A hot and hard day

Today has been hot, much hotter than the previous days, and also the really strong winds have not blown which is a huge relief for me as they really bother me.

Settling down to some game time

We'll start with last night, however, as Angela and I got a game in which was great - it's always so hard to make time for this when you're tired or run down but it's ALWAYS worth while when we do.

Bekir fits the handle in place

Looking at the chain link

Welding nuts into place

The nut is welding snugly in place

Pushing the metal rod through - hard slow work

The gate is in place

The second gate is nearly done here

So today was a very long and very difficult day for the men with the heat and also the task they ended up doing. Basically they finished fitting the handle to the gate, now the paint was dry, then started looking into the chain link and decided to do a really good job so they headed down and bought some nuts then spent ages welding them in place around each of the panels. With that done they then laboriously attached the chain link to the nuts by pushing a length of rod through the nuts and the chain link; this required them to bend and twist the fencing to allow it to run through. It really did take a long time however the results are great and now that door is complete. To put it into perspective they did the other gate, using a less secure method (but then it won't get nearly as much use) in the last hour of the day so now all the gates are done. Of course the task that I expected them to do isn't however the job they've done on that main gate is really solid.

The frog on the side of the pool

Rosie swimming to me

Temperature in the shade

Today has been a double pool day for both Angela and I; we went in at lunch time which was epic and then after work/school again. Both the frogs were on the side of the pool today as well, so I put them back in the tree. It really has been a lovely warm day, that is the temperature in the shade on the balcony.

So there it is; another day done. Thanks for reading, back tomorrow.

Grandma goes home, and sink installation

As often happens this is going to be a super long update, and as I sit here starting it, late, I'm knackered. Oh well. Onwards.

Early morning pile on with everyone

Buds are starting to appear

Grandma on our little picnic

Rosie laying down on the rug

Xena with the heavy ball

Trimming trees 

Rosie found some flowers

Going back to Saturday it was a lovely family day with lots of time outside. The morning was taken up with a trip to the vet with Xena, and then stopping for some shopping on the way back. It was such a lovely day that we had a picnic on the grass for lunch and then stayed outside the rest of the time, I was trimming some trees with the pruning saw and Rosie got to swing a bit with grandma pushing. She also found some flowers that were just coming up and we did a bit of hide and seek. Xena was having a lot of fun with Louise, and Thelma was barking at her kong.

Rosie helping to mow, with her bubble mower

I do love mowing the lawn

Rosie all bandaged after stubbing her toe

The moon rises through drifting clouds

In the afternoon I dragged the lawnmower out to do a section of the front that was starting to get a bit lush and Rosie was determined to help so she got her bubble lawn mower out and pushed it around lots. After that Grandma took her to play in the sand while I finished up. Later on Rosie stubbed her toe a bit but after she'd finished with her play bandages you'd have thought she was Little Miss Bump! The moonrise on Saturday night was something special and I got a picture to show Rosie as she loves the moon. It was a great day from beginning to end.

Early morning on Sunday

Just a little over frozen

Rosie with the Little Lady and her granddaughter

A mess of spikey branches

Now nicely trimmed back

Louise and Xena on the top bank

Just finishing up the mowing

Sunday started off bright but was forecast rain (though in the end it was only cloudy and didn't rain). Grandma was going to make me some crumble so we dug out the frozen fruit from the old freezer that I think is honestly on its last legs now. Mid morning we headed over to the neighbours for coffee and second breakfast and had a lovely time before we headed back home and Angela took Rosie and Grandma to the shops while I got the mower and pruning saw out again. I did most of the back bank with the mower and trimmed down the saplings at the bottom of my favourite tree and finished up just as they got back. I'm very close to buying a ride on mower to help keep on top of all of this more easily.

Grandma and Rosie bounce

Making crumble for me

The final bedtime story with Grandma of the visit

The afternoon was nap time and after that Rosie took Grandma on her trampoline and they were bouncing together for absolutely ages while I sat on the swinging chair and enjoyed watching and laughing along with them. After this Grandma went into the kitchen and made me the crumbles while Angela cooked an amazing roast dinner. At the end of the day only Grandma would do for reading bedtime stories as it was the last night before she would go home.

Lovely crumble for my breakfast

Angela paints the wall in Rosie's bedroom

Sat in the lovely warm sun for my lunch

Just getting onto the pass

Having a really lovely dinner

Saying goodbye at departures

Xena very happy to see me

Monday started with crumble for breakfast and it was lovely. While Rosie was at school Angela completed painting the shapes on Rosie's wall (she loved them!) and the day was so glorious I sat outside on the patio to eat my lunch and it was great. All too soon it was time to take mum to the airport. Rosie was sad she couldn't come with us and The Little Lady came over to say goodbye as well. The drive was very easy and we took lots of pictures to show Rosie including one of my giving her a thumbs up. We reached the restaurant in plenty of time and had a lovely relaxed and tasty meal before it was time for me to drive her round the corner to the actual airport. A hug, a kiss and a selfie and she went in and I headed home. When I got back I was mauled for about ten minutes by Xena who was super pleased to see me. It was very sad to see Mum go as the visit has been superb.

Rosie misses her grandma

A lovely sky this morning

Tiles piled out of the way

A long drill bit for this job

Halil sticking the metal through

Final violent exit point

Lump hammer to the rescue

Neat pipework

Boiler hung on the wall

Lots of water down these steps

And so finally we reach today. Rosie said morning to Grandma via picture and then headed off to school. It was a lovely morning though the forecast was for very heavy rain. The men were back in today and got stuck in to the fitting of a sink in the workshop. First off they cleared away the tiles and put them into the storage area under the stairs and then they headed out and bought a new drill bit that was nearly long enough to go through the wall but not quite. After first of all starting to drill in the wrong place they measured and put a hole in the right place but then had to resort to a length of metal and a lump hammer to break through the last few cm. With this done it was tidying up, then fitting the drain and then drilling another hole this time to take the water into the workshop. By the time I headed out to go and meet Lyuben the architect the boiler was in place and it was a really good day of progress. The threatened thunder and rain hit late in the afternoon and it was torrential in town. I did manage to pick up a unit that the sink can sit in, however.

So there it is; that was a long update! I should be back tomorrow; thanks for reading.

Been too busy to blog

After all my good intentions of blogging every night this week I got into bed every night realising that I had completely forgotten to do an update. I have been working very hard on my website (if you are interested you can click here, though it is not yet open for registrations) and every minute I've had at my desk has been devoted to that.

Saturday morning is here, however, after working until 2.30am or so this morning I got a lay in until about 8 and have just had bacon and eggs and I'm feeling like a New Man. I've not got all that many pics and will sweep through this quickly as we are heading out in an hour.

Tuesday

Pink and blue for the morning

Mesut ensuring his levels are right (they were)

Painting wood stain on lots of planks

Mesut approaching the end of the basic tiling

Tuesday dawned red and bright and stayed glorious and warm all day - I think it was up about 28 degrees inside. Amazing for October 30th. The awesome weather also supported some amazing progress as Mesut flew through the tiling in what will be the Tool Room (and my airbrush booth) and Bekir was getting set with the bezir on the wooden boards. I took some time away from my desk to help out with this which was great - I like to get involved as I'm sure you've noticed. All in all it was a very pleasing day. We also headed over to the garage to collect Thomas and were told that everything had been changed, all the fluids etc - all set for winter.

Wednesday

Pre-dawn colours

Sun appears for the day

It was another glorious start to Wednesday, though with fog in the valley this morning. 

Leaking Thomas

Coordinated wood-staining, with Rambo "helping"

Mesut contemplates the Final Tile

A collected the men and then we had a look at the oil leak she had spotted underneath Thomas and decided that he needed to go to the garage (having just come back from a full service - not cool). A was feeling pretty rough with a cold but insisted on going so I was left with Pat to head out and get some more bezir as we were running out. Of course the shop had now also run out so we bought their final stock and were told to come back the next day for more. Just as I arrived back A rang to say that Thomas was not well at all and it would take a fair while to fix him so I turned round and went and collected her. Not good news as we had Okhtay now working with us so Pat would have to transport three workers each way.

Starting to put up the scaffold

Mid way up

There it is

At the top

Taken down, moved, and being put back up

After lunch Bekri and Okhtay set to assembling the Scaffold in the first spot to begin putting the wood up under the eaves - they chose the most complicated and convoluted area to start with and it was quite a thing to watch how they managed it. I once again was left saying "there's something I will not ever do" but they are fearless. The completed the wood at that little bit and were half way through erecting the scaffold in the place, round the corner, when the day ended.

The edging really finished it off, and protects it as well

A makeshift bridge over the wet tiles

Caught by surprise by the camera

Grouting in progress

Mesut for his part was cracking on with the Tool Room. He put the 6cm lip up the walls in very quick time and then got started on the grouting. He made very creative use of the top of my little internal scaffold as a bridge over the most recently laid tiles by the door, to allow entry. By the end of the day about 1/3 of the floor had been grouted, as the final task of the room.

Doesn't look like the end of October, huh

Sad at being out on my own

It was OK - not great, though

It really had been a glorious and warm day however A had not been able to enjoy it at all as her cold was at its worst. I took myself out to the fast food place on the way back from dropping the men and had a lonely meal down there, but I did get to try something new out. Fortunately that marked the point where A started to recover and now she is all but completely better again, which is fantastic.

Thursday

A foggy and cold start

Louise cuddling on my shoulder

And then fast asleep

Warm enough for November 1st

We were up and about to collect the men when Bekir called with a family emergency and they weren't coming, which was far from being the worst thing for us as it was a day less to travel in Pat. It was a misty foggy start that ended up clearing into another absolutely cracking day, 24 degrees sat at my desk. A headed out for some reason and Louise did her parrot, and then they fell fast asleep to wait for her to get back. It was a day of me at my desk and A recovering still from her cold.

Friday 

Cool and damp start

Friday again was a cooler start and it stayed overcast and foggy for quite a while before clearing later, though reluctantly.

Three man job getting these bits up

Okhtay clambers up

Meh - it'll do :o

Hammering up the beams

Large ladder and makeshift outriggers

Working into the evening gloaming

A collected the men and then headed off to do her shopping while I rushed around like a crazy person - it was such a busy day yesterday, and long. The men finished erecting the scaffold and set to fitting the boards. This was fiddly work with a lot of angle cutting needed but they made great progress and by the end of the day were mid way through the next dismantling and erection of scaffold, to go along the front of the building. To my great pleasure they had to bring the large ladder out of its storage so that purchase got another proof of its usefulness.

All the grouting done

Taking dust into his clean room

Tools storage

Damping the dust ready for sweeping

Cracking on still, into the dark

End of the day

Mesut finished all the grouting then spent some time cleaning it up, only for me to then tell him we had to shift all the dusty tools in there to clear the Men's Room. He also helped lift up the big units, one into the top corridor and one into the attic, which was hard enough work as they are very heavy. With the Men's Room cleared he damped the dust down, swept it out, and got stuck into tiling. By the end of the day he had made a good start in the final hour or so left to him.

Making stew for the freezer

Bottle Kill to end a hard working week

A had also been super busy and the final thing she did was make a large batch of stew for the freezer, and an awesome curry that we ate half of last night for our dinner when I got back from dropping the men. I was then up to my desk and at about 2am or so I finished this tiny drop of whisky to bottle kill this bottle and headed to bed.

Now I'm about to make us late so I'm going to dash; see you next time, thanks for reading.