Now that we have a “house” with a shower and proper transportation to get around the ranch, it’s time to tackle communication with the outside world. I may not have mentioned that the property has absolutely ZERO cell service and ZERO options for internet because it is in the middle of two ridges that run through the hill country. (Stephen’s first attempt at using the antennae on the Airstream was a bust). So our task was put on our list for us by the universe… get internet.
My dad has always told me it’s not about “what” you know, but “who” you know. That was true in this case!! Stephen was talking to his flight instructor about the new project and our internet woes and he said,
“Well, you know my dad, Radio Bob, installed all of the cell receivers on the Twin Towers and in the Lion’s Stadium”
And at that moment, Stephen and I knew we were back on track!
After a few site visits and finding an old weather tower for the equipment, Radio Bob had a lease on a nearby tower and we were ready to get internet to the property. Stephen and his dad were able to use their landmen skills from the previous venture to secure a spot on the tower and it would just be 6 short months to get the rest of the infrastructure in place. Now that the internet was on a serious path forward, it was time for us to tackle the rest of the project.
Using google maps, some drone footage and Stephen’s vision, it was time to get serious with the big equipment and the real work would begin! Stephen had never driven a backhoe before. No Problem… He had never driven a telehandler either. No problem… With a little help from Youtube, Stephen was off! Next step: try to recruit free labor… We called all of our friends and found out very quickly who was down for camping and manual labor and who wasn’t…
Backhoe ✅
Bulldozer ✅
Chainsaw ✅
Tools to build stuff ✅
Generator ✅
Steel toe boots ✅
Bandana to look cool ✅
Matching shirts ✅
Now that we have all of this new equipment, where are we going to store all of it? What about a Shipping Container?
Flying over ranch when I found the listing Moving boulders with the dozer Creating 30 foot bonfires regularly
The first part of the project took one year, 16 hour days of working to the bone, with a tight knit crew of six amazing, creative and hard-working people you'll find.
Bringing Oli home to the Airstream had its challenges, so luckily our in-laws were kind enough to let us share their house until… the first dome was complete! We lived with Oli in our Morii dome for about 6 weeks and created some of my favorite memories during that time.
