Journal: August 18. Porch progress.

Hard to see what the progress here is, but there has been much digging and rock removing, and tomorrow concrete will be poured so five new porch columns can be set in place.

Waiting for concrete

The house, minus a porch, or more accurately, the house with a long rectangular stone lined pit in front of it actually looks 100 times better than it did in its last iteration with sagging roof, dangling bits of siding and general disorganization.  It does finally feel like it is becoming a proper house.

Tonight Steve and Karen Altman drove out for a second chance dinner.  Steve was fully recovered from whatever had laid him low when they visited last week. They live in Boonton, maybe 35 minutes from here, which might make them my closest neighbors among my old east coast friends.  (I know Steve since elementary school in Jersey City--PS #17).   I'd grilled up huge quantities of food--rib-eye steaks as well as eggplant, zucchini, red and yellow peppers, corn and tofu (why tofu?  did I think the steak might not provide enough protein--perhaps I'm always alert to the possibility of a surprise vegetarian moment).   Also a tomato, cucumber and bread salad.  For dessert huge bowls of many flavors of ice cream.

We had a fine time.  Karen was a champion dish washer--the kitchen was spotless by the time they left.  Leaving was a bit tricky since there is no front door (due to substitution of open pit for porch)--but I'd slithered out on the door sill and turned on the garage and gazebo lights (as well as the porch lights which are temporarily somewhere in the pit)--and was able to easily usher them to their car. 

As they drove away, and I returned to the house, it suddenly sounded as if an army had arrived upstairs.  Not possible.  The noise felt as if it were inside, but opening the back door, I realized it was not in the house at all, but somewhere across the fields.  I have been quite unconcerned about being here alone on these dark country nights, but the rolling noises were worrisome.  As the booms continued for ten, fifteen, twenty minutes and more, I slowly realized there must be fireworks at the nearby baseball field. A quick search on line confirmed that indeed, it was the night of a  a grand fireworks extravaganza  (as well as ladies night).    No lights were visible in the sky--but those booms did fly through the night air.  
Tomorrow the concrete pouring!!