For the last few days, we have been framing a pony wall around the perimeter of our house. The main purpose of this framing is to raise our strawbales above grade so they can't get wet, but we're also going to use portions of it for storage. Every morning, weather permitting, I sneak in a few hours of construction with Tara before work, and each evening, a few more before it gets dark.

I haven't spent much time at the house site since we we laid the foundation last year. Being up there is really life-affirming—we definitely chose the right spot. Off to the west, we have a great view of the Taconic Mountains, and to the east, the Green Mountains rise up in the distance. Best of all, we're surrounded by wildlife.

Each day while Tara and I are hammering and sawing away, the woodpeckers are right there with us, doing their own work. You can't spend ten minutes outside without seeing a dozen chipmunks. We also have a red squirrel who frequently drops in, standing on the old stone wall that surrounds our property, chattering away about who knows what.

These days, I'm just grunt labor for the project—Tara is doing all of the general contracting (you're doing a great job sweetie!). I have to say, it's weirdly satisfying to show up and do what I'm told without having to think too much about it. I experience very little of that in my work life.

Very soon, the pony wall will be complete and we'll move on to finishing the roof!