Monday, an important hurdle was cleared in the quest for a mountain cabin. Mom and dad's offer on a plot of land was accepted--pending a perk test. The property is a 10.5 acre, Nevada-shaped section of woodland outside Independence, VA. It follows an intermittent creek up a small drainage to a ridge. We think the highest elevation is a little over 2800 feet, although the placement and scale of the perimeter on the topo map above is only approximate. Dad sighted one deer on the property during his last visit and mom reported hearing a wild turkey. The other major attraction of this location is its close proximity to the Grayson Highlands, Mt. Rogers (highest point in VA), the Appalachian Trail, and the New River, which you can see at the right edge of the map above.