Do we have gutters?

23.10.11

BUILDING NEWS

It is Sunday and Stevo and Edd are working hard trying to put up the gutters before the next rain strikes. They had planned to do this work yesterday but it rained all day and in the evening we had a thunderstorm and very heavy rain. We are definitely over rain and wondering why we ever complained about the thirteen-year drought!

I have been sent off to by gutter silicone but I also called in at a local bargain centre and found a second hand commercial sink unit that will suit our laundry. It is slightly smaller than the space but we can adapt it. It has three enormous sinks that would be ideal for beer making or washing big stuff like blankets and animals.

My other good find was a picture of the type of toilet door I want. I have a good site on the Internet called ‘one of a kind’, or something like that and it has loads of photos of buildings inside and out that are different. I did not think anyone else had a door like I wanted but I was wrong and there was a photo of exactly what I tried to explain to Stevo and Edd.

At the bargain centre I also brought two second hand lead light lampshades. That sorts out two rooms. Edd and I can never decide about light fittings, mainly because anything we really like costs a fortune. These were very cheap and will put off the problem for years.

The kitchen building man is coming on Monday. We also have more school students and possibly Al. Lets us pray for dry weather.

OTHER NEWS

Dot is bagging up and getting ready to kid. Unfortunately her new owners have found it impossible to get ready for her and now she will have to stay until after the birth at least as it is too late for her to have the upset of travel and relocation. Not to worry, she is always an asset to have around.

My family is muddling on. Josh slept for a day and a half after all the stress his uni put him through but luckily he has woken up still prepared to keep trying. I wish he was still studying at James Cook University. There they put in an enormous effort to get the best out comes and put the students first. It seems to be different in WA and the distance means that he is not able to come home much.

When he went to JC the study allowance we gave him (equal to the government allowance), was enough to pay for board at the university so at least he did not have to cook, clean and shop as well as everything else. In WA the university accommodation is too expensive so the whole exercise is much harder. The trouble is that all the universities say wonderful things about themselves but it is not until you get there that the real story emerges.



20.10.11

BUILDING NEWS

Rain so all work stops. Actually a break was needed badly. Edd has been on the phone all morning working on organisation and he has now gone off to collect materials. Two of the gutter pieces, had to be redesigned. When Edd and Stevo put up what they had thought was needed, the fall towards the gutter pop was not enough.

Gary has completed all the internal floors and is now in a rain-affected area under the non-existent roof. We were hoping it would be up by now but our mistake over the gutters has caused yet another delay. We have had our usual Friday check up on the progress of our stone and as far as we can make out it is still being split.

Edd has found a plasterer who could start in approx three weeks and the waterproof mob are still talking. The net conclusion is that we are not getting things done on schedule. Or anywhere near what we had planned. At least Al has found someone who says they can make and install the kitchen by Xmas.

OTHER NEWS

Things other than our build range from black to white. On the positive side a local school has supplied us with young people all week and they have worked miracles. We have now completely cleaned out the cellar and sorted and cleaned all the stuff that was dumped in it. Today we got all the camping gear, sports equipment, spare furniture and clothes up the ladder into the storage area above Edd’s tool shed.

All this is a big step forward. The cellar had not been cleaned out since before the fires. After the fires it was the one place left to put everything and was heavily used. It was, offcourse filled with the smoke fumes and dust but we managed to ignore this.

Moving everything was a heavy dirty job and I just did not feel I could tackle it on my own.
Now that the cellar is empty we can wash it out, reseal it, and raise the floor a bit to avoid future flooding. The only reason we were able to save anything we owned was because it provided a safe spot so I am really happy now that it can be reclaimed.

On the negative side we are really worried about most of our family who are totally stressed and having a bad time. They are all working incredibly hard and yet not really managing to get their situation into calmer waters. I am not sure if this is just us, or part of a more general problem. Certainly all the men who are helping us build are going through similar stresses.

Chris is back today sawing up the big tree trunk. Yesterday morning we were woken up by strong winds rocking the donga and sending tree limbs flying. I was so relieved that the big gum was no longer a problem. Dead branches from the oak tree blew everywhere but it is not hanging over a main pathway.