Well, water!

Yes, we have a well! After two very tense days of intense drilling through ledge, we have a 460-foot well that is bringing up good water! It's been raining continuously, so we're wet all over, but grateful for this most basic of gifts.
The rain has caused much mud which has caused delays in our projected move to Tam Lin. The weekend is supposed to be dry, so we're going to let the land dry out a bit, then move on Tuesday. After that we'll have sporadic internet, so folks who want me should call my cell phone (most of you have it, and if you don't, I'll get your email eventually and then I'll give it to you.).
Now to go pick up the Subaru Outback wagon which we're receiving in trade for the Honda Odyssey. It's clear we need 4-wheel drive!

Above ground!

The concrete walls now rise above the ground! It's amazing to watch - first the forms, then the huge cement trucks (3 of them!) filling the narrow space between the forms, then the next day the forms removed and voila! Walls!
The walls will be tarred right after Mem. day, then the land crew will get to work on the addition. We meanwhile are packing and getting ready to store our stuff for the summer.

Footed and powered!

The concrete pouring has begun! The boys from Brendan Concrete did a great job setting up and pouring the footings for the cellar (too bad we left the camera at home- but here you can see the results). Tomorrow they'll get going on the cellar walls. And PSNH, those wonderful men, finished wiring the poles, so now we got the power!

Hunt is spending a lot of time on the land, watching the work and spending time at the little camp house, where we will be storing most of our worldly possessions as of next week. I meanwhile have been sorting and organizing said possessions, packing boxes, deciding what goes where, and which if anything can be sold or given away. It's the third year in a row that I have moved to another dwelling, with one more small move from camp to house coming up in the fall. I'm really good at packing, sorting, organizing and moving. But once we have moved into our First Day Cottage, I'm really looking forward to settling in and finding out what it's like to stay put. We both have dreamed about having a house like this for so long, and we're amazed and grateful that the reality is upon us.

Cellar hole!

The cellar hole was begun yesterday- after a very rainy spell, they found a lot of water, but they assure us the drains will keep the cellar dry. Tomorrow the concrete pouring begins. We're really underway!