Winter                                                  Settling Moon

The fireplace and the entire mantel, including side cabinets is visible. This is progress. We can turn the he and she chairs toward the fireplace, then begin the seasoning of the refractory glass.

Kate continues putting together the Swedish shelves, banging and whacking. Leaves the dogs anxious. Gertie, our German shorthair, stuck by my side as I emptied boxes. At one point I got down on the floor to access a drawer. She scooted forward and put her paw on my leg.

The circus has two tents dismantled, folded, put on the train and now deployed in Colorado.  The roustabouts have laid down stakes, got out pulleys and are hoisting the heavy canvas. The circus is in Conifer.

Winter                                                            Settling Moon

Bright blue sky, lodgepole pines still heavy with snow, brilliant sunshine. And cold. We’ve now been here a full week. More boxes unpacked, more utilitarian tasks accomplished, many more still to go.

Unpacking seems like a job, a not so pleasant job. You know, a job you need to do to pay the rent, but that you don’t enjoy very much. Although when I get to unpacking my books, that will change. I love rearranging my books and this is a once this decade chance to do it for all my books not culled in the move.

The common areas come first. Living room, bathrooms, reading room, kitchen. Unpacking for them is a chore, no way it’s not, but the result when done is very satisfying. I’m excited about getting our two reading chairs set up facing the fireplace.

I have to season the refractory glass, six small fires separated by at least half an hour, then we’ll have a fire, a cup of coffee and a book. A key new spot in our house. (this is, of course, after I get all the boxes unpacked that are in front of the fireplace.)

The living room, on the basement level, has the couch, coffee table, leather bench and, right now, the TV sitting on two pieces of styrofoam on a furniture pad on the floor. Together we’re not strong enough to position it on its mount and lift both of those into the cabinet where it will reside.

We paid Mike the Fence Guy his final chunk. I’m pleased with his work.