And then it got cold again...

As concrete cures, it produces heat. So, when it got cold again (don't misunderstand me: 'get cold again' doesn't mean it ever really got warm, it's just that the temperature got above freezing), the newly poured slab got covered up with tarps and then with hay to keep the heat in:


You can see why a few people asked if we were going to start a petting zoo:


I thought it would be nice to get a couple of llamas and a goat to tie up outside for a few days....
(No, we didn't. The hay is gone now, too, and the slab looks beautiful.)