The last frost (hopefully)

So I'm back again and, unusually, on schedule. I'm hoping this one'll be another short update so I can get on with finishing off some modelling I've been doing late this afternoon so here goes; let's see what I can do.

Our Sunday night film; and a corker it is too

The clouds clear away early in the morning

Bekir fitting LED lights

The old school light fittings to be cleaned up

Final platform for the final reservoir

Yulhan getting to the end of the plastering

After the success of Thelma and Louise we had another film on Sunday night and I chose Desperado, another of my favourite films. It was on my mind because I'd been thinking about the opening scene with Steve Buscemi all day (those of you who know the film will know what I mean) and seeing it again didn't disappoint. Monday morning it was a real shock when the alarm went off after the clocks changing and to be awake before the sun came up by an alarm was hardly welcome. No matter it had to be done and A went for the men as Monday isn't a working day for her. It had been a really miserable start to the day but when she got back the clouds were lifting and it ended up being beautiful with none of the forecast rain. Bekir was working in the twin room doing the final fit of electrics and I got involved in making a start cleaning up the old light fittings as we have two going in there to match the double room. Sally was working on the platform for the final reservoir in the housing next to the woodshed while Yulhan was finishing off the plastering, moving around Bekir.

A scrubbing the floor and appreciating me taking pictures of her

Louise is banned from the inside

Our new mat for the kitchen door

Thelma and Louise deadlocked on a stick

Sally taking apart the door he made for the vestibule last year

A new door frame from the old door

A was on a bit of a mission to clean the kitchen, now that the work in there was completed, and it was looking absolutely wonderful once she finished. I cannot remember for the life of me what I did yesterday so you'll just have to presume I sat around and did nothing, pretty standard really. The puppies were banned from the kitchen and I did do a bit of guard duty preventing them getting in. Eventually they went onto the patio and played together which was nice. Sally, having completed the brick work for the reservoir base, moved to making the first of four doors for these little houses. It isn't really his comfort zone but he got stuck in and made use of materials left over from other projects and did his usual superb job.

A sewing a patch on the hole in this cushion

Louise stood under the huge purple plant

Sally makes his door

Mixing up a very dry mix for the twin room floor

Starting to make a level for the floor

Getting the rest of it covered over

Set up for a quick 20 minute game

With the kitchen lovely and clean A then went on to fixing up the cushion that goes on the swinging chair and she got her sewing machine out and did a fantastic job on it. There was some frustration as it is a very thick thing to sew through but she succeeded. Sally was putting together the door, having created the frame, and then got distracted into assisting to make a very dry mix up to go on the floor of the twin room. Bekir finished off the lights and then Yulhan was in spreading the mix while Sally brought it up to him. In the evening after eating a very nice chili we played a quick game of SBG, using trees that I have made for scenery, and then settled and read and chilled until an early night.

Frost on the front lawn

Below freezing once again

A tiny squirt of water gets through the ice

Bekir up the huge ladder (not extended)

Twin room floor lovely and level

The forecast was for it to be very cold last night and it wasn't wrong; there was quite a frost when we got up and it took me a fair while to clear the car, breaking the scraper in the process. Fortunately I'd covered over the seedlings with cloches and they had done fine, though the hosepipe was frozen and the plastic adaptor on the tap had broken. Today was an exciting day for another reason as me and Bekir dragged the HUGE ladder out of storage where it has sat since last summer and we worked out how to use it. We managed to extend it and he went up to take down the old drainpipes but then couldn't work out how to get it back down and we figured it out together. There is a problem, in that the outriggers have been put on backwards, but that is fixable. It is super sturdy and safe and maybe I'll feel comfortable going up it. Maybe. While this excitement was occurring A was busy pickling some more cabbage for our summer BBQs and salads and Yulhan was finishing off the dry mix in the twin room.

Lots of pipes for the drainage and rain capture work

Yulhan getting his tiling done

Bekir starts on the pipes for the balcony

The first door is hung

After their morning coffee I headed out to the shops with Bekir to get stuff for the drainage and collect some post. This turned into an epic trip which meant we didn't get back until after lunch. In the large builders shop in town we were just about to pay when all the power went and the till turned off; fortunately their system is networked and the sale was still accessible from another till which magically had power. In fact it was ONLY our till that lost power. Anyway we bought everything we needed and headed home. Yulhan had begun the tiling and was cracking on making great progress and Bekir did a few bits and pieces before starting on the pipe work for the drainage off the balcony. My big SDS drill had, once again, been taken to the menders so hopefully Bekir will remember his tomorrow to do the main pipes. Sally was cracking on with the doors and got the first one hung and made a lot of progress towards his second before the end of the day.

Lots of tree and hedges ready for use

Bases for the fir trees

Dinner on the roof terrace

A really beautiful view

Today I've had a bit of a lazy day again, feeling quite lethargic at times, but after lazing on the sofa with a book after lunch I dragged myself up and got to doing things. I have finished off the path, putting another four wheelbarrows of stones on there after it settled with the rain and it's much better. I then found a modelling mojo and cracked on with a few things that have been sat on my desk for ages. Tonight I hope to complete these and get them ready so we can game with them. Dinner was a lovely salad that we took onto the roof terrace and what a lovely place to eat our dinner that is. A is now reading on the sofa behind me while Thelma harasses her with her toy and Louise sleeps at her feet.

Time for me to publish this and get over to my hobbying bench. Cheers for reading, as always.