update

we're waiting for the ground to dry out. this spring has been one of the wettest on record and our soil is saturated. last weekend we attempted to dig a couple of holes for the foundation of the gate. within a few minutes the hole began filling with water and after an hour was completely full, to the top!

there are lessons in everything, and this situation clearly points to including substantial water diversion around all our built structures that sit on the ground, the kitchen in particular.

with the soil so wet we have been unable to break ground on either the foundations or the septic system. according to weather sources, the rain cycle should end by mid-july. this raises hope that by august we might be under way.

this three-month delay has set us back a bit. we won't be getting straw bales up this year. but, we hope to get the foundation in, timbers up, roof on and the water system running with some solar panels, perhaps. in the grand scheme of things, a few months is not a big deal, just dissapointing to all of us who wanted to see the kitchen completed this summer.