Thursday 30 November 2023

Onto another project

Today has been another busy and successful day so let's get to it.

Halil doing some sanding
Halil doing some sanding
More sanding going on
More sanding going on
Measuring for cutting the shelf
Measuring for cutting the shelf
Painting bezir on the shelf
Painting bezir on the shelf
The shelf is looking great
The shelf is looking great

First off Halil was sanding down around the holes through for the model railway which isn't quite finished even now but is just being done a little every day. I think tomorrow there may be some more sanding required and then it should be done. Meanwhile Bekir was working on the shelf for Angela in her art room. He cut wood, then treated it with stain and finally, later in the day when the stain had finally dried, he fitted it in place. It is going to be perfect for storing things for Angela while she does her art.

Tidying offcuts away
Tidying offcuts away
Filthy and needing tidying
Filthy and needing tidying
The old Christmas Tree base
The old Christmas Tree base
Lifting the table saw out
Lifting the table saw out
Shoveling the dust out
Shoveling the dust out
Tiles shifted out of the way
Tiles shifted out of the way

The new project we started today is to clean out, refloor and plaster in the storage area under the stairs. This is a huge producer of dust (the school used to store coal in there so it was filthy) and today we cleared it out, threw some things out and stored some other stuff. This cross that I had used years ago to secure a gate to prevent the puppies going in turned out to be the old base for the Christmas Tree for the school, so I've put it up with the Old School things in the roof. The table saw that SandS gave me has been moved out to the wood shed so I can use it to cut up firewood and loads of dust and rubbish was removed. This has been where we store our spare tiles as well so they were all shifted out and now are stacked under the windows in the entrance.

Halil sweeps dust around
Halil sweeps dust around
Trimming the slightly high section
Trimming the slightly high section
Big pile of rubbish back here
Big pile of rubbish back here
New stones spread, but the back is low
New stones spread, but the back is low
That's how low it is
That's how low it is
Big lumps of rock to fill in
Big lumps of rock to fill in
Stones have filled the end
Stones have filled the end

The work in the cupboard under the stairs is so dusty and horrible. I did persuade Halil to put a mask on which made me feel happier. They shifted all the dust and then worked on getting a level for the floor. Most of the floor is low enough but there was a little lip that needed chiseling out. Round the corner, however, was so incredibly horrible. They had to dig out many wheelbarrows of rubble and rubbish. With that all done they found that the far end of the floor really dropped away a lot, and using the laser they decided to get some big rocks from our rock pile outside to fill the hole before they spread the smaller pebbles as they had over the rest of that area. This was completed before the end of the day.

Rosie helped Angela finish the tree
Rosie helped Angela finish the tree
We covered the room with tinsel
We covered the room with tinsel
Lifted the tree inside the railway
Lifted the tree inside the railway
Rosie loves the tree
Rosie loves the tree
Rosie sitting looking at the display
Rosie sitting looking at the display
And now in the lounge
And now in the library

The last couple of days Angela has been decorating the trees in the lounge and library and yesterday I went mad with tinsel in the lounge with Rosie and the lounge was looking amazing. Today Angela finished the tree in the library and Rosie is loving both trees, and all the other stuff we've got to make it festive.

Xena thinks she's a parrot, clearly
Xena thinks she's a parrot, clearly
Taking one of two broken fridge/freezers
Taking one of two broken fridge/freezers

I'll leave you with a couple of pictures of other stuff. First of all Xena being a parrot-dog with Angela, and finally the men loading Thomas up with a load of rubbish they're taking. Tomorrow they will be bringing our cement mixer back (I'd actually forgotten we had leant it out) so needed Thomas anyway.

Tomorrow should be cement pouring day under the stairs - very exciting indeed. Thanks for reading and back tomorrow.

Wednesday 29 November 2023

More great progress

Today has been more good progress on multiple projects and tasks so let's get to it without delay.

Smoothing off the sides
Smoothing off the sides
Straight edge to check it's flush
Straight edge to check it's flush
Replastering around the holes
Replastering around the holes
Filling the gap in the top
Filling the gap in the top
Plastering it all now
Plastering it all now

First thing the men headed to the shop to get some more plaster and when they arrived they got stuck in with the holes for the railway. First of all they tidied up and smoothed out what they'd done yesterday and checked that everyone was square and then Bekir started replacing the plaster that had fallen off in the Games Room while Halil cut and fitted some offcuts of the blocks we had bought for the roof. These are really light and perfect for filling the large gaps above each hole that we have cut. Bekir was by this time in and plastering inside each hole.

Two deer in the back field
Two deer in the back field
Two puppies having fun on the top bank
Two puppies having fun on the top bank
New base for Rosie's Railway
New base for Rosie's Railway
Awesome Lord of the Rings bauble
Awesome Lord of the Rings bauble

Today we saw some deer on the field out the back. Xena and Dutch were up on the back bank together having fun and then they started barking and Xena ran across so Angela went to look and pointed out the two deer. How awesome is that. Another thing achieved today, once the men had got a break point doing their plastering, was to lift Rosie's Model Railway across onto the new wheeled base. I then hoovered up and pushed it into place. Later on there was more Christmas Decorations but I'm only going to share this picture of a special bauble Angela got me last year.

Halil drills for the TV bracket
Halil drills for the TV bracket
TV on the wall
TV on the wall
Bekir does some final checks
Bekir does some final checks
Drilling to fit the final skirting board
Drilling to fit the final skirting board
There it is, this room is now finished
There it is, this room is now finished
Bekir fits supports for a new shelf
Bekir fits supports for a new shelf

The next task for the men was putting up a TV in the gym so when Angela is doing her long walks on the walking machine she can put some YouTube on or a podcast. It didn't take long then there was a little cleaning up for the holes in the wall before Bekir went into the roof and fitted the final length of skirting board over by the doors and windows. The last job of the day for them was putting a new shelf up for Angela in her art room. This was not quite completed today but it's close.

The gym is now really nicely laid out
The gym is now really nicely laid out
What a stunning moon rise
What a stunning moon rise

After school there was lots of Christmas decorating with Angela and Rosie while I was in the gym putting down more tiles and then, with Halil's help, shifting the machines to be in a better arrangement. All I need to do now is fit the end of the internet to a connection box and then the TV will be in service. After dinner Angela called Rosie and I out to watch the moonrise and it was stunning over the hills. A beautiful sight that the picture does not do justice.

So there it is. A good day all round. Thanks for watching and back tomorrow.

Tuesday 28 November 2023

Back to the holes in the wall

Today has been a day of slow progress, but progress is good. Let's get to it.

Rosie having a blast in the leaves
Rosie having a blast in the leaves

First of all is Rosie this morning as I dropped her at school. She saw the huge pile of leaves underneath the tree by the school front door and I told her to go play in the leaves. The teachers were watching and laughing so much. She had a great time.

The fire is lit!
The fire is lit!

Today has been damp and cold enough that I lit the fire and have kept it lit all day. We still don't have any more snow though. Despite it being such a cold day Angela got outside today and dug over the raised beds - I forgot to get pictures but it was a great bit of garden progress.

Bekir trimming some of the bricks
Bekir trimming some of the bricks
Chiseling away at the bricks
Chiseling away at the bricks
Bekir hoovers up and tidied
Bekir hoovers up and tidied
Shuttering being put on
Shuttering being put on
Cement ready for use
Cement ready for use
Hole starting to get tidied
Hole starting to get tidied
Halil getting stuck in
Halil getting stuck in
A little plastering
A little plastering

The task for the men today, who were a little late this morning, was to keep working on the holes punched through the wall for the model railway. First of all Bekir trimmed a few bits off the bricks that were in the way of making the hole totally square, then he tidied up and finally put a few lengths of wood on as framing for the next step. Halil mixed some cement and so they got started on building up the base and walls. They also put some plaster on some of the walls. There was a lot of depth to fill so they had to go out to get some faster drying mortar as well.

Rosie painting some decorations
Rosie painting some decorations
Getting ready for Christmas
Getting ready for Christmas

After school Rosie and I spent some time with her painting some Christmas Decorations, which she did really well, and after that we went up into the lounge and put the lights around the tree. Right now Angela and Rosie are working on the tree in the library.

So there it is. Right now the wind is howling outside but still no snow. Thanks for reading, back tomorrow.