Lots of gardening then tap tap

We're back, a day later than expected as the men had work at their homes to do yesterday. Onwards, to a longer than usual update probably.

Rosie waters her flower

Heading down to help Daddy gardening

Doesn't look much but it is a huge improvement

Trimmed in the orchard as well

Saturday was the first day of summer, properly, as a lovely wonderfully hot day. It started off with Rosie doing her chores watering her plant (and I was admiring just how well the ventilator was turning even though the breeze was almost non-existent) and then Angela went shopping while I looked after Rosie and she was such a good girl. We went for walks around the land and I took my sickle and cut down overgrowth by the side of the driveway starting near the gate, and then up underneath the tea trees but it was here that she decided I should stop so she sat on me. It was just lovely indeed. Later on we had an awesome call with my mum and sister, this time we sat on the balcony, and then in the afternoon I again took the sickle but this time I went into the orchard and started to unearth the trees that were in a lot of places actually shorter than the weeds. The bad weather really has prevented me from getting out to do my gardening chores but now it is hot I'm back to it with a vengeance.

Rosie helping plant the new flowers in the teapot planters

Helping to water once again

In place, and looking marvellous

More clearing by the driveway

The lawn had grown a bit

Took ages but it looks amazing again

Night sky

Sunday was another scorcher and we were outside for a lot of it again. First thing Angela got the window ledges cleaned off and then planted out three new flowers into the teapot planters she had found - they are awesome and I really wanted one to fill in the hole and make a proper brew in. Maybe another time. With the flowers in place Rosie helped to water them and then they were put on the ledges where she now loves to point at them and say "cuppa tea!" which is officially her first words. So proud. I did some more clearing of high weeds down by the driveway and then got the lawnmower out to tackle the jungle below the green building where I didn't get to finish up last time I cut because we had so many weeks of rain. It was very long and that was a long hard task but once it was complete, just before dinner, I felt so satisfied. That evening I caught the very end of the sunset with the moon bright in the sky. It was glorious.

Cutting a lot of weeds

Tree revealed

Rosie helps with the paddling pool inflatables

Before and after I cut the weeds

My tool of choice

Visitors at the pool

Spider with an awesome pattern with a bee

Out for a kebab and loving it

Two searchlights from the set sun

Monday was again warm and lovely but after I had done a load of work in the orchard, clearing out more trees from their undergrowth, I had the dreaded call from Bekir saying the men weren't working. First thing we moved Rosie's paddling pool up from the garden and put it on the platform for our big pool, so I could get the grass mown later in the day. We had visitors with The Little Lady and her grandson coming over to see Rosie, which was lovely. While they were over I started on mowing the lawn until it was time for us to go for lunch. While I was pottering around I saw a spider that had just caught a bee inside one of the courgette flowers. We had planned a trip to town for lunch and so that is what we did, going to the kebab place where this time we sat outside and enjoyed the warmth of the day. I popped in to see Dincher and then we took a lovely walk back through the park, where Rosie made lots of friends, to the car and then onwards to get insulation to put under our big pool. That was the task for the evening, to get the big pool sat on the insulation and start filling it.but we didn't finish it as we found that a pipe was leaking so a job for Angela to go shopping on Tuesday morning. I got almost all the rest of the lawn mowed but left the middle bit for Tuesday. The sunset was amazing, I went onto the roof terrace with the big camera to get this shot.

The sun rises on another day

Sally starts the long task of chiselling the old mortar

Halil also gets stuck in

On a trip to the builder's merchant

A very neat job of cutting the tiles to fit

Heat pad and two pumps - I took one out

Bekir sticking the tiles down

Sally cleaning up around the step

And so to today. I did more clearing in the orchard first thing as it was another glorious day and I love working in the heat. The men were on time today and got stuck in to the next task at hand which was to clean up where they had lifted the tiles for fitting the columns and then fit new tiles back in place. Angela headed out early to town for the swimming pool stuff while I went with Bekir and Rosie to the builder's merchant to get the roofing tiles ordered for the balcony roof. When we got back it was a full day of "tap tap" as Sally and Halil cleaned up for Bekir to follow round and measure and cut the tiles very neatly to go back down. This job is not entirely finished as of now but it is close. Tomorrow that'll be done and hopefully the tiles will get delivered so they can crack straight on. The main pool was filled through the morning and today Rosie and I have had all the fun in there, she's gone from not wanting to let go of me to walking around in the deep pool on her own and even floating a bit with my help. I think while it is hot we'll be in that pool a lot and she may well get quite confident and capable in water which would be ace. I've also today finished the lawn mowing so we'll see when I have to do it next; maybe with the weather now becoming summer it won't grow quite so fast.

I was supposed to be starting back to work tomorrow but I'm still waiting to hear about it so I think that it may well be delayed now. We shall see. Thanks for reading.

Better Ventilation

Another week done, and we enter the weekend and tonight I have a whisky night with some UK friends so I'm going to power through this update before I go have some fun.

Low clouds in the late evening

Sun behind clouds

Working in the roof space, welding reinforcement

Red hot weld

Bekir securing the other beam

Bekir fixes some more securing screws in place

Last night I caught an awesome shot of the sky late in the evening on the back bank; the weather was really glowering and it did rain again. This morning we were treated to a cloudy start but the sun did try to come through. I was busy with hobby stuff as I had forgotten about my whisky night and the men arrived while we were having breakfast together. Their first task was to go into the roof and finish securing the beams with Sally welding a huge amount - it was glowing red hot. Bekir was working on the lower beam fixing plates in and then they later on carried a load of cement up and fixed it all in place. I haven't got pictures since the cementing, though, as I was busy at the time and then forgot until just now. Once the men had finished in the roof Bekir did a little extra strengthening on the decorative roof edging.

Sally on the roof, Bekir filling the hole

Softening the pipe so it can be stretched

Bekir about to remove the old ventilator

After this it was to the main task of the morning and early afternoon - Bekir worked on filling in the holes left in the side of the house from the outer two beams (he did this one on the front, and also the one on the back but we still have damage inside to the bedroom to be repaired while Sally was on the roof cutting and hacking to allow for the toilet ventilation pipe to protrude through above the roof. While I was out watching I saw the eagle circling again (as it happens I've just seen it now while on the roof terrace taking the final picture for this blog) so I got a very bad video of it. A bit later Bekir and Halil were working on a length of plastic pipe that will go above the existing one. They use fire to soften the plastic then Bekir wiggled another short length of pipe inside to widen it so it can fit over another pipe. Even later on Bekir was up the ladder trying to remove the old ventilator and then a sudden downpour occurred which sent us all running for cover.

Sally putting the tiles back in place around the new pipe

After that downpour, and before another two or three that came through, the new pipe and ventilator was fitted down through the hole and it is now up there spinning away nicely. If this doesn't resolve the issues I've had then I'll be totally rethinking the toilets and going for a complete redesign. I do hope that it does work out how it is now as it'll not be quick to do my new idea but if I get rid of the reservoir then I no longer have to have a fan running 24/7 and we'll be even greener.

Water running into our covered area from the rest of the balcony

Halil chiselling out for the step

Simple wooden shuttering

Cement being poured

The downpours we had in the afternoon proved the roof but highlighted that the gap for the door was allowing a lot of water to run through. We wanted to have a step here, for this reason, so I got Bekir and Halil (after a bit of tidying up) to put a 5cm high step. When we get our doorway in there'll be more of a lintel there as well so this should keep rain and snow from bothering us. This was the last thing they worked on and next week they'll be putting the tiles back down, fixing the light fitting, and then maybe moving on to the next job which is the rest of the balcony.

We spent quite a bit of time on the balcony today with Rosie and it really is going to be used more now we have the roof on. We will probably be ordering the roof tiles next week as I am starting work on Wednesday I think, and also we're going to think very much more seriously about the windows as with those in place we will have a fantastic place for Rosie to play in the shade but still be outside. It won't be cheap, but it'll be worth it.

Sunset to end the week

I'll leave you with this lovely photograph taken just as I started writing the blog - a lovely sunset to end the day. Now. Whisky.

Bits and Pieces

Today has been a bits and pieces kind of day and I'm late starting as we went out for our tea. Onwards, while I have the energy! Today is a day I was very tempted to leave the blog unwritten :D

Lovely foggy start to the day

Bekir grinding off the end of the beam

Sally shaping a plug

Bekir hammering it home

Rosie waves as Bekir comes to see her

Showing Rosie the huge ladder

I was up early with Rosie, earlier than I wished, but she was in good enough form early on. It was a foggy start that rolled in but then burned off quickly again when the men were here. They were picking up the last bits of the roof today, firstly making some wooden plugs for the ends of the big beams so they could easily fix the decorative boards along that edge. Angela took Rosie into the pool first thing while I did some hobbying then it was my turn to look after her and after milk we spent time on the balcony and Bekir borrowed her (so did Halil actually) and she ran around enjoying seeing everything.

The balcony panoramic view

This next picture does deserve a paragraph all on its own. Today I sat there with Rosie, and then later Angela and I both sat there with Rosie, over lunch, and I want to say that while I was a little nervous that this addition would detract from the balcony it really hasn't; it's just so lovely, a really really good job. I'm very pleased indeed!

Touching up scratches in the paint

Securing the beams inside the roof

Cement mix

The men were now done on the actually balcony roof and so I went with Bekir to pick up more cement and then this was mixed and, after some welding was done to really reinforce the beams going into the roof space, to fill the gaps in the wall. The roof is now fully secure. Tomorrow there'll be a little tidying to do there and then the downpipes will go on the balcony, some more finishing is to be done like the damage to our bedroom wall, and then it's on to the next job before the roof tiles are ordered and fitted. At the end of the day, before we went out, we were delayed a bit by the borehole man coming to have a look and give a quote. Now we have to think about if and when we're going to have one. While we were waiting I saw an ant dragging some dinner along - they are incredible huh.

Out for a family meal

So to this evening. We went out to celebrate my new job and had a lovely meal at a favourite destination. Rosie was full of beans and prompted a lot of smiles, even from some teenage girls there on a birthday party. It was a great time and we should really get out more often like that.

There you are; blog done. I'll see you all tomorrow - thanks for reading.