We are so grateful for the design work of Barba + Wheelock and the building skills brought to us by Crowell Construction for helping us reimagine and restore our 1805 farmhouse, making it fit for the 21st century. To celebrate the three-year journey from concept to completion, we threw a party for all those who worked on the project.

After the party, we put our feet up and spent a few days just enjoying the house and the view.

Then, two of our most dedicated followers traveled from mid-coast Maine to visit us in the Western mountains, gifting us a telescope for spotting wildlife, hilltop homes, and on a clear day, the summit of Mt. Washington!

The new kitchen and old dining room provide the perfect setting for entertaining. On Thanksgiving, we cooked a traditional turkey dinner for family members during the onset of the season’s first snowstorm. It was a festive day that ended with a bang – snow sliding off the metal roof onto the deck and our first power outage. We are grateful for the generator that kicked on immediately to keep the geothermal heat, min-split and water pump working. Unfortunately, the power did not connect to any of the lights, hot water heating or the refridgerater/freezer. We stumbled around in the dark with flashlights and candles and then went to bed early, arising at dawn to a winter landscape covered with a foot of snow.

Luckily, we were prepared. We transferred the EGO batteries from our electric mower to the electric snowblower and Nils got the chance to use it.

But we still needed all hands on deck to shovel.

This may be the penultimate blog post. There will be one more after the drapes and blinds are installed in the historic rooms. Thanks to all of you who have been following us through this renovation project. Signing off from my lovely new office with a heart full of gratitude for all who have made our vision become a reality.