Things starting to get done again

After the pain of writing the blog update last time after too long between updates I've decided to jump on and do a, hopefully, shorter one today. I did expect to have more to show today however as is common in Bulgaria things haven't all worked out to plan. Anyway, onwards.

Showing off my diorama

I've not done a lot of modeling in the last few days but I have got a couple of showing off pictures to put on here. I'm so pleased with the way my models are looking.

The burial mounds stand among dead trees

The track is used but irregularly, however elves keep a close watch

Two elves wait by the stream - watching

Weathered white stones still guard the burial mounds

Some more painting completed as well

First of all I finished off the forested area diorama with home made trees, home made flock for grass, my first ever attempt at using static grass (harder than I expected actually but I'll get used to it I'm sure) and some white stones from the garden put in as markers for the entry to the barrows. I was so pleased that I posed a couple of miniatures on the scene before I took photographs. The bulk of the rest of my modeling time has been taken up with painting some of the models I bought pre-made but unpainted. I'm using new techniques I've picked up from watching YouTube videos and am finding they work much better than my old methods. I've also made a test model of a castle wall and experimented with polyfilla as a layer to add structural integrity to the polystyrene and it seems to have worked very well. No pictures of that, though. Not yet.

Around and about the house

As I have mentioned I have a list of tasks to complete now that I am home and not doing any paid work for a bit. The list includes digging out the coal shed which has been put on hold until my cold and cough is completely cleared, sorting the grey water out into a reed bed and doing the electric work into Room 13. As Bekir and Sally are maybe coming back in a week or so and we want them to plaster and finish in Room 13 as a priority I have to do all of the electrical work in there this week.

Sorting DVDs

DVD storage attached to the wall and filled

I first of all completed the job in the nook of getting the DVD storage fitted and then together we sorted and stacked the DVDs away. This room has really come together and now we are just waiting for the curtain rail to arrive that I ordered last week so we can hang our curtains and it'll be complete. We have watched a few films and are finding that it is a much cosier and more comfortable experience over watching TV in the Living Room and also are so happy with it that we think the small downstairs room at the end, previously slated for a TV room, may not be needed and we can put our exercise equipment in there.

Room 13 before being decluttered

Only my desk left in the room

Our temporary home for a bit

A dug up a huge grub that was then given to the chickens

The recent rain has brought a tinge of green to the land

Chucking manure onto the empty bed

Digging the trench for another raised bed

Chickens having a good scratch at the newly dug earth

I was supposed to start Room 13, on Monday, however I woke up on Friday with a bit of a mission head on and so in the morning A and I cleared everything out of the room to make way for the work. Our desks are now downstairs in the kitchen, which is where I'm sat now, and I was ready for work well ahead of schedule. Having done that clearing out I then went into the garden to join A who was taking advantage of some lovely clear weather to get one of the vegetable beds dug out, and manure dug into it. I set myself the task of digging out the trench for another raised bed. This one we are not going to fill with soil yet but use as a nursery section for seed trays which will benefit from being under glass. It wasn't too bad digging in that area, though I have found that two of our pick axes have gone missing, but once finished it was time for a brew sat on the porch in the warm sun watching the chickens scratching at my freshly dug soil and pushing a lot of it back into the trench.

A lot of foam removed from around the pipes and cables

Network cable comes through the wall

It ends up in the nook

A getting fuel into the chainsaw

Saturday was another day in Room 13 and also downstairs as I was running the network cable from the router down into the nook and also putting another cable into the roof for use later. I was able to shave the expanding foam around the existing holes in the walls and use a long narrow drill bit to push through and avoid having to use a power tool at all which was great as the holes are occupied by water and power already. I also removed as much of the pipework around the sink as possible and now I'm wishing I could turn the water off to it and remove it completely but that will have to wait for Bekir. A was far from idle while I was doing this and got loads of chainsawing done and now we're really starting to see a dent appear in the wood we saved from the land last year. I managed to get the network cable terminated into a wall end plate at each end and plugged my laptop in and it worked first time which was awesome.

Garlic in a raised bed

Seeds beginning to germinate

Careful not to drop anyway

Planting the germinated seeds into trays

Sunday was a quieter day, as it should be, but A did out into the garden to plant out the garlic in a raised bed. We also inspected her seeds that had been put on damp paper towel in boxes in the window and found that a load of them had already started to put out roots and shoots. Today she has split out the seeds that are ready and planted them in trays that are on window shelves around the downstairs where it is being kept warm by the fires. Hopefully these will be able to go into the new raised bed when it is finished off.

Today was supposed to be a really exciting day as our new builders were due to come and start sorting out the Men's Room and the little room at the back however after setting an alarm to make sure we were awake for them unfortunately no one showed up and we found out a bit later that there was a family illness so the helper couldn't make it. Hopefully this will not delay us very much. I did get a fair amount done today including removing the now unused circuit breakers in the main box, running the armoured cable through the roof into Room 13 and wiring it into the upstairs distribution box and also, with A's help, marking out with chalk where we want to channel the walls for our lights, switches and plugs. Tomorrow I will be getting the drill and using the hammer function to cut these all in. I have just phoned our new builder and it doesn't sound like he will be in tomorrow either so the alarm has been turned off - a relief I can tell you.

Other things

And so we come near the end of another update and have a few random photographs of other stuff just to finish off.

Little shoes made by A

Hazy hills on the drive back

Really interesting cloud formation

A cold morning on Thursday

Thursday's moon, clear in day

The sun came up in a blaze of gold

The Super Moon is waning

After a foggy start the sun burns through

Good night, лека нощ

First of all is a pair of little booties that A knitted as a gift for SandS's little one, Indy. We took them over yesterday, with some gloves she made as well, and they just about fit though he is growing fast. It really was a lovely visit and it's always so inspiring to see what they have done to their school - it's a beautiful home. The drive back was lovely as well with such gorgeous views and as A was driving I could snap a few pictures out of the window. Stunning. Talking of which we've had some good sunrises and sunsets and also the remainder of the Super Moon which has allowed for a few good pictures.

A superb roast duck with plum sauce, mash and chard

Just about to get stuck in

A small roast pork Sunday dinner

The open fire looking really lovely

Love spuds

On the food front it has been a good week. A made the most astounding roast duck with plum sauce (using plums harvested and frozen a while back) and swiss chard that we grew thinking it was rhubarb and it was so tasty. Last night it was my turn to cook and I did a roast pork with super super super crackling, accompanied by cauliflower cheese made by A that was also super super super and we ate it in front of the open fire. I cooked a heart shaped spud I found when I was shopping and we each got a half. How romantic.

Louise wanting a tummy rub

Thelma enjoying the fire with me

Watching a film with the puppies

And last but by no means least we have the puppies. They have been lovely as usual and playful as always. Louise wants to be loved, Thelma just wants her ball thrown. It's awesome as we store their toys in a cupboard under the sink and every day Thelma goes into the cupboard and choses her toy and then, a bit before bed time, she says good night to it and happily wags her tail and goes to relax. Such intelligent puppies. If you want to continue thinking they are intelligent do NOT watch the video, though :D

So there you are. Here's to getting workmen back in and having a good week in Room 13. I'll be back when I've got more to show you.