Interlude

It has been a far longer interlude than planned, in more ways than one. I have over 350 pictures and videos taken since the last time but I'm going to just pick a few, do a short explanation of what has been happening, and then tomorrow the men are back and normal service can resume.

Bruce doing his thing

She's not scared to mix it with big kids

A storm approaches

Such a stunning red moon

Sat on the patio playing with chalks

One of the few tortoises we've seen this year

An incredibly vivid rainbow

Carefully positioning the Fairy House

So first of all, before Angela and Rosie headed off we had a lovely busy time. The pool was still up and we did swim a bit, but not as much as I wanted to, however Bruce the Pool Vac did arrive and proved to be a mixed success; I think with practice, and putting him in from when the pool opens rather than so late in the season, he'll do good. We went for lunch at our favourite restaurant and Rosie had a great time in the park particularly bouncing with the big kids. There were storms and an amazing moonrise and we drew on the patio with play chalks and saw a tortoise and then there was the most amazing rainbow and made sure the fairy house was well positioned but all too soon Angela and Rosie climbed into her car and they drove off to the airpot for a planned two week holiday back at her parents.

Cleared the weeds next to the path

A seriously lovely day

Gammon egg and chips; dinner of kings

Spud towers gone

Emptying fifty cubic meters of water

Another stunning start

Labourious pool process

The trampoline for Rosie is up

Patio cleared (and rained on)

I got stuck in to my alone time with a list of jobs I wanted to achieve around the place before Angela got back. The first was one I've been looking at for ages - clearing the weeds by the front path. It did not take long, though I was COVERED in burrs - I've actually thrown away the old clothes I was wearing they were so bad. The weather was lovely for a while and on the whole while I've fed myself well, though I have taken my book down to the fast food place a few times which has also been nice. Another task was to clear the spud towers as we look to make that into a nice plantable area and then I began the very difficult task of taking the pool down. It took a long time to empty completely and then was really hard work to fold and pack (as you can tell from how spread out these pictures are) but I did get it all done eventually and The Other Brother helped me carry it inside just before that rain. Oh and I bought and assembled the trampoline for Rosie on the balcony - I cannot wait for her to see it!

For various reasons Angela's return has been delayed by two weeks which has been very tough on both of us, finally she is very nearly home as I type this. This has meant that I've got more to show you about being alone than I expected.

Thelma's amazing shitty neck

The shed for the generator

The woodpecker did this!

Missing Mummy

Snuggled up for warmth

Thelma returning her ring

Thelma returning her kong

Moon behind the clouds

A beautiful Black Satin spider

Raised in a defensive posture

Such a beautiful sunset

A really messy attic

What is this insect?

Collecting leaves for the toilet

So... there are the pictures, and here is a very quick run down of what has occurred. Thelma got an incredible shitty neck, but it cleaned up quickly. I ordered a small shed to put the generator into and it arrived really quickly and went together pretty well - it was very very hot work though. I then got The Other Brother to help me lift the heavy generator into the shelter. I have been fighting woodpeckers all the time, and they have done some seriously terrible damage to the insulation which will need fixing. Thelma and Louise have both been missing Angela and Rosie, at least as much as I have, and they have, and the weather has been up and down though cooler at night and recently very much warmer during the day. I have spent as much time as I can playing with Thelma, throwing her kong and ring but not as much as I should have done. The puppies have woken me early a few times, but the benefit is seeing beautiful moonlight behind clouds. Another thing that happened the other way was this amazing spider came to visit - it turns out that it is actually poisonous and it also disappeared so that was interesting. The other night was the most amazing sunset, just stunning, that I spent ages photographing from the roof terrace. Talking of the roof I actually finally got into the attic to start tidying it which was a mission and I barely scratched the surface. And so to today, with Angela and Rosie on their way finally, I saw two beautiful bees (or insects of some sort anyway) around the flowers while I was raking up leaves.

So there you are; it's so good to know they are nearly home and I can't wait to welcome them back, and tomorrow to get the men back and the tasks done that are desperate, like chopping firewood and fixing the roof terrace leak and repairing the downpipe that blew off in a strong wind, will be great.

Thanks for reading.

Toilet electrics, and the sign

It's been a good weekend, and today has been a good day. I'm exhausted, however, so I'm going to try and get through this update as quickly as possible; being outside almost all day is very tiring indeed.

Beautiful sunrise on Saturday

Rosie speaking to the birds

Climbing up the back part of the land to the bench

Awesome green hunstman spider

Breakfast for a Sunday morning

And she is off again

Black beetle pottering around

Saturday was a glorious day; we were up and outside pretty much as soon as Rosie was awake (I think I may have had a lay in though) and spent most of the day outside. She was talking to the birds and running around all day. I moved her swing set to a different part of the lawn and a green huntsman spider ran out of the grass onto the plastic; very cool but also concerning as they can give a nasty nip. Sunday was also lovely and I cooked breakfast for us before it was time for the off again with Rosie. She does love being outside! The wildlife for today was this beetle that was pottering around near where we were sat. All in all it was an excellent and wonderful weekend. Unfortunately our plans for a BBQ failed due to wind and overcast in the evenings.

Rosie greets the men as they arrive

Bekir finds the cable for the power

The hole for the toilet will emerge here

Sad mummy and Rosie after the sting

Sally beginning to remove insulation

The (very very heavy) metal sign

The forecast had been for thunderstorms today however they did not happen which was good. We were sat outside when the men arrived and Rosie met them at the path. The task today was to start the actual fitting of the toilets and I was quite stressed about this process; they were not cheap and I do not want them to be done wrong. It turned out that today we didn't actually get to that step anyway. Bekir first of all found the location of the power line that goes to the chicken house and began splicing into it to get power for the toilets. Sally and Halil, meanwhile, went into the toilet and drilled out through for the vacuum line. It was around this time, as I was upstairs doing some video work, that I heard a ruckus and Rosie screaming and ran down to find that she had been stung on her finger; poor poppet. We extracted the sting and used TCP to clean the wound and then cuddled her loads while she calmed. She was a trooper and was happy again very quickly while the finger did not swell very much at all. One job we've had backed up for so long is the old School sign that Sally painted a few years back. Bekir was pretty much solo on the electrics for the toilet so I set Sally and Halil to trying to get this mounted, and also the lion mascot as well. The insulation there above the entrance was very thick so it took some working out for the fittings but Bekir and I went to the shop eventually and picked up a load of fixings while the other two carried on.

Rosie playing with her dump truck

The spider and the bee

Covered in pollen, but caught

Beautiful flowers on the lawn

I didn't just come back with fixings on that trip, however. The toy shop was open and I'd seen an awesome dump truck outside that I wanted for Rosie so today, what with the sting, I decided to get it for her and she loves it; she has played with it a lot this afternoon. We also had another chance to observe a green huntsman spider - having never seen one before now this is twice in two days. This time I saw the bee before I saw the spider and it was only on looking much more closely that I managed to spot the spider. I actually feel quite sad to see this, but everything has to eat. There are loads of flowers coming out now; the lawn will need mowing again at the end of the week probably but for now I'm loving the flowers that are growing there.

Sally cleaning the second securing point

Halil fixing in wood for brackets

Plaster over the top to finish

Path for the power

Bekir working while Rosie watches on

Power plastered over as well

To the men and Sally and Halil were doing well removing the insulation then securing wood in the gap to which they will be able to bolt the sign. It is hugely heavy, as I can attest as I was applying metal varnish today and had to pick it up on my own, so having very secure fixing points is a really good idea. They ended up by applying plaster over the top of the wood to weather proof and protect it; this should be ready to  be attached tomorrow. Bekir spent the day doing electrics which isn't his speediest task but he has embraced the safe way of doing things that we like; he even turned off the supply to do the splicing! He chased out a channel for the cable to the distribution unit in the sheds, and also put a line over so we can have lights by the wood shed which is brilliant. He then worked to fit the distribution unit and while he was doing that Sally plastered over the cables so tomorrow they can paint this and it'll be done. Rosie was, as always, fascinated and having been outside so much she was really involved in the work today.

Now the wind is up and the cloud is over and the forecast storms may hit so we may not have men tomorrow anyway but we shall see.

Thanks for reading.