sailing

28.3.2011

BUILDING NEWS

Perfect weather, and steady progress. We finished oiling the windows on Sunday night so the first task this morning was wrapping them with a shrink-wrap roll we purloined from the brewery. The idea is to protect them from the weather and falling mortar. All the walls and windows have to go in before the roof is poured so it is worth taking the extra care to protect them.

Geoff and mate spent today setting them up in position supported by leaning poles and setting in the steel work for the walls and pillars on the internal front wall. The blocks are now all neatly stacked so that they can start putting them up when they get here in the morning. After this only the internal dividing walls and arches need to be put up before the roof is poured!

We measured the hot water cylinder and luckily by making the slightly bigger arched door it is possible to get it into the back passage. I assume that the mezzanine floor it stands on will be made of wood. Geoff helped Edd get the cylinder off the ute and tonight Dave has brought his big machine to try and lift the stove off. I am afraid to watch. I hate moving heavy things and it is even worse when they could be damaged!

OTHER NEWS

We had a great a day sailing on Sunday. Edd arranged for us all to have a training session so that we can take out the wooden boats. The kids all feel the need to move on from the access dinghies. Bo came with her kids and Al brought Ti and India. Bo spotted an advert for a cheap boat that we all hope to get together and buy. It is called Gael Force, which is very suitable.

We were lucky that it was such a calm day. Ti and Morren took the sabre out on their own for most of the afternoon. Edd and Al found a second sabre and India got some other smaller craft. Bo and I took turns at baby-sitting and sailing access dinghies. I rather enjoy them especially now I have learnt how to get some control. It is nice to know that they do not sink or tip over and I could get everywhere the others went with out any hassle.

Back on the farm we are well into mating season. Our sleep is broken through out the night as the goatlings express their desire for male company. Every day some of the young does are confined in the yard to guard against under age pregnancies. Today the first of the older goats, Dot and Cindy got their visit to the buck but not before we had moved him and his house to the small croft by the gate. At least his own randy daughters cannot get near him now.

My big task this week is to smarten the garden up a bit because we have a large Permaculture course from Ceres coming this weekend. My winter bed is almost ready to plant out and a bit of mulch will work wonders elsewhere. The zucchini and cucumber crop is almost over and is due to be replaced with spuds but it will probably still look about right at the weekend. Not really, but we might wing it.