Nights are getting cold now; winter is coming (literally). We need to be in the house before it hits. Shares needed.

Photo copyright Aji, 2017; all rights reserved.

Photo from Wednesday, the view coming up the stairs. I had to run over and check early this morning, because last night was the second in a row that we got wave after wave of massive thunderstorms, all with rain driving hard from the east-southeast, meaning aimed straight for the windows and doors above the new floor. We had some leaking a few weeks ago, but Tony added silicone caulk along the floors and it seems to have taken care of it; no leaks. The other thing I learned this morning is that, while our 46-degree temperature meat that this tin can was absolutely freezing, the house was cozy and warm with no heat source other than the sun.

We really need to get into it before winter hits. [And here, the first snow will be in October; sub-zeroes no later than November.]

There's a lot to be done before that can happen. And as cold as it's getting here now (with a lot of trees already gone from green to gold), I'm getting nervous about making it. We cannot do another winter in this thing.

So, as I've been saying, we have to figure out how to do all this labor, the cabinets, the appliances, the water softener, and the fix of that damn septic system now. I have no idea how, but we're going to push as far as we can. And as I also said, this means that the pressure is now on me even more to make sales to make up the differential. It also means that the Home Depot and Lowe's gift cards become ever more crucial, given what we still have to buy to make the place livable. Right now, Home Depot cards specifically are absolutely the most valuable thing in the world. So here are the links:

• Wings's site, for sales;
• Lowe's cards (the physical version) via our Amazon wishlist;
• Lowe's e-cards (delivered via e-mail) here; and
• Home Depot cards via the company site. The e-version using my e-mail address is great; I take the tablet to the store with me, and they scan it off the screen.

Please share them all, as much as possible. One large sale would go a long way toward making up the difference (the water heater is paid in full, but now there's all the other stuff, including the softener that has to go in before hook-up; yes, it's expensive, but it's going to save us a ton in the long run). I don't think we'll have another storm tonight, but I wouldn't put money on it, either. And I have a lot to get done, both tonight and this weekend. Many thanks and much love to all.

All content, including photos and text, are copyright Aji, 2017; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.