I can now add antelope to my fauna sightings! (The antelope were on the rangeland grazing near cattle.) Our return journey was epic. We drove for 5 days and crossed the continent, checking off time zones and provinces (3)/states (10) along the way. At times it felt a bit grueling but really we had a lovel
y time. The temperatures were perfect. The sky was mostly blue. The scenery knocked our socks off. And of course I managed quite a lot of knitting time.
We were sad to leave our little church and all the great people with whom we spent time this summer. Nicer neighbors just couldn’t be found. We closed up house on Sunday (fitting for a church, don’t you think?). I seem to have missed taking a picture of the finished bathroom floor, but we finished the roughed in plumbing and the floor is beautiful. 
Plus, we had 3 partial tiles left with no waste! Next year when we go back, we will tile the shower (that’s the base in the upper left). The subfloor floor for the loft is also complete. The spare bedroom has had a few coats of paint and I love the colors we chose. I eradicated almost all the forest green on the chairs and dining room table we rescued. With the addition of a grill and a new wood stove, we were able to have several lovely dinners in a fairly cozy environment. 
Next year, the addition of a kitchen and the completion of the bathroom will let us stay in the church! (It did get a little old driving to our apartment 20 minutes away.) I left a spinning wheel and a small tapestry loom but my rigid heddle loom made the trip back. Next year I can leave it there when it will have a safe place to winter and I don’t have a project begging for completion all warped and ready to go. (Wait until you see!)
The drive home really was spectacular. We saw eagles and antelope, windmills and solar farms. I think we identified fields planted in alfalfa, corn, soybeans, wheat, millet, sunflowers and sorghum. Harvest time may be the best time to see farmland – it is pretty and, this year, very lush. I was amazed by how open and empty much of the landscape remains. The people who live there must be very comfortable with long distances and periods of isolation. The payback? The scenery often took our 
breath away and the farms/ranges sure looked prosperous. The skies were big and the vistas long, dotted with barns and checkered with fields. Toby enjoyed meeting people everywhere we went and was a great ambassador for dog travelers. He particularly loved the rest stops in Canada with there were little parks and walking trails. There he is enjoying a break with a statue of Sacajawea at the Missouri River.
Oh, and of course I knit. The shawl had made it to the edging stage before we left New Brunswick – I managed to finish it as we drove up to the ferry. This scarf had its moments, but I am secretly pleased about one thing: the number of repeats and edge stitches turned out precisely as planned. Not one stitch off. That is as it should be, but it is always nice to have things work out. It is currently taking a bath. I promise to spend some blog time on it when it is dry. In the meantime, here is a quick peek at it starting its beauty treatment.
So the construction is over for this year. Despite how hard we worked, I look forward to seeing our place and our friends next year – the plans are already growing. Maybe a woven coverlet for the bedroom? On the other hand, we are excited to return home to some biggish projects here, great friends, and time to play with our new grandson. And of course, lots of fiber fun. (Next weekend I have classes at the Nordic Heritage Museum and the following week Fiber Fusion.) Of course, as Dorothy says, there’s no place like home.
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