Translation help, please - Highland Haven

[SPS tools]

I've acquired some property in the mountains near the WY border, about 70mi NNW of Ft. Collins, CO. I've been searching for a name for the place and finally settled on "Highland Haven". It truly is a restful place, away from the bustle of the city and the heat of the plains. My next project is to carve a sign, but I want it to be in Scottish Gaelic.

What I've come up with from various Internet sources is: Gaidhealtachd Calachan

Hopefully, the sign will also include my clan badges and a stag. There are LOTS of deer roaming the property.

TYIA - Steve

[Dughlas mor]

Steve, I know someone will be along to answer your query before long. Just wanted to congratulate you on the acquisition of your "haven." It sounds very nice. I hope you will share a photo of the sign when it is completed, and maybe one or two of the haven as well.

Doug

[SPS tools]

Thank you, Dughlas.
I started working part-time for the HOA during the summer in `03. They provided a campsite as part of my wages. I liked the area & the people. Always wanted to buy a place up there. In `09 my Mom died and I took some of what she left me to buy an acre. It had a septic vault, but no water or power. But I didn't get to spend much time up there; health issues, both mine & the wife's, kept us pretty close to town. I started going back up last year, but just day trips. My trailer was a tad large for the curved driveway. But then I noticed that the lot (another acre) next door was for sale. It had power, a well, a complete septic system w/leach field, and a straight drive way. So I bought it!
I took the trailer up in late May and parked it. After some health issues cleared, I've been up there most weekends. Painting sheds, clearing brush, basically improving the new lot. I still have over two dozen major trees to fell; the mountain pine beetle devastation has been terrible. But the views are fantastic as I have a few major rock outcrops to sit upon and contemplate my navel (with a cigar & Scotch, of course).

[Dughlas mor]

Ah, it sounds positively idyllic. Too bad about the pine beetles, they are causing a lot of destruction in a lot of places. I hope you will be there in the coming (fast) Autumn, the best time to be in the mountains.

[Grizzled Ian]

SPS, welcome to the forum. It seems to me you have a pretty agreeable situation for the future, and I wish you joy of it, although I am sorry you can't share it with your late wife.

Could I ask for a translation from you please? With your background, TLA's (and other-number acronyms) are almost a way of life, and there is nothing wrong with them when their meaning is self-evident. I am guessing that TYIA means 'thank you in advance', but could you help me out with HOA please?

Thank you,

[SPS tools]

Ian,
You are correct. TYIA or sometimes simply TYA is 'Thank You in Advance.'

HOA => Home Owners' Association This is the governing body for a condo association or covenant controlled community.
Here in the States most neighborhood developments and many condominium complexes (apartment buildings, but owner occupied) have these associations to control the populous and provide varying levels of maintenance. Think of it as a quasi-government slightly below village. I'm not sure if you have those, or what you call them if you do, Down Under.

In the case of Crystal Lakes we have about 1600 lots varying from 0.5acre (0.2 hectare) to 30acre (12 hectare) on 4800 acres (7.5 square miles, or ~1900 hectares) with 85 miles (136km) of private, dirt roads, several structures, and 6 dams to maintain. I was part of the road crew, the paint crew, and made sure the outhouses (12 of them) were sweet smelling once a week. About half of those lots have homes or cabins on them, and about half of the homes are occupied year round. For most of us it's a weekend or summer time retreat.

[RSHAW]

Could be Home Owner's Association.

[Father Bill]

This is why I hate acronyms. Those who use them know them so well that they seem like plain language. They're not.

Please spell it out if you really want to communicate with people, especially on a worldwide forum like this where even plain English words have different meanings around the planet.

For one, I hate being left out of the conversation because someone else thinks I should know a set of initials.

[The Q]

I once receive a missive of 4 pages from the UK company I and 14 others worked for ( We were in Saudi and well out of the normal information loop) . I emailed back and asked for a translation of all the TLAs ....16 pages came back!!

Congratulations on your plot, I hope you have plenty of enjoyment there.

[Grizzled Ian]

Thank you Steve, I'm obliged,

Your 'HOA' seems to be the rough equivalent of what we know in Australia as the 'body corporate', set up in apartment blocks for owners or their agents to manage the maintenance of the common areas.