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!

PSNH (the electric company) has wired us from the street- most of the way. Their last visit churned the mud up so badly that they couldn't get to the last pole. This will be accomplished in May, after the land contractor is able to go in and smooth things out.
We are about to leave for our trip to California, so the building schedule is as follows:
Week of May 18- Land contractor grades and extends driveway, digs cellar hole, installs septic system. Concrete cellar is poured.
Week of May 26- Well is drilled. Hopefully PSNH finishes electric work. By the end of the week, we have moved out of our rental house and put all our stuff in storage, and are now living at Tam Lin!
June 1: The lumber arrives! Let the building begin!

Mud and power

The electric company, PSNH, has placed 4 utility poles along our muddy driveway, making it even muckier! Soon they will string wires, and we will get temporary electric service installed. But we're still waiting for mud season to end before the land contractor can come back.  We're getting impatient to get started, so even the poles feel like progress!

We also walked all over our property, surveying damage from the December ice storm, discovering a stand of birches, evidence of deer, and one startled grouse. We love our woods and look forward to getting to know it in every season. 

Now we're really committed!

Yesterday we closed on the construction loan through Connecticut River Bank. They made a difficult process almost easy! Now we wait for the mud to dry. 

By popular demand, here's more information about our particular First Day Cottage. The photo shown here is taken from the First Day Cottage website. It's the closest thing I can find to what we will have (but our roof will be green!).

The first floor of the main house will have kitchen, bathroom, wood stove (the main heat for the house) with a sitting area. The addition will be the living/music/dining room. 

Upstairs will have a bedroom for Maggie and anyone else who comes to visit, an office/recording studio, and right at the top of the stairs, 4 walls of books! I'll post the floor plans when I can figure out how to do it.

The whole thing will be compact, crowded, and just right for Hunt and Allison and visiting friends!