SO FAR....

I know it doesn't look like it but this will be my kitchen/dining area, the stairs are coming out they will wind the other way, there will be a cupboard there....come on use that imagination!!

This lovely old post that was in The brambles is now the centre point in our lounge and structural, it stands above the stairs and holds up one of the foot square beams. The lounge area had to have all new beams cut in Douglas fir as the old ones were not seated in the wall ok for the span it needed now the wall is gone. Just behind this post will be a small log burner, it will all make sense when I move in!!! ho ho ho.

Oh and this is looking from the landing up to Steves new room there will be a window going in here, and obviously some much needed stud work! so as you can see its at its bear minimum at the mo and we have a few bits on the roof to fix, now that will be entertaining as its a 45 degree pitch and 3 storeys on the front.....I can make it up 7 steps with out getting dizzy...not quite enough maybe!!!!!

And this is looking to where Laura's mezzanine will be....you lot have really got to get that imagination going. it will be fine, no idea when but it will be fine....we have first fix electrics in two weeks...do you think we will make it??? at the mo not a chance.....but we will see and first fix plumbing in three weeks, another pie in that sky or can we reach it.....that's only the top floor, we are only tackling the top floor to try to get that habitable by April to move Laura and Steve over there to put this house on the market... I wish we could do this full time instead of having to run a business full time too and the animals and school stuff, and family etc....One day eh! Its a little daunting at the mo!!! I bet dad will read this and thank goodness he has just had his shoulder op as he can have a few weeks off, so now when they come to visit they are safe, no more "dont suppose you can take this to the dump on the way back" and certainly no more humping and dumping plasterboard with me for a while, I reckon he's wearing that sling and he takes it off when we arent looking,!!! ha ha only kidding Dad I know it hurts like mad but 6 weeks and you'll be as good as new....bet you cant wait!

DOORS ARRIVED

The doors to the office have arrived from Sweeden after a 10 week wait! ANd they are damaged...badly , we didnt notice until we (Steve, Me , Pete and Auntie Lou)lifted them off the lorry they weigh a ton, really heavy, then finally got them where we could see them and the courier hadnt strapped them properly so they were a mess.....Now we have to wait for replacements...just what we needed another hold up and we are on  a really tight schedule, no margin for errors....aaaaHHHHHHHH

The other picture is Ant on a mission with the angle grinder!  And thats another story! You dont want to hang round Ant when he has one of those I can tell you!!

ANOTHER SLEEP OPTION

I think our cats are trying to find the most strange place to sleep just to get on the blog I reckon! Now squiggly has taken to sleeping in Steve's sock drawer!

WEIRD

Its the end of November and my hydrangea has flowered again and they are huge blooms bigger than both my hands put together......very bazaar....maybe Geoff gave it a drop of grow faster at wrong time of year juice?? Cant think of another explanation!

NIGHT SHIFT

We have been working on the car port ready for the photovoltaics by floodlight just to get it finished in time, but we had a phone call on the day they were supposed to be coming saying they have been delayed, so we could have had the roof we wanted after all, too late now, not even sure we will meet the government deadline of commissioning before the 12th now.......What a nightmare, we have a purpose made building for them and needn't have wasted our money doing that if we don't have them fitted soon, we will be too late, what a pickle.... some one will have a lot of explaining to do when I turn up at their offices if they are not here next week and completed... I will be visiting them make no mistake!!! Why does it always happen to us, nothing ever goes smoothly!

BEEN BUSY!

When your busy and you are really looking forward to something to eat...Well I bought some nice ham for quick and easy ham , egg and chips. I put the ham on a plate and went to the freezer only 10 paces away and when I got back all I could see was Shadow with her elbows on the worktop ...ok so a dog dosen't have elbows as such...but she was surfing the worktop and gobbled up all the ham.. I was jumping... ham and eggs it was then!...Ruddy dog!

STORM POORLY

Not sure whats happened, but Storm suddenly couldn't walk this morning, we had to have the vet ...no idea whats wrong but I have stabled her, what a game that was to get her in...but shes in and on painkillers see how she  is tomorrow....I have put her on Shavings as she will eat the straw and possibly get laminitus, which would be disastrous. Just what we needed today whilst roofing...Poor Storm hope she will be ok. I have to poultice her foot tomorrow just in case it maybe some grit or abscess....

LITTLE AND LARGE!

We haven't had hardly any eggs lately no idea whats going on.... We have also had 5 chickens here on holiday while the owner went away, and they haven't laid either!...But I think they like it, it must be the Woodmill vibe or should I say The Mill vibe now!... its a bit like Geoff he came to help me for a few hours with the gardening nearly 5 years ago and he still helps me once a week, Ant and Andy did a job for us 4 years ago and they haven't left either... so bear it in mind if you turn up to help....odds on you probably wont ever leave!!!! I think mum and dad are afraid to visit too, as every time they come something is going on one crisis or another!!...Its funny when your son comes out of school and the first thing they ask is " well whats happened today!! whats gone wrong?" Its just that kind of place!!

VIEW FROM BRIDGE

I think Lucky likes the view fromt he bridge or is it just the cuddles from Laura...not sure yet!!...I think Laura was glad to be sat back up the right way as she had been upside down trying to stain the underside of the bridge....She loves coming home !!!!!

SQUEAKER!!!

Squeaker is such a lazy cat all she does is shout for attention and eat and sleep ont he warm radiator! Ok so whats wrong with that ...I wish I were a cat or one of my cats!!!

HALLOWEEN

I forgot to post these pictures that Laura took of the ponies eating her pumkins after halloween. Her and Aaron made one each, and just for the record Aaron....Laura won!!!!! Hers WAS the best ha ha....The ponies loved them...

MYRNA & KEITH

A great friend of ours had an op today and I have just heard from Keith that she has come through the very big op ok and it is good news it was successful, so Myrna we are all thinking of you tonight and wish you well on the road to recovery now. I know you are in ICU for a while but just to let you know we are all thinking of you:)... Hey soon be time for your holidays eh! Love and smiles, soon be up and jumping around eh.... XXXX The picture above is of our acer which lost its leaves today all at once!...a Royal red carpet for you X

WHAT A WEEK

After only having the base plates in last Monday we have had to move quick, the carcass of the office needs to be up in five days, so working by flood light most evenings and having the cars lined up to give us extra light. The rain hasn't helped and its been one headache after another, we have felted the roof three times now, the bad weather took it clean off the first time, the next time we covered it with a tarpaulin and when we tried to get the thing off, the water was stuck in it, and its such a large roof it was difficult to move so Ant and Pete got on the roof to try to save the felt again, but it just went right through the lot at the last minute, ruining the felt yet again, so tonight we have been out there trying to felt and hard sheet at the same time, we have got three sheets on, so that's a start, but it got too dark and on a slippery roof it was just too dangerous to keep going for Andy up there. It been a real hard week, wouldn't like to do it again that's for sure. I usually say its an adventure, but this one has been soul destroying at times! and I am dizzy a lot and not feeling great so that doesn't help, I just get angry with myself!! So I am really looking forward to getting the Pvs on and then fitting out the office and then we can slow down a bit the pressure to finish will be reduced which will be a welcome break. These photos were taken on Wednesday last week and by Sunday night we had the full carcass up, made from scratch!!

SOME ONES IDEA OF FUN SOMEWHERE????

Ok I have had it today, yesterday we had a phone call from someone to say that the government who some people voted in have decided to mess about with the PV feed in tariff making it not viable really....Now this in its self is a pain but for us who have purposely and painstakingly designed a building to take a 32 panel system and agreed time frames, finished roofing etc etc, we signed a contract to install before the March deadline which has now moved to December the 8th (courtesy of the people up in the big house who seemingly know nothing at all and this just confirms it, god I wish I took up the offer of standing for MP I would have had a field day with this) for commissioning and installation to get the higher rate to make the pay back around 8 years and not 18!! which is crazy amount of time!!!! So now we have to 1. start the building, and 2 finish the walls to take the purlings by this Monday that's 5 days....so we have ordered floodlights courtesy of our electrician, who also has to move his schedule forward to be ready to commission and installation of power, we have had to cancel the elaborate roof system that we have researched for months as it cannot be got in time so now we are having to have a lesser product and no idea what it will look like.....this needs to be fitted 14th November ready for PV installation on the 21st Nov to get commissioned in time as it is not final until the forms are dotted and crossed and in front of some one to say yes you have made the deadline, then and only then are we safe....Its going to be a rocky 5 days!!!! OH and top of that my account was hacked last night and some idiot took £3500 which I haven't got so now over drawn so had to deal with the fraud squad this morning too! oh and a meeting with the pensions guy to iron out some mistake on that too, but at least that one is sorted!....Its not a fun day. I have a good mind to drive to London and tell them exactly what I think and how ridiculous it is to move the goal posts so quickly without warning, they reckon there is a consultation period which finishes on the 23rd December but the changes will take place on the 8th Dec, now how on earth does that work, it doesn't work in my field of work, consultation is consultation and then only at the end of that can a decision be made, but government don't get it. it must be run by jumped up individuals that clearly have no idea how many people it will affect let alone the small companies involved.....now you explain to me how that's right.......AAAAAHHHHHGH