1881.  It had cost Duncan Moran dearly in objective time.  Each trip for just himself cost a 3 days.  He had used 3 days to travel to Jun 1881 to purchase a horse and tack, travelled out to buy land and have all the legal work done.  He had arranged for the purchase and delivery of building materials as the existing farmhouse wasn’t fit for animals.  He had contracted the construction of barns, and a henhouse.  Then he had returned to town and simply sold the horse and tack back at a heavy loss, but explained a he couldn’t take the horse with him and care for it properly, but expected to be back in a few months and if the horse were still there, would offer to buy it back.

He returned in late September.  He managed to buy his horse back and gave the merchant the same price with no argument, and even paid a little extra for holding off on selling the steed.  He also paid to have some feed delivered for the horse.  He bought a pair of draft horses and a covered wagon.  The merchant was tickled.  The horse was really an old nag.  The reason the young man (Duncan) had liked it was probably because the horse was too docile - and half blind - to throw him.  Duncan had named the horse Old Man.

Now he had to pray the building materials for his home had been delivered.  He hadn’t trusted anyone to build a house right.  And he had to buy tools.  He hadn’t trusted people not to steal them.  Besides in three months perfectly good nails would have rusted even in the dry climate of New Mexico.

News of the young man’s return reached his neighbors within a week.  He hadn’t shown up at anyone’s doorstep starving to death or dying.  There were signs of a campfire going from time to time.  He hadn’t taken on any workers.  But then he hadn’t bought any animals yet either.  But then it was fall and he might have been planning to wait until spring.  Maybe he was going to live in town on and off.

Truth was Duncan could build a house by himself faster and better than he could with help.  He had brought a nailgun, lots of nails and compressed air canisters.  These and any other advanced tech were kept stored under the false bottom of a dry well.  He also used a portable skill saw.  The fact that people used planks rather than plywood had forced him to order a shipment from the east.  The standard 4’x8’ sheet would come out for a few decades, but that’s how he ordered it.  And he had order plenty of it to spare - a couple rail cars of it.  He was just amazed to find it on the site - and tarped as he had instructed.  There was some damage and warping, but that was no surprise.

He had the frame up and covered in a day, complete with a roof.  The rest was done by the end of the third day except windows and the adobe.  He had completed the insulation and bulletproofing.  (He added 1.5 inch thick plates of ALON to the walls and external doors.)  Regular windows he planned to leave … regular.  It would be hard to explain glass that wouldn’t break.  He added in ceiling fans.  He had to use belt driven liquid propelled fans as electric fans wouldn’t come out until 1882, but he designed with upgrades in mind.  By the end of the 10th day the house was complete - devoid of amenities, but move in ready.

All he had was camping gear.  But oddly he felt a sense of accomplishment that rivaled the creation of a time portal.  He found that more than a little humorous.