Temperance's Journal - 2nd Granite, 269

Today marks the first real day of work.  While we've been sorting through the goods and figuring out what goes where, there's not a whole lot most of us can do at the moment.  Smoothblock is still working away at flattening some of the hill off to the west, but Holly has the real work cut out for her.  There are just tons of trees around, and until most of them are cut down we don't really have anywhere to set up shop.

We managed to find a little space for a carpenter's shop and a craftshop at least.  As soon as ponily possible, Veneer and Wood Chips will have some wood getting cut into planks to help set up some shelter.

In the mean time, the rest of us are taking a little while to familiarize ourselves with the area and pick some of the local plants.

While sorting through the things in the wagon, something unexpected caught my eye.

A small bin of steel bars.  There was a note attached to it too:

Temperance,

I couldn't stop you from going on this expedition, but even still there was a little something I felt I could do to help you out.  I know your request for some iron couldn't be filled in time for you to bring any with you, so I'm going to give you something even better.

In this crate are eight bars of some of the best steel we've produced in Dawnpick.  I know you won't be wearing any armor, but maybe you'll find a good use for it.  I'm going to personally see to it that more iron and steel is sent your way.  We're swimming in it here, and you need it a lot more than we do.

Sorry, I'd have brought more but it was all I could carry with me!

Love,

Sis

I didn't really feel homesick at any point on the way out here until I read that, but I have to say, even though I've only seen Virtue a few times in a decade and a half, I'm already missing her.

There's a lot of work to be done though, maybe that'll get my mind off of it.

7th Granite, 269

It's taking every bit as long as Virtue said it would to get things rolling around here, and we've just now set up the sawmill.  That should speed up future construction work a dozen fold at least.  While they were at it, I had Wood Chips and Veneer throw together a few pieces of furniture for the upcoming communal dorm.  I also had them make a few armor stands.

There's no great place to put them yet, so we set them up out of the way.  I could tell Flamberge and Crosshair were getting antsy, and this is a way for them to vent some of their energy in a productive way.  They've both been training for most of the day, and I can tell they're happier now.

19th Granite, 269

Well, I knew it was going to take a while, but poor Holly just can't seem to cut the trees down fast enough.  She's got a small corner cleared out at least, and for now that's enough room to put down a small patch of farm land and start building some temporary shelter.  I hate to be selfish, but the first thing is going to be somewhere for me to lay out the books so I can actually try to manage this place.

As room opens up we'll start building some housing immediately.  We've barely scratched the surface of what needs to be built.  Homes for ten ponies, someplace to eat, a proper place for the soldiers to train and keep their things in, somewhere for Case Study to treat injured or sick ponies, a barn or warehouse...

I'm really starting to appreciate how much planning Virtue had to put into Dawnpick now!

13th Slate, 269

Things are coming along more slowly than I could have ever imagined.  My new office is finally mostly complete, although the finishing touches have been on hold for weeks now as we divert attention to getting housing set up.

On the way out of my office today, I noticed Maize sleeping in the fields by herself.  I'm thinking perhaps I should speak with her at some point.  She seems to be avoiding the rest of us, and I wonder if she's a bit homesick or depressed.  We don't have anywhere to really sleep yet, but the fields are one of the last places I'd pick.

We're working on getting a place to sleep though.  We've all been sleeping on the floor in here in shifts, but having some actual beds would be nice.  Soon.  Very soon.

17th Felsite, 269

Things are really shaping up.  It took every bit as long as Virtue said it would, but we've got room for everypony to sleep inside now!

I really should commend Veneer and Wood Chips for the work they've put in.  The work they've done so far is superb.  There's only a few rooms ready so far, so a lot more to go, but we'll get there.  We were promised a caravan from Coupledye by winter, and I'm hoping to have this place looking like a real farm in some fashion by then.  I know they won't let me down.

We also got some space set up for the animals we brought with us.  The sheep have been moved to a little pasture set aside to the south, and some nest boxes for the chickens were placed up near the fields.  A few eggs for breakfast every once in a while sounds nice.

1st Hematite, 269

Today marks the first day of summer, and I must say we've come a long way already.  At this rate we'll have individual rooms for everypony in no time, but I think I may take a detour on that to start work on a dining room of some sort.  Cream Puff has been working in our makeshift kitchen for a while now, but it would be much better for everypony if we had all of that inside of course.

Space is starting to become a premium already though, and I've asked Holly and Smoothblock to get to work on clearing some space out for us.  That's going to take a while, so we might as well start now.

Well, it's late, so I think I'm heading to bed after getting something to drink.  I really must say that freshly made tomato juice tastes so much better than the stuff we got back in Coupledye.

I think I'm going to like it here.