Lintels and ornaments

Well, the snow all disappeared pretty quickly didn't it?  On Friday evening, we had loads more on top of what was already there.  Then on Saturday evening it poured with rain (I got drenched walking back to my car after work - really wet, icy rain) and by Sunday morning the snow had all gone except for a few stubborn patches.  Driving to work first thing in the morning was interesting.  The road in one place was like a river, and quite fast flowing and water was literally gushing out from a side road - quite dramatic.  All the rivers are several times as wide as they are supposed to be.  We went to Shrewsbury this afternoon and from the top of the hill just near us you can look down the Tanat Valley and the bottom of it was glittering in the sun where all the water was lying.  All the flood defences were up in Shrewsbury and the water was half way up some of them!

So, apart from dealing with the weather and M&S work (and pointing, of course) this is what we've been doing for the past few days:

An oak 'lintel' in the lounge.  This actually just hides three
concrete lintels.  I think you'll agree (well, I hope you
do), it looks much better.  This is just glued in place which
is a bit of a leap of faith, but it seems fairly solid!

 

New bookshelves in the purpose-built alcove
on the landing.  This meant we could unpack
two boxes of books!!

Here's a detail of the landing bookshelves which gives away their
origin.  Our scaffolders kindly left us a couple of scaffold boards
to use as temporary shelves in the top barn, which we did.  When
we were hunting for something to make these out of we thought we'd
recycle and they look quite good smoothed and polished - all part of
the austerity measures you know!

 

Here's the lounge with half the ceiling removed - looks like
the ceiling is floating or just held up with that wall strap.  While I
was pointing and had mortar available, Bob took a stone out at
each end and replaced them with bigger ones which stick out into the
room.  The chunky oak joist which will go on the front of this lot and
hide the softwood joist can sit on these (it will also be attached to the
softwood!).  There are stones randomly sticking out of the wall in several
places in here, so it will fit in quite well.  The oak joist should be delivered tomorrow.

As there was nothing on telly last night (just for a change!)
we decided to unpack some ornaments and treasures.  Just
like Christmas because we'd forgotten about half the things!
We found homes for some things, re-packed some and . . . erm,
the others are now in a charity shop in Shrewsbury!

 

And that's our week in a nutshell.  Tomorrow, as I say, the oak joist should be delivered and if it is we will get on with sorting that out and putting it up - a twelve and a half foot chunk of oak isn't easy to store, so the best place for it is in its place.  Just for a change, I thought I might do some pointing.

 

I forgot to tell you, one lunchtime last week in the middle of the snow a fox appeared on the track next to the garden.  The chickens were out and he/she knew they were there, so we leapt up and opened the back door and clapped our hands at it.  Very nonchalantly it retreated a couple of steps and then turned back to look at us.  Bob  put his boots on and went out and it hid behind a tree, still looking at us, before trotting across the path and into the quarry.  We haven't seen it since which is a surprise and a relief!