Full Steam Ahead

Well, the work on the very top floor continued. We discovered that by replacing the opening and removing the staircase, we had created a vacuum, that sent the cold air spiralling downwards onto the middle floor landing, so Craig built a small wall to stop some of the draughts. It was planned to be there, and will eventually be part of the room. It also means that during the winter, if needs be, we can block the doorway up at this point.

Now that the floor was boarded, Craig was able to fit the hot water tank in situ. He need to knock the loose plaster off the gable end wall - which meant carrying the buckets of plaster, dust etc, down the ladder, down the stairs and outside - nothing is easy ! Mind you, compared to getting the tank in the reverse direction - through the house, up the stairs, up the ladder, and onto the top floor...well, you can imagine the language !!!!

Craig was on a roll.....now that the water tank was in place, the pipework could be installed from there downwards, which meant that the back of the bedroom wall could be plaster boarded, and while plaster boarding that, he built me a linen cupboard on the landing. Everything was changing at a great pace.

At short notice, Craig made a journey to Plymouth via Roscoff as a foot passenger on the ferry. It was cheaper for him to do this journey, stay in a hotel overnight, and do some shopping, than to buy what he needed here. He travelled during the day, and then had all the next day free, before catching the overnight ferry back here -with an empty suitcase on one journey, and a very full one on the way back. It wasn't ideal as it was tiring, but he achieved everything he needed to, and also had a short break away from the house. We have said that it is something we would do again if necessary, as it was a quick fix for what we needed.

We discovered one morning that the sheep had 'escaped' - I say that with a little scepticism as they had managed to go through the electric fencing, and were nowhere to be seen. There was evidence of where they had been, but we spent all day wandering the lanes, and asking around the local farms with no joy. How could two sheep just disappear ? It was bizarre - we thought of sheep rustlers etc, but could not prove anything. They had ear tags so just hoped that they would turn up, but worrying all the time about potential damage they could do, or accidents they could cause which could all be traced back to us ! We notified the Mairie, and the Police too. Short of putting up posters, there was little else we felt we could do.

Four days later - they turned up. Well, to be honest, we spotted them, among a neighbouring farmers flock ! They were a little bedraggled, but had apparently been caught three or four miles away. It was all a little suspicious, but we just had to trust and accept what was being said. Anyway, we decided to leave the sheep where they were for the time being, as they could run with the ram (that is the expression, I believe), and we could make the area extra secure for their return.

It was time for the pigs to go too now. We have a friend who 'deals' with this side of the larger animals for us, although Craig is able to do it given the space and the time. So, it was bye bye pigs, and hello to a full freezer....

....so full in fact, that we had to buy another freezer to fit it all in !

We had the surprising news that we had our third grandson (fourth grandchild). Surprising to everyone involved !!! Ryan had became a father to Ronnie. A welcome addition to our ever increasing family. It does mean though that Ryan's visits here will become less regular I'm sure ! Four grandchildren - how old must we be now !!! I'm sure that I'm only 28 really - well in my head anyway !!

From Ruin to Rack, not Rack to Ruin....

The kitchen was starting to take shape, and Craig decided to build a plate rack for me to display and store our 'special' crockery (as opposed to our everyday ware). I wasn't too sure what to expect, but left the design and build entirely in Craig's hands. The result was amazing, and I was (and still am) very pleased with the outcome as you can see.....

It was such a success that I commissioned a Butchers Block from the same source....Craig !!

It was also time to take another batch of birds to the abattoir -  this is a  very strange experience, not least in the fact that we had to catch them first ! They had to be loaded into a crate, and then driven. They were all very quiet on the journey there, maybe sensing the destination, and once we arrived, we had to hand them over to the people there. The plan is to collect them the following day, which is slightly annoying as it means that we have two separate journeys to make, but it is so much easier than doing the work yourself, despite what we had been told. We collect them, fully plucked and oven ready. It is a satisfying thought, that all they are all raised by ourselves.

From this....

to this....

and then this..... 

We enjoy a day out at the beach, as does Arthur. There are times of the year that he is not allowed on the beaches, but when he is, he loves it - running around, chasing seagulls but never catching them of course. There are many empty, long stretches of sand near by, and its a relaxing time for us both, to unwind and clear the cobwebs away.

The next stage of the renovation was to board and insulate the floor on the top level of the house. It had never had any insulation there - mind you, none of the house had ! - so we were hoping that by completing this work, it would make it warmer over the winter.

 It gave us some idea of the space we would have, when ultimately this would become a bedroom and bathroom for guests. Once the wall is built around the entrance, and a door fitted in place this will be quite cosy, and private for visitors.

A Day Out at the Falconry Centre

Craig had a very pleasant day at the Falconry Centre in Huelgoat. I 'bought' him a voucher for a half day there for Christmas last year, so he had been waiting on the weather picking up, and looking forward to a day off from the house. It is definitely worth a visit, and is run by a couple who are enthusiastic and knowledgeable, and very friendly. After a tour, a talk, and some strong advice, Craig was taken away from the house to a local wooded area, where he walked alone with a Harris Hawk. He was in his element - the bird flew off, and returned when called. He loved it........

We find that although we don't go 'out' to work, our days are still in a routine, which is something that we both feel comfortable with. There are many days though that don't go according to plan, and it makes us feel out of kilter. We can laugh about it which helps but we do prefer the planning and practicality of normal days. There are days when friends call in unexpectedly, when the weather dictates that some jobs can't be completed, or when things just don't 'go right' - and we end the evening a bit unsettled. The best thing though, is that tomorrow comes round very quickly, and we can start again, and get back on track.

Up until this point, we had been using the bigger van on a very occasional basis only. Basically, when we needed to collect animal feed or plasterboard. We tended to use the car for everything else, and as this is petrol rather than diesel, it was proving more costly, and wasn't doing anything to help the wear and tear. Therefore, we decided to trade the van for a smaller one. The only down side to this, is that when we need to buy plasterboard, we need to hire a van from the local supermarket. When this happens, we make sure we get our moneys worth, and get as much as we can. It has proved a lot more efficient for us. We use this van as our runabout now, and only rarely use the car. Arthur didn't like the change, as he cannot travel in the van, as it only has the two seats. In the bigger van, he could sit between us in the front, and look out above everyone - in the car he lays down and sleeps on the back seat. 

We had another very much anticipated visit from our youngest son. He decided to drive via Folkstone and Calais this trip - we've only done this drive once, and hated it, but he coped very well, although he was very tired on arrival. Craig tries to make sure he has jobs to do that he can't do on his own, to make use of the extra pair of hands, and on this trip, they managed to fit the French Doors into the opening on the back of the lounge extension. They also managed to demolish the stairs to the top floor, so that the floor and ceiling could be completed on the middle.

They will be replaced, but the old ones are tired, rotten and dangerous !

Ryan's visit ended all too quickly, and it was time for him to leave. I think that may be all the visitors we have for this year which makes us feel quite sad - thank goodness for the communications we have in place now !

Out of the Dark and into the Light

As I've said before, it's always lovely to have visitors, and always sad to see them go again. However, their impending arrival makes us look at things in a new light - what will they think of this ? How will they cope with that ? We have lived with, and in, the house for so long, that we appreciate each change, but someone coming in fresh, may wonder how we manage - and why !!

Two of our sons, and a nephew paid a flying visit to us, and gave us the impetus to complete the upstairs to such an extent that we could sleep up there. With three extra bodies in the house, we needed to, but it was on the actual day of their arrival that the bed was assembled, and their first night here was our first night upstairs too. All change here, and another momentous occasion, not fully appreciated by the visitors I'm sure.

Once they had all gone again, the work continued. The added bonus of the visit, was the supplies they were able to carry - all those little things that are so difficult to find here, are so expensive here, or the quality is so poor - sometimes all three. We have managed to adapt over time, and have noticed that when we return to the UK, or have visitors here, our shopping lists have dwindled considerably. Some things turn out to be not so important anymore.

The bathroom became a priority - it wasn't pleasant to have a bedroom with a toilet in the corner, so Craig busied himself with the stud work, and plaster boarding of the bathroom walls. It's easy to write this, but not so easy or quick to do - there's the electrics to contend with too, and once the walls are in place, there's the worry that maybe the rooms too big, too small, or in the wrong place. Luckily, Craig has a better imagination than me, and once he's decided on things like this, is very sure of the outcome.

Now that the visitors had gone too, we dismantled the downstairs bed, and replaced it with a sofa - one of our sofa's that we had effectively not seen for two years, and we really felt posh - sitting watching TV in a cosy, snug room. In fact, now we have decided (12 months later), that we are going to keep this room as a 'snug' as it has proved easy to heat over the winters, and is great for the two of us. When we have visitors, on special occasions, and in the summer, we'll open the lounge up and use that, but otherwise, its a bonus. It would have ended up as an empty thoroughfare otherwise.

It was time for our lambs to be prepared for the freezer - stop reading if you don't like this sort of thing - I must admit, I wasn't there at their 'departure', but did watch the actual butchering of the meat. It was OK, and we both felt very proud of the fact that we had produced this meat from start to finish - very satisfying.

As with all jobs here, we find that daily, the priorities change, and quite often there isn't a chance to finish one job before another more pressing one needs to be started - whether its plumbing, electrics or any other number of trades that I expect and hope that Craig can turn his hand to. Sometimes, he sits down in the evening, and decides to rewire a lamp, draw the plans for the garden or change a plug, but whatever it is, you can be sure that he is already thinking of the next stage in the process. I may come home from work or my French lesson, to find something new in the house or outside. One night, he had fitted and connected all the outside lights - what a sight that was when I came round the corner - the dark is just that here - DARK, and our house can shine like a Christmas tree when all the lights are on.

Tiling the kitchen floor was the next job - 25 square metres - not the smallest room eh ? It is a job that takes time, a clear space and definitely not a little dog, who thinks you're ready to play every time you get on the floor.......My part in all this was to keep Arthur occupied and out of the way as much as possible, while keeping Craig plyed with coffee, and help clean the tiles and excess grout afterwards.

Onwards and upwards - things are never easy, but are definitley worth while.....