It took one year for the divorce decree to become final. During this time, MacDonald arranged for his home to be built. By Thalian word usage, his House was his family, his abode his home. The barn, washhouse, and springhouse were also constructed. A cistern was installed just outside the springhouse so that Anna would not have to labor so hard for water. Cruz Moreno, from Schmidt"s Corner, had been hired to build a rock fence around the garden plot behind the washhouse.
Three crab tree seedlings had been ordered through Kasper"s store. When they arrived, the trees were transferred to larger containers, but left behind the Schmidt"s Corner"s general store. Cruz had installed fencing around the trees to keep the jackrabbits out. Anna had watered and tended them. Real apple trees would not
