Back to work

We were back to work today (including Laura - can't have her resting too much!).  Yesterday, Laura and I did the Sainsbury's/launderette thing in the morning and then Ben and Lucy called for a cuppa on their way home from Scotland in the afternoon.  Bob did a bit of pottering around work in the morning, like sorting out the extension reel we had been using for the hot air gun and hairdryers to thaw the pipes.  I can't remember if I said, but the outside electrics tripped at one point (that's in addition to the caravan circuit tripping!) and we narrowed it down to the extension cable.  He checked the plug and the wires were a bit loose so he thought that was it, but it wasn't.  So he checked the sockety bit on the reel - nothing obvious so he then decided to unwind the whole thing.   About half way through all the loops of cable were completely melted together!  Oops, guess it got a tad hot!  No doubt you are supposed to unwind the whole lot, but because we usually just use it for one drill or a couple of low-energy bulbs, we don't usually bother and didn't even think about it this time.  So, we now have a much shorter extension cable!

So, today's work has been to sort out the oak we picked up just before Christmas for the two outside doors.  We have a pile of planks of various widths so they needed sorting out to give something like the correct finished widths.  That done, Bob has been routing tongue and grooves into them to slot them together and next they will need sanding.  We found some little stained glass panels at a local salvage yard so we will put them in to give a bit more light in the kitchen and hall . . . . . just got to work out how you do that on a ledge and brace door.

While Bob has been woodworking, Laura and I put a coat of Danish Oil on all the oak beams, posts and purlins upstairs in the house.  They look tonnes better for that - not so dry and dusty as they did before - you can see the difference in this picture.  Oiling wood is a really nice job to do, really satisfying as you see the grain and colour come out as if by magic.  People of a certain age may remember Rupert Annuals in their Christmas stockings and they always had a magic painting page where you just paint over it with water and the colours appear by magic.  That is just what it is like putting oil on dry wood. 

Once that was done we got on with insulating the walls upstairs and managed to do the first layer on the bedroom walls.  Need to finish the roof insulation next and then we can put the next layer on the walls.  Then it'll be ready for plasterboard and that will seem like progress!

Right, better go now - we're off to the pub in the next village for a pizza and a pint - yum!

We've killed the houseplants!

Hope everyone had a great Christmas.  We had a lovely time at Carol and Graham's in Peterborough and saw most of the family.  Ben and Lucy came on Christmas Eve and stayed until midday on Christmas day and Mum and Dad were there for the day itself.  Too much to eat, too much to drink, a thorough warming up and luxuries like dry loo paper!  Bob and I both commented on how strange it seemed to be so out of touch with the outside temperature - it was strange to feel toasty warm and open the curtains to see the cars iced over and snow still on the ground!

Definitely back to earth with a bump when we got back here though!  Everything in the caravan was completely frozen.  I'm not sure the houseplants will survive - you know when a lettuce gets stuck at the back of the fridge, freezes and the leaves go see-through?  Well that's what the poor plants look like now!  The water in the loo was completely frozen solid and the shower head split because the water left in it froze.  So, first job was to switch on all the heaters, but that kept tripping the electrics and so we had to turn some off.  Then two hairdryers and the hot air gun on the pipes outside.  Luckily we got home while it was still light, but it was just about dark before we'd got the outside tap and stopcock thawed.  Phew, thank goodness for that . . . .  hold on, not so quick!  Still no water in the caravan - we've not had that problem before, so we moved the hot air squirting to the pipes that feed the van.  After three hours we gave up and filled a water carrier for drinking and a bucket for flushing (one flush between three of course, mmm, nice!) Before we went away, we attempted to drain the caravan pipes using the drain valves underneath, but there is obviously more to it than that and some water must have been left in the pipes.

At 7 o'clock this morning we heard the magical sound of water trickling into the toilet cistern - yeah! we thought, we don't have to do any more thawing out.  Intending to go straight back to bed, I got up to turn a tap on to flush the water through and get it flowing properly.  No need, I could hear water flowing in the kitchen . . . . . from the pipe under the water heater not the tap!!!  So, in just my nightie-T-shirt and spotty black bedsocks (it's a unique look!) I frantically mopped the water into the sink as fast as I could while Bob leapt into some jeans and legged it down to turn the stopcock off.  This meant we were in a worse state as we now had no water at all.  We had to melt snow to flush the loo! Luckily, after flooding the worktop the water had flowed down the hole where the pipes go through, filled up all the plates in the cupboard below then flowed again through the bottom hole where the pipe goes out under the caravan.  This did at least mean that the rest of the kitchen didn't get soaked and it was all contained in that one corner.  One of the plastic joints in the copper pipe had split, so all we needed was a new elbow joint . . . . on a Bank Holiday!  Why is it always a Bank Holiday?!  Luckily, one of the 'everything merchants' in town was open and we got the part quite easily - apparently, at just after 10am, Bob was the fifth person to go in for pipe fittings, so I guess a lot of people were in the same situation! 

Anyway, it was then very easy to fix and luckily there were no problems anywhere else.  Laura did a sterling job washing all the plates and cutlery to put back in the now dried out cupboard (it's one way to get the spring-cleaning done!) while I did a bodge-job fix on the shower head with silicone and gaffer tape (no-one's tried it yet!) and Bob re-taped all the lagging on the pipes.  All calm and back to normal again - and we all feel shattered!  So, after a walk round the block (oh, don't worry, I had got dressed earlier!) we came back to a warm, tidy caravan for a cuppa, christmas chocolate and a nap!  Now when I say warm caravan, that's by our standards - Laura is wrapped in a blanket hugging the heater!  Bless her, I bet she's wishing she hadn't come to stay!

The chickens were fine while we were away thanks to some very kind neighbours who called round twice a day with a flask of water, collected eggs and even fed them chopped up sprouts!

We have a new Christmas follower.  Now, I have a choice, this is either sister-in-law Annette, work friend Annette from 25 years ago (surely it's not that long ago!) or a complete stranger Annette  . . . . and I've just found out it's sister-in-law Annette and, yep, it's still exciting!

Happy Christmas to you!

Well, here we are back in the big freeze again, another morning with no water, snow and icicles everywhere and thick ice inside the windows.  Our neighbour with the min/max thermometer reported -16 on Sunday night and we can well believe it because it was still -10 at 9 o'clock in the morning (just a ridiculous temperature for daytime!).  Today has not been so bad, I didn't even have to thaw the windows with my hairdryer today!  We have not had any post for about a week, so apart from the few cards that arrived early we don't have any . . . . . . or maybe no-one's sent any!  Last year we went for about 10 days with no post and then it only arrived because a neighbour saw Pam the postie in the village, collected everyone's mail and delivered it for her.  Can't blame her really, it's OK for us to venture out on the icy, ungritted road now and then, but to be doing it all day must be a nightmare and last year she got stuck and so did the tractor that came to help her out!



The caravan version of a Christmas Tree

 We have actually had quite a nice few days in a very corny sort of way.  As well as getting on with insulating the roof, we went gathering holly and ivy from our little wood to decorate the caravan.  There was a hazy winter sun trying its best to break through, but just managing an apricot glow through the snow-laden branches - could have been a scene from one of Woolworth's cheapest Christmas cards!  Lovely though in real life.  On Friday afternoon, we set off after lunch to deliver a few cards to neighbours . . . . we didn't get back until 5.30pm!  We delivered a few then met one neighbour and stood in the middle of the road putting the world to rights for a while, then stopped for a coffee at the next while she arranged her holly and candles.  Then we walked across the snowy fields to another house, back across the fields and another cuppa in front of the last neighbour's woodburner.  All very nice, but thinking about it it does sound corny!  We were also invited out for tea and cakes on Monday afternoon and have an appointment for tea and mince pies somewhere else on Thursday afternoon - all very civilised! 

So, we are winding down for Christmas now.  Tomorrow we have to collect the oak for the two external doors in the morning and we are meeting Bob's Dad for a pub meal in the evening.  I have some festive cooking to do to take with us to my sister's on Christmas Eve and we will have to hire a jack hammer to dig up some leeks from the frozen garden to take too!!!  Then we have to try and sort the chickens out for the two days we'll be away.  I have bought them some corn cobs and a stalk of sprouts to hang up in their run as a treat.  The biggest worry is water - it just freezes over so quickly.  Neighbours (I'm going to have to introduce you to everyone sometime instead of just saying 'neighbours') are going to keep an eye on them and top up the food if necessary and last year they bought a flask of hot water round for them (bless 'em), so hopefully they'll be OK.  Talking of chickens, I forgot to tell you the big news!  Peggy has started laying - what a clever girl.  They are perfect miniature eggs and very brown.  No sign of any from Bonny yet, but I don't really blame her, I'd wait for warmer weather too I think.

So, I hope you all have a very Happy Christmas - drive carefully if you're driving and don't eat too much  . . . .  well only a bit too much!

Christmas shopping . . . . . aarrghh!

Ho, ho, ho!  I should now be feeling christmassey having had a mega Christmas day yesterday.  I was starting to feel a little panicky at the weekend having not done any Christmas shopping at all and hearing all sorts of people saying they'd just about finished!  So Bob and I went Christmas shopping on Monday . . . . well, we drove over to Stockport to collect out cast iron radiator which is our Christmas present to ourselves, so that was two presents done!  We had to go to the bank in town on the way home and managed to pick up another couple of things.  Then on Tuesday I booked a day off with the boss and went to Shrewsbury vowing not to return until I had got everything - and I managed it!  I really wasn't looking forward to it - you know, shopping is just not my thing at all.  That said, it wasn't tooooo bad.  I have to say, Shrewsbury is a much nicer place to shop than the places I used to go - Northampton, Peterborough and Milton Keynes.  Everyone always seemed so stressed there, pushing and shoving with grumpy shop assistants.  But there was a really nice atmoshpere in Shrewsbury, shop assistants were helpful and cheerful and other shoppers just seemed more friendly, holding doors open, smiling and joking - just much nicer.  Don't get me wrong, I still don't like shopping, it just wasn't as bad as it could have been.  I got home at about 4pm having popped into Oswestry to get a couple more bits and then I spent all evening wrapping it all up.  Phew, all done!

Yesterday, the last day before the return of the big freeze, we made more mortar and put the last two extractor fan vents in, then used up the rest of the mortar around the back boxes for sockets.  Have you ever tried getting sockets straight and level on a random stone wall, wel it's not easy!  They are packed out with bits of slate, stones and mortar which will hopefully hold them in place.  Today we have been trying to clean up the purlins and woodwork upstairs.  Some parts of them are a bit dodgy so we have tried to remove the soft bits, some parts have been whitewashed which is fairly easy to get off and other bits have several coats of amazing paint.  However they used to make paint, it certainly sticks to wood.  Some bits just won't scrape off and if you use a hot air gun on it it kind of melts and soaks into the wood a bit more.  The same if you use paint stripper and sanding just seems to polish the paint rather than removing it!  We've tried all of them and there is still paint there, so we'll just have to keep having a go.  Once our shoulders and arms could take no more above-head sanding, we moved onto other jobs.  Bob boarded in the bit in the utility room where all the cables congregate ready for the fuse boxes (I know, they're not called fuse boxes anymore!) to be screwed on.  Lets hope he has all the cables grouped together properly or the electrician will be confused!  I have done some more insulation in the walls in the kitchen.

Yesterday evening we had a go at felt-making at the smallholders meeting.  It was quite messy and made your arms ache, but we had a laugh . . . . . especially when we looked at the finished result!  It looks like an old rag . . . but we're proud of it!  Now who shall we give this wondrous homemade gift to this Christmas?!!  Any of our parents should be proud to own it shouldn't they?  Tee hee, don't worry we wouldn't do that to you!  Here's how you could make something just as wonderful!  Take some washed (and in this case dyed) wool which has been carded (this is were they kind of comb it to get all the fibres going the same way which is the stage at which it would be spun into knitting or weaving yarn).  Then you pull bits off and lay them on a piece of bubble wrap (this is a very ancient art, but I didn't know they had bubble wrap way back when!).  Then put another layer on top with the fibres going at right angles to the first lot and then a third layer going the same way as the first.  Then you put warm soapy water all over it, lay a piece of net curtain on top and rub round and round all over it using a scrunched up palstic bag.  The bag and net curtain are to stop the fibres sticking to your hands.  After a while the fibres start knitting together and then you can turn it over and carry on, and on, and on!  Eventually it turns into felt and is quite firm and strong.  I think Bob and I were being too gentle and kept getting thin bits and holes.  When it almost felt, you can decorate it.  Everyone else used sequins, feathers lace and sparkly wool - in which case you arrange the decorations on top then lay a very thin layer of wool fibres over and then carry on with the water and rubbing.  Bob and I decided on a punky version of a Union Jack instead - well, it made everyone laugh!  We've decided it's an old battle flag and has certainly seen some action - it even has a bullet hole!

Frozen Jeans

Tee hee!  Look at my new jeans!  These had been on the line overnight and froze as stiff as a board.  Bob took them off the line to ask if I wanted to put them on . . . errrm, no ta!  This was a couple of days ago and they have now thawed out because it has actually been quite warm.  Well, when I say quite warm, I mean in comparison.  All the snow and ice has melted leaving just mud!

We have grabbed the opportunity during this heatwave to get on with all sorts of bits that can't be done in arctic conditions.  So we've squirted expanding foam all over the place, mortarred in (or should it be mortared in . . . or is that not really a word at all?) all the pipes and cables going through walls, built-up the threshold in the kitchen/garden doorway ready for the doorframe and painted various bits of cast iron pipe to make up extractor fan vents.  We have to have four extractor fans (just don't get me started on that subject - why on earth we can't be trusted to open the window I don't know!), but we can't bring ourselves to put plastic grilles on the walls where the extractors come out so we came up with a cunning design which uses bits and bobs we have lying around.  Not sure if you can see on this picture (not recent, by the way!) the little round black thing in the brickwork, well that is our patented design - four short pieces of small cast iron pipe shoved into a piece of 4" plastic pipe (which goes through the wall and connects to the extractor), then two bits of cast iron gutter surrounding the little pipes which is what you see from the outside.  They look a bit like gattling guns!  When I made the first one and came bounding down from the workshop pleased as punch to show Andy, the builder, he looked completely non-plussed and just said "Why?" which made me laugh.  Well, we think they look better than a plastic grilles.

Yeah!  Hello to Juliette (my new follower) - oh I get so excited when someone new 'joins', that's a bit pathetic really isn't it?!

Solar tubes

Today we have had Paul the roofer and Steve the plumber here.    Luckily, it has been a sunny day and so the side they were working on was relatively warm - I did say relatively, it was still flipping chilly, but at one point Paul was actually too hot! 

They spent most of the time sorting out the frame on the roof for the solar panels.  Unfortunately, because the roof is quite short (down its slope), the panels have to go at the top of the roof so they had to take some of the ridge tiles off, so they could get the top couple of slates off, so they could put in the flashing pieces for the pipes to go through the roof.  When we did the roof, we managed to find some old, clay 'hogsback' ridge tiles which were a really good match for the originals at the slavage yard and, luckily, they had exactly the right number.  This of course means we have no spares, so the pressure was on a bit for Paul to get them off without breaking them.  He managed it, but we had really done too good a job of sticking them down so it did take a long time.  It was not very nice seeing someone rip up our hard work, and, having been so careful about everything, seeing things put back differently.  We were waiting for some clever method of re-attaching slates in the middle of a roof (normally, the nails are covered by the slate above which stops water getting in), but the magic method is silicone or 'Pink Grip'!  Bit of a disappointment, but I guess you can't see it once done.   Don't get me wrong, he didn't bodge anything, it is just builders' ways which are, by necessity, different to ours.

Another niggle, and one we will definitely have to do something about, is the rubber seal on the flashing for the pipes.   It's bright orange!  I don't know if they do them in grey or black for on a slate roof, but we have orange.  They actually look like comedy plastic boobs sat on the roof!  Anyone old enough to have watched Kenny Everet will know exactly what I mean.  I did spend yesterday afternoon carefully crafting a piece of lead to go over the top to hide it, but it's actually the bottom you see most, so that's no good.  Think we'll have to find some paint that you can put on rubber and do that.

Anyway, here's what the frame looks like.  The tubes fit in vertically and there are 30 of them in all.  It will spoil the roof somewhat, but we just have to think of the cheap, environmentally-friendly hot water . . . . and the payment from the Government.

On another subject, this morning we woke up to no water for the first time.  Not bad going I suppose.  So, no shower, teeth cleaning, cuppa or anything and only one flush between us!  All we had was the water from my hot water bottle which was still quite nice and warm for a quick wash and also meant the chickens could have a drink.  The weak point in our water system is the outside tap which is near the mains and the junction for caravan water.  Although it is insulated, it is a bit vulnerable and I guess with prolonged -10 temperatures the freeze travels further and further down until last night it reached the caravan branch.  So, half an hour warming pipes with a hairdryer and hot air gun did the trick - just what you need before breakfast!  We have made sure it is defrosted now though so that tonight the freeze will have to start all over again and hopefully won't get as far as the caravan bit.  Might put a jug of water in the fridge tonight though for teeth cleaning, etc.  I know that sounds silly, but I think the fridge is probably warmer at 4 degrees than the caravan at night!

Roof insulation

Well, you'll be pleased to know that today has been lovely.  The sun has been shining and it has actually felt quite warm - I think it got up to +4 at one point, but the sun just makes all the difference.

This afternoon we have been getting on with the insulation in the roof of our bedroom.  We have to put 2" between the rafters (which we've done) and then 3" underneath, then plasterboard, etc.  Above the purlin (the beam running across the middle of the roof) we are actually going to put 4" of insulation.  When we were doing the roof we had to put big steels along the purlins to help them out - you can just see it in this picture.  The steel is most chunky in this section of roof because the original purlins were most dodgy in this bit and if we stuck to the specified 3" insulation you would be still able to see the steel.  So, we might as well up the insulation and hide the steel in one go.  If all goes to plan, you should just be able to see the bottom of the purlins running across the ceiling.

Oh, those steels were a nightmare for us for quite a long time.  The structural engineer specified the size and told us we'd think of a way to get them in!  We had them made locally and then they sat in front of the caravan for some time.  I don't know how many nights we spent wondering how on earth we were going to get them onto the roof and into place.  They varied in size and so we started with the smallest.  Luckily, because the house is built on a slope, the scaffolding at one end was about head height and so it was fairly straightforward to put things up there, nip up the ladder and then move them to where they were needed - no carrying big, heavy things up ladders which was brilliant.  So, once the steel was up there we balanced two pieces of wood from the scaffold poles across to the purlin, lifted the steel up and then slid it gradually down the wood.  The worst part was when we had to tip it over the end of the wood, hoping we'd got it in just the right place - each end just balancing on the wall.  All this was actually relatively easy with the smaller steels, but the two big ones (in the picture) sat in front of the caravan for ages and every time I walked past them my stomach churned.  Though it was hard, heavy work ( we could only just carry them between us), we did it using the same method as the others and, oh boy, what a relief it was!  Definitely a beer and a curry celebration!  We had had numerous offers of help, but were so nervous about what we were doing we didn't feel we could involve anyone else!

Actually, not true, Laura helped us with one set.  In the middle barn some of the rafters were good enough to keep which meant that we couldn't put the steels in from outside and so had to haul them up inside using ropes and a ladder.  While Laura and I hauled on a rope each, Bob manouvered the steel rung by rung up the ladder.  All went well until one of the ropes snapped!!!  Luckily everyone was standing well clear (we do think about Health & Safety sometimes - see even hard hats!) and the steel jammed against a stone in the wall and we were able to sort it out, but after that Laura was suddenly not too keen on the job! 

Anyway, we managed all the steels with no injuries and hopefully, apart from covering them up with plasterboard, we don't have to think about them ever again!

BRRRRRRR! It's still cold!



OK, we've had enough winter for now thanks!  Today has been pretty miserable weather-wise - it's actually been above freezing which is warmer than it has been for a while, but it has been raining which means the snow is slushy (with ice underneath) and where there's no snow there's mud.  I slipped over on the snowy ice carrying our hot drinks - no damage done, but in the two seconds it took me to stand up again, shlurrrp, my clothes had soaked up about 6 gallons of icey water and I had snow up my sleeves . . . and I spilt the coffee!



Kitchen studwork - looks as though we're trying to
do a really naff, exposed timber, pub style room!



We have been a bit frustrated because of the weather.  Earlier this week, we had to make some mortar to make good around the holes we'd made for the plumber and electrician to poke cables and pipes through walls.  Trouble was that the sand was frozen!  So, we had to break off lumps of sand and put them in the cement mixer and I stood there pointing the hot air gun into the mixer while the sand tumbled round warming up.  We then used hot water to mix it with.  Oh, I don't know if you're supposed to do all these things, we just make it up as we go along!  We also wanted to get on with the roof insulation, but before we can do that we needed to squirt some expanding foam right into the eaves to close up any little gaps between the wall and the slates (don't want wasps crawling in and making nests).  Of course if you read the instructions on these products they all say to store between 5 and 25 degrees!   Ha, ha - we don't have anywhere that doesn't go below 5 degrees in this weather . . . . unless we take a carrier bag full of tubes of silicone, cans of squirty foam, etc to bed with us!  Then of course you can't use the foam when it's colder than 5 degrees - that'll be about May then.  It only takes 10 minutes to do the foam, but we just couldn't get on with it.  With today going up to a balmy 3 degrees, we decided we'd just have to get on with it, so we plugged in all the big builders lights we have and pointed them at the eaves in the hope of raising the temperature a tad (they do get quite warm - really useful for thawing out fingertips while working) and so that job is done - seemed to work OK.  Don't know if you have ever used this stuff - it's brilliant stuff, but you do have to be careful not to overdo it.  When we put in the tiny windows in the extension we used it between the stone and the frame.  Bob did one and it looked OK, he went off to do something else and when he came back the foam had expanded and almost covered the whole window - it looked so funny and he was horrified!  So, when we'd finished doing the eaves we did go outside and check that it wasn't billowing out under the roof and down the walls! 

Today, as well as the squirty stuff, we put up some more bits of oak in the kitchen.  These will house the above counter sockets and light switch.  I also treated all the oak beams and posts in the kitchen to a coat of danish oil for a bit of protection.  I was a more than a little horrified at how dark it went - it honestly looked as though we'd used some cheap teak-colour stain and it looked so nice before!  Thank goodness though, as it has soaked in and dried, it has lightened a bit and it now has a warm colour (rather than plain orange!) - phew!

Studwork in the stone extension - the phot is taken
from the corridor and nearest to us is what will
be the bathroom and beyond that is the utility room

The plumber has been here for a short time (two afternoons) - he has to keep going off to sort out burst pipes!  He has got on quite well though and we now have pipes all over the place as well as cables.  He still has to sort out toilet waste pipes and run the pipes for the solar panels, but that should be quite straightforward as Bob has done all the holes through walls and so it is a fairly straight run.  The solar panels should be delivered on Tuesday.  They are actually evacuated tubes rather than flat panels - we're told these work better in the winter than the traditional ones (I wasn't really expecting either to work in winter, but apparently they do which is a bit clever isn't it?).  As our roof faces south (pretty much) we will qualify for the Government payment for microgeneration which should amount to about £400 a year for 20 years (as well as cheap hot water) which is not to be sniffed at.  Initially, we didn't want to put anything modern on that side of the roof, but there's not much point in putting solar panels on the wrong side just to keep the old-fashioned cottagey look.  If they are to go on any roof, then they probably blend in to slate better than any . . . sort of, and we have made sure all the frames, etc are black.  They'll be fine . . . . I'm sure they will . . . . . won't they?

We bought our other woodburner this week, so now the shop has two for us in their storeroom - we sit in the caravan huddled round the oil filled radiator and think of our woodburners!  We also had the bath delivered, so we can think of hot bubbly baths too.  Oh, and we've ordered our one and only radiator, so soon we'll be able to think about that too.  Because the kitchen wood burner has a back boiler, you have to have a 'dump radiator'  for it to lose some heat to if necessary.  This will be in the en-suite upstairs and we have gone for an old-fashioned cast iron one rather than a modern panelled thing.  This is our Christmas present to each other - as it costs four times as much as an ordinary one, it is the only way we can justify it!

PEEPO!
Bob's trapped inside the wall!



BBBRRRRR!!!!!!!

It's just a little bit cold here!  According to a neighbour with a minimum/maximum thermometer, it was -12 degrees last night.  I can well believe it too as there was hard ice all over the inside of the windows this morning - usually it's just at the bottom.  Bob and I were actually warm enough last night though and both quite surprised to have slept well without waking up shiverring.  I set the bedroom heater to come on for half an hour at about 3am which seems to make a huge difference.  I usually wake up cold just after that, so I guess it stops that happening and is just enough to keep the chill off.

It has been an absolutely beautiful day here though with the sun shining on the snow.  In fact, at lunchtime we were too hot in the caravan and had to open the door!  Unbelievable, but this tin box does warm up a lot if the sun shines.  The temperature was back down to -5 by four o'clock though, so I think we're in for another chilly night.

I have to confess, this picture is from last year (we don't have quite this much snow yet).  I am just getting so bad at remembering to take photos and it's not until I sit down to write this in the evening that I think 'darn! Should've taken a photo or two'.  I must try harder!  But, I do like this photo, so it's worth sharing.

Spaghetti Junction

Wow, look at the size of that.  Dave, the electrician, leant Bob one of his drill bits to do some of the holes while he was here.  Trouble was that it was so long that Bob couldn't stand back far enough and it did look quite funny.  Did the job though.

The electrician was here Monday to Thursday and got all the first fix done.  That's all the cables in place, but not actually connected.  He was brilliant - he really got on with things, listened to what we said and was very neat and tidy.  All the cables are neatly clipped in place, labelled and taped together where necessary.  I was helping him once, laying the cable along the top of the wall and then through to him in the next room.  That done, he continued to work in the next room running the cable down to sockets.  So, by the time he came back to where I was it was too late!!  I'd forgotten to put the cable under a metal wall tie and he had to clip it up above which completely ruined his neat pattern - oops!  It actually didn't matter - it'll all be covered up - but it spoilt the look for now!

I can't believe how many cables are needed and this is a relatively simple set-up.  Imagine if we'd had centrally controlled mood lighting, curtain opening, loo lid lifting, entry systems and retina scanning like you see on Grand Designs!  I am actually quite disappointed with this picture.  I wasn't quick enough to get a photo before he tidied up and bundled the cables together.  Believe me, before he did that it looked horrendous.  On this wall in the utility room we will have to have all sorts of boxes, so I think we'll hide them all in a cupboard.  When I told the electrician, he looked slightly hurt and said he actually quite likes looking at consumer units!  I managed to take the mick out of him for that for the rest of the week!  We will have to have one normal consumer unit (like the old fuse box), another for the trip switches for the underfloor heating, another for the controllers and contactors (don't ask me - I think they're something to do with doing the heavy switching) for the heating and another for the immersion heater controls.  So, that's most of the utility room used up!

Sparky is quite happy to come back now and then to do the next part in bits as and when we have done the insulation, plasterboard, skimming, etc.  The way it is wired means he could liven up (that's an electricians' term for connecting to the mains don't ya know!) the old house without us having to do anything to the rest.  That means we could move in to that bit!  Yeah! We might get in before the good weather comes . . . . we'll we've missed moving in before the bad weather!

This will be our third winter in the caravan and each have broken records.  The first was the coldest for something like 10 years, the next the coldest for 31 years and now this one has the earliest widespread snow for 17 years!  You can just bet that next winter will break some record by being the mildest since records began!!  We have snow and it is jolly chilly (if the Met Office website is to be believed, we should hit -9 tonight and it won't rise above -3 tomorrow . . . . Brrr!).  This morning the curtains were stuck to the windows by ice and the first loo flush of the day sounds as though there are icecubes going through the system.  So, today we have checked that the lagging is still in place on the pipes under the caravan, re-done the insulation around the outside tap and installed the double-glazing in the caravan.  We use the plastic film that you tape round the edges then warm with a hair dryer so it shrinks tight like a drum (that bit's quite good fun, but we overdid it last year and it started pulling the frames off!).  It does make a bit of a difference and cuts down the condensation, but it does mean you can't open the window so we leave some without so we can still freshen the air.

So, tonight we are having curry for tea . . . . with extra chillies!

Sorry! Forgot the photos.

I'm sorry, I forgot to take any work photos.  I did take some of the view from our garden today though.  We were in brilliant sunshine with clear blue skies, but the quarry was filled with fog with the sun shining down on it making it glow (these pictures don't really show that bit).  It felt as though we were on top of the world and the feeling really reminded me of skiing holidays.  Just fantastic!  Wish Ben had been here with his camera as he'd have done a much better job of the pictures.

The patter of tiny feet . . . . . . on the roof!

Well, here are the twins -  I told you they were mountaineers and explorers!  While there is no real nastiness between the two sets of chickens, Bonny and Peggy do tend to keep out of the way out of Molly and Elvis and usually that is by going upwards.  So, on top of their hen house, balancing on the top rung of the back of the bench outside the caravan, on top of the fence, on a pile of wood . . . . and on the caravan roof!  They started by jumping up onto the water butt, then a short hop up onto the huge oak barrels (which are waiting to be water butts) and then, much to our surprise, up onto the caravan roof where they happily pecked around for a while.  They had no problems getting down - they just flew across to the fence opposite their run.  The rooftop foray is now becoming a regular lunchtime activity.   None of the other chickens have ever really done this sort of thing except the one time I told you about when we'd just got Sid (see 'Two eggs ... now only two chickens').  I guess this is just one of the differences between real chickens and ex-batteries - they have never been stopped from exploring upwards.  As their ancestors and wild cousins roost high up in the trees, it should be natural behaviour.  Just have to remember when one goes missing that we have to look up as well! 

Aswell as going on the caravan roof, Peggy and Bonny seem to have found their way around the place pretty well and, most importantly, know their way back to the run.  So, they are now free to roam around like Elvis and Molly all the time we are around (we do still check on them a bit more often than usual though).  The weather has been pretty yuck the last few days and so it's a bit miserable for them all.  I found the twins sheltering in a half oildrum behind the caravan today, just peering out miserably at the rain - they looked as if they were waiting for a bus!  Yesterday we were just telling our neighbours how reliable Elvis was on the egg front - she hasn't missed a day for weeks.  Guess what?  No egg today!

I've just realised that I haven't put any 'work' photos on here for ages and, after Graham's request for more pictures (see comment on 'The chickens have names'), I will try and remember to take some tomorrow and show you what we've been doing.  It's not very interesting, that's the trouble' but I'll see what I can do.  We have put all the metal studwork up in the padded cell - it looks even more weird now because, as well as the 'padding', it now looks as though it has metal bars all over the walls.  It was quite easy to put up, basically you put a channel along the floor and another along the ceiling and then the I-profile uprights just slot in and slide along to where you want them (the insulation slots between the uprights and you screw the plasterboard onto them too).  This means they don't have to be screwed onto the wall - good idea not to put loads of screws though the plastic bubble-wrap stuff that is suppposed to make the walls waterproof really!  The only complication with this room compared to a normal room is the sloping roof which meant cutting angles on the uprights for the gable end and putting wedges above the top channel so it pointed downwards rather than into the middle of the room along the other walls.  Bob has now started making holes all over the place for cables and pipes - not easy when the walls are 18" thick stone and some of the holes need to be about 6" diameter!  Still, not point in paying the plumber and electrician to do them when we can do them ourselves (now, when I say we . . . . well, it's a bit like digging, I mean Bob).

The plumber came round yesterday to go over final details and he has gone off to order the solar panels and hot water tank.  We also spent yesterday morning at the plumbers merchants (yes, all morning!!!) and have ordered toilets, sinks, bath, taps, etc.  Oh, it's so complicated!  "If you have that sink it has two tap holes . . . . we really wanted a mixer tap . . . . you want a mixer tap - need a different sink then with one tap hole . . . . do you want a pop-up waste or click-clack  . . . . what? what happened to a plug on a chain? . . . ha, ha - haven't done them for ages . . . . . OK, so, click-clack it is then . . . . right, but that mixer tap, it has a pop-up waste . . . . what? it's a tap, what's that got to do with the waste? . . . .  most traditional-style taps come with pop-up waste . . . . so, OK, we'll have a pop-up . . . . shall I cancel the click-clack then?"    and so on for almost three hours!  We should have ordered a shower tray and screen, but we just didn't have the stamina!  Anyway, all that should be delivered on 2 December which is quite exciting.  I've been trying to work out how long it'd take to fill the bath from the kettle?!  Too long is the answer and so I will have to continue to dream about soaking in a deep, hot, bubbly bath with a glass of wine and nothing to do . . . . aahhh, that'll be the day!

The chickens have names

At last, we have come up with names for the new chickens.  The darker brown one is called Bonny - named after the mountaineer Chris Bonnington.  She is forever climbing on things and was on the roof of the hen house (followed by the other one), then up on the wall of the run (followed by the other one).  When we let them out she was straight up on the pile of logs, on top of the fence, on the feed bin (each time followed by the other one).  As she explores more and more, you can almost see her eyeing up piles of things thinking 'I could climb that'. So, naming her after Chris Bonnington seemed logical.  Did think of calling the other one xerox because she is just a copier!  Peggy seemed more fitting for a chicken though.  When she was up on the fence while I was hanging the washing out, she had her head in the peg bag, rattling around to see what was in there.  So, Bonny and Peggy it is.  Just have to hope that their feathers stay slightly different colours until their combs grow otherwise we won't be able to tell them apart.

We have also been getting on with some work by the way, though you wouldn't know it from this blog!  Since finishing the screed, we have built the partition stud walls between the corridor/utility room/bathroom and the corner of the oak bedroom and put the door frames in.  We didn't realise how tall the corridor would look - it is the tall side of the lean-to extension and with the partition wall in you don't see the low ceiling at the other side.  The opening from the stone extension to the oak-frame bit is also quite tall and Bob said that, from the doorway, I looked like a midget when I was standing at that end of the corridor.   We have also built the stud wall against the outside walls in the kitchen (for the insulation) and we're in the middle of doing the same in the upstairs.  It's not a straightforward job - as you can imagine, there is not a straight wall or right angle in the whole place and the walls are not even vertical.  So, it is a case of finding the best fit so as not to lose too much floor space and then all the walls will lean back slightly (just have to try to get them to lean back to the same degree so we can fit plasterboard neatly!  It's a good job we're not having a fitted kitchen - don't think Ikea do anything that would fit this house!  We have also put temporary loft boards on the upstairs floor so we can work up there.  That was a really strange moment - we've never seen the kitchen with a ceiling!  We've also done some more 'rustic plastering' on some walls and rebuilt the chimney breast in the upstairs bedroom.  Yesterday the electrician came round and we tried to sort out cable runs, etc.  Don't think it's going to be straightforward and we'll need to put holes through 18" thick stone walls all over the place to thread them through - ditto for water pipes.  Fun, fun, fun!

Meet the new girls

Well, here they are - no names yet because I can't really tell them apart.  We didn't hear a peep out of them all night.  Really expecting a riot when they all woke up, but it was suspiciously quiet.  So we got up early - couldn't stay in bed for wondering what they were up to.  When we opened the house they were all bumbling around looking a bit bewildered (pobably wondering what that strange baby powder smell was!), but Molly and Elvis came out for their breakfast as usual and the other two stayed in the house.  So, we put a bowl of food in the house for them and then stood back to see what happened.  One of them did venture out and Molly looked a bit surprised, gave her a quick peck and then froze in the submissive way chickens do when they are lower down the pecking order.  Confused chicken I think!  Oh, it would make such an interesting psychological study.  Elvis stayed out of the way then decided this was probably the only time in her life she's had chance to bully anyone, so had a bit of a peck which sent the new one back into the house.  We left them all together for about an hour and, apart from a lot of noisy complaining from Molly, they seem to be OK.

Molly and Elvis are now in the garden with some corn on the cob and the other two have the run to themselves to give them time to get to know where they are and where everything is.  We'll let them out into the wide world once they know where to go back to.

Oh, by the way, welcome to Dad who I've just noticed has registered as a follower of this blog.  I'm up to five now, how exciting!

New arrivals

Exciting news!  We have just been to collect two new chickens.  They are teenager chickens, that is they are young chickens (just 14 weeks old) and not old enough to lay eggs yet.  Technically this is known as 'point-of-lay'.  They are also real chickens (as opposed to ex-batteries) and it seemed quite strange to bring home fully-feathered chickens.  And (sorry, shouldn't start a sentence with 'and'), because they're so young, they don't have proper combs (the red spiky bit on top of their heads), so they look really strange.  In about three weeks they will be old enough to lay eggs and at that stage their combs will grow and turn red and once they start laying, they should be quite reliable

We bought these off some people we know from the smallholders group and asked their advice about introducing them to Molly and Elvis, I explained about the trauma we had when we got Elvis and Myfanwy.  He said that they are bound to fly at each other if there is chicken wire between them and that the best thing is to get young hens and put the new ones into the house in the evening when they are all sleepy and docile.  Another tip was to douse them with talc so that the new ones don't smell like different chickens - they all smell strange.  Now, I'm not sure if we got the wrong end of the stick with this!  We took him literally and sprinkled Molly and Elvis under the arms with baby talc before we went off to pick up the new ones.  The chap said he'd do the new ones and when we checked he said he'd already done it, nodding towards to pot of mite treatment.  Oops, does he just call mite powder talc, or did he really mean baby powder?  We didn't like to ask, but I guess it won't do them any harm and certainly none of them will smell like chickens!

So, we got the new two home at about 6.30pm, Molly and Elvis were tucked up and sleepy in the hen house and we just opened the door and lifted the new ones onto the perch, closed the door, spoke soothing words and left them to it . . . . . . and not a peek or a sqwark did we hear.  I think when it's dark they really don't have much of a clue what's going on and are just too sleepy to bother.  Oh, my goodness, they're all going to have a shock when they wake up!  So far, so good though and we'll just have to wait and see what they're like tomorrow.  Perhaps because the teenager chickens are younger, they'll know their place and be quiet and biddable.  What on earth makes me think teenagers would be anything like that?!!!

So, tomorrow I'll take some photos and I'll let you know as soon as we've decided on names.  Oh, by the way they are Warrens (think that's the same make as battery chickens), so we did think we might call one Warren, but I've been told off for giving them boys names (confuses people you know, but it made me smile when people called Sid 'he' as in 'has he laid any eggs'!).   Did think of Johnson and Johnson in honour of the talc question (and I don't think we'll be able to tell them apart without combs, so having the same name would be handy).  As with all the others, we'll have to get to know them a bit and a name will pop into our heads.

Da daah! Screed is finished!!

Woo hoo!! We've finished all the screed.  That's all we seem to have done for the last few weeks, so we're quite pleased to have finished it all.  We got quite a rhythm going with Bob doing the mixing and me laying and levelling it and managed to keep time with each other quite well.  Each room took most of a day (the kitchen is bigger so we did that in two halves) so by the end of the day Bob's shoulders and back ached from shovelling and barrowing and I just ached . . . . everywhere!  I could hardly walk.  I reckon though if we did this for a living and were doing it all the time, we'd get used to it.  I didn't feel anywhere near as bad the last couple of times and recovered much quicker too. 

That also means that all the underfloor heating is now in - and we've tested all the cables and they still work which is quite a relief!  We now have to leave it alone for 6-8 weeks while the screed dries out and hardens thoroughly and naturally - apparently switching the underfloor heating on to dry it quickly doesn't do it much good (tempting though it may be).  The electrician is coming to do the first fix in about three weeks, so we couldn't actually switch it on yet even if we wanted to.

Also installed in the screed is the gas pipe for the hob.  As there is no gas in the village we will have to use bottled LPG, so we will have gas hob and electric oven.  We actually went and chose the cooker yesterday which I thought was really exciting - not sure Bob was quite so excited somehow.  Back to the pipe - I have been a bit paranoid about forgetting to put the pipe in, hence the sign on the cardboard box which has been getting in our way for the last few weeks.   Now you might think it'd be hard to forget something like that, but far worse has been known believe me!  When the builder was here digging the trenches for the extension, we bought a reel of blue pipe to connect the mains water under the foundations and planned to run the mains electric under the foundations to the meter box.  All week we were moving that roll of blue pipe out of the way, stepping over it and around it.  I expect you can guess what I'm about to say.  At the end of the week the builder finished laying the foundations (thick concrete under blocks and bricks) and we had had a tidy up and were standing surveying the week's progress Bob suddenly said, in a very calm voice, 'We haven't put the water or electric under the foundations' .  We just couldn't believe what we'd done, how could we all have forgotten such a major thing and how the hell were we going to put it right?!  Speechless is what we were.  Speechless is also what the builder was when we rang him.  The water pipe has to be well underground so it doesn't freeze, so we couldn't just take a couple of blocks out and run it through which is what we did with the electric. 

We did eventually get that water pipe in, but it was rather traumatic and at one point we were both sat on the edge of the hole just about ready to cry.   To cut a long story (yep it took us all day) short, Bob dug a hole in the floor, solid rock under that bit of foundation, we drilled with Dad's SDS drill as far as that would go, hired a huge drill with a 15" drill bit and a bit to extend that so we could get through the whole 30".  Leaning down into the bottom of the trench (so at arms length) drilled with the big bit as far as it would go, undo the bit (while it's still under the wall - awkward), attach the extension piece then re-attach the drill (very awkward) then drill further (no room to push easily, so me sat at one side of the trench pulling on the drill with my feet and Bob pushing from the other).  We got it to within 2" and it just would not go any further, so managed to pull it all out taking it apart as we went (very awkward) and whacked a great big metal rod through the hole and that broke through to the other side.  'Yeah!' we thought . . . . . metal rod completely stuck in the hole, so another half hour trying to free that.  Finally managed it, but thought we should just put the drill through to make the hole round and clean it up.  Drilled through re-assembling as we went (very awkward), but managed it.  'Yeah' we thought  . . . . now, the man in the hire shop said the couplings on these drills are designed to be awkward to undo (we had certainly found that out by now) on purpose . . . . so how did it undo itself in the middle of the hole as we pulled it out leaving the drill bit stuck under the foundation and not visible from either end?!!!!!  This is the point where we were ready to cry.  Anyway, we eventually managed to tap the bit through from one side enough to attach the drill using finger tips and get it out.  Sorry, that didn't really cut the long story short!  So, you can now understand my paranoia about not forgetting pipes!

Two eggs . . . .now only two chickens

Yes, sad news I'm afraid.  Our Sid gave up on her happy life yesterday.  As always when you  think back you could say she wasn't quite her usual mischievous self the last few days and  I had asked Molly a couple of times what she'd done with Sid because they were always bumbling around together but yesterday Sid was pottering by herself while Molly and Elvis explored and inspected our work.  But not really anything obvious to worry about.  Then Bob went to shut them in the run while we went for a walk round the block and he had to coax Sid from under the trailer and when she got to the run she had a sort of fit and her comb turned blue and that was the end of that!

She was still being mischievous even after she died though!  When the other two died, they went stiff as boards really quickly.  Sid stayed floppy for ages though.  We had few minutes looking at her and saying 'Ahh, poor Sid', then Bob went and dug a hole and I carried her down to it and put her in the hole thinking it strange that she was still floppy and warm.  Then when it came time to cover her up we both had the horrible thought that perhaps she wasn't actually dead!  What if we buried her and she was still alive?  Of course she was dead, but there was just that niggle.  So, we took her back out again and laid her down and went for our walk.  When we got back she had gone stiff and we both felt a bit silly . . . . . she's a little monkey!

I think we'll probably miss Sid more than the others.  Right from day one she has always been a real character, always the one to try things first, get into mischief or sticky situations and just so funny with it.  Not long after we got them, Sid was being quite nasty to Molly so we shut her in the workshop so she could have a quiet think and mend her ways.  After about 10 minutes we went to let her out.  We couldn't find her anywhere.  We could just hear soft little chicken noises.  We looked behind the bandsaw, under the bench, in all the boxes, everywhere.  Then I looked up, and there she was, just about as high up as she could get in the roof.  Stuck!  I really don't know how she got up there and she really didn't know how she was going to get down!  We wanted her to find her own way down as part of her personal development programme, but in the end we had to put a piece of wood as a ramp from where she is in the picture to the beam and she walked down that, but she wouldn't jump down onto the bench.  So I held up piece of wood and she climbed onto that and I lowered her down onto the bench (like a chicken stairlift!) and finally she found her way down from there.  What a palaver!

Another time she went missing completely.  Laura, Bob and I looked for her for about an hour and a half in the pouring rain.  All the way up the lane, down the track, all over the woods either side, in all the barns, the house, the caravan, under cars and trailers . . . .everywhere at least four times, calling out to her, but no sign at all.  Just about to give up, we were all standing in the wriggly barn wondering what to do and thinking about foxes when an upturned washing up bowl moved along the floor.  Yep, there she was.  The bowl had been propped up against a box and she'd obviously knocked it down on top of herself.  Then I guess because it was dark under there, she must have gone to sleep which is why she didn't answer when we called.  She looked quite indignant as she stalked away wondering why we were laughing at her!

Yep, we'll miss her!

Floor screed

Well, I'm afraid laying screed doesn't seem to get any quicker.  The good news is that I don't ache quite so much as I did after laying it - still can't really walk properly, but not quite so bad!  We did the floor in the oak bedroom and it took just as long as the first lot - it was smoother though so that's good.  We then did the second layer in the padded cell.  Did I explain that the end barn had to be tanked because it is built into the hillside, so the walls are covered in dimpled white plastic attached by red plastic 'buttons', so it does look like a padded cell.  I'm on the lookout for a straight jacket now!

Yesterday we did the screed in what will be the lounge . . . . it took absolutely ages and it was dark before we'd cleared away!  I have to admit that one of the main problems was that the concrete we'd laid was not very level which makes it awkward to level the screed.  Then the piece of wood I was using to level off had was bowed and followed the dip in the floor so the first strip of screed followed that dip and it took me ages to work out why I couldn't get the next strip to level with it, and then a while to sort it out.  Then just as we'd done that, Elvis came to have  a look!   I got up to shoo her out but she doubled back behind me and left her mark on my lovely smooth screed!   Aaarghh!  I was not best pleased, but really it was quite funny.

So, today we had 4 tonnes of sand delivered and another 28 bags of cement and all the time we were unloading it I kept thinking 'oh no, we are going to have to mix, shovel and lay all this!' .  We had to move some of the sand because it was completely blocking the bridleway so we got shovels and started but after about 5 shovelfuls each we just looked at each other and shook our heads.  We were just so tired after yesterday, it was really hard work.  We did clear enough space for a horse to get through though.  We have also had a bit of a tidy up and cleared the stone extension - that's our next floor to do.  Now that the floor is hard in the oak bedroom we have put everything in there (on pallets so the floor can continue to dry out).  I don't think we will be doing then next lot of screed until Monday, so hopefully we'll feel a bit more energetic by then!

Two eggs!!

Yes, we had TWO eggs yesterday!  Quite an event.  Elvis has been laying a lovely brown egg every day without fail . . . . . . and Molly continues to claim it as her own, hanging around until Elvis leaves the nest box and then settling herself onto it as though she'd done all the hard work!  A couple of days ago someone laid an egg behind the wheelie bin which then got eaten by the others!  But yesterday whoever it was laid the egg in the hen house.

Back to just one egg again today though, so perhaps it was just too much effort.  Or perhaps it was such a surprise after all this time that the shock put them off the idea?  Anyway, the extra egg has been duly turned into a quiche to take to Ben and his girlfriend Lucy when we visit them tomorrow in their new home.

Nice timber cladding

We finally finished the chestnut cladding with some extra timber we collected yesterday.  Freshly sawn it looks lovely and bright and clean, so I'm happy with that bit and so could take a photo!  This side was really fiddly to do.  Because it butts up to the stone wall, we had to cut the end of each board to fit in and around each stone.  We bought a tile profiler - the gadget that you hold against the wall and push the pins across until they touch all the ins and outs then use that to draw round onto your tiles or, in this case, wood.  We did buy two because you are supposed to be able to join them together which would have been really handy.  Having read the extensive instructions (all one and a half lines) about a hundred times and fiddled for an hour, we couldn't see how to join them at all so had to make do with a single one.  We drew the profile onto card - much easier to keep offering the end of a Stella box up to the wall than a 10ft plank - then when we were happy translated it onto the wood.  This whole process is very time-consuming (made worse by having to walk all the way round the building and back up the path each time any sawing needed doing - so much easier if you could just saw the wood right next to, and on the same level, as the building you are working on!  Guess it keeps us fit!).  It was worth it though as there is quite a snug fit between the two buildings (and some squirty foam from the inside sould seal any gaps).

We have laid the first lot of underfloor heating - quite exciting, it feels warmer in there already!  Only joking, it's not connected to anything!  Dad was able to lend a hand which was useful as we hadn't a clue what we were doing and he has, having had a similar system in their house for quite a few years.  This is a bit of a leap of faith - electric underfloor heating seems to be quite rare as most people have pipes filled with hot water heated by gas or ground/air source heat pumps.  We don't have enough of the right sort of ground for ground source (or the right sort of money for a borehole for groundsource) and all our extensive research into airsource just threw up problems.  This system will run overnight on cheap electricity, so shouldn't be too expensive to run.  I don't know anyone who monitors so closely the energy consumption of their house as Dad and I can't imagine he would be so happy with it as he is if it wasn't economical and so I'm putting my faith in him!  No pressure there then Dad!

On Tuesday we helped some neighbours put in their staircase.  They are doing the same as us and living in a caravan while they renovate an old cottage and barns, but are further on than us.  Again this was a job I thought we'd finish by lunchtime, but we were still at it at teatime and nowhere near finished.  The stairs turn two corners, have six newel posts and had to fit in a tight space, so it was really awkward.  The upstairs floorboards were also in and overlength which made for a fair amount of fiddling around before we could start.  The staight bit of stairs were ready assembled, but all the rest had to be assembled in situ.  A right jigsaw it was too with several pieces all having to go in at the same time - good job there were five of us!  When  we drove past yesterday, there was smoke coming from their chimney for the first time . . . . . not fair!  They've got their woodburner in and working!

So, tomorrow we are laying screed again.  This time on top of the underfloor heating in the oak frame room.  Let's hope it's a bit quicker than the first lot . . . . . . I'm not saying we might finish by lunchtime again though!

Happy Birthday to me!

Well, yesterday was my birthday and so as a special treat I was allowed to lay the screed on one of the floors!  It was actually my idea not Bob's - he's not that much of a slave driver!  I didn't think it'd take quite as long as it did though - I thought we'd be done by lunchtime and could have the rest of the day off!  Ha, ha!!  By the time we had done all the bits and bobs it was nearly lunchtime.  Once again, this was a learning experience and so took longer than it probably should.  As far as I can tell though, it looks pretty smooth and level which will make laying the floorboards or tiles much easier, so probably worth spending a bit of time to get it right.  Next one should be quicker . . . . I hope. 

We finished at about 5.30pm just as our friends arrived, so a chaotic clear up and guided tour for them then a bit of a relax and a beer in the caravan opening presents and cards.  Then off to the pub in the next village for a much needed and very tasty meal followed by a few glasses of wine back here in the caravan.  Their van-bedroom looked quite snug and comfortable and apparently they slept really well.  They had a 'lugga-loo' in the van too, but we persuaded them to save that for when they were desparate!

We have done about two-thirds of the chestnut cladding, but have now run out of timber.  Hopefully we can get some more on Monday to finish off.  Just had a look and I haven't actually taken any photos of it yet.  Strange?  I think it might be because I was a little disappointed that the wood had gone a bit mouldy from being stacked in the wet.  Kicking ourselves for not thinking about it - we could even have stacked it in the house and kept it nice and dry.  So, instead of it being beautiful glowing wood, it looks a bit manky.  We're hoping it won't look so bad once it's dried out, but in any case longer term once it has greyed a bit you won't notice it.  What a shame - but I will take a photo, promise!

I've broken two finger nails!

Can you believe it, all this building work and I don't think I've broken a nail (and they're actually quite long for a builder!), then I break two in one day!  One was picking up a pencil from the toolbox and the other tucking in a throw on the setee!!!

Well, in between the weather, we've got all the layers except the chestnut cladding on the oak-frame bit including first-fix electrics.  It actually looks a bit like a real room in there - that's if you close one eye, squint, look in the right direction and ignore the chickens.  At the moment, the outside is covered in black plastic which is just as well because it rained so much last night that we had a moat all around the extension when we got up.  Bob has always said he'd like a moat and drawbridge, but I don't think he actually meant here!  The next couple of day's forecast looks OK so hopefully we will be able to put the waterproof breather membrane on, then battens and then get on with the cladding.  The membrane is really bright Simpsons yellow, so that'll look nice won't it?  It'll be an incentive to cover it quickly with the chestnut. 

I left a message for future renovators under the plywood exterior.  Funny, no-one can imagine the house they're living in and especially one they're building or renovating ever falling down, but I guess the people who built this cottage and those who lived in it for nearly 200 years could imagine it in the state it was when we bought it.  So, this message is just in case that ever happens again.  We would have been so excited to find a note or something from someone who'd worked on the house years ago.

We did some useful shopping and research during the monsoons this week and have bought some slate floor tiles for the bathroom (reduced), seen some tiles (also reduced) for behind the cooker, found a bath we quite like (half price) and also some lights for in the kitchen (can't remember if they were reduced or not).  We've also booked the plumber and electrician for mid-November which gives us quite a challenge.  Before they can get on, we will have to lay all the underfloor heating, screed all the floors and put up most of the studwork (partition walls and on the outside walls which have to be insulated).  At least none of that is weather dependent (nice to be able to mix the screed without having to stand out in the rain though), so we should just be able to get on with it.

We've just heard from some friends from where we used to live to say they are touring Wales for a few days and are calling here on Friday.  That's my birthday, so good excuse to go out for something to eat and a few beers.  They have a passion wagon (well, a van with a bed in the back) so, if they can find anywhere level to park, they can stay the night - or they could always kip in the caravan.  Mum and Dad are also coming for a few days from Sunday.  After staying for a week in horrible, freezing, foggy weather the first winter we were here, they now opt for bargain breaks at the local Travel Lodge!  One day we may actually be able to accommodate people comfortably which will be so nice.

Something to make you smile - yesterday our new neighbour from down the lane walked past with her dog on a lead and pushing a pushchair.  Didn't know she had a baby.  She doesn't - one of their three dogs, an alsation, only has three legs and has arthritis in two of the remaining ones . . . . . so she takes it for a walk in a pushchair!