She's back

There is quite a substantial spoiler in the title of this update. For that I apologise. It's also delayed a day as yesterday she DID come back and I wasn't about to spend any time sat at my desk typing away, even for you lovely people. But here I am, sat in Room 13 with the sun streaming in after a very productive day aiming to get this done before taking the men; we'll see if I achieve this.

Sun rise through early morning clouds

The duck pond is perfectly filled

Cleaning out the petchka pipes

Sally working, and the sun is out

Bekir rounding the desk corner off

Putting stop taps under the sink

So back to Monday and it dawned a beautiful day. I had decided the night before to just refill the duck pond without scraping it out and had left the water running over night; it was JUST topping off when I got up and went to let the chickens out so that was excellent timing. I was really productive before leaving for the men as I wanted to get lots done today in preparation for A returning on Tuesday. I took the petchka pipes for Room 13 out and gave them a good clean and they needed it. When I arrived at the men's village, however, Bekir came over looking surprised that I was there and he had totally misunderstood my call to ask Ennis to not work; he'd thought I meant them all. Fortunately he was in the cafe with Sally and after a few minutes they were both in the car and coming to work; if they couldn't have come it would have been a disaster! We were without Yulhan as well for the day but never mind. So Sally was straight on with his roofing task out in the warmth while Bekir got stuck in to sanding the edges of the workbench then fitting the cut off taps for the sink.

Bekir fitting the petchka pipes

Nook light goes up

He needed black cable for the Dining Room so he found some

Dining Room light looking lovely

Bekir tiling the splashback

The towel rail in the bathroom

Sally smiling as he works on the roof

The final task in Room 13 (or at least that's what I thought at the time; more on that later) was to put the pipes up and get the petchka plumbed in; it's still a bit cold in the mornings and the insulation is now keeping that temperature slightly more steady than before. We had come up with the idea of using chains to hold the pipe up as the wire that was being used broke when we took them down, and we need to take them down to clean them at least once a year. Bekir did his usual acrobatics on the step ladder and, with only a few crashes when the whole lot feel out of the back of the petchka, it was done. Successs. I then got Bekir to go into the Dining Room and Nook and finish of the work on the lights, as a surprise for A. The bulbs that we bought for the Dining Room Cartwheel Light are really warm and lovely; they glow rather than glare. I'm very pleased with them. To finish off an excellent day for Bekir he fitted all the tiles for the splash back in the kitchen and then, just before heading home, put up the two towel rails in the downstairs bathroom. Sally, for his part, just worked away as normal and the roof on the final reservoir housing was growing apace.

A really beautiful start to the Red Letter Day

Louise is excited and waiting for A to return

Rambo taking in the heat while I eat my breakfast

Bekir grouts the splashback in the kitchen

These old plugs are being removed

Tuesday I was once again up before the alarm and managed to capture a beautiful sunrise (I was running up and down stairs to grab the camera to get this shot). While I was on the way to the men I heard from A who was in a hotel in Sofia on her way back; so exciting that she was in the country finally! It was a beautiful day and Louise sensed the excitement as I tidied around the lounge, positioning herself on her lookout spot on window shelf. I did a small amount then set myself outside to eat my breakfast and Rambo came and proved that he is really chilling out by falling asleep at my feet. It didn't last for long but it was epic while it did. Bekir was in the kitchen again this time grouting the tiles and then he started swapping out the old plugs for all new ones that will be much more secure and safe. I had a list of things I really wanted to get finished before A got back and this was nearly the last one on it.

The Little Lady is so generous

Sally is always smiling as he works

Yulhan drills out for lighting supports

That done, Yulhan gets back to finishing the ceiling

Beautiful willow trees growing really well

I had a lovely gift from the Little Lady just around 11 when she came over with a plate of "eggy bread"; I ate one and left the other for A to have. Outside Sally was up his ladder as usual working away on the roof while in the twin room the ceiling was being worked on; he was putting a skim of concrete over the work he'd done last week and, after a prompt from Bekir, fixed some strong metal into the ceiling from which the central lights will be hung. When Yulhan had got in the car that morning he said something I didn't catch so when I was getting these pictures I asked him what he'd said. He replied that he had wished me a "happy haircut day"! I had groomed myself the day before in preparation for the grand return and the difference was obviously substantial. I wasn't sure whether to be flattered or a little concerned at how much of a mess I had become before. It really was a gorgeous day so I was able to take all the plants outside; those willows that A bought have come on so well; loads of green shoots and growth.

Thelma and Rambo enjoying the sun

Louise also relaxing in the sun

She was very playful

It got too hot so she went to find shade

Health and Safety; pah!

The sockets are being fitted fast

After eating the lovely eggy bread I headed into town to collect some post and buy some flowers for A as a gift for her return; I wasn't able to find any nice cut flowers so bought a plant instead which, thinking about it, is even better. It was then time for me to just sit and relax and wait for the moment when I could leave to collect her. I was joined in this by all of our menagerie though the chickens didn't stay for a photoshoot. Inside Bekir was making good progress on the plugs though his method of using the electric from one plug socket while drilling out next to another was a little concerning. Happily there were no accidents and he was all but done on this by the time I put the puppies inside with him and headed towards the bus station to collect A.

The bedding storage I made a week ago

Her bus was dead on time and I was parked up waiting just outside when it arrived; it was SO lovely to see her again as it's felt like a really long trip away for me and her as well; we drove back quickly talking about what had gone on and then I had the huge pleasure of showing her all the progress that we have achieved while she was away; she got to see the newly tiled vestibule, the storage in there I'd made, the kitchen and new lights in the Dining Room and Nook, the towel rails in the bathroom, progress on the twin room and Room 13! So much has happened over the past ten or so days. She says her favourite thing is the racking and now I can show you a picture as I was holding it back from here so she didn't see it early.

Now Sally is a bricklayer

Cement on the walls to fill in the holes

All the walls and ceiling are primed

Room 13 now fully functional

A memorial drink

Sally had finished the wood work for now on the roof and was putting bricks between the joists to add strength. In the twin room Yulhan was putting the last of the cement on the walls, where he'd removed the blackboard. He then got the grunt (primer) out and began putting this on the walls and when I went to check this morning before collecting them I was surprised to find that he had completed this entire task before leaving. Amazing. It was a really lovely evening which we spent eating a steak with spicy wedges on the side which I cooked (A did the sweetcorn and they were awesome too) and then we went into Room 13, lit the fire for a bit, and enjoyed being in there. We also had a small whisky each as our friend was cremated during the day and it's what he requested. He will be missed.

Making sure the grunt doesn't damage anything in the area

Bekir paints it on and leaves it to dry for a few hours

The next humanure collection point is done

Black pea seeds

A planting them out

And so we get to today and there's a chance I'll achieve my target of finishing before the men go home but I need to speed up. I mentioned earlier that my thought that Room 13 was complete was mistaken and now you'll find out why; I did some washing up in my sink and splashed onto the painted walls by accident, making me realise I need a splash back in there too. First thing Bekir and Yulhan masked off and painted the grunt on the walls in preparation for putting some tiles up. With A back, and the sun out, it was time for me to start getting back into doing stuff around the place and the first thing I chose was the new humanure collection point. Initially I was going to built it with wood but when I saw a few old doors piled up in the Green Building I pulled them out and made it really quickly. A was also getting stuck in and planted some more peas into the old spud tower bed. She was planting out, and also took Ennis (who was back today) up the hill a few times to empty Thomas while I was busy with other things which was a real help.

Sally putting more wood on the roof

I'm digging again, just like I was three years ago

The path has been dug out; now to put sand and stones down

Extra wiring for the guest room

Bekir suggesting an improvement to the splashback

The splashback in all its glory

I didn't get that many pictures as I was working away myself but Sally was really cracking on today with the roof. Having done the beams and the bricks he returned to woodworking and hammered all the "duskat" into place. I was on a mission and decided that a good idea was to dig out the rest of the path ready for sand, plastic and stones to go down. It was lovely and hot and I changed into shorts for this task which I actually completed today, though when I started I thought it might not be done until tomorrow. After that I was tired and rested though. Inside Bekir was doing the wiring for the double room light that is being added, to allow a light near the doorway, and then got stuck into the tiling for the splash back; he suggested a really nice arrangement of tiles that would accommodate the width while adding style; we agreed and he has put them on the wall already. They look wicked.

Sally putting the final piece in place

Cutting the sheet of MDF

Now the waterproofing is going on

Plastering in the Twin Room

Bekir tidying up the electric points

Since then Sally has completed the duskat on the roof, fixed the next layer of MDF in place and right now is putting the tar waterproofing layer on; what a star. In the twin room Yulhan has almost finished doing the first plastering layer and Bekir is down in the kitchen tidying up and finishing off the open junction boxes that had been left high on the walls; look at how careful he is being about dust! He has a box and is catching it before it falls. Brilliant. A has just left to take the final trip up the hill with Ennis and it is nearly time for me to get myself together and drive the men home. Tonight is the first BBQ of the year which A will be in charge of while I go; you'll see about that, though, in the next update as I'm wrapping this one up now.

Thanks for reading, if you got this far.