Ondolin

I almost forgot about writing the blog this evening; I've just finished watching The Fifth Element and wow what a funny film. Anyway, let's get to this update.

Xena checks out the view

Beautiful autumn colours

First of all this morning which was bright and sunny and autumnal. Xena has taken to standing on the windowsill in Room 13 and looking out of the window; she loves climbing. I had to check what she saw and then get a picture myself; a beautiful view.

Profiling the wood to fit into the undulations

Radio Veselina and Radio Etno all day

Securing the metal edging into place

Halil brings back the windows I put up the top bank

Splitting the windows down

Final metal edging trimmed to length

The men arrived on time and told me about their day yesterday. Long time readers will remember (maybe) the difficulty I had registering Julian in Bulgaria. Well they had a huge mission yesterday involving lots of rushing around to different places and having to get Julian past the preglet (road safety test - and honestly it says something about that test when I tell you that he passed!) and they did manage in the end to get the registration done. I'm not surprised they weren't able to get here to work. They did crack on very well today. First of all they spent some time working out how to use the wooden strips to secure the Ondolin best (and they had brought themselves a music system which they played all day which is cool). With their plans made for the strips Bekir went up onto the roof and fitted the rest of the metal edging while Halil split the windows into kindling, then took Thomas onto the back bank and brought back the windows I'd taken up the other day. He then split all these as well.

Working out the gaps

Tidying up the scraps

Making a form for the gap

Splitting more logs

Lots of strips secured in place

Absolutely full of wood

Bekir got started on setting out the strips at the correct distance to hold the ondolin in place very securely. He was measuring each one carefully to make sure they were perfect. Meanwhile Halil got stuck into cleaning up a load of the wooden offcuts which will make very good starting wood for the fire this winter. He then went and made a form for Bekir to use to help position each strip without having to measure - they really are very creative in making these quick tools to help with repetitive tasks. After that he was out with the axe splitting more fire wood. We really did buy a lot of firewood this year! Bekir kept on with the stripping and then worked out how much overlap each ondolin sheet would have. They are going to silicon between each sheet as well to prevent water seepage. Halil then loaded his car right to the top with wood. While I was stood on the roof and he was showing how much he had fitted the handbrake started to give and the car was rolling down the slope towards the Green Building. He was able, fortunately, to jump in and steer it onto the flat. I hope they got home ok!

Pump it up

Salad and "tsigareni byuretsi"

Sliver of moon in the dusk

I decided to take myself out for dinner tonight after a busy day of my own and first topped up the air in one of Thomas' tyres that Halil saw was a bit low. It was nice to go and eat a salad and read my book in our favourite restaurant and when I got back the sky was so beautiful I stopped at the gate to take a picture. And then I watched the film and now I'm writing this update.

So there it is; thanks for reading and back on Monday.

Maisie goes to the doctor

Today once again has been baking hot and glorious and I took half of it to actually do some stuff in the garden rather than sit behind my desk which was much needed. Anyway, let's get to it...

Thin strips just to fill the gaps

Maisie goes to the doctor

Bekir setting out the roofing felt

More supplies (I drove VERY slowly)

Fast asleep in the sun

Xena sleeping on the sofa

The men again dropped past the shop on the way in to get a few bits and pieces and when they arrived were straight to work on the roof. Bekir was filling in the last few scraps of gap up near the wall with the hardboard. We rang the mechanic about Maisie who said to bring her over and so just after 9 Halil drove off to deliver her. He would be gone all day! Bekir cracked on alone first of all focusing on the roofing felt and just about lunch time we found we were a little short so headed down to the shop to buy some more, and also some more wooden strips which will hold the felt down. The puppies were barely inside today but when they were they slept at my feet in the sun.

Can barely even get in the building

Hay is to the left; inaccessible

A load of empty window frames for burning

Corridor is cleared a bit

Now we can get to our hay

So as I said after lunch I decided to get stuck in to clearing out the green building some. The problem is that now we have the chickens and ducks we need to get to the pile of hay in here and it had become so overwhelming stuffed with rubbish that was very difficult. I set to steadily and filled three wheelbarrows with broken glass and other assorted rubbish that I took up to our wheeled bin in the village, and also shifted a Thomas-load of window frames to the bonfire gap on the back bank before Bekir suggested that he'd break them up and take them home with him. It is far from done, there's so much more to move, but at least now we can get to our hay. We will have to buy a few bales from next year probably as this hay is our own that we cut MANY years ago on the front lawn that we now mow short all the time.

Bekir treating the wooden strip

Metal edging applied at the front

While I was working in their Bekir was spreading out the remaining strips of roofing felt and then starting on the process of securing it in place. First of all he nailed some wooden strips down the edge of the roof then painted them with wood treatment to help them last and finally secured some of the metal edging over the top. We are getting really close to "roof finished" now which is very exciting.

It was past 5pm before Halil finally got back to the bus station and I went to collect him; his experience with the buses sounded very similar to mine last week. At least Maisie is now somewhere to get repaired, though. Anyway, there's that. Thanks for reading - back tomorrow.

Boarding done

It's been another baking day today, lovely and warm all day, and the men have cracked on rightly, getting a few more tasks completed as they went.

You do not often see these two getting on so well

Bekir and Halil setting a gutter board in place

Bekir nails the board in place

The first sheet of hardboard is fixed in place

Last night I decided to watch a film (Troy, if you're interested) and it was nice to chill on the sofa with the puppies. Thelma and Xena even ended up snuggling which is very rare indeed. This morning the men were a little late in as they headed to the shop to pick up some short nails with hide heads to secure the hardboard and then they spent a bit of time fitting and securing the gutter boards into place on all three sides. With this done it was time to start in on the hardboard and this went very fast.

Ducks swimming in their (green) pond

Getting to the end of the boarding process

Bekir works on the drain pipes and guttering

The first run of roofing felt is down

At lunch time I hung some washing out and refilled the duck pond, with the ducks in it looking very pleased with themselves. They haven't laid an egg for days, though, so they had better get back to it! On the roof Bekir and Halil had completed the board and after that they moved on to fitting the drain pipes. This didn't take long and before the end of the day the first run of roofing felt was rolled out across the roof and they are well set for tomorrow to complete that and then maybe even start on the ondolin roofing material.

So there it is; another day and good progress. Thanks for reading, back tomorrow.

Carrying on with the car port

Another day of progress and warmth (it is so warm right now, I think it was getting towards 30 degrees over the weekend and today). Let's get to the update.

Saturday sunrise, and a lovely day it was

Xena giving me a toothy grin

Dippy Duck Eggs, and they were great

Filling the watering can from the rainwater

A Sunday Roast, and half a bottle of beer

Looking down on the car port

The weekend was very much me recovering from last week and the travelling and all the emotions. I didn't do much other than several loads of washing, some shopping, and sleeping. It was a beautiful weekend, though, and I got to have some dippy duck eggs on Sunday morning for breakfast. The water was very low pressure so I ended up doing the watering in the garden with a watering can from the rain collection container and this was a very successful experiment so even though the water is back on, I did the same today. Dinner was a lovely roast chicken and then after I pulled the washing in I decided to pop and get a picture of the progress from a slightly different angle. It's looking great.

Long wood hanging out of Thomas

The wood is lifted up and attached

Halil breaking his back on the wood treatment

Bekir adds two nails per plank

A long handle made this job much easier

Trimming the edges with the chainsaw

Today was a day of progress and visits to the shops. First thing the men went out to get more wood and other bits and pieces while they waited for the roof to dry from the dew overnight. When they got back Bekir fitted the extra beams to the underside of the planks while Halil got back into painting the wood treatment all over. Bekir was both screwing and nailing these new beams in place as they are there to prevent the boards from lifting in the strong winds that we get here. They headed out again later on to get more materials, and also we had a delivery of hardboard (we really struggled to find a supplier for this) and the end of the day saw all the treating finished and Bekir making good progress on tidying the edges ready for the decorative shuttering to be affixed.

So there it is; another day done and progress is good. They may be onto the hardboard tomorrow I think! Exciting. Thanks for reading, back tomorrow.