Raised beds completed

Another day, another super busy and productive one. Every day is something special being out here and I am trying to appreciate every second of it. And through this blog hopefully you are also getting a small idea of just how amazing it is to be here.

Moon last night

The blog once again starts with the moon. As I was heading to bed last night I noticed that it had risen and was an awesome colour, and very clear. I snapped a picture with the normal lens and then went and found my zoom and just put it onto a 1/80th sec exposure and snapped free hand. I'll showed the normal and zoom together this time, rather than two pictures, as I liked the contrast and also how cool would it be if we did have two moons, one close and one far.

Sleep was brilliant last night but when the alarm went at 6am maybe it was the heavy fog or the fact I didn't get my afternoon nap in yesterday (I haven't had one today either) but I swiftly rejected getting up there and then, set the 7am alarm to go, and went back to sleep. I woke just before it went off again and decided to get up and get my brew as I was thirsty. The feeding was pretty standard this morning but because I was so late I didn't do my full rounds and just watered the few things that really need it like the Tomatoes and the new Olive trees.

Stunning foggy view

I headed out for the men in plenty of time and with my camera as I wanted to snap a photograph at the most beautiful part of the drive, showing the fog. Unfortunately there is nowhere to stop at the best part of the shot (back round the corner from the one I did take) so I will have to wait until my Special Guest comes back (permanently. Oh yes!) and get her to snap it while I'm driving very slowly round the blind corner. That'll be safe.

Cafe

I was dead on time for the men and the standard exodus of people occurred at the usual time (though this time I was waved to by a couple of the men; they're getting to know me as well). I decided to quickly snap a picture of where I pick them up. you have the shop on the left (with Orhan just going in for his breakfast) and then on the right is the cafe. The tables they sit at are just outside and then on the far right is the tree that they also sometimes are sitting under.

A quick chat before work

The journey back was uneventful as well until we reached my hill where we saw the sheep farmer who Bekir knows and he asked me to stop so they could chat. There was much laughter from everyone in the car as a short conversation ensued; he is a very jolly chap who always waves to me as well. Then when we got parked under the tree (where Lucy is living for now to save her suspension along the final bad track to my front gate) another chap walked past and they stopped to chat to him as well. Everyone knows everyone around here.

What greeted me at home

I always love it when there is low cloud and fog in the valley as the view from my balcony is lovely, with the ridge rising out of the mist and the colours and everything just looking amazing. I went straight onto the balcony to snap the pictures (you can see the boys still in their enclosure in the picture) and then I decided to have my breakfast before doing anything else.

And so they work

I was sat eating my marmalade on toast (and very nice it was too, thank you) when I looked up through the side window and saw that the men had started putting the planks on for the roof on this side. I got the camera and they saw me snapping pictures, hence the big grins on both Sally and Bekir in this picture.

Well I wouldn't stand on it

After I finished my breakfast I headed off for my morning chore which was to empty the humanure now my fingers were sufficiently healed. I went to collect everything and was amused to see that he window fitters had taken the full buckets of humanure into the little cubicles and stood on them for access to the windows. If they had known it was my toilet then they probably wouldn't have done that. Anyway, all that had happened was the lids were on REALLY tight so no catastrophe. I did the job and cleaned the buckets out really well and then washed my hands. Today, the pile was a bit smelly so I think tomorrow I may reassess what is happening there. I am a little concerned that maybe the sawdust is from heat treated wood which isn't the best to use. I'm sure it'll be OK though.

With the clouds over and the heat down I decided that today I would not do paid work but would get the raised beds completed and so I gathered all my tools, then let Ralf and Rambo out, pegging Ralf down as usual. There was a pretty nasty moment where they seemed to start fighting properly; my back was half turned but I think Rambo dropped the kong, Ralf went to pick it up and Rambo took exception. I separated them pretty easily before and damage was done and put the Kong inside so neither of them could play with it. Naughty boys.

My very own home grown tomatoes

I had dug the hole for the next raised bed yesterday so all I had to do was finish that off and build the frame around it, then fill with manure and soil, plant, and start the next. It isn't that easy though and while I can't fully remember if I managed to get the whole thing done before lunch (I don't think I did) I do remember being pretty exhausted when I sat down to my salad. It is all salad at the moment as I attempt to eat my way through the cucumber mountain in my fridge. What did make the lunch exciting however was the addition of a couple of tomatoes fresh picked off my plants and still warm from the sun. Amazingly tasty.

Broken clouds, and Sally working

After my lunch I put my gloves on to get back to work and Bekir asked me to go to the builders merchant to get more nails as they had completely run out. He came with and we dropped down the hill, bought what we needed, he popped to his brother's place next door for new work trousers, and then we headed back up so he could carry on his work and I could do mine.

Ralf resting in the shade

I went back outside and finished the first planting then made a start on the second. The men were also back at work and had nearly finished the duskat on this side of the roof. I was working hard, getting sweaty, and enjoying myself but also taking regular breaks. It was now a little warmer as the sun was breaking through and it had moved round so the trees were no longer shading me. Ralf was still pegged out in the normal place and he had found a patch of shade to sleep in. I did give him a bowl of water but he kept tipping it out so he could use the tub as a toy. Strange animal. He also at one point ran round and round a tree and got himself trapped; I had to pick him up and unwind him, much to the amusement of the men on the roof.

Big smile on the window fitter

The eagle eyed amongst you will have noticed, tucked behind Julian, another van. This is the window fitters as they had arrived mid afternoon to fit the window and door, put the glass in the small windows, and put the glass in the bottom of the balcony door. They were cracking on without really needing my input but I did disturb them a couple of times for pictures. Standard, really.

Now there are four

While they were finishing off the fitting I completed the forth and final raised bed. This has been hard work but I am really pleased with them; they aren't identical or perfect but they are rustic and they look well in place. Now I just have to hope the trees flourish and provide me with loads of olives. My task tomorrow is to finally finish off the Tortoise enclosure with the metal gratings in permanent position, and a removable netting frame so I can get in to water them, and get them out if I need. After this I am planning a number more raised beds, each one much taller than the tree ones, and with old windows on hinges so they act as cold boxes too.

They are so comfortable up here

I went up onto the roof to find out what was happening as I hadn't been up there much so far today. The planking on the new roof was complete, done, svirshi, and they were starting to take apart the next section of the roof. This is a part which Bekir and Sally had temporarily fixed last year to stop it all collapsing over winter. It was thus quite easy for them to take the wood out (they were saving this and Bekir was even saving the nails that weren't bent; I like this guy) but I was most amused at the ease with which they clamber around on the roof. I would be frozen in panic.

This will be the doors to the terrace

I took the opportunity to take a photograph looking through the new roof as it is now; there will be a door and windows in this end wall eventually, and Bekir is going to put reinforced concrete uprights at each big beam to make sure it is as solid as possible, so we can have fully glass if we choose.

New back door

Around this time I had a call from the UK and then, just as it ended, the window men came to say goodbye. I was hanging up anyway so I followed them downstairs and found that the back door has another action on it; this one you have to engage by lifting the handle before you can lock it. To be honest this is a really solid feeling unit and I am pretty happy with it.

In his patch of sun

Ralf has been very chilled out while on his lead; he is used to it now and in the afternoon has the habit of finding a patch of sunlight to sleep in. This is what greets me whenever I go out of Room 13 on whatever mission I have set myself. In the morning he is asleep on the bottom step up to the roof and the afternoon in this patch of sunlight.

Spider on Rambo's back

With the window men gone I went to let Rambo out and as he ran towards the door I saw something crawling on his lower back. It was a spider, and a pretty large nasty looking one at that. I snapped a very quick picture then flicked it off him using a sliver of wood that was on the floor. He hadn't even noticed it obviously as he is so observant.

It makes me sick, they sit on the edge like that

As I came back round I could see that the progress on the roof was pretty impressive and Sally was now sat right at the end pulling the tiles up, as Orhan and Bekir worked at the planks. It was a well oiled machine and as you can see Sally was very cheerful up there.

Hungry birds

I can't remember why now but I went out to the bedroom at some point and was greeted, as I entered the living room, by a chorus of tweets from the nest in there. Where I had thought that the chicks were dead (a bad smell over the weekend) it turns out I was wrong. Not only was the smell gone, but there were three hungry mouths insisting on being fed and they appeared whenever I squeaked the door or, thankfully for my picture, whenever the camera flash went. I took a fair few false shots before I got this I can tell you.

Orhan fixing himself, Bekir and Sally working away

I popped upstairs, told the men to not come down for a bit, then went and had a shower and I can't TELL you how much better I felt after. The mobile shop had come today and Orhan had gone to get a melon which, mid afternoon, we ate on the roof and I had been covered in juice. I went up to let them know I was done and found a minor problem; Orhan had stood on a nail and was bleeding everywhere. I grabbed the first aid kit from Julian and he put some plasters on, put his bloody shoe back on, and got back to it.

That one was too far to stretch for

Most of the tiles were easily in reach and Bekir was able to lift them and pass them down to Sally who was inside and stacking the good ones, or lobbing the bad into the waste pile. There were a couple that were right down on the edge over the dodgy bit of the roof and I missed Bekir retrieving the first and the second was too far out even for him to risk. I thought of the rake which was up there to help them move rubbish and passed it out and he was able to use it to hook and pull the tile to a safe distance. Clever.

Huge storm on its way

It wasn't long after this that it was time for the men to leave and you'll have to take this is the current state of play as I don't have any other pictures (you'll see why in a minute). Sally joked that it would be "one more day" until the whole roof was done which caused a fair amount of amusement. Anyway, the boys were put away and I tidied and sorted a few things while I waited for the men and then we headed off. As we dropped down my hill the clouds opposite were amazing and I think I would have stopped and taken the picture even with the men in. I drove fast both ways to try and get back before it had all moved and as I got close it was clear that the storm approaching was a pretty huge one.

Magnificent detail in the clouds

As I came up the hill I was able to give my kmet a lift who told me his son had had to go to hospital as his temperature was so high; a virus of some sort. I really hope he is OK. I parked up and ran upstairs to get my camera and took a number of photographs from the balcony. The storm was approaching fast and even as I stood there I could feel some raindrops.

I returned to Room 13 to grab the phone so I could shoot a video as the wind was starting to get quite high (a bit concerning what with the roof above Room 13 partially deconstructed. It is an impressive sight as one of these bears down on you. The main part of the storm never actually hit us though a bit later it was quite heavy rain for a while but nothing has dripped onto me yet. It became too dark for me to get upstairs or outside for a final "end of day" picture so I'll snap that tomorrow morning.

Dinner was boiled potatoes with salad (more cucumber) and was very lovely indeed, even if I didn't put any cheese on it as I have just remembered. It is still rumbling thunder around, and there have been a few intermittent downpours as well, so hopefully this all blows over for tomorrow so the men can carry on working and making such excellent progress.