Kerb Crawlers, Compliments, and Cones

I'm all behind!  Those of you who have known me for some time will say I have always been ‘all behind’.  Sally-Anne, don’t even go there with the green trousers and the wobble!  I do not often have access to the internet lately and when I do I am under pressure to attend to all the important things.  I would love to spend more time on the blog and show you a little more of the area, but sadly it will have to wait.

Creeping Crawlers

I am wondering if something was lost in translation on my post about the sexy slugs and their amorous activity.  The kerb crawlers have increased dramatically.  The cars are driving very slowly past the site.  One car overshot the turning and mounted the grass – truly!    Are they driving past at a snail’s pace (sorry) hoping to see some slugging?  The most likely answer is they are doing exactly what the LGB and I do when we pass a site; slowing, stopping and staring.  We have also done a little sneaking around building sites too.  Large house, small bungalow, garage, shed – we don’t mind.  We like to see what materials they use, styles, designs; basically we are nosey.  Therefore, now that our grey breeze blocks resemble a house people seem to be noticing it more.

Firstly the roof is nearly complete on the main house (just some pointing to do) and the poincons are in position.  What a huge milestone!  The LGB has done wonders to work in the extreme heat with no scaffolding and no help.  Bravo!  My hero!  Secondly, the oak truss is up in the kitchen/diner.

We chose the pine cone for the top of the roof

The pine cone is a symbol of immortality

Bob and Tony came over to look at progress.  Isn’t it amazing what a vegetarian can do with the promise of a bacon butty.  I simply wafted the porcine aroma in their direction and they were putty in our hands.  So having buttered them up the LGB asked them if they would help for an hour to put the oak truss up in the kitchen.  Meanwhile, Kevin arrived with an orbital sander.  I think he had seen me sanding the oak beams with my 6€ hobby sander and took pity on me.  The smell of bacon butties had him under our spell and he helped out too!  We used up Brendan’s three months’ supply of bacon, but it was worth it.  It was all up and looking lovely when we realised the king pin was the wrong way round.  The perpetrator said we had better not tell anyone what he had done, so my lips are sealed Your Royal Harveyness!  Thank you boys!

Here she comes!

Pat on the back lads - we've done it!

Quick undo it before the LGB sees us!

Get the professionals in to finish the job properly!!

Ah - there's lovely

A masterpiece of engineering!  Beautiful!

O.A.K

I am thrilled to bits, chuffed and delighted with the oak truss; it looks absolutely stunning.  It was one of the biggest highlights of the build so far.  I have mentioned before how much we both love wood, the smell, the touch and how beautiful it looks and oak is probably one of my favourite woods. 

However, it was a bittersweet day.  I couldn’t reach my sister to wish her a ‘happy birthday’ because she was in hospital with my lovely nephew Oliver, 12, who had been diagnosed with meningcoccus.  It was a fraught wait for blood tests but thankfully it had been caught in time.  It made me think how things can change in a heartbeat.  (Julie and family will know exactly how it feels.)  Things that seem a problem or important suddenly pale into insignificance. Coincidentally, Oliver’s initials are OAK and when he was a baby I used to say that the little acorn would grow into a big strong oak.  Get well Ollie; you will soon be kicking a football around again. Every time I look at my beautiful oak truss I can think of you! Xxx 

Compliment????

I think I received a compliment this week, or a back handed compliment, or a slap in the chops, I’m not sure which.  When all the ‘boys’ (I use that term lightly as I am sure when the average age is three score he really is no longer classed a boy) were here I passed a breeze block up quite a height to one of them and the person later told his wife I was a ‘strong old bird’.  Now to me this conjured up an image of Fatima Whitbread meets Giant Haystack crossed with a broiler chicken.   I won’t embarrass him by naming him but he spoke with a Welsh accent! 

I would live with those legs for a stomach like that.  

Let's show the 3 stooges how it's really done!

Et Voila!

Mick helped us put the terrace truss up; and pretty fabulous that looks too!  I can say that about our house can’t I?  I don’t mean to sound boastful, I am just excited that it is all coming together.

The LGB has side-tracked to dig a huge hole for the septic tank.  There is a reason for randomly leaving the roofs and starting this.  Daisy the digger cannot lift the tank which is a 4000 litre concrete box.  Therefore, when we order the extra tiles that we need to finish the roofs we will ask the driver to lower the tank into the hole and hope he will accommodate us.

I am still working my way through the windows.  There was too much dust flying around when the LGB was digging so I had a little respite from painting, but I will have to make a huge effort because putting the windows in will be one of the next jobs.

Kitchen and Terrace

Thank you again to all of you who are feeding and watering us, giving us a bed once a week for a good night’s sleep, a nice relaxing shower with no fear of unexpected visitors, doing some laundry and of course giving a hand.  You know who you are and you’re all little stars.