Young Dreamers Chapter 4

Young Dreamers Chapter 4-The New Business

Good Morning,
Last week I left you in 1984. We had finally moved in our 1st house. It had taken over 3 years in the making, but we made it. All four of us thought we were in hog heaven.
Just as soon as we settled in good, someone told Billy about a piece of property for sale on the main state highway. It is a little over 2 acres and he is thinking about putting a truck painting business there. We look at the land, talk about and talk about it. I tell him he needs to go for it. We still are saving everything we can and not spending on anything but necessities.
We buy the land. The state is widening the main road to a 4 lane and it is decided the state is going to cut a new road in front of our new land. The new road will take a piece of our land. The land will now be on the new road and not the main highway. The good news is the state pays a good price for the piece they need and there is still enough land for the shop. Also, the shop will still be seen from the main road.
It is now 1985. We have to save more money for building supplies.
In April 1985 Billy is ready to start building the shop, his own self of course.

Me and and the boys tote more cement blocks. I was getting to be a professional toter and holder. That is, standing and holding a stud or wall while Billy nails it.


This is Billy putting up the metal beam. He will use that to hoist motors or anything heavy in the shop.


Billy is an extremely fast worker, always has been fast. All these pictures were taken in April of 1985.


Starting to look like a shop.


Billy looking right proud. I think my biggest part of all the building has been the lead cheerleader. I stand back and say "Way to go Billy" If you can't do it, no one can" Yaaa Billy!" That and the main toter of cement blocks and lumber.


The shop is finished. Billy gets a few customers. Some months are lean. Very lean...


Then in 1987 business really picks up. Billy is a fast and great painter. His price is reasonable. A metro Atlanta cement business hears about Billy's shop and the owner comes by. He wants Billy to paint all his cement trucks and gives Billy a price he'd like to pay. Billy said he tried not to flinch when the man told him the price. It was double what Billy was used to charging.

If you look,(I know the picture quality is bad) you can see the 1953 International truck. Billy is still driving it.(his only pickup truck)
Billy hires 2 full time workers and they get a lot more business. I learn all about paper work, state ID numbers, workers comp. ..etc.
The bad part is Billy was working long long day into the night and weekends to get the jobs done and we were barely seeing him. The boys were getting older and into cub scouts and the rec. ball teams.
Life was busy. Too busy.
Now it is 1988. In Georgia we have a Farmers and Consumers Market Bulletin
It the spring and fall people can list farm land for sale. In March we look and see 50 acres for sale in northeast Georgia. All 4 of us go look at it. It is wooded with streams on it. We fall in love with it and decide we want it. We have saved some money up and put a deposit down on the land. We were so confident that we would sell our place in no time and pay for the land out of that. It just didn't cross our mind that was not going to happen.


We list the house and being the young impatience people we were, thought it would sell, like the next day. It took longer than that. Only a few months and it sold!



This is our first night on the new property. We camped out in tents. The boys loved it(and our dogs).



We paid for the land from the house sale. Now we could afford this nice home.
It was back living in a mobile home again. A rough one at that. No heat. 2 very small bedrooms. We build a room on back for "the master bedroom" complete with a wood heater. The outside is covered with black tar paper for insulation. Rough looking. We were so excited though. It was like living in the wilderness. I felt like we were the Swiss Family Robinson on our own little island.


Next chapter..starting the dream house.

Have a great day!