In between he spent some time making good on his promise regarding woodwork. Fixing fences and some of the minor repairs required for the barn were simple tasks for him in many ways. So long as he had dry wood to work with, he could easily cut it to fit almost any shape or size, saving many hours’ worth of labor at the saw. Driving nails was just as easy. His main limitation came when he realized that he had used up all of his father’s spare wood. That meant someone would have to make a trip to see Tom Hayes, at the general store. While Colne had its own blacksmith, the closest lumber mill was in Dereham. The Hayes store kept a fairly ample supply of lumber on hand, though. “I’m going to see Seth and Kate this evening,” he told his mother when his father returned with the sheep that evening. “Do they know you’re coming?” she asked. “Kate heard me playing the cittern yesterday,”
