some welcome help

22.6.2011

BUILDING NEWS

Nothing happened today. Sue is busy for two weeks so we will have to wait for her to be ready to do the rendering on the parapet. We have to get more bricks on site before Geoff can start the front arches. We always seem to need more of everything than anyone estimates.

OTHER NEWS

We have booked a ticket for Josh tomorrow morning, which means another early start. It is impossible to contact Tiger airlines directly. The phones are too busy and the web site lacks any relevant information. Josh is now missing his intensive course at university but there is nothing we can do about it, volcanoes being well out of our control area.

The good news is that a volunteer group actually turned up today despite the miserable weather and worked hard to clear the fallen trees and wire so the horses will be safe on the hill. This group consisted of six adults from Eaton Vehicle Group and included people with very useful skills, so we got a lot of work done.

With all these people and Josh and Arden here I am spending a lot of time cooking. I made three loaves yesterday but in the evening Beni came over with a bottle of wine and we managed to eat the first loaf before it had time to cool. The next loaf went on breakfast and a packed lunch for Arden and we ate the rest with our helpers at lunchtime. I have made another three loaves this evening.

I actually feel very privileged to have so many people around. Yesterday the rain leaked in near the desk again and our donga is hardly comfortable or even warm. I guess you really find out who your true friends are in conditions like this. Josh has been really helpful, and Arden always does every job we ask him to do. They are both pretty good blokes to have staying. I will really miss Josh when he leaves tomorrow.