I moved into my house this year. My neighborhood is in transition, from a forest, to a prairie of clay, to a tailored suburb. Many of the changes are abrupt, like deforestation, but all are noisy, dusty, mechanical and intense. Every stage of change is present and this photo journey takes you from beginning to ending...to the place I call home.

Because of the software, the only way to see the captions is to "hover" your mouse over the image, There is no caption on the first photo.

The forestForested land, previously part of the Nuckols Farm close to a small creek, "Readers Branch". Construction EquipmentTrees are felled and hills flattened with the power of huge machines. Excavation of NeighborhoodSlowly hills are leveled. Surveyors stake out streets, infrastructure and lots. Signs of CivilizationThe underground infrastructure of sewers, power, water and gas begins to uncover the developer's plans for streets and houses. Empty LotLots are staked, plans are offered, and blank spots on the street are defined by "Sold" signs. The beginningFoundations are laid. Concepts become reality. Noise fills the streets. FramingAs the framing rises, new neighbors peer in and greet you when you come to watch and hope that the weather holds. The Very TopWhen the top of the house goes on, the roof is next and the weather becomes less critical. The builder and the buyer breathe a very small sigh of relief. And Suddenly, A HouseA roof. Siding. A real house, still bones on the inside but a recognizable shelter and palace on the outside. The DressingThe siding goes up on the outside, the appliances and walls on the inside. Typically, the weather has caused delays in the early phase of building and the developer uses this phase to hurry up and make up for the lost time. The StreetOne-by-one the houses go up, the sod goes down, the trees are planted and people move in. One part of the neighborhood is complete. Our HouseThe last house built on our cul-de-sac was ours. All the neighbors were happy to hear the last hammer fall and the turn of our key in the door.