We took a shovel and a pickaxe, and spent 2 hours breaking through 12 inches of frozen ground, roots, and rocks. After breaking through the frozen top, the rest of the digging was comparatively easy. Once we had two holes big enough, we carried down large pieces of plywood to cover the holes.

We also rolled two 55-gallon drums of fuel oil down from Libby’s garage to our cabin. On snow. In the dark. 55 gallons of water would weigh about 450lbs, and fuel oil is more dense.

I haven’t taken any pictures in almost a week, so I got out my camera this evening and took some pictures around the cabin. I would have gone outside to shoot, but it’s dark now at 6pm.

My Muck Boots sit by the door with fleece liners, ready for my feet.

Macgee curls up on the couch, waiting for dinner and walkies.

Jacques peeks over our colorful blanket.

Skippy’s handmade driftwood coat rack

Skippy’s handmade driftwood leash rack

Cousteau waits for dinner. The animals think darkness equals dinner-time, so now they’re often confused when we aren’t feeding them until the normal 9:30 time.

Our gravity-feed water tank. The top pipe comes from a Rubbermaid tub with an electric pump in it, where we pour the buckets of water. The bottom pipe goes to the sink.

Our wireless router, on a shelf above the bedroom window.