First picture -- last week.

Second picture -- today!

Second floor is now closed in. And that's it, that's the form minus embellishments.

Heater is working inside and the first interior wall -- 3' long -- is framed.

And on the backside of the house is this. I can't believe this gorgeous place is my back yard! This time next year I'll be putting on my skis in the kitchen.

These were taken at about 2 pm on Dec 18, almost the shortest day of the year. Look at that sun streaming in all the way to the back wall of the house. Just as planned! Next year, cold sunny day, fire in the stove, bread rising on the counter, thinking about a turn on the trails....

December got busy, as usual, and while I was busy, things continued at the house. Walls kept going up, roof kept going on, openings got closed up until windows get here… And then, on December 9 we got hit with a ‘ground hurricane’ -- 90 mph winds, the highest ever recorded here. Left us without power for a couple days and blew down approximately 200 trees, all of which unbelievably missed the house. Next day, after a couple hours of clearing and we could get to the house, Nils calmly asks me if I have insurance. His insurance covers everything until it is attached to the structure and then it is mine. Short answer is that I do now! Don’t even want to think of what a disaster that could have been. Instead, only loss was the port-o-john! And we don’t need to worry about deciding which additional trees to take down – Mother Nature took care of that.

So, walls continue to go up, roof on, openings closed up… can’t wait to see it after being away for 10 days!

I'm still waiting to see the 20' high panels go up on the right end. Second image is from the east. And there's my mountain view off in the distance. Last image is from the woods to the west.

The weather had been unbelievably cooperative. Today was sunny, not too cold, remains of a light dusting of snow last night. Great music playing at the site! It really is starting to look like a house.

My big job of the day was to pick the front door hardware. Very simple, bronze, not shiny. I want it to look like a copper pot that is just cooked in, not polished.

This picture was taken the day before Thanksgiving and I have not been there today, so who knows how many walls I have now! The windows are ordered and I guess they'll arrive in the dead of winter! Or during the "January Thaw". I'm also told the 20' high panels are here. Check tomorrow.

Insulating, backfilling and getting ready for wall panels

View from bonus basement room

Looking back to stair opening

Wall panels