A wonderful long weekend

 As the title of this update suggests it has been a lovely long weekend indeed. Sunny and very enjoyable, though not relaxing.

Rosie places a feather behind the fairy house

Such a lovely display

The vine is growing well again

Saturday is Daddy Day and I was up with Rosie, though Angela didn't end up having much of a lay in anyway. Rosie and I were in the garden early, playing "catch you" and she moved her fairy house to a new location and then started to collect feathers behind it. The garden really is slowly coming together; when we have the new raised beds done it'll be awesome but already Angela's flowers by the path look so stunning. Rosie and I played in the sandpit and she also helped me while I checked the vine and clipped up some of the new growth to encourage it along the right path. After her nap we got to play on the balcony again. It was a good day all round.

This sapling must go

Rubble dug out while removing the saplings

Tortoise garden starting to be removed

Hacked back the weeds here

The never ending mowing of lawns continues

Sunday is Mummy Day for Rosie and I did a small amount of hobbying but mostly was out in the garden. My first task was to take the pickaxe and remove a number of saplings that were growing in the wrong place, like really close to the house. This didn't take long and then I set to with the sickle and did a load of clearing around the entrance to the fenced garden. Rosie and Angela started trying to take the tortoise garden apart but it was too solid (go me, who built it 5 or 6 years ago) so then they went next door and I followed once I'd cleared even more by the gate out of the garden and behind the spud towers. It was very tiring indeed and I was very hot. After this I pulled the mower out, while Rosie was having her afternoon nap, and got the next section of the lawn mowed. While I was doing the first clearing of the day I unconvered a toad hidden in the undergrowth. After this video I covered him up and let him be. He'll keep down lots of pests, they are noisy but good to have around.

Rosie spreads her pizza around

Climbing the back bank

Tasty cheese (and pizza)

I was pretty exhausted and very hangry by the end of the day and Angela planned a lovely meal with shop bought pizza bases that we could build our own pizzas on. Rosie got completely involved as she added her tomato base, spread it around, and then scattered all the toppings for her own. She then helped build mine. While waiting for these to cook we went on a lovely walk around the village and up the back, as is traditional, and then it was time to sit on the balcony and eat (which I was VERY pleased about).

Halil shifts the last of the firewood

Rosie at the cement company

Lots of drainage

Hot hot today

Shifting the blocks

And so we get to today. It was a long weekend for me but the men worked the holiday, which is good. First thing this morning Halil finished off the moving of the wood from the outside woodstore and I went with Bekir (and Rosie, who insisted on coming with me, though I was going to take her anyway) to order the stones and cement for the patio. We got that resolved then went to the normal builder's merchant to get toilet pipe (it won't come until Wednesday) and to collect all the drains we've ordered. Lots and very expensive materials are going into this project. It was a very warm day today indeed. When we got back Bekir and Halil got stuck in to shifting the blocks that were stacked on the patio and these are now very neatly piled up by the green building.

Circling bird - what is it?

Halil starts to lift slabs

Quite a substantial stump I dug out

Continuing the trench

Burning  up the old cement bags

Front lawn all mowed

Lunch was on the balcony again and while we were eating a bird flew over that I couldn't identify. I only had my phone so the pictures and video are rubbish, but maybe one of you can help me with what it is? After lunch Rosie had her nap and I went outside to continue the mowing. Bekir and Halil were getting stuck in to digging trenches for the toilet pipes which was very hot and very hard work. I also did a bit of digging as I swung the pickaxe to lift roots and stumps as I came across them. Bekir made a little bonfire of the used up cement bags which was a good idea and I pushed on and got the whole of the front lawn mowed before needing to go in and rest. It is pretty hard work but so satisfying and worth while.

Digging in the hot sun

Rosie watches the tractor drive past

The trench extends towards the downstairs toilet

I rested after this and Bekir and Halil kept digging. What hard work it was for them today. They finished the trench that will bring the pipe from the upstairs toilet and then got started on the one going towards the downstairs. With the pipe being delayed we may have to delay the stone delivery due tomorrow but we shall see. After Rosie's nap I took her to the front lawn for a picnic on the rug and she was thrilled by a tractor that drove past down the side path - we don't see many of those type things around here. She also got to wave goodbye to Bekir and Halil, and wave at Hus and the White Car Driver from the farm. We did catch you and hide and seek and sandcastles (Angela got me to pour water onto the sandpit which made these much more successful) then it was dinner time and then Rosie bedtime.

Lovely sunset

I'll leave you with this sunset shot taken while writing this update.

Thanks for reading, as always.