In Maine, construction doesn’t stop when the snow flies. Contractors just add another line in the budget for “winter conditions” which covers plowing, snow blowing, shoveling and propane heaters. There goes our fossil fuel free creds. It was cold this week, really cold, dropping down into the teens, but the crew showed up in wool caps, smiling. And why not, when this was the view from the work site. A sunrise painted these mountains pink. Eagles soared over their heads.

It was too cold for mortar to cure so the masons had to create a warm room in the new basement to do their work. Here’s what Aaron Libby and his assistant Samantha accomplished in one morning.

While they were building these piers to support the chimney, Nils and I continued our work cleaning bricks salvaged from the old piers in the snow-covered cellar hole.

The construction crew closed in the first floor ell, built a staircase to the second floor and began framing what will become our bedroom walls.

After living in London where snow rarely falls, we are enjoying its cold sparkling beauty.