The pace of life seems to pick up speed as winter closes in. Days that seemed to drift by during Spring and Summer now flick by like the output of a runaway movie projector.
My workshop is jammed with incomplete projects. Realtors escort buyers through the house every few hours as I dodge around them putting final touches on the house and on my overdue projects. The phone rings constantly and Gretchen juggles cell and office phones all through the day. The cats run and hide while curious deer, like this young buck, wander up to my office window. 
I sprinkled birdseed over the back yard to attract deer while we are showing the house. Taking an idea from Seth Godin, I am trying to provide them with a remarkable buying experience. It seems to be working. Prospective buyers get all misty-eyed when they look down from the back deck. "Oh look! It’s a herd of deer!"
We may have escaped the Silicon Valley rat race, but our propensity for taking on new challenges fills our days with things that need to be done yesterday. Gretchen put it best when she said yesterday, "I only have to work 24/7 and the rest of the time is mine!"
Breakfast includes clipboards as well as coffee. We eat and make notes whether breakfasting at home or in Charlottesville. When we have lunch out, I am likely to bring my laptop, if lunch can be combined with free wi-fi service. The pace may be almost the same as when we lived in San Jose, but the mood is lighter.
We march to a beat that we set for ourselves now. There is little of the hurry up and wait pattern of corporate life. There is more time spent doing things and less time spent trying to explain and justify things to people who are not really interested. The work is more satisfying, if lower paying.
It is a deliberate choice, because there are opportunities for self-employed people to do well financially at the cost of personal and family time. Happiness for us means generating income AND having time for each other. It is a dynamic balance like riding a bicycle and takes continuing attention, but it is a source of great personal satisfaction when done correctly!
In a few hours we will be off to Floyd again to see how the new house and workshop are coming. Our cats will be left in the care of their cat sitter and the house will be left in the care of our realtors, The Marjorie Adam Team. Blogging will continue if I can get to the Cafe Del Sol while it is open.
Stay tuned for more news about the realities of living in a house heated by this wood stove. I still need to consult with Fred First, the Sage of Goose Creek, on the proper design and location of a wood shed. With snow just a few days away, I want to be prepared for the challenges of keeping a house warm and managing a wood pile. I have childhood memories of lugging firewood through snowdrifts and splitting wood in subzero weather. I would like to be better prepared for using wood as a fuel this time around.
Those of you who are using wood for heating are welcome to share your experiences. For example, what is the best way to store a day’s supply of firewood indoors?