10th April 2025 - And the shower works !

Thought for the day :"Everyone is beautiful, you just need different amounts of vodka to see it"

Dry

2025 : Wet 42 : Dry 57

Early start because we are running out of time!

And last night I discovered that I have a Royal Order of Scotland Meeting on Saturday in Penarth which will take me out of circulation for a whole day !!  But I have two candidates that have persuaded to attend and there is no one prepared for my part so I am really committed.

But today was a day to get the outside Kitchen sorted - and that starts with trying to get all the boxes out!!

 

Beer Garden to start 

Tunnel to Start 

Completed Kitchen area (so far)

But the Beer Garden now needs clearing

But Susie has re-packed all the Wade and we have sorted a few other cardboard boxes which will now be in better plastic and waterproof packing

A long day but successful - Mark cam up and tested the shower for leaks and 

helped with the connections - and it all works well!!   It is a nice shower !!

5 days and counting !!

I think that we will make it is time !

 Bluebells looking good 

In other news - found some old certificates from School 

Will leave them here for posterity 

Cheers !

9th April 2025 - And more in the lower quarter

Thought for the day :"I always thought orthopaedic shoes were overrated, but I stand corrected."

Dry

2025 : Wet 42 : Dry 56

Early start as Openreach engineer called to find out why we had no dial tone on the telephone but had limited Broadband.  We thought it may be the line across Moilyn's Farm but he found a break further down the line and got us running again.

When he put us back on line he was getting 40MB at the line but our current router was only showing 2MB.

Found some old routers and tried one at random and managed to get a decent return - of course it probably means that we will need to replace the router in due time but for the moment it just means that all our tek has had to have the internet connections changed including the TV.

Was a lovely chap and Susie showed him around the site while Chris turned up for a day's work so I was head down with him as we start clearing the lower quarter of all the brush and cleared the logs.

Hope he will be coming back at Easter with his 3 year old son for the Easter Egg hunt on Sunday.

Meanwhile - Chris started one of his famous fires and we cleared the back section. 

Getting there

Walkway completed and secured to the Drop toilet

New Log stores - as if we didn't have enough!

Clearing

Steps filled in - need some gravel or 25 to nil for the surface

 

Walkway done 

Managed to cut the grass as well 

Giraffes now secured with rebar.

And the blossom is out - view down the garden

Susie finished the cooking for the Belgians with the Cawl finished  so we had Cawl for dinner ourselves.  She also put up the shower curtain in the shower and planted her new ferns ...

And laid the floor panels for the Yurt lean-to .  To be honest we are both very tired !!

 

But I got the cooking pots down for the cooking and tomorrow is clearing the tunnel day and setting up the outside Kitchen

  

In other news - Cat let me have this picture 

Seems legit!!

Cheers !

8th April 2025 - Showers and Cooking

Thought for the day :"I'm suffering from mood poisoning. Must be something I hate"

Dry 

2025 : Wet 42 : Dry 55

After a quiet day yesterday it was time to get on again. We are down to 7 days and counting!

Off early to the dump to get the last of the dumpy bags of rubbish to the dump, and travelled  via Beulah for layers pellets and corn, Tesco for lamb stock for the Cawl, and a couple of leaks, and back home for a cuppa.

Then off to get a set of Pallets from SERBA c/o Sarah 

Meanwhile Susie had been doing more cooking - the Cawl in particular today as well as the last of the bolognaise.

We have done the sums and reckon that we can cater for everyone at £50 for the week including the expensive Fish and Chips outside catering on Friday.  That is for evening meal each day and breakfast,

but does not include snacks and lunches as we expect them to be travelling during the day visiting local sites.

My intention was to clear the tunnel for the kitchen but got caught up in Susie's plans for testing the Shower.    

And also took one of the barrels down to the springs to plant some flowers

Another busy day - but not as much achieved as I had hoped - 

7 days and counting!

Cheers !

7th April 2025 - and Breathe (and baby ducks)

Thought for the day :"The last thing grandpa said before he kicked the bucket? How far do you think I can kick this bucket."

Dry 
2025 : Wet 42 : Dry 54

Early road trip to Nancy with the Sand and cement and lime as they are extra to our requirement and she may be able to use in Narberth..

Dave went down to replace the lintels in the windows and found that they are actually sound and dry - so the issue is actually the replacement of the roof and the flat roof.  This is a mixed benefit - saves £5000 but costs £17,000 but at least it was a known future requirement. ZA proper roof now will dry the whole house so has to be a benefit ..

And back to ourselves, well by the time that I got back and picked up layers pellets and corn and some other stuff it was getting to the stage where it was turning into a more "chill" day ...

But we have baby ducks !!

Enough for one day 

Cheers !

 

6th April 2025 - And Finally the house is finished

Thought for the day :"When I have to go to the supermarket, I don’t mind the background music, it helps me focus on my Chopin Liszt."

Dry 

2025 : Wet 42 : Dry 53

Started work in August and the work on the house just seemed to go on for ever, but today we finally signed off the work on the house - and in fairness Dave also helped with more stuff in the garden 

but tomorrow we should have all the construction equipment away from the house and I can finish a few items such as pinning the fairy lights to the facia and tidying up some of the debris.

So it was an 8.30am start and Dave fitted the power wiring back to the pine end and sorted the down pipe for the guttering, and capped a few stones for me.  

Fitted the toilet seat into the Eco - toilet, connected some chicken wire under the flooring to ensure that no keys or phones drop into the loo, Susie fitted the toilet roll holder with the mobile phone shelf attached, and put in the hand sanitiser unit ( for hand sanitiser to make it clear)

We also added the hand rail to the second steps and put rebar into the giraffe stands to try to keep them upright..

While I then helped Charlie and Spot by loading the trailer with rubbish for the tip,  and then returning to accept a full trailer load of wood and plumbing items, including a length of land drain which should come in useful later in the year if we decide on land drains for the lower quarter,

Susie attacked the Yurt Lean-to and panelled both the loo area and the kitchenette area.

 

We have decided to get more pallets to put on the floor before installing the kitchen and basin from the trailer tent...

 

But a glorious and warn day with unbroken sun, and the garden is really reacting and blooming 

Yellow Azalea has been rescued last year 

First Rhododendron out

Lower Quarter pond will be developed - it is still filling up - needs a bridge 

Skunk Cabbage growing fast - it has doubled in size this week

 

And the Magnolia will be awesome 

And finally, the pond liner is ready to go down in the duck pond -this will be the "before" image

 

Another very long day - and both very tired 

Clive the Cockrel got the chop yesterday, attacked Susie one time too many and we can't risk him attacking the public...  So we have Chalmondy  (Pronounced Chumley)  instead - he is enjoying his new freedom.

Cheers !