A BIT OF WOOD!

We moved this pile of wood this weekend, Luckily Ant came with his truck and is going to put it through his Rayburn!! I hope he lives to 150 as hes going to need to to use all this up eh! But pile is gone, mission accomplished, one pile down and many more to go, the rest is rubble so it will be a little harder to shift, maybe do 20 bags a day or something!! Or just leave it until the rubble making process is over and do it in one swoop! Back to school tomorrow for Steve and back to uni for Laura this afternoon, when she returns I need to be ready ish for Xmas or something like it!!! AAAAHHH ...dont think about it, we have an office to build first!!!

SLEDGE HAMMER STEVE

Steve has been on half term and had a few days of golf but not all, so I thought it was time for him to help with the mill, gave him a slegde and asked him to knock down a wall! It was really really dificult as there is and inch of render each side and cement that must be 1 to 1 mix but he did it, took him hours and blisters to show for it but all done...at least he earned his ticket to see the football eh! I also got him bagging old insulation bit of a job that was, I expect he might quite like to go back to school??? OK no thats taking it tooo far!

PIGS MOVED FOR WINTER

In the winter we move the pigs up to their winter grazing area its warmer up there when it gets frosty, but woody was plastered in huge sticky balls and we couldn't get them off the more we tried the more he got like the truly grumpy old man he is...hey Pete your not related to woody are you? ha ha only kidding...you have different colour eyes!! ok Ill stop before he kicks my other leg under this table!!...But mission to move them went ok and they are safely in their new wooded home until the Spring, we still feed them but its just warmer.

RIDICULOUS DOGS!

Ridiculous! cant believe our animals if I am not dragging them out the peat bogs or off the road rolling about they are just being a pain, Lucky and Gem got int he truck and wouldn't budge when we had a truck load of stuff to dump, in the end they had to come as they wouldn't get out and both sat on Laura! and Shadow got tired and instead of getting into her own bed she tried to squish into Lucky's! but I don't really think she fits do you?? plus her feet were dangling in her food.....!!!!! Are they all for real??

ON TRACK????

We have now stripped the top floor of blocks, well Ray and his team have, there are 2000 ish of them blocks that is not Ray! and the middle floor is nearly out with fair few other bits to happen yet, I took this photo from what was Keepers Cottage right up through to the Brambles, odd isn't it, and the other one is looking the same way on the middle floor our bedroom!, be great when it is done, but there is a very long way to go yet!!! and a lot of very heavy hard work, I am hoping to have not this Xmas but next Xmas in the Mill with all the fixtures in place...have I got a hope??? Not sure right now!

FOUND THESE TODAY

Anyone know what sort of mushrooms these are? I have never seen them growing out of the 803 on the drive before! Maybe we haven't got mush room any where else...ok that was a bad joke ...

HEY OUR BRIDGE IS GETTING THERE

Our bridge to our summerhouse is taking shape, we just have to complete the balustrade now and pathways, but I have a sneaky feeling that there are a few other more important jobs to do first...like the office for one as the PVs are coming early next year!!! and the mill for two as we have it all on acros at the mo!!! Nice view though eh! so I put a seat on the bridge, like you do! I love seats never really use them as I never stop but I have a fascination with them for some reason!!

WEIRD?

Its really odd at the moment the temperature has dropped and its cold at night but by day I am still seeing what looks like the same butterfly for weeks now, really odd, they aren't usually around this time of year are they?

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MUM!

In amidst our hectic lives at present it was mums birthday so we all brought a plate...(that had to be explained to Auntie Lou!! ie we wanted it full of food!!! not an empty plate!!) and Laura brought a cake which she had made up at uni 4 hours by car for nanny!! SO I think we made yet another birthday all ok!! Happy Birthday!

VACANT!

Had to take some well about 4 tonne of plasterboard to the dump luckily Dad came over and helped! It rained like you wouldn't believe and the plasterboard was disintegrating by the minute and there is white powder sludge everywhere here and in the truck!!...I took this photo of shadow, she was sitting with her tongue stuck out for ages, it looked how I felt " Aaaa whats going on??" It was a hard day after moving the stuff down 4 sets of double staircases! but just as I thought we were getting there today they took down another two ceilings AAAAAHHHH never going to catch up at this rate!! oh well

LOST BROADBAND!

What a nightmare week its been, we were supposed to have our office telephone line moved, only 10 yards! so we were assured by BT that the business movers would smoothly change it all over.....nothing they said happened and we lost our business line and our broadband for 4 days, its been a real headache and I have been on the phone via my mobile!!! which is expensive on 0800 numbers to try to sort it, I must have spent hundreds just in a queuing system 3 or 4 ties a day!!! anyway long long story but its fixed now hence the entry!

SECOND SLAB IN!

After spending a while forming up the shuttering for the second slab and building the base plate to hold the building, we finally got the base in. The forming up took a while as it was so fiddly and the diagonals kept moving as it was a large area and a bit like containing treacle. Would have been ok if it was a level surface we were pouring on to!... We had a dry mix to start and then a wet mix so we didn't have to wheel barrow too much to the rear. Ant and Andy must be fed up laying bases here, and every time we say this will be the last one!!

WE GOT THE FIRST SLAB LAID

The first slab of the car port was laid on Friday, the first stage of that area, we have a long way to go but this was a great place to get to after the first week, and it was a hectic one. Luckily Pete timed it right and was back from his meeting just in time to lay the concrete, he seems to always come in at the end, glory hunter!! only kidding he works hard too, but he is mostly in the office during the week, and tries to time it right to help when we need an extra pair of hands and I am out with Andy and Ant most days working and then weekends Pete works all hours outside, to do the heavy work to try to get ahead, I try to get my office work in at nights really.... Today we have been working hard putting in a sole plate for the main internal load bearing wall, the ground is falling away so its quite a complicated structure, although when people see it finished they wont realise this...SO I AM TELLING YOU!! its hard work ha ha....

SO FUNNY...

It is Friday and we have had a real week of it, late nights early mornings working that is! Not partying or something!....So we thought we would just walk the dogs to the duck pond, my legs just wouldn't get as far as the beach, the duck pond was a struggle, I am absolutely shattered, so thought it would be good to go for a walk!!! don't ask must be mad.... anyway we got out of our drive in auto pilot, shadow sat in the road half way across so I had to drag her to safety...a car was stopped by Pete and a happy looking older couple were inside, I sort of came in the middle of a conversation and just assumed they knew Pete, Pete was laughing as was the woman, she said 'so you don't know where the enterprise centre is?? He laughed and said no.. so I just thought they were taking the mick as Pete designed the enterprise centre, then they said about somewhere to stay, and Pete proudly joked over there with us, I was thinking he must know them as they are just taking the mick... Then she said to me, "so you dont know where the premier inn is? I looked at Pete and he looked at Me, He thought he should know them and thought they were joking around and I thought he knew them so we are both there laughing at them, until that moment....we looked at each other and knew then that neither of us knew them and they were genuinely asking for directions, we must have looked like right plonkers, we finally gave them directions. I hope it isn't there first time to Cornwall they will have a very odd opinion of us Cornish!.. I might no have explained it very well, but it was soo funny, you just had to be there. Then we crossed the main A390 by the level crossing and Shadow just stopped again, but this time I couldn't get her going and now she is upside down on her back with the traffic stopped in both directions, she was having a great time rolling around I just couldn't get her up, so I tried to pull her out the way by her front feet!.. I finally got her clear and the traffic resumed normality albeit with roaring with laughter people inside!!! We only went out for a bit of a walk!....

WORKING FROM DAWN TILL DUSK!

Andy and Ant arrived and we started digging at 7am and finished when we couldn't see any more, but we have laid the drainage, cables and ducting for the build, the worst part, at least the ground is covered in again, a bit of a state but covered in at least. We have been working on the form work for the concrete pour tomorrow, we are going to do it in two slabs as they vary in height, the second will hopefully go in on Monday but we will see how it goes, Andy and Ant and me will work on it in the morning ready for Pete to get back from his meeting and then help the pour, its been a gruelling week and no rest at all yet, I haven't done any work that I should have done, I am aiming for next Tuesday so sorry of those of you waiting for letters, they are on the way!! We need to go back to our usually jobs a bit more next week as we need to earn the money to pay for the stuff!!, head down and working! I wish I was one of the dogs, Lucky, Gem and Shadow have a great life just laying about watching us work!

GEMS HAPPY ABOUT SOMETHING!

Gem sat there grinning at the tank going so I guess she is pleased too, or has she just taken a sneaky chomp out of his leg  ha ha. As if, Gems not cantankerous at all, butter wouldn't melt!

SHELL FINALLY ARRIVED

Finally, there is a lot of finally this evening! May be I have had a hard day...no surely not, its a picnic here at present!!...Shell finally turned up to drain the tank and take it away, the driver doesn't know if I will get money back or how much but that about says it all with Shell really....Just have to deal with whatever, but I will NEVER deal with them again. Good  Bye tank!!!

FINALLY SOMETHING GONE OUR WAY!

When we sell this property and move into the Mill we didn't really want to give any rights of access over the top part for oil delivery, but as the oil tank is about 47 metres away from the car port we didn't think the tanker could reach but they came today to see if they could....and guess what they can so we can now block up the back gate and there needn't be any rights of access over our top section, which is great news, I know its only a couple of times a year but I would be happier if there was no rights of access, so yippee do finally something was easy, well not that easy it was a real tug of war getting the tube up to fill but it reached!!

HAD FULL ON HELP TODAY!!!

Today...enroiwgshvlb...sorry that was Squeaker the cat just ran across my kepboard ... Today Petes brother Colin came over at lunch time to help for the afternoon, taking out skirtings etc, Me and Auntie lou dumped a load and i mean a load of plasterboard, it was piled to the ceiling, Geoff cleared behind the Mill and Dad cut the grass0 999999..sorry squeaker again....and Dream Team Andy and Ant were trenching for us today, havent had help like that in a while, it was great! Pete was flitting around trying to work and keep an eye on the trenching and setting out the new office but he has loads to do in the office and we need to catch up by the end of the week so looks like some very late nights, actually I better stop yabbering as I need to work, wont get to bed at this rate!!! But thanks Guys! XX

NOT HAPPY BUNNY!

After organising Shell to take out our LPG tank months in advance, and them confirming the taking out of the tank for today several times.....they didn't turn up so by 2.30 I was fed up waiting..... we had ordered kit and machinery to start works and nothing could be done without the tank being gone. Well I spoke to them and just like that they said oh we have changed it to Thursday......THURSDAY are they mad we are on a time schedule here, THURSDAY, might as well be next year. I was livid, I asked to speak to the manager, who in a nonchalant way said all I can do is apologise...I said no...all you can do is stick to what was agreed and not cost me unnecessary grief or financial problems., neither of which I need. He said if you are unhappy don't tell me complain to our complaints department, which I promptly reminded him that I am still awaiting a response from a letter issued in Jan, Feb, April and June, none of which have been answered... AAAHHHH why cant people just stick to what they say and a company for goodness sake. I have come to the conclusion that the complaints department must be run by hamsters or I would have had a letter by now surely??? I GIVE UP!!!

FOUND THIS

Found this as we dismantled the ensuite, I am not sure John and Caroline wanted it to be found quite this soon after writing it! But hey ho thats life, I think we will sign the building somewhere to prove we did it and when, and unless I move no one will find it!

WOODY!

Woody seems to play a game of how many sticky buds you can get on you at once, and it is so difficult to get them off, I can wait until we move them to the woods for the winter, I dont think we have any of those plants up there. I am sure he does it on purpose. He looks up to me with his cheesy grin as if to say sooorrrryyy!!! Yea right Woody as if!

PONIES MESSING ME ABOUT

As if I haven't got enough to do at the moment!... I went down to feed the ponies and they were up for fun, they kept scooting around me and when I went to put them in separate field to feed they looked at me and let me get close then ran away rolling their heads and kicking their heals. If I wasn't stressed it would have been funny but I just needed to get them fed, this went on for quite some time until back up came in the shape of Pete!! Finally they calmed down but they were like naughty little kids! These photos were taken on my phone so a bit dodgey!

HAD A WRECKING TIME!

Thought we would get started on the Mill, now that all the furniture is out and a couple of patio doors! We started in what will be Laura's bedroom on the top floor, (The Brambles) We took out the stud partition and I think that John who put it in certainly wasn't thinking anyone would take it out, what a game that was and I am sure that we must have a whole trees worth of wood just from the en suite partition, that's just a minuscule bit of the demolition!!!. If this is a sign of things to come , we could be in trouble!!!! We have now exposed the joists in the attic and had a good view of the many many 9inch blocks that need to be removed!!! We did however come up with a new idea of a mezzanine in Lauras and Steves room, so we will see where that idea goes eh!!... There is so much stuff to dump not sure how dads little trailer will hold up, but its our only choice. I reckon I could send everyone that visits up the dump before I give them a cuppa that should do it ha ha!!...Mum and Dad popped in briefly on Friday and ended up working for a couple of hours!...

AAAAAAHHHHH THATS ALL THAT NEEDS TO BE SAID!

WHAT A DAY!... I woke up after having only a couple hours of sleep feeling rough, so that wasnt the best starts, but shook myself down and thought come on get a grip! So after running Steve to school at 8am, I thought should be ok day. Let the ponies out and then we had people arrive late to collect and dismantle a kitchen from the holiday cottages that we sold on ebay (DONT BOTHER!), they looked at the kicthen as said I dont think the water is off as the tap was dripping, I phoned Rich our plumber and he confirmed it was off just a couple of drips, from the tap not the people...well actually...., meanwhile the Baileys delivery came to be unloaded and sorted which was in the way of these people, so they hung around not terribly impressed but waited for us to clear. To cut a REAL long story shortI think they must have tampered with the stop tap, as when I saw them when they left, they advised me they put some ends on the sink pipe to stop it dripping, I thought ahhh kind soles, thats nice of them. However whilst I was trying to get my mailshot out and invoices done, whilst juggling the multitude of decisions  that we had to make today, diggers, cabling, drainage ditches, orders all to start MOnday...I heard a beeping so thought ruddy smoke alarm...I searched for it and took the battery out, but it kept going, but the phone kept going and the beeping was getting louder, then Pete arrived home whilst I was on the phone, to let me know in not a calm way that we had a leak and it was major. The people must have turned the stop tap and wrecked the thread because instead of slightly dripping, I took off what they had capped it with and it had the force of a fire hose it hit the other wall with water, I was drenched and managed to get the stop end on, honestly it was like a comedy only I didnt find it funny!!!!... SO instead of the water coming out downstairs in a slight drip the people had forced it upwards by capping  up through the building and it flooded the cottage it has ruined all the ceilings and smoke alarms and was running down from the top of the cottage to the bottom..... So Pete ran down to the road and if you know it here you know its a fair way, forgot shovel to dig out the main stop tap, ran back up.etc....Then I ran down to help...meanwhile we are now expecting a meeting to arrive any minute and Jamie our electrician was on the phone (I was holding ohone to petes ear while he dug, I bet it looked so funny), I needed to get to school at some point to collect...He finally managed to turn it off but when I ran huffing and puffing back up to check it was still going, so this time I hopped on my bike to get back down quicker, by which  time Pete thought he had cracked it, so cycled back up to check, so with mud and water all over us the meeting turned up, we acted all calm and collected but looking like something that crawled from the undergrowth, god knows what he thought. I had to text our guests that the water was off until a plumber can get here, jumped in the car to try to get Steve form school and some HIghways white shirt man had decided today was the day to put three way traffic lights in my way......then all the "I'm afraid of a junction" people were out in force doing 20mph.... got to post office to post mailshot, dropped all 200 on the floor, managed to get in post office like Mr Bean and get the stamps, then late for school, dropped Steve to golf, back to feed animals, stuck stamps on and negotiated the crazy three way lights for a fourth time in 1hour, with still " I'm afraid of junction" people out, I am sure someone wheels them out when I am having a real bad day!!!!, posted letters, picked up Steve from practice, let out ponies, Jamie electrician came to go through the drawings that we have had just loads of time to do today....and then much needed Rich the plumber arrived to sort the water, just to put tin hat on it we were measuring the cable yardage and the heavens opened. I have really had enough today!...Thats only half of the day, I'd be here all night if I told you everything today!!!! Oh and the dog was sick on the floor!!! nice!

SUMMERHOUSE NEARLY COMPLETE!!

Its been really really hard work and a lot of blisters!! late nights and LONG weekends!! but finally we are there, it took about 7 hours to get the patio doors out of the Mill to be rehoused in the summerhouse, they were built in with 9 inch ties and wedged in like you wouldn't believe!! but after sawing and banging and angle grinding and setting fire to hair and clothes!! we eventually got them out. Then Sunday Colin ..Petes brother made the mistake of popping in for a cup of tea and ended up helping us carry the furniture up a ladder to move into the summer house and get a kitchen unit out to put up there, just for storage tho! Just need a bit of worktop... Bet he is REAL glad he popped in! Wont be having a kitchen just cold water feed for a cuppa and an outside draining board for washing any cups and plates! In hind sight it may have been easier to build the bridge to get to it first???? NO don't be silly we will wait a while for that eh!!

CATS CLAIMING THEIR FURNITURE!

I took all the really good pine furniture out of the cottages ready to sell and stored it in our house, but the cats seemed to take control of it and now I feel bad if we sell it, its like their very own castle!

I did try to move a drawer and you can see by the look on smarties face she isnt happy!!