Moving in at last! In which a horse trailer proves to be quite useful.

We outran the predicted rain yesterday, and moved most of the furniture while the sun was still shining!

An empty horse trailer turned out to be perfect as a moving van--plenty of room for boxes AND big enough to accomodate the extra-long futon.

The piano (also known as the "sea-anchor", to indicate that it is unwilling to change location) proved to be the most challenging part of the move. Finally we were able to get it in place using a series of ramps, furniture dollies, a car jack, and a large dose of brute strength.

Unfortunately, we moved the piano in the evening with not enough light to allow me to take photos. I asked the guys if we could do it again today in daylight so I could get some pictures, but they declined. Humph.

In which a surprise turns out to be a very, very welcome thing!

Sunday evening while unpacking boxes at the new house, Jim got a call from his dad. Richard had just returned from vacation, and retrieved a voice mail from Jim's ex-wife in Korea: "Your grandson is en route to Seattle, arriving Monday morning, 11:30am."

Twelve hours notice for the arrival of a 16-year-kid into our lives. We were startled and then delighted with this young man who has joined us in America.

Now he is here, and we welcome William "Willie" Beidle to Haiku Farm...just in time to help move the piano!

Most of the furniture-moving will happen this weekend if the weather gods will cooperate with us (always an iffy proposition for the Swamplands in March), and then we will actually MOVE IN on Sunday!!!!

And then: let the fence-building begin!

In which even snowfall doesn't slow us down (very much): we're MOVING!

Finally, the key is ours!

We loaded up the trucks immediately--we've been packing those boxes for WEEKS!

We discovered that the boxes will fit through the bedroom windows--why bother going in-and-out of doors?

One person on the outside to "pitch", and the other person indoors to "catch"--moving boxes goes much faster this way!

Johnny Depp (aka Captain Jack Sparrow) went in the front door. He didn't need a cannon or anything.

There are lots more boxes to move--and furniture, we've barely started on furniture--but it was such a pretty day I had to take some pictures.
These are the neighbors' horses. They wanted to know if we'd remembered to pack the carrots.... No, not yet. Soon.

Jim took this pretty picture of the trees in the orchard.

Notice that there aren't any pictures of the old house. There's a reason: boxes everywhere, it's just complete chaos. Tonight I'm hoping to move a bunch of the boxes into the dining room so I can have enough room to VACUUM. Ugh. People with long-haired dogs shouldn't move, it's so ugly when I can't vacuum every day.

Soon there will be only ONE house in my life. Won't that be wonderful!