Extol Magazine Celebrating Southern Indiana is a local publication that covers stories about businesses people places or events throughout the cities of New Albany Jeffersonville Clarksville Sellersburg and Louisville KY
Issue link: https://extol.epubxp.com/i/475732
But what happens when you make a forecast for the future of your family? If you're Ben Pine, you take a giant leap of faith and pray that you don't let your loved ones down. CITY SLICKER Ben grew up in rural Richmond, Ind. His wife, Sarah, did too. "We've always known each," she said. "She may have been my frst kiss when I was, like, three years old," Ben cracked. When his parents divorced, Ben moved with his mother to St. Louis, Mo., leaving behind his rural roots. Sarah and Ben kept in touch and both attended Ball State University. Eventually, they started dating and married, setting of on what would be a journey from urban setting to urban setting as Ben gained more experience working as a television meteorologist. "I was a city slicker," Ben said. "I spent most of my life living in cities or suburban areas," from Peoria, Ill., to Jeferson City, Mo., to Augusta, Ga. In 2008, WHAS11 hired Ben as part of the weather team. Te couple was thrilled to head back closer to home. Tey moved into a home in the southeastern portion of Louisville. "We almost had no backyard," Sarah said. Te location, however, worked for their lifestyle and budget. But then it didn't. Te Indiana natives preferred the schools in their home state and wanted to raise their children there and, since they all enjoyed being outdoors, they wanted an actual backyard. On a whim, Ben searched for property with more acreage than he'd ever imagined owning. Almost immediately, he found what he never knew he'd wanted – until then. PRAYERS & NERVES "We were dreaming of one to three acres," Ben said. "We found 30 (acres) instead." But not just any acreage. Te Pines had stumbled upon 30 acres of property flled with trees, steep hills, a pond and a creek that is 500 feet about sea level in Borden. "It's like the Gatlinburg of Southern Indiana," Ben said. Te land was gorgeous, Pine said, as he identifed each tree – "chestnut oak, red oak, maple, river birch, beech, pine, cedars, persimmon, mimosa" – and rattled of the wildlife they'd seen: "Owls, red tail hawks, raccoon, deer, coyotes, wild turkeys, woodpeckers." Te only problem was a big one: If they purchased the hilly, tree- flled land, where would they build? "I think everybody thought we were crazy," said Sarah. "Tey couldn't see it," added Ben. "It was all forest. Tey didn't see any fat land." Ben Pine chopped wood for the wood stove that heats the Pine family home. Tus far, they have yet to turn on their heater and, instead, rely on the stove and Ben's wood chopping skills to keep them warm. SINCE WE MOVED HERE, I'M JUST LEARNING ABOUT ALL OF THE THINGS THAT GOD MADE. 55