouse/shooting clubhouse they got out and looked the area over. The house was almost a half-mile off the main road.

Rick said, “I think we should build more to the center of the property so let’s head north and see what’s there.”

“I agree,” replied Marsha .

That is when their lesson began. This was mountain country, not the flatlands. They walked north for about half an hour. It wasn’t a straight line. There were foothills and bramble bushes that had to be circled around.

Their bodies were now sixty-year-olds, but out of shape sixty-year-olds. They hadn’t any real exercise in almost thirty years. They came to a staggering stop at the top of a small hill.

They could see the top of the house from where they started. Rick brought a small range finder with him. It was like those that were used on golf courses to determine how far from the pin the ball was. He had to check it twice because they were only a quarter of a mile from where they started.

Between the hills, brambles and just not paying attention, they hadn’t gone due north, but had staggered around the countryside, and had no idea of the real lay of the land.

“This isn’t working.”

Marsha, still trying to catch her breath just nodded. They sat for a while and rested. Marsha was the first to notice, but Rick was quick to follow. They were sitting near an anthill, and they were getting bitten. They were lucky and didn’t know it, these weren’t fire ants.

They both jumped up and started clearing ants from their legs and clothes. They then checked each other out .

After they were both cleared, Rick said, “Well that kills that idea.”

“What idea,” Marsha asked?

All of a sudden, Marsha said, “No way,” but at least she was also grinning.

A more serious Rick said, “Let’s call it a day, head back and regroup.”

“I can go along with that.”

Looking at the house they noticed they had turned west and then were apparently going south. It wasn’t very far from the driveway to the house. Instead of going a half-mile north like they thought they had gone a quarter-mile west by northwest.

The hike back to the driveway, and then to the house took less than half the time. They had been walking for almost two hours and seen very little of their new property.

On their way back to the Coachman’s Inn where they were now getting to be regulars, they saw some dust rising from a cleared field. As they watched a four-wheeled All-Terrain Vehicle came into sight.

“That is what we need,” said Marsha.

“You are right. We will look after lunch. ”

They heard it mentioned there was a farm equipment dealer in Dayton that would probably have what they needed. They freshened up at the hotel, then went to lunch at the Pikeville Family Restaurant.

Mary had just come on duty, and the crowd was light, so they had a few minutes to talk. She asked them how they liked their new land.

Rick was the sort who didn’t mind a good laugh at himself, so he told Mary about their morning’s woes.

She, in turn, explained they were very lucky they didn’t sit on a fire ant hill, and how bad they could be. From now on they were to wear good boots, thick socks, long pants, and long-sleeve shirts, and don’t worry about how hot it got!

A man in his early thirty’s sitting at the next table said, “Mary is right, wear cotton clothes that breathe but make sure you are covered out there. By the way, I am Mike London. I gather you are the Kings that just bought the Johnsons and the gun club places, that new King Creek Farm.”

“That’s right,” replied Rick.

“I’m Rick and this is my wife Marsha.”

As Rick made the introductions, they all stood and shook hands .

“My place is a little south of town on the west side of the valley.”

“Oh, are you out near that farm the survivalist group owns,” Marsha asked?

“Yes ma’am but they are really standoffish. The only way you know they are there is all the gunfire. I reckon they think they are going to have to fight a war.”

Rick felt a little uneasy about that. He had fought in several wars and still had bad memories which he didn’t talk about. He decided right then and there that he was going to find out what the goals of this group were.

Mike continued, “Have you thought about ATVs?”

“We saw one on our way back here, and decided to check at the Dayton Tractor Supply Store and see if they carried them,” replied Rick.

“I am pretty certain they do.”

Mike continued, “That is a lot of land you own, over eleven hundred acres. If I remember right it is about three quarters a mile from East Valley Road to the mountain ridge so you must have about a mile and a quarter of frontage along East Valley.”

“That’s right,” said Rick. “What I can’t figure out is how much land is an acre? ”

Mike laughed, “An acre is 43,560 square feet. A perfectly square lot of one acre would measure about two hundred and eight feet aside. So if one side of your land is three quarters a mile deep, then the other dimension would be about a mile and a quarter. That is extremely rough arithmetic and remember, while your border on East Valley may run straight, none of the others do.

“Weird but it actually makes sense,” replied Rick and then continued. “How were 43,560 square feet decided upon?”

Mike said, “I have absolutely no idea. It is an old English measurement.”

Mike went on to say, “Have you folks considered getting aerial photographs taken. It will really help give you a good idea of the flow of the land.”

“Mike,” exclaimed Marsha.

“That is a wonderful idea, anything to keep me out of those bugs!”

“I know there is an outfit that flies out of the Chattanooga airport that does that,” said Mike.

Mike then pulled out his smartphone, and a quick search came up with Chatham Aviation and their phone number. Mike told them they could see what maps the Army Corp of Engineers had of the area, and also the TVA .

He also suggested that since they were going to Dayton, they stop in at the Farm Bureau extension office which had just opened and see what maps they could provide.

Rick and Marsha thanked Mike profusely.

Rick told Mike that he would like to give a tour of King Creek Farm once they were settled in. Mike liked the name they had given the land.

He said, “I would get a sign up quickly or people will just refer to it as the King place like they do all other farms around here.”

“Who does work like that around here,” asked Rick.

“I would ask Steve Klima. He can make a simple sign and put the name in with a router. With the letters painted it would make a good-looking sign. I know he made some up for the Boy Scout Camp, and they looked very nice.”

“Where would we find Steve,” asked Marsha?

Mike gave them Steve’s phone number which he had in his phone’s memory.

Tell Steve I told you to call him, we are in the National Guard together. Even though I am his Sergeant, I don’t think he dislikes me that much.”

This made Rick laugh as he remembered his military days, Sergeant’s come in all types, good, bad, and in between. You respected and depended on a good one, tolerated the one in between, and feared the bad ones. They could get you killed.

After lunch, they drove to Dayton. They had avoided this trip before because the road had a hairpin curve which actually looked like a hairpin. The traffic was light so the car kept just to the speed limit, and though the road had many curves, they didn’t get seasick like their original worry. Just in their few drives around the area, they had found roads that they would avoid, if at all possible.

In Dayton, they found Nelson’s farm store. It bought and sold feed and grain along with the connections to obtain almost any piece of farm equipment you could think you might need.

Jack Nelson met them at the door with a cheerful, “Howdy neighbor, how can I help you?”

Rick explained they had bought the property over to the north of Pikeville, near the base of Hinch Mountain.

“Oh so you are the new owners of Kings Creek Farm, glad to meet you, I’m Jack Nelson.”

Marsha said, “It didn’t take long for that news to get around did it?”

“You folks don’t know how big of news your purchase is, there haven’t been many land sales around here in the last ten years, and yours is by far the biggest. The youngster’s leave as quick as they can, we’ve almost got to the point of no return.”

He went on, “They are talking about closing schools around Pikeville and busing them here. That will be the only way our schools will stay open. You once had three generations on a farm, for the most part, it is just one now, and those are the grandparents. When they go, no one wants to move back to run the farm so it goes up for sale. The only buyers until you folks have been large companies buying land to hold.”

Jack continued, “Everyone likes the name King Creek Farm, first when the news started going around last night it was, ‘Did you hear about King Creek Farm’ knowing that people would have to ask, ‘What is King Creek Farm’ so the caller had inside news; then people felt it made the area special because we had ‘Named Property.’ We have never had any of that around here. It might help land values. I bet the Pikeville Diner this morning had all sorts of people coming up with names for their farms.”

“No offense intended, but you aren’t youngsters, so I’m not certain people should get as excited as they have been. Kind of sad, when two, fifty-year-olds moving into the area is the big news.”

“Anyway, how can I help you today,” asked Jack .

Rick replied, “We are looking for a couple of ATV’s to use to explore our farm.”

“Good thinking, “replied Jack, “you have a lot of miles to cover. Most folks with larger spreads use them.”

Jack took them outside to his lot. He showed them new and used ATV’s and explained the pros and cons of each. While it was obvious, he was a salesman they felt he was explaining their options fairly well. They decided early on they wanted to buy new.

Nelsons were a Honda dealership so that took a lot of the decisions off the table unless they shopped at other dealers. While not talking about it Rick and Marsha sensed that the other would be satisfied to buy here. They had chosen two sturdy four-wheel single passengers ATV’s when Marsha noticed a larger machine sitting in the corner.

“What is that,” she inquired.

“That is a white elephant. It is also an ATV but it is built for four passengers. If you look, there are two sets of seats, and also a small cargo area in the back.”

“Why is it a white elephant,” Rick asked?

Jack laughed, “Because no one will buy it from me!”

“Rick it would be nice for us to ride around together, and also for when we want to show others our farm. ”

“It would, but the others just look more agile and easier to get around on,” said Rick.

Jack Nelson hadn’t been a salesman for more than thirty years by passing up opportunities. “If you buy all three I bet we could work out a good deal for you.”

This took Rick and Marsha aback for a moment, but they looked at each other and saw the other had no objection.

Rick said, “Let us take these for a spin around the lot to see how they handle, and maybe we can talk turkey.”

The machines handled very nicely, Marsha pushed her single ATV harder than Rick did, but they both gave them a workout.

As they were walking into the office Jack told Marsha, “You know we sell sports models, and they have off-road races around here.”

This got the laugh that was intended though Marsha got an interesting look for a moment then shook her head to clear it of wild ideas.

In the office, Jack got down to business. He started out by showing them the suggested selling price of each unit. He wrote down what he would sell each of them individually. Then he put down a package price.

“Folks you do understand that I am in business to make a profit. The package price does leave me a profit. Not much, but a profit. That four-passenger unit has been on the lot for over a year, so I really want to get rid of it.”

In the meantime, Marsha was on her smartphone looking up prices. She added up several numbers and showed it to Rick.

“Jack that really is cutting it to the bone,” said Rick.

“Yes it is, but at this point, I just want to move them.”

“I understand and by moving the other two units it will help meet your dealer incentive from the manufacturers hold back. That sounds like a winner for all of us. You have a deal,” said Rick.

Marsha broke in, “Not so fast Rick. I notice everyone around here wears a ball cap from a tractor store. Are you going to throw in a hat for us?”

Jack laughed, “You drive a hard bargain.” He reached into a cabinet and pulled out two ball caps with Nelsons embroidered on them.

“Now you can wear my advertising proudly!”

Rick chuckled, as Marsha grabbed the hats. Marsha then looked at Rick with wide eyes.

“I have a hat for the field and one for the town. I wonder if he is going to give you one. ”

Rick started to sputter as Jack roared. Marsha relented and handed a hat to Rick.

“Have you folks bought a trailer yet to haul these thing’s home,” asked Jack?

“Not only no trailer; the only vehicle we have here is a car without a towing package,” Rick replied.

“Let’s complete the paperwork then we will haul them to your place. I also suggest you stop at the gas station across the street and fill them up,” said Jack.

“Oh you mean Nelson’s gas station,” asked Marsha.

“Yes ma’am, my son Paul owns it; just trying to keep the money in the family.”

“Works for me,” replied Rick.

Jack asked how they were paying for the ATV’s. He was a little surprised when Rick asked if a check was okay. Jack had read these people for money, but this was almost thirty grand!

“I have a truck-trailer combination you might want to look at,” said Jack.

Marsha added, “We are going to need one.”

They trooped out to the other side of the building. There were dozens of trailers, but only one truck. It was a pickup truck but what a pickup. It was the largest truck they had ever seen. It was not a monster tire truck.

“What is it,” asked Rick?

“It’s a 2022 International Harvester Commercial Extreme Truck. They reintroduced the CXT last year. They haven’t made any since 2008. Actually, it is made by Toyota since they bought out Navistar. Now that Toyota’s headquartered in the US, they are trying to rebrand their name.

This truck will tow up to thirty tons at highway speed. The cab has every luxury you can think of, and it can hold five counting the driver.

“How much,” Rick started to ask.

Marsha talked right over Rick. “I don’t think we are interested in anything that big.”

“Just curious,” said Rick.

“One hundred and seventy-five thousand,” Jack put in.

Rick looked at Marsha; she just looked back at him.

“Thanks for taking care of my curiosity, probably more truck than we need.”

Jack replied cheerfully, “It’s here when you are ready.”

As they turned away Marsha was mumbling something about dead bodies.

“Where do you folks want your quad ATV’s delivered? ”

You know the entrance to the old Johnson place?”

“Yep, I have been out there several times.”

“There is a barn where we can keep them in.”

“I think we might be setting up house there for a while till we have a new place built.”

“Will it be okay if we drop them off tomorrow,” Jack asked.

“Sure but can we have the owner manuals now?”

“No problem folks; let me put them in this folder along with your paperwork. I will make certain they are gassed up.”

“Thank you,” said Rick.

Marsha also thanked Jack but she added, “If you try to puppy dog that truck on Rick, I will be after you with a shotgun.”

Jack grinned and roared his large laugh. “I hear you.”

On the way home Rick asked Marsha, “What is puppy dogging a truck?”

“If you have a puppy you want to get rid of. You take it to some one’s house that has kids, and you leave it overnight. The kids will adopt the puppy; the parents won’t be able to fight it. With a truck like that, they would park it in our driveway and let you drive it several days, one truck sold.”

“But we don’t have any kids,” said Rick.

Marsha just snorted, “Yeah, right.”

Rick laughed as he said, “I had never heard of that sales technique before, but I can see where it would work.”