April 2

technical

I could have called this posting “21.” The adobe block courses are now “beyond the lintels” and that is great news!

New pieces of differently shaped wood are appearing. Square pieces, short pieces, 2 X whatevers.

Steve is cleaning up the site while the crew lays block, moving pallets and getting the house ready for the next phase. And what will that be, you ask? Stay tuned!

personal

I brought donuts up early in the morning (for us–it was @ 9:00am by the time I got me, the donuts, and the dogs up the mountain) and the light is very different at this time of day. My plan was to hike with Bella and Niles when it was not as hot as it seems to be in the afternoons now.

This plan was derailed when Bella discovered a prairie dog/pack rat/mole/who knows what early in our hike. She proceeded to try to gum it to death–she has a very “soft” mouth because she is a bird dog, a pointer and retriever, and she knows she is not supposed to bite down on anything she captures. Poor little beastie! I managed to get her to drop it. It was very wet and stunned but otherwise unharmed. After it came to its senses, it dug the fastest hole I’ve ever seen and promptly disappeared. Wildlife saved! At this point, I turned to find Niles and he was almost all the way down a hole, digging himself to China, it appeared. He was after something. I could barely get him to leave his work. But he did and we went home.

Mornings are obviously the time for all the small critters to be out and about. Not a good time for US to be out and about. I will have to devise another plan.

I did some research and I think what Bella and Niles were after was a Mexican vole. Short tail, tiny legs, little bitty eyes, loves to dig–but not a mouse or a rat. The animal Bella had in her mouth looked a lot like this, only wetter… 🙂

A few Martini shots I managed to get before all the excitement began: