Bat in the oven

 We woke up to Storm staring at the cold wood stove. 

Hearth stones

Paul arranged the PA bluestone that we bought from Kohlhepp's in the hearth template.  He has it so that the wood stove will sit on 4 stones.  The brown square simulates the stove.

No workers were here today.  We are working on paint colors.
On my way downstairs this morning a Cooper's Hawk was perfectly framed in the front hall window.  We ran for the binoculars and watched it lord over our front yard but catch nothing.  What a beautiful bird.  Tonight as I put the hens away a bat flew overhead.  Today was close to 80 degrees so I'm sure we had plenty of bugs.
I left the crutches in the car today.  Officially, I only have till Tuesday.  The brace will have to do;  I will admit to some cheating at home but I've been very careful during the work day. I'll only miss the crip parking pass when it's raining.
Tonight was the first time I've been to the top of the hill in 6 weeks.  A large oak fell along the trail during the last storm; it has many pileated holes and a large hole at the base of the tree.  We'll get some firewood out of this.  It will be easy to retrieve since it fell parallel to the trail and not down hill.
We ate our Good Friday dinner at the Port Matilda Fire Station: 3 recipes of white fish, mac and cheese, scalloped potatoes, stewed tomatoes, (very) sweet tea and pies and cakes.  I think Steve Hardwick could give the PM  fire-chef pointers. We met Chris and Andy there, serendipity, and got an update on their well drilling and revised house plans.

What a difference a week makes!

The 3rd week in October is apparently Ladybug swarming time. The house was covered; a rainwater bucket has layers of the red beetle floaters; we couldn't open the door without hundreds getting in; the vacuum cleaner fills in one go. Just like last year.
Our neighborhood bat is still around (but not eating ladybugs.) I've seen it at dusk the last 2 evenings. I may have heard a coyote howl about the same time. And this morning the owl was in close, but it quieted before I let the chickens out.
Gambol and I are doing OK without Paul around. He's visiting Bill and Patty so I come home for lunch and a walk in the woods. I could get used to this. We take a long evening walk. Gambol goes to bed at his regular time, so I guess he's getting enough stimulation.
Temps have approached 70 with clear blue sky; it's hard to be inside on days like this. Some of our rainbowed trees have recovered somewhat and we have most of the trails mostly cleared of downed branches. There's still a 12" diameter waiting for the chain saw along the east lower Jennifer trail. Looking across the valley the colors are still brilliant and it's hard to see the damage that the heavy snow caused on the leafed out trees.

From the Baron in an email to the mortgage company:

The hemlock timbers are all cut with the mortise and tenon joints and stored in our shed here. Panels for the roof and walls are ordered and should be available by mid-Nov with the electrical chases installed and the door and window openings already cut. Windows already ordered from Andersen--doors are next on the selection list. We have visited appliance, cabinet, countertop, plumbing fixture suppliers and have quotes from them.
We have looked at some floor/wall tile, but no decisions on that yet. Electrical fixtures are hanging fire, with Whitehill's move complicating connecting with them, but that isn't time critical stuff.
The excavation is scheduled to take place within the next two weeks--last weeks rain and snow backed up a lot of construction jobs, so we are slipping a little in our scheduled ground-breaking. The excavation footprint has been staked and painted on the ground and the electrical utility line has been marked, so we are ready and waiting on the weather. We were hoping for last Friday but the snowstorm changed that.