My Boots Are Made for Walkin' - The First 3,000 Miles

Actually, literally moving a home from one place to another can be an excellent way to build equity in an investment portfolio inexpensive and be adventurous at the same time. And a great way to build cheaply. It makes it simpler if moving a short distance but it can be done to about anywhere if you have all of the permits needed to transport across highways and streets with power lines. It is quite fascinating, especially if on a two lane, one-way street with traffic lights and automobiles buzzing about you! It is a very time consuming job as everything moves at a turtles pace. The power company has to work with you closely and they are constantly removing and replacing wires above while you are monitoring width clearances at every inch along the street. It can be an all day evolution even if it’s a close by move.

 

If a property owner can buy a house cheaply enough that’s set for demolition due to redevelopment…and then pay to have it moved, an investment home or otherwise can be done at a huge savings.

 

The owner of the house saved the costs of demolition and removal, and the new owner saved the costs of building a new home from scratch. Add a foundation, hook up to all utilities, landscape and remodel the interior and it is like a brand new facility or home in less time and money, than to build from scratch.

 

So, now that you have purchased the house, you need to hire a professional house moving company unless you have the equipment and knowledge to do it yourself. The company will come out and jack it up, put I-beams under it, set them on a system of hydraulic dollies that hitch to a truck. The movers take care of every detail from the best route where there is the least traffic and power lines, acquire road permits from each town, (if moving it out of the original town), your house would move through, and make arrangements with the electric companies to move any power lines. The moving company will take care of every detail from start to finish, including the insurance; taking responsibility for all the liability; road permits; make arrangements with the electric companies to move power lines and being sure any bank mortgages are approved before moving can take place. You may need a contractor at each end to disconnect and reconnect the infrastructure.

 

Do you now feel as though you could move a home? Although, I do, my senior life is far too comfortable to relive the days of a 26 year old fresh out of college. I remember exactly how it felt to do the jobs described above, to include labor…and they were mine to do! Believe me, I will not forget the amount of work this was, nor the date of the move. Now, you are most likely thinking, how on earth could I possibly remember the date from 1969.

 

FUN FACTS ABOUT

MOON LANDING

Did you know?

 

● You would expect that when NASA asks you to be the first man to walk on the Moon that they would consider the possibility of things going wrong. Well for Neil Armstrong he couldn’t afford the life insurance policy for an astronaut. However, along with Michael Collins and Buzz Aldrin he wasn’t alone. All three astronauts of the Apollo 11 mission decided to create a plan of their own to support their families if something bad was to happen. Before the Apollo 11 mission in July 1969 when all three astronauts were in pre-launch quarantine, they signed hundred of autographs and sent them to a friend. If anything was to happen to the astronauts during their mission, the entrusted friend was to send the autographed memorabilia to each of the astronaut’s families. This way they could make some money by selling the signatures of the Apollo 11 crew.

● An interesting thought…would you have even wondered if moon dust smelled? Four billion years old, yes it did have a pungent odor. After walking on the moon and returning to the module, moon dust was everywhere. After removing their helmets, the odor became obvious but until then, they had no idea there was anything different in scents as they walked the moons surface. Neil Armstrong described the dust’s scent as similar to wet ashes in a fireplace. This distinct smell remains a mystery as moon dust and gun powder have no similar compounds and the exact explanation remains unknown.

● Everything floats in space…EVERYTHING! You may think so…but ever thought about the simple things like using the toilet? The astronauts staying in the International Space Station have a specially designed toilet that they can be seat belted onto so they will not move about whilst using the can!

 

And do not forget what has to happen once it reaches it’s destination…there are likely no interior walls or insulation or kitchens or anything. Yes, that is correct…more hard labor…but guess what? Do you remember what I told you about it being 1969? My traveling buddy through Australia and I had decided we were too tired and wanted to watch television on that date in history. It was on July 16, 1969. We did not want to work as scheduled that day because we felt it more important to watch a piece of history…the Apollo 11 Launch! Why would I ever go to work when I could sit around and watch the first Lunar landing mission, with astronauts Neil A. Armstrong, Michael Collins, and Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin at 9:32 a.m. EDT, be launched into space from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center? Not us!

 

FYI:

Apollo 11 was the spaceflight that landed the first two humans on the Moon. Mission commander Neil Armstrong and pilot Buzz Aldrin, both American, landed the lunar module Eagle on July 20, 1969. Apollo 11 was launched by a Saturn V rocket from Kennedy Space Center on Merritt Island, Florida, on July 16 at 9:32 am EDT (13:32 UTC) and was the fifth manned mission of NASA’s Apollo program. The Apollo spacecraft had three parts: a command module (CM) with a cabin for the three astronauts, and the only part that returned to Earth; a service module (SM), which supported the command module with propulsion, electrical power, oxygen, and water; and a lunar module (LM) that had two stages – a descent stage for landing on the Moon, and an ascent stage to place the astronauts back into lunar orbit. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo_11

Now wouldn’t you rather be watching this event than standing atop of a house traveling down a city block?

The result: We were not invited back to work the following day but we had earned what we needed and had felt the history of a launch was far more important than a job that would wear us out!

 

It had all sounded so easy when the others who had worked at this job, were telling us about this golden opportunity! But, I now have a clear picture in my mind, of exactly what needs to be done should I ever decide to leave the comforts of my sofa to move a house, at my tender age of 70 plus!!

 

Be sure if you see a house on the back of a semi truck trailer on a country road, you give it lots of room for travelin’.

 

So, you see, A Travelin’ We Shall Go, literally means travelin’ anywhere at anytime. Grab your boots, and take the journey walking paths you have only thought about before! May I suggest you pack up your boots and start walking.

 

There are several great walking paths located in and around the area of Cairns. Because Cairns is located in the heart of adventure in Queensland.

 

When researching the paths in the area, they are compared to the adventuresome excitement of the Great Barrier Reef, out to sea! After spending time at the reef, I have to say that sounded impressive. The paths are from the national parks and rainforests but encircle the city boundaries.

 

The parks are home to the ancient rainforest, with a variety of wildlife that includes an abundance of rich wilderness and various hiking trails for the most curious of walkers.

 

Are you ready boots? Start walkin’!

 

For your convenience, I have included several locations for your walking journey in the Cairns area and I hope with a description of each, one or more will tickle your fancy and become a vacation destination. The Crystal Cascades, is first up as it is my favorite of locations, being it is along the beach. However, this path offers a not so friendly adversary, the jellyfish in stinger season! They are reported to swarm the beaches which chase walkers, sunbathers and swimmers away from their playground. I guarantee, you would not like being stung by these box jellyfish. Two of these 28 varieties are deadly to humans and live in the waters in Cairns. They are beautiful creatures but certainly not ones I would want to swim into or encounter in any way! So for me, I’ll stick to my boots and walk the beaches when none are around.

 

 

These northern Australian box jellyfish are a deadly marine invertebrate whose sting can bring about death to a human within 3 to 5 minutes, if stung by a C. fleckeri. It has a large transparent bell which is nearly the size of a human head but is also known by the name of a Sea wasp. It’s the long thread-like tentacles that pose the threat. It is on contact their powerful venom is discharged in killing their prey. Hugo Flecker, discovered this invertebrate after he found a five year old child died of its sting in January, 1955.

 

The beautiful Crystal Cascades, is a great place to cool down offering icy waters that surge down smooth rocks, shaded by the tree...