zoey stops in town after seeing the little ones

safely and snuggly into the schoolhouse,

stops at the site where she suspects, correctly,

that she will find samuel at work, designer

and builder. she tightens the reins, the wagon

comes to a quiet stop, the snow muffling

all but the bells on wilemena's harness,

and when wilemena, or, more plainly, mena,

comes to rest with one hoof cocked in respose,

as is her habit, zoey, from the hard seat

of the wagon, cushioned though it is by layers

of sheepskin, settles in to watch the men,

samuel and his crew of two, at task framing a wall,

a wall which appears moments away from a shift,

horizontal to vertical. no great task for three men,

a horse, a rope, a pulley, and a tripod built for the purpose.

zoey lets her presence settle on the men. then, 

in due time: "samuel, issac, ezra, spare a minute,

if you have a minute. something warm," by which she means 

food and drink, but could rightly be interpreted 

another way in regards to the designer himself.