Last chance

Weds 30 April 2014

We had seen Neil earlier in the week and he asked if we could push back the floor laying until Saturday.  Well, that suited me, as I still had lots of walls to build, so we agreed.  Three work days till Saturday, so no time for hangovers ...

 Dave finished up the scaffolding, then used some leftover plaster to do this panel on the stairs, not high priority, but lovely to have it done as we see it from our tea-break chairs.

 I scrabbled around everywhere to find enough plywood to fit panels under the stairs.  After using up one of my drawing boards I was still stuck and decided to use this not-quite-right painting of driftwood to finish up.  These panels are insulated too - the idea is to keep any heat in the house out of the pantry.

Here's Dave's panel, all cleaned up and looking very smart

The walls beside the door are almost but not quite finished

Sections to the right finally insulated and finished, even the fiddly little ones.  The plaster looks lovely when it's done - very Tudor half-timbered.  The finish isn't particularly smooth, and doesn't need to be.  I like to think it's 'got character'!  I bought a tin of paint that claims to be 'eco' (EU certified, so I hope it is accurate), trying to get a colour exactly like the lime plaster - not successfully.  But it brightens up the plywood panels.

And the last sections to be lathed are all done, complete with insulation and wiring for lights and sockets sorted out on the other side.  This bit to plaster tomorrow.

Wine Tasting

Tuesday 29 April 2014

Apart from a day of rest on Sunday, we've kept on working.  Dave is feeling a little better, finally starting to perk up a bit, and I've kept at wall construction around the kitchen.  But on Monday I got a call from Jessica, asking if we would - as a favour - take part in a wine tasting for some Danish friends of theirs who are opening a wine bar on the sea front.  Well, what can you do, if a friend needs your help ...?

We were asked to taste a range of 15 wines: 8 white, 2 rose and 5 red, and make notes about which we liked and why.  It turned into rather a marathon, especially since we started around noon, and I hadn't had a big breakfast, but undoubtedly good fun - we all got a bit giggly by the end!

Later that same day, we had a birthday party to go to: Trish at 50 - the band should have been playing, but a draconian new law about live music in bars has terrified all the bar owners and cancelled the gig. 

 At the end of a happy, boozy day - slumped on the sofa at the Yacht Club.

 

Bee Tragedy

Friday 25 April 2014

We'd got to the stage where we had to change the top level of the scaffolding for a taller one, so Dave could get right up under the eaves.  But when we took the aluminium tubing down we were shocked to see a number of dead carpenter bees fall out of each tube.  We worked out they must have flown in in search of a good nest site, and been unable to climb or fly out. 

So I took the time to put blue masking tape across every hole in the tubes that we don't need to keep open.  Although it's a bit late, as most creatures have found nest sites by now.  I've found three - one hornets' nest in my wardrobe, and two wasps' nests by the bathroom shed.  While I welcome bees, I'm less happy about sharing living space with either hornets or wasps, so they had to go - while still only small.

Plastering

Thursday 24 April 2014

And even more of the same.  Dave now at the top of the scaffolding, able to do about a metre square each day, then wait three hours for it to be ready for sponging, then move the scaffolding for the next patch next day.  It's far too much hassle to move the scaffolding on, then back, for each section - lots of time goes into levelling and stabilising and it needs both of us.

My patch is coming along nicely, if not very quickly:

 Door area fully lathed.

Wall by stairs partly lathed and insulation starting to be installed.  We're using a polyester insulation, not cheap, but eco-friendly and nice to handle.

More work

Weds 23 April 2014

More of the same.  Dave working up the outside wall ...

... while I do the fiddly bits inside:

The little window in the centre of the picture is to be in the pantry - an internal wall will be built out from the upright immediately to its right.  The wall area around the kitchen window far right will be tiled, and so will need plasterboard surround.  This means the rough plaster (which provides fire and insect proofing for the straw) will be hidden, and can be left rough.  I'm lathing the area on the left which is the internal wall between the pantry and music room behind.

This is the kitchen area facing east.  The end wall, with the door opening, will maybe one day give on to the planned utility room - although we are tempted to have a sun terrace there for spring and autumn mornings instead.  Either way, we plan to leave these little walls either side of the door as thin (but insulated) skin and carry the straw bale wall over the top on a robust frame.  So the walls need to be lath and plastered too.

Creating the kitchen

Tuesday 22 April 2014

So, Dave started on the outside wall, getting plaster coat three on the most difficult wall first.  He is still exhausted, but struggling on manfully.  Each application of plaster is now going off much faster, and must be sponged on the same day, so he can't build up the scaffolding where it will obstruct access to the already applied coat.  This creates a natural rhythm, limiting the amount that can be done at a time.

Meanwhile, I'm aware that we've got a week before Neil comes to lay the tiles in the kitchen/pantry area, and that it would be good to get as much dirty work done in those spaces as possible, before the tiles go down and make an extra worry.  So, internal plastering is my job.

 Here's the completed floor slab in the kitchen/pantry area, and a bit of rough plaster slapped on at right.  All the walls under and around the stairs need building and plastering.

This is a sink that friends have given us, and this is the lodger we found in it on our return:

Worn out

Thurs 17 April to Monday 21st

Dave was still fighting the virus that had dogged him all through the UK trip, and we were both pretty exhausted from all the travelling and socialising, so it was nice to get home and cabin up for the Easter weekend.  We didn't get any work done, just fed the starving cats (they don't eat properly when we're away), let the chicken out of protective custody and slept a lot.

Everything here has grown frantically while we were away - springtime rain and sun have encouraged everything to flourish, we can barely find our compost bins, and had to hack the path clear to walk across the fields to the road.

Poppies blazing in the fields - seems to be a good year for poppies, not seen so many before.

On Easter Sunday we strolled down to George's for some lamb on the spit, and then went back to sleep for another few days.  Work re-starts on Tuesday.

Visiting Rellies, part II

From Weds 9 April 2014

Next day I went by train to visit my mum, while Dave stayed with Rob and Tanya.  On Thursday both of us independently got out into the woods, me in Somerset, Dave near Derby.  Mum and I found a not-quite-yet-bluebell walk in the woods by a lovely stream.

Then we moved on to Shropshire, where Dave and I were reunited, and all five of us Rowan siblings found ourselves in one place at one time - not a frequent occurrence.  So we lined up on the sofa to recreate a photo of the last time - when Annie and Alice were so young they fitted on our knees, and there was a lot more room on the sofa!

 Then we did THE massed family shot - siblings lined up in age order (in comfort on the sofa) parents standing at the back, partners squished on the floor at the front (missing only Mike for a full house).  Everybody's cameras were lined up precariously on the back of the opposite sofa on timer, and - say cheeeeese.

 Everyone else left by Sunday, so Dave and I took the air rifle out for a walk, without significantly scaring any wildlife

Time to leave - farewell to Dad and Jane

Arriving back in Preveza, in the crush at the baggage carousel.

Something weird happened at check-in, my enormous bag was only half on the scales when she fixed the weight - so it went through as 10 kilos - thank you Ryanair!

Rob's Birthday

From Tuesday 8 April 2014

Back to the midlands for Rob's big 30th birthday, and a night out in the pub with friends and Tanya's family

Fireworks on the cake

 ... which was made and decorated by Tanya's mum

Visiting Rellies, part I

From Weds 2 April 2014

First stop was Rob and Tanya's, for some R&R before starting the marathon round-England tour.

On to Liverpool, for a pilgrimage to the Beatles museum ...

... with George and Phillie ...

 ... and to meet Rosemary and John, Phillie's parents (ready for The Wedding in December) seen here in the Tate, just before I got told off for using a camera.

 Two days later, on Monday, we're in Redcar, visiting Dave's daughter Clare and grandson Leo - who was on top form, showing off his new bed ...

... and toy train,

... before having a fun day out on Whitby beach.

On our way

Tuesday 1 April 2014

On Monday, we heard that the Greek ferry workers are on strike for a 'rolling 48 hour strike'.  We have a flight out of Corfu on Wednesday.  Various people are reporting horror stories of paying a fortune on water and land taxis to get from the airport to Igoumenitsa.  We decided not to risk it, and booked a last minute internal flight from Preveza to Corfu.  More money than we would like to spend, but at least we can relax.  But we leave a day early (and stay overnight in Corfu).

Risking all sorts of problems by taking photos in Greek airports - here are a couple of sneak shots: Preveza departures out of season (if you've been here in August, you'll be amazed), and our little twin prop plane for the 20 min flight to Corfu.

Unfortunately, Dave wasn't too well, fighting a virus, so we had a very quiet night in our little hotel by the airport in Corfu - the Dalia, very nice, friendly people, recommended for an airport hop.

Boat move

Sunday 30 March

One more job, make sure the boat will be safe while we're away.  So we organised a space alongside in Vlicho, and Dave took Tropi down there, while I went round by road, ready to take the lines when he came in.  A nice day, so a good opportunity for some yacht shots.

Closing Night

Saturday 29 March 2014

The Devine Bar is changing hands, and the band were asked to play for the closing Saturday.  Dave got a bit de-mob happy and was caught in the act of waltzing with Geordie Andy.  Now we know what those NE'ers get up to on their nights out.

Odd Jobs

Tuesday 25 March 2014

We go to the UK in a week, so we're reluctant to start any major projects, time to sweep up all those odd jobs that've been neglected.  One day was spent getting the car MOT'd - but can't complain, it was an impressively slick operation compared to previous years.  Bureaucracy here is slipping into the 21st century almost without trying. 

On Tuesday we finally got round to treating the exposed rafters, before they rot away and fall off.  This is eventually going to be the roof of the 'trombe wall' (passive solar heating area) and has discoloured through weather exposure.  Not a difficult job, just one we needed to shift the focus to.

Leaving Dave up the scaffolding, I got on with some more wall filling.  We've decided these two spaces over the stairs will be panelled with tongue and groove, and I managed to find enough scraps from the mezzanine floorboarding to fill in the one on the right.

Here it is from the other side, finished.

Meanwhile, Dave has come down from the roof and is sponging the limecrete slab to roughen the surface for tiling and to fill the few hairline cracks.  This may be the only ever shot of Dave on his knees scrubbing the kitchen floor!  (One more time than me, I expect!)

On the rainy days, I've been painting.  Art party set a theme of 'leaves' so I did this painting of a rainforest.  It is the only painting I've done that actually feels finished, so that's a bonus.