The year crawled in with the village shut to thorough-traffic. Late in December flooding shut the main road; in January, it was human intervention: A new water supply.

Anticipating a quiet time, we decided to use the first quarter of the year to renovate, re-jig and generally move all the dust around. Following a massive book sale we shut, and immediately began the destruction process: Books shifted, stacked, packed, heaped, examined. Bookcases drifted from their moorings; tables and chairs joined the tide of movement. Within two weeks new paint livened two walls in the barn, and plans were starting to form . . .