The windows have been started today! Yippeee. Daithi is made up using all the saws and industrial equipment. All the boards are cut to size now and the next job is to make the profiles. Tomorrow should see the first full one assembled! We need 15 in total but the first one will be the most timely. I can't wait. We even have a painter organised for them (relation of the horse man).
Homer went on Friday. Very strange really because before he left he jumped onto the window sill of the living room and looked in at us before he flew off. I'd like to think he was saying goodbye.... Hope he got back to Dublin ok.
And Bob the shire horse went too. The house is very quiet without him....
Monday, April 28, 2008
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Melancholy Days
What is it with moods!?
We are all in a melancholy mood: up and down all the time. The boys are annoying each other and us of course. Conor is having tantrums about anything and I don't believe any of us has smiled very much today at all!
Daithi tried to cheer himself up by sorting out the timber for the windows but is still in feeling ugh. I almost turned to the chocolate biscuits but went for a herbal tea instead. I'm not sure it has had the desired affect but I won't get overweight drinking it!
The lads have been at the chimneys again. The scud coat of plaster went on today and this should be followed by the skim coat tomorrow. It is due to rain so this may be put back a bit. Daithi added to his skillset by learning to weld lead at the weekend, which is used for the flashing around the chimneys. And he has a new friend Dougie (head chimney man) who loves the handmade chimney pots, was very impressed with Daithi's roofing skills, and can't wait to see the finished windows (neither can I!).
Over the winter we had our scaffolding ladders stolen!!! We heard through word of mouth that a haul of stolen builders equipment had been found in the whitegate area. Daithi called the Garda station in Midleton to check if the ladders were on the list. We hope to hear in the next few days. It would be nice to get them back.
We have a new addition to the family too - Homer the lost pidgeon. He was wandering around the garden in a daze for a couple of hours. He is now housed in a box in the garage eating us out of popcorn and rice. Hopefully he will get his strength back and be able to continue his journey. We contacted the Irish Homing Union with the ring number on Homer's foot so if he doesn't improve they should be able to track his owner. Lucky for him he landed near us and that a fox didn't get him.
Feeling better already... must be the herbal tea!
We are all in a melancholy mood: up and down all the time. The boys are annoying each other and us of course. Conor is having tantrums about anything and I don't believe any of us has smiled very much today at all!
Daithi tried to cheer himself up by sorting out the timber for the windows but is still in feeling ugh. I almost turned to the chocolate biscuits but went for a herbal tea instead. I'm not sure it has had the desired affect but I won't get overweight drinking it!
The lads have been at the chimneys again. The scud coat of plaster went on today and this should be followed by the skim coat tomorrow. It is due to rain so this may be put back a bit. Daithi added to his skillset by learning to weld lead at the weekend, which is used for the flashing around the chimneys. And he has a new friend Dougie (head chimney man) who loves the handmade chimney pots, was very impressed with Daithi's roofing skills, and can't wait to see the finished windows (neither can I!).
Over the winter we had our scaffolding ladders stolen!!! We heard through word of mouth that a haul of stolen builders equipment had been found in the whitegate area. Daithi called the Garda station in Midleton to check if the ladders were on the list. We hope to hear in the next few days. It would be nice to get them back.
We have a new addition to the family too - Homer the lost pidgeon. He was wandering around the garden in a daze for a couple of hours. He is now housed in a box in the garage eating us out of popcorn and rice. Hopefully he will get his strength back and be able to continue his journey. We contacted the Irish Homing Union with the ring number on Homer's foot so if he doesn't improve they should be able to track his owner. Lucky for him he landed near us and that a fox didn't get him.
Feeling better already... must be the herbal tea!
Friday, April 18, 2008
It is windy today!
Most of the week we have had wonderful weather. It has been sunny and dry. Perfect weather for roofing. Typically the guys coming to finish the chimneys (put lead flashing on them and plaster the outside) come on the worst day of the week - gale force, freezing easterly winds and horrid cold rain. Who would believe that it is April! To give them credit they did do some work and will be back tomorrow. Let's hope the weather improves for them.
Daithi spent most of the morning at the Cork Building Providers getting a list of price for 'stuff'. The prices there have gone down enormously a sure sign that the building industry is in decline. Good for us though. Anything to save us some money is good! He was very good not to be drawn to Kinsale to visit his friend. He would have been there chatting and having coffee all afternoon had he done. Perhaps my nagging is getting somewhere?
Only one horse up at the house now. Dusty, a rescue horse, was taken to another field with more grass and more shelter. We are exposed up on the hill here and the poor things needs some feeding up to get strong enough for this sort of weather. Bob, being a shire horse, doesn't really mind what the conditions are I'd say.
Daithi spent most of the morning at the Cork Building Providers getting a list of price for 'stuff'. The prices there have gone down enormously a sure sign that the building industry is in decline. Good for us though. Anything to save us some money is good! He was very good not to be drawn to Kinsale to visit his friend. He would have been there chatting and having coffee all afternoon had he done. Perhaps my nagging is getting somewhere?
Only one horse up at the house now. Dusty, a rescue horse, was taken to another field with more grass and more shelter. We are exposed up on the hill here and the poor things needs some feeding up to get strong enough for this sort of weather. Bob, being a shire horse, doesn't really mind what the conditions are I'd say.Not the first day
It has been two years!!!!!
And we are still not in the house. I thought we had better record our successes and failures for us to remember in the future.
Things are progressing at least. Some slates are on the roof, chimneys are up and we have some timber for Daithi to build the windows.....
He thinks we will be in by August. I have my doubts.
But talk about luck! No, we didn't win the lotto (we will keep trying!). We have found a man that knows everyone and everything that could be useful to us: carpentry workshops, furniture painter, plasterer. We are on a roll. He also has two lovely horses that are mowing our garden as we speak - but I have stopped taking the boys to see them because the electric fence has been connected. Conor and electricity definitely don't mix!
And we are still not in the house. I thought we had better record our successes and failures for us to remember in the future.
Things are progressing at least. Some slates are on the roof, chimneys are up and we have some timber for Daithi to build the windows.....
He thinks we will be in by August. I have my doubts.
But talk about luck! No, we didn't win the lotto (we will keep trying!). We have found a man that knows everyone and everything that could be useful to us: carpentry workshops, furniture painter, plasterer. We are on a roll. He also has two lovely horses that are mowing our garden as we speak - but I have stopped taking the boys to see them because the electric fence has been connected. Conor and electricity definitely don't mix!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)