Progress!

At long last, the garage door has been installed!

Insulated, locking, and a panel-row taller than the average, in case the tractor needs to come in out of the cold for the winter. I know, there's a machine shed, but the garage floor is heated, so...

We are one step closer to outer shell completion!

Now we need to start looking at good automatic garage-door openers.

First snow

 

October is a perfectly reasonable time for the first snowfall, about on par with upstate New York (the real upstate, not "anything north of NYC upstate."

 

Also a good time to show off more of the finished siding.

 

The big entry is going to be finished  a little bit differently. More on that next time.

Siding Has Its Place

Namely, on flat exterior walls around windows. What do you mean, that describes the entire outside of your house?

 

A little pocket of straight horizontal lines to contrast nicely with the other lines of the dome. And of course, to finish off the picture window installation.

August was a little busy

A two-day party for over 200 people after two years of planning, to celebrate nearly one hundred years of family on our farm. It was so much fun, despite the heat, and so good to see family gathered together for a happy reason.

Another coffee break

Remember this?

Today it looks like this:

 I bet that coffee's getting cold, tho.

Visible progress

The big picture window and the french doors have been installed! These two openings both lead into the main, two-story room, and along with the skylights, provide lots of natural light.

We chose a central picture window with side windows that open.

We chose french doors - NOT sliding doors, we've lived with them long enough! - with opening windows on either side.

We have plans for the window over the door, as well as plans for a deck outside that opening. And perhaps, some day, a porch like the front entrance at Juniper Hill. We can dream!

Just passing through

A wild turkey hen, on the move. Her nest can't be too far, those fluffballs, otherwise known as poults, following her don't look like they're up for a long hike. I'm glad the North American Lynx moved on.

Although it is legal to hunt wild turkeys in Minnesota twice a year, they were only re-introduced to the state in the 1970s, and are still getting established this far north. They face a number of natural predators, including owls and eagles, both of which we have in abundance. I wish them luck! I'm fond of turkeys, especially with lingonberry jelly. ;-)

Did you know the turkey lost out by a single vote to the bald eagle  in 1782 to become the national bird?