17 and counting

It appears that it is only possible for the two of us to mix and lay six batches of mortar in a day if we have done all of the preparatory putty mixing and log cleaning on a prior day, and if everything goes absolutely perfectly. This means no unexpected livestock management,, no turning off the alarm clock in your sleep, no visitors,and no dogs taking off after some phantom in the woods---
yes, it was Shadow the rescue dog, with farm collie Lily following---Newf Ciara didn't think it was important enough to warrant getting up. (The dog episode ended with the morning's milking spilled all over the milking stand: Joe had gone after the dogs, so I continued milking without someone to hold the goats' back legs. It was Rhondi, of course, who put her foot in the bucket.)

Sunday we managed 4 batches. Monday we visited with Ray and Avril, who made time on their way back from Cranberry Island to come see what Sunnywood is all about. It was great to see them, and it was nice to have a break and see the place and the work through other peoples' eyes (let's just say that I don't think they're going to go home and start planning a cordwood house with no electricity and running water). Yesterday we mixed and laid up 4 batches by 1:00. I was excited. Yet by the time we ate lunch and went to town for supplies, then pointed all 4 batches, it was pretty late. So 4 it remained.

We will be back at it today, with 17 batches to go. Joe has mentioned the possibility that he has underestimated how much mortar it will take to finish. I hold that this is highly unlikely. He also mentioned that it is possible that we will run out of log ends, which explains why he was fishing through the pile of too-short logs last night, pulling out any that can be used in a pinch and cleaning them.

Almost up over the window frames on the last two panels