Mid-winter...going to ground

Some big accomplishments...but most of which you can't see.  Matt was finally able to twist the electric company's arm hard enough and they came out, trenched in the main line to the house, and hooked it up.  Now we're cooking with gas!...OK, just electricity but that's huge, as it will allow the tile guy to start muddin' and slingin' tile, and the newly arrived hickory hardwood floor can be laid.  Jen, Camille, and I have been assembling IKEA cabinets in the basement.  Randy the excavator built the septic field, buried the septic tank, buried the propane tank, finished most of the final grading, and laid in the beginnings of the final driveway.  So, lot's of stuff to do with the ground (hence the title).
*****

 Front grounds cleared and new driveway gravel.

*****

Opposite view, from the front door.

*****

Front door and porch, still some snow from the mid-week flurries.

*****

 Update on the siding, progress made on the second floor, slowly...ever so slowly.

*****

 Hardwood floor on site, getting acclimated with the heat on at 58 deg.

*****

 View of finished grading, we had wanted to minimize steps to the front and side doors, and I'm pretty happy with this (maybe throw on a few inches of topsoil?)

*****

 Access to the buried propane tank in the foreground.  You can also notice the the electric service panel is wired to the buried service cable.

*****

 The coolest thing in this photo is the tiny incandescent lightbulb in the basement ceiling fixture...we have power!  Here, the IKEA kitchen cabinet assembly sweatshop.

*****

Blue tape on the wall, planning out the fireplace stone front, hearth, and mantel.

*****

AAAHHHH!!!...it's a forest troll, bar the door!!!...Oh, never mind, it's just Camille.

*****

"Shades of Gray" - this visit on my own (Jenny is in Germany).  Very quiet and peaceful on a winter's gray day.  Love it!