Final cement pour

Another hot day here today, and the promised storm just gathered but never broke. Onwards with the pictures and words, however.

Sun rises and glistens on Maisie

Doctor Rosie checking my heart

Breaking up the old cement

Continuing to clear and tidy

Nasty flies on the inside of the fly screen

Nice and clear border

It was a glorious start to the day and I was at my desk early to get started working. I watched as the sun rose over the mountains, and Maisie, and then Rosie was awake so I went to spend time with her. She wanted to be Doctor Rosie so she treated me and checked my heart and then she did the same with Angela before heading to school. the workers arrived and got stuck in to tidying up the sides of the foundations while we waited for the cement truck to arrive. It was due at 10:30 but it didn't arrive so on they slogged through the heat. The other day Angela and I found lots of flies in the woodroom, hatching out of the wood it seems. I removed the flyscreen to let them out; nasty! By lunch time the cement truck had still not arrived but the men had pretty well finished tidying up this side of the foundations. Good effort in the heat, but I did give them an ice-lolly to help.

Here is the cement truck, finally

The pour goes on, messily

Mixing up more cement to finish the job

All the foundations are completed

After lunch finally the cement truck showed and I shot a video to show Rosie (but I've forgotten to show it to her so I'll have to remember tomorrow) and then helped a bit by grabbing a bucket so Halil could scoop the mix that missed the forms back in. It is always a hectic time when the cement is pouring and they were at it without a pause until the truck finally ran out. Once again there was not quite enough so my own mixer was pulled out and they were able to get the missed bits done and poured before the end of the day.

Cherries on the top branches

Mo at the emptying point. Again. And again

Rosie watering the flowers

Evening state of the back bank

The cherry tree has continued to produce some fruit and I picked a couple for Angela to try. After work I went down to get Mo out onto the top bank. The grass was so long that I was only able to do about half a circuit before the collection bag filled up and I had to empty it. This meant it took ages to get anything done and I haven't quite yet finished the entire thing. It is looking much better now, though. Rosie helped Angela with watering the raised beds and flowers after dinner while I did the washing up and now she's finally into bed so I can finish this up.

Well there you are; another day done. It's forecast to be another hot one tomorrow as well. Thanks for reading.

Weekend away then hot day

There was no update on Friday as I was away to visit a friend at lunch so this update covers Friday as well. Let's get cracking.

Metal covers back onto the drains

Back in the trench

Making the sections strong

Assembling a new raft

Halil digs the trench a bit deeper

First thing Friday morning Bekir fitted the drainage covers again the patio that we had lifted to deal with the toilet explosion. Then the men were back to the chicken enclosure, first of all finishing the top part with more shuttering, and they did have to use more of the new wood to do this last bit, then Halil was throwing the pickaxe to make the sloping bit up deeper before they put more wood up to surround that. The plan was for the cement truck to come on Monday.

Sat in the morning with a cuppa and a book

The game kicks off with Steve

Steve flicking a plane for Airflix

After lunch I jumped into Maisie and, despite getting slightly lost and almost going to Serbia, I reached my mate's Steve about 8pm and sat with him and his wife and chatted and ate a lovely pick-n-mix dinner before heading to bed. Saturday was earmarked for gaming and I was up early with a cuppa and my book waiting for Steve to join me. We had a great game, and his friend Alan came over and played as well, before we headed out for our dinner at a local bar that was very nice indeed. Sunday morning Steve and I played Airflix before I was back in the car to drive home. This time I didn't get lost. Maisie really proved herself for these long drives and was so comfortable! After dinner and Rosie bedtime I sat on the balcony reading and fell asleep on the recliner, though.

Bekir refines the strengthening

Throwing soil in to fill in some gaps

Halil is clearing away stones

A small fire, and a smooth bank

And so to the heat of today. It was a hot one indeed. Angela took Rosie to school and I have been working at my desk on the balcony all day. The men spent the first part of the day preparing for the cement wagon to arrive but then they had a call putting it off until tomorrow. This meant they switched to the other task, tidying up around the already poured foundations. They are doing a great job, clearing rubble and stones and raking it all over so it will be mowable when the grass grows. They also burned a load of rubbish during the day. Hopefully tomorrow the cement will arrive.

Rosie with her pew pew

Rosie with the flower she found

After work I got Mo out and did the front lawn before heading onto the back bank to check it out; it is too long to mow in places now so that's going to be a challenge for tomorrow. Rosie came home and we had a nice play time with her AK-47 before she helped me to do some clearing in the garden and then we found a lovely flower.

Angela is recovering from her illness, which battered both of us last week, thank goodness. It's really dragged on and has been a really horrible time for her :( She managed to get a load more stuff planted out over the weekend, while Rosie "helped" and played in the garden, so now the raised beds are looking really full and awesome! I'll get more pics of those tomorrow.

Thanks for reading.

Long retaining wall

We've finally reached the end of the day and what a busy day it has been. Let's get the update done as I've lots more to do after this as well.

The sun sets, from the roof terrace

It returns this morning, from the balcony

Burning brightly now

First of all some sky pictures, which I've not taken many of recently. Last night just after publishing the blog I caught a glimpse of the sun setting out the back window and ran at top speed to the roof terrace to get a picture and was only just in time. This morning when I woke the sun was just cresting the hills through the slight mist and haze but later on that had all burned off and it was glorious.

The men get started on the rest of the digging

Getting to the end of the trench finally

Starting to put the lengths in place

Bekir hammering a stake in

The storm cell looming

More stakes for security

A very straight back guide

Getting the wall to the right height

The men were in and back to the digging first thing, hoping to get all of that hard graft done before it got up to the forecast 30 degrees. It was very tough going and I'm quite frustrated that the digger didn't get this all done last year however it is what it is and we just have to roll with it now. With the trench dug to the stone all the way along they began the next task which is difficult as well; building the shuttering down the first side and getting it to be straight and upright and secure. While they were working away I could hear lots of rumbling and there was a huge storm coming our way. I got the washing in and there were a few spots of rain but it was actually only just now as Angela and Rosie were watering the garden that it did anything more at all. The rest of the day I was so busy and the men were working away building the back shuttering. Because of the extra digging task they will not be getting the mixer in tomorrow which is a shame but it'll only probably push it back to Monday or Tuesday next week.

Wild flower and Xena

I'll leave you with a picture of a flower on the back bank, these are returning now we're mowing again, and Xena stalking off to investigate a smell.

So there it is; one more day done. I will not be updating tomorrow however I will be back on Monday. Thanks for reading!

Unexpected digging

Thankfully today I've finally felt a whole lot better; Angela has still been quite under the weather but she is also on the mend. Rosie was again well enough to go to school.

Rosie eating an ice-cream

I had this picture to share yesterday but because it didn't download with the rest (it is one that Angela took) I completely forgot to include it. As yesterday was a national holiday Rosie was off school and Angela and her got out briefly in the morning, saw some of the festivities, and Rosie got an awesome ice cream and she ate it all, including the cone. Very awesome child!

Bekir and Halil start to remove the shuttering

Blurry spider in its web

Still hammering the shuttering off

Now starting to dig for stone

This storm rumbled and threatened, but passed

Digging and digging and digging

And so to today, having almost forgotten that picture AGAIN. It has been an overcast day most of the day today but that helped the men as they had some very tough jobs today. First of all removing the shuttering from around the cement which was very difficult as it is a deep trench there and they didn't have much access either side. I spotted a spider in its web while I was out with them briefly and tried to get a picture but it didn't come out great. Mid morning Lyuben our architect turned up with an English speaking friend to take measurements and pictures so he can draw the final plans and get quotes for the front wall replacement. It was very nice to see him. Once he had headed off it was back to work for me. Bekir and Halil, with the wood removed, were now onto another tough task and an unexpected one; we found that the trench at the top was not down to the bedrock and so they have spent all afternoon extending it to the correct depth. They're still not quite finished but it's not far off; this probably pushes the cement pour back until Monday at the earliest now though. Storm clouds were gathering through the afternoon but this one missed us, thankfully. 

A beautiful wild flower on the back bank

Our first fruits; two cherries

The train was moving as I took this picture

Rosie looking out from the roof terrace

After work and school I had some time outside with Rosie; we found a beautiful flower on a weed and then Halil gave us two cherries from out of the orchard! Awesome! Then it was time to go inside and downstairs and on the way Rosie insisted on running the train around the circuit and, against all my expectations, it worked!! We then went up onto the roof terrace for a little look and headed downstairs.

So there it is; another day. Thanks for reading.