Long retaining wall

We've finally reached the end of the day and what a busy day it has been. Let's get the update done as I've lots more to do after this as well.

The sun sets, from the roof terrace

It returns this morning, from the balcony

Burning brightly now

First of all some sky pictures, which I've not taken many of recently. Last night just after publishing the blog I caught a glimpse of the sun setting out the back window and ran at top speed to the roof terrace to get a picture and was only just in time. This morning when I woke the sun was just cresting the hills through the slight mist and haze but later on that had all burned off and it was glorious.

The men get started on the rest of the digging

Getting to the end of the trench finally

Starting to put the lengths in place

Bekir hammering a stake in

The storm cell looming

More stakes for security

A very straight back guide

Getting the wall to the right height

The men were in and back to the digging first thing, hoping to get all of that hard graft done before it got up to the forecast 30 degrees. It was very tough going and I'm quite frustrated that the digger didn't get this all done last year however it is what it is and we just have to roll with it now. With the trench dug to the stone all the way along they began the next task which is difficult as well; building the shuttering down the first side and getting it to be straight and upright and secure. While they were working away I could hear lots of rumbling and there was a huge storm coming our way. I got the washing in and there were a few spots of rain but it was actually only just now as Angela and Rosie were watering the garden that it did anything more at all. The rest of the day I was so busy and the men were working away building the back shuttering. Because of the extra digging task they will not be getting the mixer in tomorrow which is a shame but it'll only probably push it back to Monday or Tuesday next week.

Wild flower and Xena

I'll leave you with a picture of a flower on the back bank, these are returning now we're mowing again, and Xena stalking off to investigate a smell.

So there it is; one more day done. I will not be updating tomorrow however I will be back on Monday. Thanks for reading!

The brief return of Bekir and Sally

So much for being strict with myself and not letting it go past two weeks again. The last two week have gone in a blur of over work for me however I'm now finally just about out of that stage, I hope, and have a few minutes to quickly post up an update. It will be no means be exhaustive (I could sum up my two weeks by the fact that last Wednesday I did a 23 hour long working day) but I hope you enjoy it non-the-less.

Invasive species

If someone said to me that I'd be spending a chunk of time and money protecting the building from attack by woodpeckers I would have laughed, but that is exactly what has happened.

Where the woodpecker was pecking

Our attempt at a bird scarer

A is happily rigging up the CDs

Sally fixes the holes

A paper bird of prey

A was disturbed by a hammering sound and we went hunting, thinking it was maybe something in the roof. Imagine our surprise when I disturbed a woodpecker which was busily digging a deep hole in our insulation. We made an attempt with CDs to create something that would scare them off but the wind just kept blowing them all back onto the roof terrace. They had made quite a few holes, and this was a big issue with winter closing in. A printed a bird picture out to stick in the window but that wasn't really going to work well. With the visit of Bekir and Sally, however, Sally fixed the holes and also has rigged up the bird scarers. I don't have a picture of those as I keep forgetting to take one and now it's dark. Hopefully we have won that fight.

The balcony is sealed

The main reason for getting Bekir and Sally back for the three days they were with us (three days where I was so busy that A did the transport both ways every day; what a trooper) was to fix up the balcony which was leaking.

The crumbling old grout to be removed

Bekir grinding it out to replace it

Playtime for Thelma and Bekir

Sally doing some patching up

A smiling coffee break

A whole lot of grouting gone on

Sally does his cleaning dance

While Sally was fixing up after our bird attack Bekir got stuck in cleaning out the old bad grout and replacing it with silicon and proper outdoors grout. He worked away and it took about three days end to end, including having to shift Sassy out of the way, but now we have what is hopefully a waterproof flat roof and we won't have to run the dehumidfier for hours at a time, like we already have had to this autumn. Sally also got stuck in, once he'd finished patching up the small holes A had spotted in our insulation made by small creatures over the summer. While they were here I got a hand putting the back on Thomas so we're now pretty much ready for winter; just need to pick Pat up from the garage where she's had her winter shoes put on and we're fine.

Trying to get out

I have been over-working however I've tried to get outside a bit more; I've a tonne of pictures on my phone of me sitting in the sun for ten minutes now and then. The simple pleasure of the sun on my face was something I was really noticing missing.

A foggy start to our lovely lunch with SandS

The smile says it all...

As does this one; I love the sun

Three puppies sharing the heat of the day

Out on our Sunday drive

Glowing poplars against a dark ridge

Fishermen at the reservoir

We managed to get out to have lunch with SandS which was a truly lovely time, and then they managed to drop past ours for breakfast as well a few days later; it's so good to see friends. The day we went for lunch was really foggy to begin with but it cleared up and A dragged me onto the balcony to enjoy some fresh air and sunshine. I have also, as I've said, managed to get out at lunch onto the patio and soak some rays up. Today the puppies joined me which was lovely. On Sunday the heavy overcast, which had seriously threatened snow for a while, cleared up and so we were able to go for a lovely drive into the mountains to our east. We stopped a few times, finding some lovely sights include a little dam with a load of people fishing around it, and it was just what we needed after the intense weeks we've been having.

Puppies and garden

Smiling Thelma with her ring

Louise doing her best parrot impression

Thelma wakes up

Play time, Thelma with dimples

Sassy saying hello

Both puppies wanted a cuddle while I was working

Lots of frost damage; A cleared it all out

I'm going to wrap this up now and leave you with some pictures of the puppies (and Sassy) and the damage the frosts have done recently. I've done a small amount of modelling, we've got one game in and that's it, and A has become SUPERB at her artwork as she is practising so much; I will see if I can get some pictures in for you next time.

Lost for words

WARNING:  TODAY'S BLOG COMES WITH GRAPHIC IMAGES OF A SICK DOG AND A BIT OF A RANT FROM ME. 

Today started very early - 5.30am to be exact. Up and to the kettle for my first cup of wake up and I was stuck straight into work. After an hour or so I let Rambo out as the sun came out and jumped in the shower and was off to get the men.

They were getting close to finishing the wooden frames for the partition walls and door frames for the second guest room and bathroom, so in order to check things I was called in and out a few times and asked a few questions to which there was a lot of charades and the use of some new words I have picked up over the last couple of weeks. I tried to explain that the suspended ceiling was to extend further out into the bedrooms to the support beam so that we could fit spotlights and you know what? I actually think I managed it because they were nodding their heads in that circular motion and saying "dobre" (good) a lot.

I managed to snap a picture or two at coffee break this morning. I am afraid I was so busy at work that I didn't get to take many, so apologies. This was the progress so far.

Just not tall enough

Suspended

 I did take a few breaks throughout the day, but not very many and mainly just to stretch my legs ans to hang the washing out etc. I do feel bad for Rambo sometimes, even though he is perfectly happy to chill out all day, so I take myself out for five or ten minutes at a time to play with him.

After lunch time I heard him barking. Not the usual "you're making noise and annoying me" bark that he does when the cows go past ringing their cowbells, but a "you are on my land" bark, so I legged it downstairs and he was in the lower garden with the hair stood right up on his back and neck. I looked and looked and couldn't see a thing, then out of the corner of my eye I saw another dog.  For a split second it really confused me as it had exactly the same colouring as Rambo did. I walked further towards the edge of the patio and saw a skinny little dog seemingly struggling to clamber through the broken branches of the Oak tree. He did not look well at all.

I ran upstairs to grab my camera and a loaf of bread and came down and put Rambo in his enclosure, just in case. By the time I got downstairs the little fellow was by the front gate, scared stiff and trying to find an escape.

Trying to escape

I walked slowly to him, never taking my eyes off him. You just don't know what these wild dogs are going to do and have to be careful in case they get too frightened and turn.  I ripped a piece of bread off and threw it close to him. As he turned I could see just how thin he really was.

Sickeningly thin

I threw a few more small pieces of bread and I was shocked to see that he did still have both eyes (from further back he looked like he had lost at least one), but also that they were weeping terribly and that he was suffering what looked like sever cataracts. Well, that was it, my eyes filled up and tears were rolling down my cheeks.

Blind

I could barely contain myself and jumped between anger and pity. If it is owned by someone, which I now suspect it is, how can they let an animal suffer like that?  HOW? They really do not seem to look after dogs here, generally they are either working dogs or wild dogs. I cried whilst I lured him with bread to the gate, having to leave a Hansel and Gretel trail of bread to the gates as he could not see and was too frightened to come when I called him. My heart absolutely broke in two. In the end, he was outside the gate and I went back upstairs and grabbed another half a loaf that I had sitting and took it down to him. He needed it much more than I did after all.

The poor little mite limped off after scoffing the bread so fast that I am surprised if he tasted it at all. The sad fact is, you just cannot take them all in. I have been well warned that three dogs are more than enough. And it is true, if you took one you would take them all. I am still very weepy after the whole saga though. I don't think I will ever harden to this side of living in this country.

Feeding it bread

The end of the day for me came at just before 5.30 - a 12 hour shift - and the men were beginning to tidy up and get ready for the off. So here is the end of play.

Great progress

End of play

They are so tidy you know. They have been chopping and sawing wood all week so far in that room and when I went in at the end of the day they had swept everything up and tidied most of the tools away ready for tomorrow. Perfect workmen. They even left me a pile of burning wood by the door when they tidied up!

Petchka wood

Sadly, they will be leaving us again, probably at the end of the week as they have other work commitments to tend to. We were lucky to get any time from them really at all as it was not planned, but the progress they have made here in a few weeks has been absolutely amazing. We will hopefully see them back another time though, later in the year.

I leave you with my sad day and hope I haven't left too much of a downer on your day.

Leka nosht.

A x