Even when you’re not in a rush The thrill of changes Can elicit expectations   Photos My obsession Document changes   But what if the changes Are only ones I can see? Maybe I should consider Videos With a walk-through explanation   The plumber describes his mysterious work Flexible tubes snake and tangle Supported by brackets Ending in spigots   Shiny copper pipes Used sparingly With many levers Called shut-off valves A wall of complicated controls   Water will heat the house In a buried...

Joe Bertrand, my builder, is smart and waits until the very end to install doors. That way they are not damaged during the building process. So I will have to wait. But for now I get to see the drawings from my architectural drawer, Phil Godenschwager. So beautiful. I am so lucky to have him working on the project. I think this final step will really bring the house to life.

The HVAC installation is progressing.  Barry Gearwar has completed a lot of the preliminary plumbing and is at least halfway through the work to install a boiler and radiators in the main house.  The boiler is tiny (I am guessing about 3' high and 2' wide) and 95% efficient. The radiators will be white, modern, flat, steel ones placed mostly under windows. We have radiant heat in the concrete basement floor, we just have to connect it to the boiler and add a thermostat.  Sheetrocking was...