OMG this has been the most exhausting Saturday because with John's birthday tomorrow we had so much we needed to get done so that he could sit down for five minutes and enjoy at least part of it. No kidding but we were up and working by 7.00am which is barely daylight these days.
Along with the chorus from the bee-eaters which reminds us that Summer is coming to an end we now have the return of the goats/sheep/shoats/geep and with them come the ticks unfortunately as they seem to shed them passing through the field next door and the cats then pick them up. I don't feel guilty about chucking garden waste over the wall because I know they will eat and enjoy it.
We were awaiting a delivery of 'Triplex' type stuff which we are going to use to provide a second inner skin to the conservatory roof instead of having my makeshift voile blinds (complete with insect collection). This stuff is expensive over here so we had waited until we could afford the grand it was going to cost for all the materials and then John was going to install it himself along with Santa's little helper (me) who, as you know, has the attention span of a goldfish, cannot preempt John's requirements and is too short/weak to be a decent part IV. Had I ever had to work with John in a previous life then I don't think for one minute we would have married!!! We had tears and tantrums today (and that was just from John) before we started to make progress. We could not afford to make any errors as this would have proved just too costly so it was measure 3 million times and cut once.
Here we are very nearly completed but with a conundrum as to how best to join the long stretch from the bedroom to the kitchen without it looking naff. We sorted it eventually but not entirely to John's liking so Mark II join will be installed shortly. This was incredibly hot work although we are hopeful that now it is installed it will provide better insulation and keep it cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter - time will tell but it looks better and that is good.
John's attention was then turned to the back wall and the woodburner. He had hoped to get the remainder of the wall painted but to be honest we were knackered so he did manage to get the tiles at the back of the woodburner in place and they are much more in keeping with the stove than the previous ones. He says he is going to get up early tomorrow to get it done but it is his birthday and that isn't the way he should be spending it.
It was with some relief that Di and Rob called in on their way back from shopping because it forced us to stop for a minute and have a chat. They came bearing gifts for tomorrow which is kind of them. The Bobster is busy being Tour Guide next week and plans to take Pat and Chris to the lovely church in Pachyamos and as luck would have it Argy's mum Kia had been this week and brought me back the guide book in English. I smiled because it is dated 1997 so over 20 years old but the photographs of the church then are fascinating as it stands in splendid isolation whereas now it is surrounded by mature trees. The miracles will remain unchanged though and the explanations regarding the rather gruesome murals where the saints are being crucified upside down.
The new roof in the Conservatory necessitated a major clean and a rearrangement of the furniture - this is very cathartic and makes all the blood (not so much), sweat (quite a lot) and tears (quite a few) all worthwhile. John has declared that, for now, there is nothing left we can do to make the conservatory any more comfortable although I think there is always a chance that we will think of something!!!
Along with the chorus from the bee-eaters which reminds us that Summer is coming to an end we now have the return of the goats/sheep/shoats/geep and with them come the ticks unfortunately as they seem to shed them passing through the field next door and the cats then pick them up. I don't feel guilty about chucking garden waste over the wall because I know they will eat and enjoy it.
We were awaiting a delivery of 'Triplex' type stuff which we are going to use to provide a second inner skin to the conservatory roof instead of having my makeshift voile blinds (complete with insect collection). This stuff is expensive over here so we had waited until we could afford the grand it was going to cost for all the materials and then John was going to install it himself along with Santa's little helper (me) who, as you know, has the attention span of a goldfish, cannot preempt John's requirements and is too short/weak to be a decent part IV. Had I ever had to work with John in a previous life then I don't think for one minute we would have married!!! We had tears and tantrums today (and that was just from John) before we started to make progress. We could not afford to make any errors as this would have proved just too costly so it was measure 3 million times and cut once.
Here we are very nearly completed but with a conundrum as to how best to join the long stretch from the bedroom to the kitchen without it looking naff. We sorted it eventually but not entirely to John's liking so Mark II join will be installed shortly. This was incredibly hot work although we are hopeful that now it is installed it will provide better insulation and keep it cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter - time will tell but it looks better and that is good.
It was with some relief that Di and Rob called in on their way back from shopping because it forced us to stop for a minute and have a chat. They came bearing gifts for tomorrow which is kind of them. The Bobster is busy being Tour Guide next week and plans to take Pat and Chris to the lovely church in Pachyamos and as luck would have it Argy's mum Kia had been this week and brought me back the guide book in English. I smiled because it is dated 1997 so over 20 years old but the photographs of the church then are fascinating as it stands in splendid isolation whereas now it is surrounded by mature trees. The miracles will remain unchanged though and the explanations regarding the rather gruesome murals where the saints are being crucified upside down.
The new roof in the Conservatory necessitated a major clean and a rearrangement of the furniture - this is very cathartic and makes all the blood (not so much), sweat (quite a lot) and tears (quite a few) all worthwhile. John has declared that, for now, there is nothing left we can do to make the conservatory any more comfortable although I think there is always a chance that we will think of something!!!
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