8th - 14th March 2010

The builders returned on Wednesday, yay, and set to work constructing the frames. Most of the plates and studs had been cut before they left, so now they just had to be put together.

As before they worked at a fast and furious pace and the frames just rolled off. Unfortunately there was no unskilled work suitable for Dave so he just had to watch as the piles grew....


11 on the first day, which was basically the whole of the garage...

and 42 out of 67 by the end of the week.

While all this was going on, Dave was entertaining himself by digging out gorse bushes from our 'lawn'. We knew there were lots of them but hadn't realised how many until we started using our hose which seemed to get caught on one each time it was moved.

The veggie patch at last showing signs of growth other than gorse and kikuyu grass which is good.

And also this week, Dave's best moment so far at our new section! He found a stick insect happily munching at one of our new natives. A local friend at last!

1st - 7th March 2010

Another builderless week so we had to find some other entertainment.
Fortunately the drainage people surprised Dave with a visit on Monday morning and installed a surprise soakpit. Lucky he was there to tell them where to put it.
Lots of concrete bits ...




and pebbly bits ...


and at the end of the day just a few less brambles and gorse.

The floor slab was still being ponded but the week was up and so Dave started to take away the boxing.





and then clean the treated wood up so it could be used for the dwangs.

This was piled neatly next to the 200 studs that are all cut and ready to go.

And then there was the important matter of the unveiling of the letterbox by none other than the artist herself.


The lack of a builder also meant that Dave had time to spend in the garden and lots of exciting things happened ...

to some more brambles

and in the veggie patch. He had planted some (very late) potatoes and yay, now we could see them.


We also removed some more kikuyu grass and plants lots of seeds to help the soil - some green manure crops and LOTS of blue lupins. We also planted some much divided lemongrass from a plant at our old house, most of which were still almost alive, and some zucchinis - a bit late for them too but hopefully they will cover the ground and stop the weeds.




All good progress and our new section is looking really good now, except for Dave's mess that had been growing almost unnoticed till now. It is very reminiscent of the backyard of our old neighbour Keith and is very Not Good. Hopefully it is on next week's To Do list.

21st - 28th February 2010

Monday 22nd
Well, Monday was the day and it seemed bound to have enough excitement to last a fortnight - which is of course how it turned out, as our builders disappeared after the concrete was delivered to do another job and wont be back for a couple of weeks. But anyway back to the plot...

Dave had to be there for six am, when the concrete for the main slab was due to arrive, but things were well underway when he arrived. It was a bit difficult to assess exactly what was going on but there was a lot of action.



And lots of work to be done.


One truck leaving, the next one there, ready and waiting. In all, ten trucks delivered 45 cubic meters of concrete in a couple of hours.

Then there was the task of sorting it all out.




and smoothing it off.

We had a new plan to retain some water on the surface - the sand dams discoloured the garage floor and so this time they put a narrow rim of mortar where the concrete was to be exposed instead.

And just to complicate things, the men who had dug the bore returned to connect the pump, so now we have a pump and a nice little home for it. Just need to sort out the pipework and taps and we will have 'Irrigated Pasture' at last and no need to worry about 'Local Drought'.

And meanwhile, progress was also being made in the garden. There was one major area that still had not been mown and this was now rather full of gorse and blackberry. So we decided that was the job for the week. It started the week like this....



And on the first day was progressing very well until the mower got stuck (again)

Never mind, Dave to the rescue (again).

Mowing day two - another mechanical crisis. This time I had got a rather large bit of gorse stuck in the belt that drives the cutters. At least this was a new 'stuck', and I like to keep Dave occupied.


End of day two and the slope is looking much better and the compost heap at the bottom much bigger.

Day three and the last assault. The pond had finished serving its purpose as a water catchment and is now housing some fish from the pond at our old house temporarily. So the plastic sheet could go and allow the rest of the slope to be cut. It had proved invaluable for the last few months.




And then the last stretch on the mower. For once no crises,

and it soon looked like this. Yay!

And, as a final job, the new number, commissioned from niece Katie, was added to the letter box.