At 11:30 Scott showed up here with four hungry, chilled men. They'd been hauling bales all morning and, after I quickly threw together something for them to eat while they drank coffee, they thanked me and went out to lift and tote some more.

Some of those bales will be taken over to Golden Grain Farm and placed on the south side of the house, as was already done on the north, east and west last weekend. The existing oil furnace is old and inefficient and costing an arm and a leg to fuel, so the bales around the foundation will keep a little more of the heat in until the new furnace gets installed. Tradesmen are all so busy around here that no one can say for sure when that will be. It's been ordered, that's all we know for sure.

Then there's just the last bit of flooring to put in and the kitchen cupboard doors and drawers to paint and replace, and we can start moving. It'll be months yet. Who knows, maybe as late as spring, at the rate things are getting done. I'm not excited about it anymore, it's been too long.