Saturday 4 October 2014
We were just knocking off for the day on Friday when we heard a vehicle on the track. Expecting a major wood delivery we went out to help, and found instead it was our friendly Albanian hardware shop owner, Robert Tatos, with an even more battered mortar mixer than the last one.
He and his wife, Flora, were persuaded to stay for a beer (him, not her) and a look round our wacky building site. He said the mixer didn't work, but perhaps Dave could get it started. Then the wood delivery arrived and Robert and Flora left.
Next day, Dave got stuck into the new machine. Lots of carburettor cleaning, but just after lunch it roared into life - and kept going. A bit chugga-chugga, but functioning!
Dave put a mix on for me, and then, for his second triumph of the day - finished the final coat of limewash on the bale walls. Hurrah! All finished, and most of the window frames glossed as well.
We were just knocking off for the day on Friday when we heard a vehicle on the track. Expecting a major wood delivery we went out to help, and found instead it was our friendly Albanian hardware shop owner, Robert Tatos, with an even more battered mortar mixer than the last one.
He and his wife, Flora, were persuaded to stay for a beer (him, not her) and a look round our wacky building site. He said the mixer didn't work, but perhaps Dave could get it started. Then the wood delivery arrived and Robert and Flora left.
Next day, Dave got stuck into the new machine. Lots of carburettor cleaning, but just after lunch it roared into life - and kept going. A bit chugga-chugga, but functioning!
This picture fails to do justice to the magic moment - clouds of white smoke and lots of noise!
The mortar mix was for me to get started on the first stage of preparing the East wall: installing these flat stones into the stem wall so that supporting pillars can be placed.
Then moving on to the edge of the stem wall, which needs a small extension to carry the wall round the corner by the kitchen door.
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