MANSLAND

Due to a house full of roaming animals with little privacy, I moved out to Mansland. I had additional reading and writing to do for work. The cubicle layout at work offered no privacy, so I brought home all the notes I had to do.

A computer, printer, light and supply of beer would keep me going until I had to go in the house and crash. Some nights, morning would welcome me with no sleep. Other nights I slept in a chair.

When I first ordered the 10’x15’ cedar shed from Hanover Buildings and they sled it off the truck to the cinder block foundation, I had a power hookup with two outlets and an overhead light. I blew a few fuses until I added more powerful fuses. Along the line of having an electrical connection made to the new switcher panel, the line got cut. The solution was to run a l o n g extension cord from an outlet in the house, out the window, across the yard and into the door, then hook additional surge outlet strips to run the growing need for electronics.

There was no heat and only a window fan, so layers of clothing adjusted with the weather. When the roof started leaking, plastic covers protected electronics.

The idea for Mansland was to hold the bicycles and yard tools from the weather, but it turned into my studio/office. Tools went into toolboxes and the lawnmower went under the house. A desk was assembled for a computer and lamp and a television was mounted on the wall.

As more time was spent outside, additional items were removed from the house and placed within the walls of Mansland. Books, records, guitars, stereo and recording equipment were now at the disposal within reach at any moment powered by extension cords off of extension cords. Why this place didn’t burn down is a mystery?

Mirrors, pictures, bulletin boards were hung on the walls next to clocks, rakes and tennis rackets. A drawing board replaced the desk and cabinets replaced storage boxes.

A new roof with sky lights replaced the decay and a new electrical line was run from the house to replace the extension cord. A little heater was brought out when the gas was turned back on inside, but the window fan stayed for the summer relief.

There were so many tools, the Mansland shed got its own shed. Rolling tool cabinets sorted the vast quantities of screw drivers and hammers. A mini refrigerator was brought out being replaced by real appliances in the kitchen. 20 sheets of wallboard were brought out after construction and later knocked down and trashed. When the windows were replaced, the old windows were brought out for a possible art project that never happened.

Some of the cedar boards have been replaced and like any wood construction, there are always patches to be made. Still Mansland has held up pretty well through 40 years.

Some scientific study can hypothesize a diagnosis on why I continue to live in this shed rather than a 3-bedroom house with rooms to spare? My prognosis is one lives in one room at a time. This room has become comfortable to me, even as basic living as it is.

The big difference is I’m out in the forest. I step out on the deck and I’m in the woods. I can hear the creatures and view the dappled shadows indicating the time of day. This plot of land I’ve purchased was plain and boring until my wife decided to landscape. Then the original inhabitants had a safe place to be with nature as intended, and I was lucky enough to be with them.