Chapter 1: The Acquisition of a Paradise (Between Before and Later)

“There is a caveat, Mr. Compton.”

“What would that be, ma’am?”

“If you do change your mind and decide to do any mining on that almost three-thousand-acre property, you are restricted from using any chemicals besides H2O, hydrogen oxide, dihydrogen monoxide, or whatever you want to call water, and elbow grease.” Her smile was telling. She was trying to be funny, yet serious as a heart attack at the same time.

I smiled back at her humor and assured her there would be no shenanigans as it applied to the art and or science of mining with any hazardous materials.

I was fortunate to find this plot of land available. The land was an old spread confiscated by the state of New Mexico due to way overdue back taxes and the illicit use of the land for chemical manufacture. The kind of chemicals the police are adamantly against. Yes, there was a good-sized shack found on the property that had been used as a meth lab. They found one of those big anhydrous ammonia trailers behind it, covered with brush, stolen in Texas some time ago and having had the tracker ripped clean off of it. Not good.

Part of the deal was a pledge on my part to pay for a licensed professional hazmat company to come in and clean it up, including the removal of the shed itself. That kept the state from having to oversee the job, except for a final sign-off that it had happened. Another thing I did to assure good feelings was to drop twenty years of property tax payments on them at the current tax rate. They wouldn’t be collecting or raising taxes until ... Well, it would be a while, now, wouldn’t it.

The plot itself was a small green floored valley with a fairly large stream running longways down one side. Spanning about a mile and a half across and three miles long, it was bordered to the north and south by small mountain ranges, opening up on the ends with only small hills to the east and west. My plan was to move there, build my own airfield, with a house and a hangar on one end, and live as a glorified hermit for the rest of my hopefully long and happy life.