Our Story

Shanty Rescue was created to capture the glory of rebuilding an old East Texas homestead. The forces of nature have quickly morphed this site into a bit more than intended. Think of this site more of a lifestyle site than a how-to site. In fact I am not here to tell you how to do anything. Oh contraire Fred Astair. I am simply here to use our shanty rescue experience to inspire others to live a better life through similar experiences.

The cool hidden secret about rebuilding a shanty is that there is so much more to the experience than sticks and bricks. Think good beverages, strange clothing, interesting people, and lots of fireside experiences. And that my friends is what I am here to inspire through my experiences.

Now here is the back story-
My name is Michael and I am a corporate IT manager for a global company. My wife Paula is wrapping up her career as a stay at home mom for two beautiful daughters. Together we purchased 26 acres in East Texas that had a bit of a shanty on prem.

When we purchased the property my intention was to tear down the old house and rebuild from scratch. The place was falling down and in severe disrepair. Through secret methods only known to her, Paula cleared my vision and convinced me to rebuild the place. We feel our ownership of the property is more than just an investment. We have come to think of ourselves as the caretakers with the special burden of keeping the place alive for another 100 years. This translates to lots of hard work and separating ourselves from some hard earned cash from my corporate gig.

We had the means but never bothered to put together a budget or a timeline. Sounds crazy and short sighted but I must say the lack of planning led to the shanty lifestyle this site is all about. The whole process has been a wonderful experience that I want to share with the world and inspire others to do the same. There is nothing like a shared experience so hang out with us and see where our experience will take you.