Gateway to paradise

Five years ago, Catherine Tucher was living in a suburb of St. Louis and driving nearly an hour to the stables where her horses were boarded. Unfortunately, the stables and surrounding property were getting pretty rundown, and Catherine was considering moving the horses.

Instead, she and her husband, Michael Spaulding, moved to where their three horses were when the property south of Foristell, Missouri, came up for sale.

A year before, while riding with her mother on the property, Catherine commented that "whoever buys this place whenever it goes on the market would have to be nuts." And some repairmen later wondered out loud if the place had been abandoned.

Catherine recognizes the irony in the situation but has never regretted their decision. Not even the first night when the septic system backed up in the house.

"We saw the potential, even though we had to look past a lot of rack and ruin," she says.

Follow the trail

One of the big enticements was that the property had meadows and forests in which to ride. "Most of the facilities that board horses have sold off the land around them to developers," says Catherine. "There is no place for recreational riding, except for enclosed arenas."

Another draw was the sheer beauty of the property, she says. "We really enjoy the landscape. It is very hilly and full of evergreens. Instead of hearing car traffic or sirens, we hear leaves rustling in the wind and birds singing."

Catherine is also fond of her neighbors. One has cattle, chickens, and an award-winning apiary while another raises sheep. A third neighbor raises cattle and hay. Acreages and small farms are sprinkled among larger farms.

"I like the people who live around us," says Catherine. "They are different than the people you often find in the suburbs and cities. A nice thing about people who live in the country is that they do a lot of neighborly things for each other."

And although they have no plans to sell the property for a long time, Catherine and Michael purchased it secure in the knowledge that it had investment potential, as well. The nearest developments in rapidly growing St. Charles County are now just 5 or 6 miles away.

"To someone driving out from St. Louis it looks very much like countryside," says Catherine. "But to someone like me, who has been out here for several years, it is quickly changing."

Catherine and Michael have expanded their property to 40 acres. That provides them a lot of privacy but also a lot of work. "During the warm months, I spend 60 to 70 hours a week on the property," says Catherine. Michael is the head golf pro at Persimmon Woods Golf Club in suburban St. Louis. His long hours during the golf season leave very little time for work around the property.

At the end of the day, their hard work pays off. Evening is their favorite time of day. "It's nice to have sort of lazy, quiet evenings outside to take in the sights and sounds," says Catherine. "We have fox, deer, wild turkeys, and packs of coyotes that we see and hear quite often."

Plus, a 6-acre lake and 3/4-acre pond on the property attract waterfowl. "Several grey herons come on a weekly basis," says Catherine. "And Canada geese and wild duck visit frequently." The small pond is near the house and is stocked with bass and bluegill.

"Oftentimes, Michael will fish while I sit on the bank," says Catherine "We will just talk and enjoy the evening and each other's company."