Getting dressed requires an additional layer now. Not quite the longjohns, but at least another long-sleeved shirt. Likewise, frail plants have moved indoors to clutter tabletops, and some short logs sit beside the Jotul stove, drying out a bit before heating the downstairs. The giant Silver Maples surrounding the house would do well by dropping their leaves, ahem!, letting a bit more light into the house; the damp chill indoors has me feeling like a Brit, and morning constitutions seem like the only way to warm my body.
The chickens are likewise needing some extra comfort, and we outfitted the coop with a layer of stiff insulation topped with plywood cover. Not so happy about the insulation options; cellulose fiber would have been a more environmentally minded decision. Plywood hosts it’s own array of toxic issues, namely glues, but the milling of Michael’s logs into usable planks (a farm project of epic proportions in my head) remains incomplete . . . so off we 
went to the hardware store (which is at least owned and run by local families).
Hardy vegetables remaining in the garden received their own extra layer this weekend – Agribon cover cloth. Using the terrace-stabilizing pipes (pounded into the ground 18″) as securing elements, I bent PVC pipes up and over a couple beds. The rowcover cloth went over this, and was weighted with long boards all around. Straw scattered about the carrots and beets will help an extra bit – the remainder of the straw was spread over the freshly planted garlic. This rowcover will probably not withstand much wind 
or harsh rain, so we’ll see what happens. As I currently understand, it is to be used to extend the season for several weeks. The ever-interesting four-season harvest remains my goal; as always, construction skills would be useful towards this end.
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