The first owner of my new home was the architect. I learned this when we evaluated a series of blueprints piled up in a front closet. The blueprints specifically show the electrical system, but also include structural details and dimensions.
The first owners were Mr. and Mrs. James W. Hawley, James being the original architect. Also, the home is named Alderwood Manor. So, from here onward I will refer to my home as The Manor and I will walk around in slippers and silk evening robe, smoking a cigarette with a long extension.
The small community, about 50 homes, is interesting as well. It’s a very laid-back, egalitarian community, run solely by residents. Each house is unique and, for the most part, no one manages what individual owners do with their property. Home businesses are supported and some residents own livestock–one resident has two ponies and another has a goat. What I have seen, during the one community meeting I’ve attended, is the administrators taking time to thank residents who put effort into beautifying or improving their property.
You might have noticed the name, Olympic Bridle Estates. I believe it used to be an equestrian community. There’s an original trail, 10 feet wide, that encompasses the community–each stretch being a part of someone’s property. I am on a corner lot so 10 feet of my north and east sides are part of the trail. Over the years, the community stopped enforcing upkeep of the trail, especially since there are no more horses, so portions of the trail are currently unusable. Some residents keep up their portion and other do not.
There has been discussion of cleaning up the trail so they can be used again by the community or, alternatively, letting each owner regain full control of their portion. We’ll see where that leads. I’m open to either proposition. I like the trail and the idea of something that unifies the community in a unique way. Nor am I concerned about privacy since I have a chain link fence between my yard and the trail. On the other hand, I would be fine with subsuming the land and doing what I wish with it.
