Lots of gardening then tap tap

We're back, a day later than expected as the men had work at their homes to do yesterday. Onwards, to a longer than usual update probably.

Rosie waters her flower

Heading down to help Daddy gardening

Doesn't look much but it is a huge improvement

Trimmed in the orchard as well

Saturday was the first day of summer, properly, as a lovely wonderfully hot day. It started off with Rosie doing her chores watering her plant (and I was admiring just how well the ventilator was turning even though the breeze was almost non-existent) and then Angela went shopping while I looked after Rosie and she was such a good girl. We went for walks around the land and I took my sickle and cut down overgrowth by the side of the driveway starting near the gate, and then up underneath the tea trees but it was here that she decided I should stop so she sat on me. It was just lovely indeed. Later on we had an awesome call with my mum and sister, this time we sat on the balcony, and then in the afternoon I again took the sickle but this time I went into the orchard and started to unearth the trees that were in a lot of places actually shorter than the weeds. The bad weather really has prevented me from getting out to do my gardening chores but now it is hot I'm back to it with a vengeance.

Rosie helping plant the new flowers in the teapot planters

Helping to water once again

In place, and looking marvellous

More clearing by the driveway

The lawn had grown a bit

Took ages but it looks amazing again

Night sky

Sunday was another scorcher and we were outside for a lot of it again. First thing Angela got the window ledges cleaned off and then planted out three new flowers into the teapot planters she had found - they are awesome and I really wanted one to fill in the hole and make a proper brew in. Maybe another time. With the flowers in place Rosie helped to water them and then they were put on the ledges where she now loves to point at them and say "cuppa tea!" which is officially her first words. So proud. I did some more clearing of high weeds down by the driveway and then got the lawnmower out to tackle the jungle below the green building where I didn't get to finish up last time I cut because we had so many weeks of rain. It was very long and that was a long hard task but once it was complete, just before dinner, I felt so satisfied. That evening I caught the very end of the sunset with the moon bright in the sky. It was glorious.

Cutting a lot of weeds

Tree revealed

Rosie helps with the paddling pool inflatables

Before and after I cut the weeds

My tool of choice

Visitors at the pool

Spider with an awesome pattern with a bee

Out for a kebab and loving it

Two searchlights from the set sun

Monday was again warm and lovely but after I had done a load of work in the orchard, clearing out more trees from their undergrowth, I had the dreaded call from Bekir saying the men weren't working. First thing we moved Rosie's paddling pool up from the garden and put it on the platform for our big pool, so I could get the grass mown later in the day. We had visitors with The Little Lady and her grandson coming over to see Rosie, which was lovely. While they were over I started on mowing the lawn until it was time for us to go for lunch. While I was pottering around I saw a spider that had just caught a bee inside one of the courgette flowers. We had planned a trip to town for lunch and so that is what we did, going to the kebab place where this time we sat outside and enjoyed the warmth of the day. I popped in to see Dincher and then we took a lovely walk back through the park, where Rosie made lots of friends, to the car and then onwards to get insulation to put under our big pool. That was the task for the evening, to get the big pool sat on the insulation and start filling it.but we didn't finish it as we found that a pipe was leaking so a job for Angela to go shopping on Tuesday morning. I got almost all the rest of the lawn mowed but left the middle bit for Tuesday. The sunset was amazing, I went onto the roof terrace with the big camera to get this shot.

The sun rises on another day

Sally starts the long task of chiselling the old mortar

Halil also gets stuck in

On a trip to the builder's merchant

A very neat job of cutting the tiles to fit

Heat pad and two pumps - I took one out

Bekir sticking the tiles down

Sally cleaning up around the step

And so to today. I did more clearing in the orchard first thing as it was another glorious day and I love working in the heat. The men were on time today and got stuck in to the next task at hand which was to clean up where they had lifted the tiles for fitting the columns and then fit new tiles back in place. Angela headed out early to town for the swimming pool stuff while I went with Bekir and Rosie to the builder's merchant to get the roofing tiles ordered for the balcony roof. When we got back it was a full day of "tap tap" as Sally and Halil cleaned up for Bekir to follow round and measure and cut the tiles very neatly to go back down. This job is not entirely finished as of now but it is close. Tomorrow that'll be done and hopefully the tiles will get delivered so they can crack straight on. The main pool was filled through the morning and today Rosie and I have had all the fun in there, she's gone from not wanting to let go of me to walking around in the deep pool on her own and even floating a bit with my help. I think while it is hot we'll be in that pool a lot and she may well get quite confident and capable in water which would be ace. I've also today finished the lawn mowing so we'll see when I have to do it next; maybe with the weather now becoming summer it won't grow quite so fast.

I was supposed to be starting back to work tomorrow but I'm still waiting to hear about it so I think that it may well be delayed now. We shall see. Thanks for reading.