We have heat!

Woohoo! No more electric heat! With the help of a couple strong friends, we managed to get the woodstove installed on our partially finished hearth. It took three of us and a furniture dolly, but it is in. Finally. The first fire was a bit smoky, and completely blacked the door glass on the stove, but we soon got the hang of it. I learned that we don't have a single cleaning product in the house that will remove that black. I also learned that a damp paper towel dipped in ashes takes it off in no time flat. Go figure. The stove is incredibly efficient. I only used a few small pieces of wood this weekend, and it kept the house at 70+ degrees. A little too warm for me, but impressive. Extra bonus, it keeps a teapot just under the whistle. Perfect.

I got a lot of stuff moved this weekend. With the woodstove finally installed, we can now move in. We finished dividing the dog kennel into Henry and Cammi sides. At about 11am yesterday, as LJ was heading off to work, the power went out. Again. It ended up being the fault of the same stupid people as last time. The property at the head of the road is owned by, we think, developers. They've started logging the overgrown mess, and are doing a nasty job of it. The wahoos doing the work dropped a tree on a line a month ago. This time, one of the dead trees they've left standing, now unsupported by the living trees they've logged, came down on the line during a brief wind. This is all in addition to the blackberry vines snaking across the road from their property. I wish I could report their idiocy to someone, but don't know who I could tattle to.

I hauled gravel to driveway low spots for a while, and did what I could in the house without power. By 3 we still had no lights, so I gave up and drove to the old house to get another load of stuff. I got back out at about 5, and was happy to see a power truck. The guys were very nice, and they even moved their truck so I could get to the property. I got inside, got out my oil lamps, and did what I could in the dim light. The power finally came on about 30 min later. Idiot that I am, I put the lamps away and went in the library to get more unpacking done. Of course, lights went out again. You wouldn't believe how dark it is out there. Completely black, without the slightest hint of doorways or walls. I stumbled/ crawled over boxes and cases of flooring, and finally made it to the kitchen where I groped for a lighter and got the lamps out again. Note to self... We need a generator, and a flashlight in every room. At least I had heat!