There is still no plumbing in the main house, but now the shower runs directly off the well and we don't have to fill water tanks. Also, the pump goes on automatically when the valve is opened for the shower, so you can turn the water on and off without having to flick an electrical switch while in the shower, which always made me nervous.
All this was a challenge for me because it has been about 20 years since I last did any real plumbing, and everything is different now. Plus, every time I realized I needed a different fitting or pipe, I had to drive at least into Livingston, and sometimes into Bozeman to get it. That made the whole thing take a lot longer than expected. But in the end, we have nice, long hot showers and a faucet where we can fill water bottles for the kitchen until the main house plumbing is done. It isn't great looking, but it is temporary. Next summer we'll be expanding the bathhouse and re-doing the plumbing.
As soon as the plumbing was done and tested for leaks, Tom and I spent an afternoon with shovels burying all the outside pipes. They are not deep enough for real Montana winter yet (a little insulated temporary shelter will be built for them in case of subzero temperatures) but they are protected from ordinary frosts and snow, which is a good thing because the very next day (Oct 10) this was the scene out the big window in the living room:
Our first taste of winter. The temperatures dropped to 20 degrees Fahrenheit, it snowed about 4 inches that day and the wind drove the snow into drifts. Today (Oct 12) is our third day of snow in a row and it has started to pile up.
The first morning of the snow Tom moved the truck out to where we would be able to drive it down the hill. The second morning (Oct 11) we got the snowmobile fired up for the first time. I drove it down to Orea Creek road at the bottom of the hill, walked back up to the truck, drove the truck down the hill and went into town for some kerosene (we cannot get the little propane space heater in the bathhouse to stay lit and we have to keep the plumbing warm, so we got out a kerosene space heater that Doug and Nancy had left behind, and fired it up). I also filled some gasoline cans so we have gas for the snowmobile and for the generator which we are having to use to top off the batteries during what has turned into a protracted blizzard, with no sun for the solar panels. After battling the roads and traffic into town and back in the truck, I parked it at the bottom of the hill where it will stay until it is warm enough to drive up the road. I spent the rest of the day buzzing up and down with the snowmobile bringing gas and kerosene containers to the house. What a blast! As my Grandma Fuller used to say, “I haven't had this much fun since the hogs ate my brother!” It has been about 15 years since I drove a snowmobile and I wanted to get confident with it before I tried towing the sled we inherited from Doug and Nancy, which meant more trips, which was fine with me. 
I have to admit, my first reaction to the sudden onset of winter was dismay. I felt like I wasn't ready yet. Partly I am still hoping to get the big propane tank hooked up, and I still have some piping to do for that. But mostly I was just not psychologically in winter mode yet. But once I got out my snow clothes and spent the day out in the snow and wind, I remembered how much I love winter. After all the snowmobiling, I didn't want to come inside, so I shoveled snow for awhile and then went for a little walk. There isn't enough base for skiing yet, but it is just so much fun to be out in it, I kept freezing my teeth because I was smiling so much. 
But this is just practice. Next week it is supposed to warm up again (long enough to get that propane done, I hope!). I expect we'll get a few more hints of winter interspersed with thaws and muddy roads before the real thing arrives. But for now, we are snug in our cabin with a fire in the stove, venturing out to play and keep things (generator, heater) running. And happy as can be.
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