13.4.2011
BUILDING NEWS
The honeymoon is over! Once again the climate is on the attack with a sudden drop in temperature and the wettest April ever. All work stopped for one day but I did get to Dandenong to pick up the towel rail. Today everyone was back on the job and the frame was remover from the big arch. It looks fantastic.
The house floors are continually being flooded but luckily we put the front windows up on lugs so we can sweep the water out under them. Still no sign of the plumber! Geoff now has only a couple of tiny walls to build and then the second arch into the spare room. If the rain can just keep away from daylight hours we might make John’s roof pouring target.
We had a great visit to the glass place where Peter works. Peter had set up a demonstration of his ideas, Al joined us to ensure the integrity of his design was retained and the manager showed us round all his glass. I could have spent a whole day there just marvelling over the huge range of colours and styles.
Al wants to have pale colouring that looks almost undetectable from the exterior but give a surprise when seen from within. We are all happy to go along with this idea. There is a big temptation to add strong colours just for their beauty but it would probably end up looking like a church. Which is not what we want.
I was really glad to have Al there. I think we all needed some guidance and I liked the way he did it. Am I allowed to say how proud I felt that he was my son?
OTHER NEWS
I took the green-eyed monsters with me on the towel rail-fetching trip and afterwards we made a B-line for garden world. I do think I am converting them into enjoying the place. We all probably spent far too much on things we love. Morren brought bits and pieces to build a sort of mini raked Japanese garden complete with Buddha, shrine and one plant. Ollie was more into fossils and crystals whilst I discovered lots of interesting food plants for my poly house jungle.
Bo took the time off to sort out lots of jobs and even found time to get her back shed ready for chooks. Edd has worked on our bottom chook shed to make a tunnel for chooks to get into the old vegetable garden for grazing. We are now just about ready to fetch the chooks. Our old ones look very settled in their new home and are loving the fresh greenery.
10.4.2011 BUILDING NEWS
Last week was so good. The perfect weather encouraged us all to work long hours so much was done. Geoff has built most of the first big arch and the internal walls are almost done. One day was taken up by core filling, a really hard job for Geoff and Glen. They decided that it was the only sensible approach and just put up with the pain!
Edd has been busy working on the conduits. Pat, the electrician came over to make certain we knew what was needed and leave the right materials. We wish the plumber would come too; we really need to do the same with him. John keeps coming to see how far things are on because he is keen to pour the roof straight after Easter. He wants to set up the decking and scaffolding before this.
My tasks are less important. I get the job of oiling and wrapping wood work and cleaning up at night. I am worried that plastic or cement bags might blow into the dam so I make sure everything is tied up in chaff sacks and moved away.
OTHER NEWS
With everyone being so efficient I had time last week to do more work on the garden. The present job is to move perennial plants from the old vegetable garden and to plant out the new trees. Al brought me an avocado plant for my birthday, which is now planted, in the bed I had worked for citrus trees.
One lovely thing was that Dave P arrived with the old rocking chair that he had taken away to repair. The chair is the one bit of furniture that was saved from the fires. I tripped over it when I went in to try and get the dogs. I dragged it outside when I worked out where the door was. It now looks in better shape than ever before because the arms were always loose. It is so nice to that we will have one original piece in our new home.
Celia came in season today so she got taken to visit the buck. I am hoping that some of the younger goats will be large enough to mate this season. It would mean that we do not have to have eleven first kidders altogether the following year. My chooks are now homed in the poly house shed. I am afraid to let them out all day if the dogs are loose so they get to run out in the later part of the day. They look very happy now they have access to endless green grass.
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