We go around in circles, relentlessly reading the classifieds in the papers and on the web. Slowly our wish list grows shorter thinking it will make finding land easier. We decide to expand our search area to include anything within 2 hours distance from Montreal where I have to work to pay the bills. Nothing works, what we want is rare and always sold before we can get there.
At one point we discover that one of Alain's cousins has very similar dreams and is looking for the same kind of place as we are. That's great because Steve and Alain were good friends growing up. It motivates us all to redouble our efforts.
Another year comes and goes and the wish list is shrinking again along with the enthusiasm. End of September 2002, in the classified of the "Journal de Montréal", a few interesting ads for land in Chertsey. One last try before we have to stop for the winter. We plan the day, it's a 2 1/2 hours drive, to check things out.
34 wooded acres, access to a lake at 10 minutes walking distance, commercial zoning all along route 125… well, yah, noisy and too expensive anyway. Driving around, taking down phone numbers, going around in circles again. 4:30pm: the last appointment of a long day (we still have to drive back home. We wait for the guy in the parking lot of a local restaurant. I'm disillusioned and tired; I swear it's the last lot we'll ever visit, enough is enough!!!
The man and his wife show up a few minutes later. We follow them north of the village to a bumpy sinewy road and finally park up a hill at the entrance of a private road. He leads us on a tour: 45 "arpents" (38 acres) bordered on one side by 2000 feet of a river we glimpse at times from the path. After about a kilometre, we turn right and go back up to the tow-path that crosses the land. He had it made to get the wood out easily. A good road, large enough to meet the requirements of the town hall in case the buyers want to register it in order to subdivide and build. That's great because we'll need at least 2 lots! He explains that there is a "chemin de colon", an old road dating back to colonial times, that he has to have deregistered before the final sale; that 2 of the 3 neighbouring lots where also his and had been sold already: 25 and 70 acres… Back to the cars I'm hardly listening to him, my eyes must be round like marbles. It's unbelievable, everything is there: water, nice trees, plenty of space, a good south facing slope, peace and quiet. All that for a very reasonable price if Steve and Geny want to share with us.
We have to hurry. The next day, they go see the place and are as excited as we are. A few verifications are in order, we've seen so many horror stories on "La Facture" and "J.E.". Friday night we have to give a final answer or he will put an ad in the paper. We take the plunge, we make an appointment for early the following week. We gather around the kitchen table to sign an offer, planning to close the sale in early December. The trip to the notary will finally take place only in April of 2003; this small corner of paradise is now ours…