Men done again

That was a really good quick visit from the men, getting lots done in three days, and now they're away again and they may not be back for the rest of this year!

Stork flying past

I'll open up this update with a picture I meant to include two days ago but forgot. I was mowing the lawn when I heard a strange sound and saw that a stork was sitting on the power pole just on the lane. I got a few pictures before it flew off and just managed to catch that as well. Rosie was very impressed as she loves nature.

The big dope got stuck

Getting ready to fit this as a gate

So many poppies, such a beautiful sight

Loads of bees around the poppies

And so to today. First thing this morning, just as we were waking up, Dutch got himself stuck inside the Green Building. He eventually managed to jump out the window again but we were laughing at him. The men were in on time and their first task was finishing the final stretch of fence and putting a gate. They made use of a section of Sassy's run to make the gate - perfect as this is really a stop-gap measure and we'll put proper fencing up soon. I got some lovely pictures of the poppies in the fenced garden as well; these will need digging out as we have onions in there somewhere!

Halil and Bekir hefting this heavy unit

Trying to put a neat hole through...

... but that didn't work so the chisel was brought out

Cutting mesh to put over the hole

The failed attempt on the left, and ventilation is in

Sealing the gap under the door frame

With that task completed I asked them to help me move two of the units out of the Games Room as I'm buying new ones to replace them. These are very heavy but we got one into the corridor and one into the roof space. They then moved on to putting in ventilation for the under stairs storage. Halil had an idea to get a really nice drill to make the hole look nice however once they got that back they found that the stairs are full of rebar so they fell back to using a chisel and smashing their way through. By the end of they had a good sized gap, with some mesh over it, and I think I'm happy now that we won't get damp and smelly in there. I was about to let them head off when I remembered the gap under the middle door by the glass room and so for the last half hour they quickly mixed some cement and filled that in. What a great success and many tasks completed that we didn't think would get done this year.

So there it is. I don't know when I'll be back next, though Rosie was just very excited to tell me she thinks the ducks are going to have babies so maybe if that happens it'll prompt an update. Thanks for reading, back whenever.

Edging the stairs

Today has seemed like slow progress however it's been lots of annoying fiddly things that take a long time to complete.

Bekir working out where to drill

Yet more flames

The top step is finished nicely

Metal edging down the side of the stairs

Halil drills each metal strip

Getting towards the top

First for the day was to get the strip attached below the highest step that they had been fighting with yesterday. Halil again heated that rod over and over again during the day to melt holes through the carpet. The strip really did finish up that step nicely. Next up was the super fiddly job of putting the edge on the steps on the open side. This involved cutting and bending and drilling and melting and drilling and hammering and screwing. Over and over again. By the end of the day they had completed all that side. Tomorrow I think they'll be working on the other side of the steps.

Xena running behind me mowing

Nice striping

At lunch time I took Mo the Mower out onto the top bank and cut down the dry grass which were covered in seeds and had been sticking to Rosie who has been enjoying playing with Dutch and Xena up there.

So there it is. Back tomorrow and thanks for reading.

Carpeting the stairs

We've reached Friday and today Rosie went back to school, as she wasn't actually sick yesterday the cheeky little monkey.

I stopped them from making a mistake

Double sided tape

Underlay is down the first run

Starting to set the carpet in place

Drilling holes for the securing rods

Securing rod in place

Preventing frays

Stairs looking smart

The men came and in made a start straight away and I was glad that I went to check as they were rolling out the carpet down the stairs without putting any underlay down first! I had a word and they quickly said "oh we forgot" and rolled the carpet back up out the way. The first thing to do was applying double sided tape on each step. We didn't have enough so they legged it down to the shop for some more. When they got back they started on the slightly frustrating task of rolling the underlay and securing it at each step. Then they had to struggle with the carpet to get it lined up perfectly straight  and true. This took a while but it had to be done perfectly. I didn't get a picture of this step however they're using a hot metal rod to burn a small hole through the carpet before they then drill into the step below. This is to prevent the carpet from catching on the drill bit and tearing. These holes were then used to secure the rod (painted last week) with the little brackets (fabricated and painted last week). These have worked really well. They did run out of wall plugs (hah!) and had to go down to the shop for a second time to pick some up and also get some aluminium edging to finish the sides of the steps. Halil spent some time burning the edges of the carpet to prevent it from unravelling. By the end of the day the top descent was pretty much done, other than sides.

Some interesting shaped clouds

The men tidying away the long ladder

Shifting old workbench legs

Collecting sticks and playing with Xena

After school I had to leg it to the vet again with Thelma, but that was a quick trip, and when I got back it was time to prepare for the storm we are expecting to hit tomorrow. There were some interesting looking clouds around for sure already. I got the men to take the ladder down that had been leant against the wall while I watered, planted some spuds, moved a wheel barrow of rubbish to the village bin and generally tidied up. Bekir and Halil also shifted some wood removed from the old workbench and store it in the Green Building. As it got dark I quickly collected the last sticks from the old walnut tree and collected them together and under cover.

So there you are; another weekend reached. Thanks for reading, and back on Monday.

End of the week

What a day; I've just sat down after watching Gremlins with Rosie, while eating pizza on the sofa, and then reading a long book and getting her to bed and doing the washing up! Let's get to it as it is late already

Finally found some roses for Rosie

Bekir making the corner sharp

All the plastering is done now

Scraping the ceiling and tidying up

Bekir finishing the face of the stairs

Making a start on the final skim of the sub landing

Halil sweeping once again

Stairs are all done

After dropping Rosie at school today I dashed into town to get some dog food and those pizza we just ate and while I was there I finally found some rose bushes for Rosie's school. Success! When I got back the men were already in and working, doing the absolute last bits of plastering on the stairs. With this done they set to cleaning and sweeping up the main floor of the roof space. Then they were into doing some more mortar on the bottom half of the stairs and also on the sub landing, which they completed today. Halil also swept through again and made everything clean ready for Monday when they will start doing the final mortar over the entire floor prior to carpeting.

Rosie waters her rose

This is how you slide down the slide at school...

30 degrees in mid October

Cycling her trike with her giant care bear (and Thelma)

When I collected Rosie the director of the school was waiting for me to plant the rose, as Angela had got in touch for me to let her know I'd finally found one. Rosie had great fun planting it, and we had lots of pictures taken, then we went for a swing again in the playground (lots of her friends were around all very happy to see her) before a quick slide then home. It really was a warm day today, summer is hanging on here. We did some chores in garden (I removed the last of the tomatoes and the melon plants) and I pushed Rosie on the swing again and then it was into pizza/film/bed time.

So there it is. That's the week done. Thanks for reading and I'll be back on Monday.

More cement today

Today has been a super busy day, and lots has got done out in the garden as well as with the workers. Let's get straight to it

Angela getting stuck in to her day

A smaller preying mantis

Raised bed coming along slowly

Lots of strawberry plants

Raised bed in place and ready for filling

Sifting soil to put into the raised bed

Today I'm starting with what Angela (mainly) and I got done in the garden today. Angela spent most of the day working out there as it was a cool and overcast day and perfect for getting lots done. She shifted some seedlings around in the raised beds first thing while I was spending a little time getting more of the new raised bed built. She also helped me out a few times for bits that needed two people. Then she was out planting some new things that have been delivered like some better strawberry plants and she also put in some new bushes. I managed to get the raised bed completely assembled and then got to the sifting of soil once more; we also emptied some old plant pots into the raised bed and tonight Bekir and Halil took Thomas to fill the bed with manure which I'll put on the garden tomorrow. It was a good day indeed

Tidying up the sub landing

These tiles will look great

Making it all straight

Tile laying begins

The accidental hole is just here

There it is from the other side

And so to the men. The first part of the day was lot of cleaning up in preparation for starting the next stage of the work. This was to put tiles up the sloped section next to the stairs. There was some tidying up needed here as well to make it a smooth surface but once that was done they got all the tiles laid and it looks lovely. Next attention was turned to the platform above the doorway over the stairs and some bricks that were a bit unsightly. Bekir chiseled them out and then found that this made an accidental hole through to the lobby below - oops.

Hole filled, platform smoothed

Starting to spread cement on the final missing part

Halil sweeping down the stairs

Final tidying after the skim is finished

It didn't take much to fill the hole and get that step looking much nicer. I'm not sure if I'll carpet that or tile it but I don't need to decide yet. With that done the men moved up onto the main floor and the final section that had not yet had any cement put on it at all, just to the left of the stairs at the top. While Bekir worked on this Halil grabbed the brush and swept all the way through from the roof down to the glass room - it looks lovely and tidy now. Bekir completed the cement work upstairs and tidied up and then they headed off with Thomas to go fill him with manure so I can empty him during the day tomorrow.

So there it is; thanks for reading and back tomorrow.