Steel ordering day

Today I have been exhausted; entirely my fault as I stayed up too late last night painting miniatures and then was on early duty for Rosie so woken at 5.45. Still, I've been tired however it has been a very good day again.

Almost a wintry sky to greet me

Rosie greets the sheep

Cleared weeds around the spud towers

As I said I was up early with Rosie but she was very happily playing in her cot so I had time to make a cuppa and go out and check out the incredible sky before getting her up. There was a really cold wind blowing and the clouds around the sun looked like a huge storm had just passed, or was just dissipating. It took quite a while to warm up. I wrapped Rosie up and we went outside while waiting for Angela to have her well deserved lie in and when she did join us we stayed outside and I did some more weeding down by the path. The men arrived while we were out and were a little late today.

More trench digging

Bekir cleans up from the night before

Making sure they fit right

Finally laying the tiles

Pipework ongoing

The first jobs today were for Sally and Halil to work on the drainage from the toilet while Bekir cleaned up (having had a laugh at the puppy-prints) his work on the step from the night before and then cut and laid the tiles on the step. This took all morning, with other delays like the drill breaking which needed fixing, but by lunch we had a step that we had to avoid standing on as we went in and out.

About to finish the lawn mowing

Done what I can with the mower

Lovely bulbs

At lunch I dragged the lawnmower out and down to the drive and cut the grass next to the drive. I was suppose to get the strimmer out today as well and do the rest but I was just too tired and I'm glad I didn't; I've barely made it through today as it is. I also took a stroll up with Rosie to look at the lovely aliums that Angela planted next to the parking bay that are looking lovely right now.

Grouting in the porch

Filling in the trench

Drainage pipe cemented in place

As is the ventilation pipe

Bekir finishes off inside

After lunch I went into town with Bekir to go to the steel merchant to order the materials for the roof. It was a successful trip, though very hot as the temperature got up towards 30 degrees. All the steel we need will be delivered tomorrow and the price was pretty good so I'm happy. I've also picked up the materials to do the extension to the vine support so that may be done tomorrow, we'll see. After that steel visit we went to our normal supplier to get quotes for the other materials and then home to find that the grouting we had left Sally and Halil doing was still ongoing. It did not take long to complete and then the men finished up the drain pipe and covered it over, putting cement over the channel, and finally Sally and Halil cemented the rubber seal in place for the ventilation pipe. Bekir was doing some small finishing jobs in Rosie's room, such as grouting the new kitchen tiles and also he fitted the missing tiles around the doors, but I forgot to get a picture of that.

Searchlight sunset

I'll leave you with this bookend for the day; after the lovely, but cold, morning here is the sunset. Tomorrow is hopefully the day the porch is completed and the vine support is installed - the men are planning to take a few days off then and be back on Monday to start on the balcony.

I'm not sorry to have a short break as well. Thanks for reading.