Last night's match met, but someone's offered a new $500 one! Shares needed.

Photo copyright Aji, 2017; all rights reserved.

You can't tell from that angle, but I realized a couple of days ago just what a profoundly good decision it was to extend the deck on the sides, as well as the front. On the east side, it'll help protect from nor'easters, which in winter are bitterly cold and bring a lot of snow. On the west side (pictured), it's already reducing the amount of heat absorbed in warm weather on that side of the house (which, being the southwest side, will be hotter in summer anyway, and additionally warm because the kitchen is on that side). Just the partial framework is already shading it a bit, which will really help with energy efficiency in the summer.

Nothing new to report today on the house per se, although it all starts up again in a big way first thing Monday. Today has been a whole lot of other stuff, though. Ivan came and turned the hay this morning with his schmancy new machine; it dried sufficiently that he was able to come back and bale it a couple of hours later. Unfortunately, we do not have River (the Native kid who helps out around here) for this weekend; there was a sudden (and quite terrible) death the other night in is extended family, and the rites began today. That's exactly where he needs to be right now, so we'll see him next weekend. Wings has been upending bales and hauling them in the wagon a few at a time, and he's planning on doing more tomorrow by himself. I am forbidden to help (and couldn't if I tried right now, but that's not the point), because I am not allowed to lift anything at the moment, and so he's going to be very tired tomorrow night, absent finding some more guys available to help our for pay. On the plus side, ivan is buying what's left of our first cut for this year (relatively little alfalfa in it, and Shade and Miskwaki are both spoiled brats), so that will basically even out the cost of the cutting and baling now.

As I said last night, we are getting close. More on the exterior on Monday with the regular crew; the interior flooring begins; and we get put on the install schedule for the chimney people. There's still a long way to go, and some thing, like kitchen cabinets, are just out of the question anytime in the foreseeable future; there's just no way to do it. But we can get into the house in a matter of weeks: to sleep, to shower, to LIVE. So please send the links out far and wide:

• Wings's direct PayPal link;
• 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.
• Wayfair gift cards, to replenish all the furnishings that the RV has destroyed in one way or another.

As I also noted here last night, my beloved Yasuragi posted a diary for us, and it would help tremendously if everyone would continue to T&R and share on all your social media platforms. There was a $1,000 match last night, which we met (I still can't believe it, and on a Friday night, too), and now there's a new $500 match on offer. We're $95 toward that one thus far, so another $405, and it becomes a cool grand. Which will immediately go on woodstoves. We're both overwhelmed, and kind of dumbfounded, by how blessed we've been these last two days (between donations and a few sales, we'll be able to do the stoves and the flooring guys without opening an artery, so to speak), and we cannot thank you all enough. Many thanks and much love from us both, for donations, gift cards, shares, recs, moral support, and just generally helping me not lose my mind. I did not sleep last night (like, at all), and so I will likely be trying to remedy that relatively early tonight. 

P.S. Before it flees my mind again: IKT has "upgraded" our service (for another $10 a month, natch, and without telling us in advance) to the point that half the time, I can't load anything. When that happens, my e-mail is always the first to go, and I have messages trickling through in fits and starts, some from days ago. If you've e-mailed me and don't hear from me immediately, this is why; if you can reach me on FB or Twitter, DM me there, or try shooting another message through. I'll be sorting through them as steadily as I can, I promise.

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.