Templeton

We've been bothered by a rat inside the house for awhile, and had laid heaps of bait.

We plugged all the holes he could have been coming in.

When Doug & Joy visited they heard him wandering around,

and nick- named him "Templeton" after the rat in "Charlotte's Web".

Well, the baits worked - we found him !!

Let's hope he didn't have any relatives!

Machinery shed 3

The positioning for 40 holes to be dug have been marked out.

They need to be 40cm x 40cm x 40cm deep.

Some are to be dug by shovel.

And some others need more mechanical means!!

Machinery Shed 2

The "floor" has been cleared of the compost, a load of rubbish taken to the tip, and materials for a wooden floor has been delivered. Progress!

Machinery Shed

The machinery shed "floor" is a mix of hay, horse manure, ground sheets, and baling twine. In order to put a real floor in it requires digging it out. The decomposing matter will be great to start a garden bed, but all the plastic & twine needs to be pulled out. There is also rotting timbers from pallets and rocks and bricks mixed in. It is at least 12 inches (30cm) deep!

Helpers

Joy decided she wanted to do some gardening, so she got out this morning and did some weeding.
Then it was off to the nursery for some Pansy seedlings.

Weeding!

Watering in!

The two brothers!

Socks

Doug used to have trouble finding a pair of socks - his boys were always pinching them, so he bought brightly coloured socks, and now always wears odd socks!! No more problem with socks being pinched!!

This is for you, Penny!

Firewood

Robert's brother and his wife came to visit for a few days.
We've got all the old floorboards that need to be cut up for firewood so . . .

. . . take him up on the offer for free labour !!!

Go Dougey !!

Kitchen Window

Today John and Robert took out the old window in the kitchen, and put in the one we picked up at the tip.

This is as it was when we bought the house.

Then after we took off the fence palings and window box.

The "Tip Window"!

The white boards are the exposed weatherboards,

the other ones are the cladding that we will be removing.

and from the kitchen, looking out (please excuse the mess!)

The new window is only 600mm longer than the old one, but it lets in heaps more light!

Colchicine

We said we wouldn't do any gardening for the first 12mths, but Robert couldn't help himself. He bought 50 Colchium bulbs, and filled a half wine barrel up with them. A pretty picture in flower!

An interesting thing happened after they all were in bloom. I noticed lots of bumble bees hanging around them. That's not strange you say, bees are after pollen, but what I found interesting is that they didn't seem to want to leave! In fact, I'd watch them crawl to the outer petal, and then turn around and go back down again! They even sleep in them, like Thumberlina. They seem addicted! I think it has something to do with the fact that the Colchium bulbs are the source of the medication Colchicine. Colchicine is a treatment for gout, and drowsiness is one of it's side effects.

Storage Cupboards

The bathroom has all the plasterboard up on the wall now.

Time to remove the wall in the kitchen to expose the cupboards & laundry!

First sheet off.

Second sheet off.

Third sheet off.

And Robert's hiding in the laundry!

Bathroom walls

Now that the tiny space that was the toilet has plaster on the walls,

now we move on to the bathroom!

This requires an assistant - to lift the heavy panels into place. 

This is a plasterboard lifter - and it can lift 3m high. We can load a sheet and lift it to the height required, before we attach it to the wall with "Blu-Tac" (stud adhesive).

Pink Batts insulation is put between the wall studs under the window.

"Blu-Tac" is put on studs.

Plasterboard goes on walls, and is attached with screws.

And the shower area begins to take shape!



Toilet walls go in

Once the larger window had been positioned in the toilet, it was time to put the walls in.

Note the mass of plumbing in the wall! Because the floor is so close to the ground, all the piping for the plumbing has gone up the walls, in the roof, and then down the walls again.

The gap either side of the window, is to service the lead weights for the double sash window,

but it will get covered with a window frame.

Yes, I know the toilet is not centered to the room,

but that is because there is going to be a vanity on the wall shared with the bathroom!!

This photo is taken from the kitchen. You can now see the little foyer - left turn will take you into the bathroom, through the sliding door. The toilet will get a door!!