You may notice the blog has changed.

I was working the dates backwards so that the blog would be read from top to bottom. To do this I had to manipulate the date so that I was going backwards instead of forwards. This was a royal PITA, and it was taking so long to load the page I just gave in and reverted to chronological posting. You will notice all the posts are now on today's date - but from now on in, they will be as per the day that they are written.
Cheers,
B

Back boundary, more walls and a problem??

We completed the back boundary, and had some more added to the walls. Kate and I had a play with some ideas for the back deck. I will try to post a picture sometime, but am not sure if I can.. We went to the block this evening and I am a little worried about the size of the windows in the bedroom. In the very original plans, way back at the beginning, the windows are tall and narrow. This suits the room, as it faces west, as well as the fact that it leaves space for the bed. Well as I was saying, we went to the block today, and it seems that the windows are HUUUUUUGE!! I have tried to pin down the point at which they were changed, and it seems that it may have been when we changed the style of window some time ago. I believe that I will be engaging in robust discussion with the builders tomorrow!!!!

Love you all and we'll chat soon.

XX

we have walls!!

Well true to there word, the brickies arrived on the following morning, and we were very disappointed that all they had done was mark the slab... There were lots of calculations written on the ground, so Kate quickly checked their maths. Turns out they got it right!! Each day that we have gone back there has been a little more. Well they are quick, and the walls seem straight and true. We have walked in the front door, and played around in the alfresco. We have waved to passers by through the from windows and generally acted like complete idiots. Well, if I was really honest, I would have to say that I have acted like an idiot, and Kate has been a little caught up in the excitement, and acted like a smaller idiot!! I never got to see the very beginning of the walls 'cos I was on a job in Melbourne..

we have bricks

While we were doing the back of the block on Sunday, we had a visitor, who turned out to be our brickie. He had received the plans, and was having a look see on his day off to check that all was as it should be. Well it certainly was refreshing to see him taking such an interest in our build. It breeds confidence! he told us that he was due to start on our build the week after next, and that the bricks and building materials would be arriving in the next week. I went by the block each evening, and then on Wednesday - there they were... Bricks.. and window frames!! Rock on!!

Back boundary planting

The weekend after the piping episode, we were at the block planting some new plants. For those of you who are not aware, while I outwardly detest gardening, inside, I quite like having a nice garden... Don't tell Kate though!
Anyway - we were planting the back boundary, and while we had planted a lot of natives for the hedge, (Lillipilli and pittosporum) there is not a lot of diversity there - only three types of plant. So Kate bought 60 odd plants, of which there were about forty different types of tree, shrub and plant. This will encourage birds and bees into the garden, and as I am planning to get a bee hive we need flowers. It would seem that we should have at least two plants flowering in every month of the year. We also put down weed matting, and once again used the crushed granite as a mulch. As before, I dug holes, and shifted the rock, and kate planted, put down the weed matting, and raked the rock smooth. We make a great team. :)

Long time no blog

Sorry about the wait.. it has been a little fraught over here.. but we have news!!
I came home two weeks ago, and sauntered over to the block, and found a huge trench from the block to the sewage main that runs along the back of the block. Well it was open to the skies and I hatched a cunning plan. I left my business card taped to the steering wheel of the backhoe that was on site and asked that the driver give me a shout when he got on site the following morning.Well the following morning I got a call from an Irish lad, who said he was the guys connecting up the sewage pipe, and I confidently asked him if he would like to do a cashie for me.... Well, you could have knocked me over with a feather when he said "Nope". I asked what type of tradesman wouldn't do a cashie, and he said "a sixty two year old one!". Well that made things a bit difficult 'cos I wanted to run a piece of pipe in his trench that will allow me to run water and electricity to my shed. He said that he would keep the trench open until four o'clock in the afternoon, and if I wanted to put something in the trench then so be it.
Well, I asked my boss if I could have the arvo off, and luckily he said okay. I had a word with a plumber mate of mine and shot out and bought some 110 mm sewer pipe, and some water pipe and got stuck in. One of my mates, Phil (not pommie Phil, but aussie Phil) had some time off, and was more than happy to stop painting his house and give me a hand.. Just as well he did 'cos I would never had finished without him. THANK YOU PHIL.
Anyway - we ran the sewer pipe, and pushed the water pipe through it with two draw lines for future use. The sewer guy also put in a further connection for me in the bottom corner so that if I have a need for it I can put some drains in my shed.
See you all soon. XX

We are on the way to a flushing loo!

We took a walk to the block this evening, it was beautiful. The plumber had been through and has started connecting all the sewerage lines. This means that we have water, we have sewerage (nearly) so we nearly have a loo. Sorted!

The slab has been poured!!

they used two and a half concrete trucks, and a big ole concrete pump to deliver the concrete to the pad. Once it was hard enough to walk on, they used a "power float" to bring a thin film of fine concrete to the surface. This also displaced all of the stones in the concrete to ensure the finish is relatively smooth. I managed to drop some money in the doorways, so the slab is worth nine dollars to me! Bloody superstitions eh??

The garden

I couldn't let you get away without seeing the garden, so here it is - complete with Kate working her butt off. Rory made a biiig pile of dirt in about ten mins... Would've taken us about three weekends.. ROCK ON HEAVY MACHINARY!!

footings go in

After the footings were dug, and the first fix plumbing has been laid, then angled reinforced steel bar and steel mesh is cemented in on the outside footings. This holds the whole lot stable.

Now this is actually getting exciting!!

Well, since we last spoke, a whole lot has happened. On the garden front, we have covered the hedge area with crushed granite, that has a pink color to it. It is quite nice really, we just need some rain to wash it, as it is very dusty. rory got stuck in and helped us, and also cleared the back of the block to enable us to plant a "bio diverse" very native strip along the back fence - that is what we will be doing next weekend. Last week, Nino dug the footings, and set the rebar in place, and then lo and behold - on Saturday they poured the slab. I never guessed it would happen on a Saturday, or I would have gone to watch it. I arrived there just as the concrete pump was leaving, so we just got on with our work as Nino got on with his. He was done at about two-ish, and the end result is in the photo's. We have just had a walk to the block, and the second fix plumbing is going down at the moment, and I guess that will be complete tomorrow.
What a week eh?? I will fill in a bit more as we keep going!!

Coming together little by little.

Sorry it has been a while, we have been sort of hectic at work, so i have run out of time...Anyway - our hummocks of sand have been smoothed, and Rory has compacted them. We have had the required compaction tests done, and right now we have footings dug, but as yet, no cement. The weather has been a little wet of late, and while we do need the rain, it has "put a damper" on the concrete pour. Although you can pour in the rain, it is not really advised, so I think Nino (the cementing contractor) has decided to wait. I guess we will have a look see tonight!!
I have unfortunately found one cracked limestone block - right at the front corner, and there is a crack runningthrough the two courses of block as well. This is a bit of a pain, but Stuie will be fixing it this weekend. We spent last weekend on the block, and Kate worked very hard laying the weed matting over the plants on the border. I was unable to help 'cos i had a flyfishing AGM to go to. I did a bit, but Kate did the lion's share. Friends of our popped over in the afternoon, and proved to be a welcome diversion. I managed to install a second tap so we do not have to fight the builders for water!! Anyway - I will have more soon. There will be a few updated photo's around here somewhere - so enjoy!!
Cheers everyone.

Bloody hell it hurts!

I feel like a toothache all over!! Kate is not much better.
Time to relax a bit eh??

Speak soon, love you all.

Brad

Nearly done!!

Up early, and Bacon sandwiches to fuel the machine! We were back at the block by 09H30. The weather was very kind - cool, but sunny and a little cloudy. I got stuck into the digging once again, and Kate mulched the plants we did yesterday with the left over moo and ewe poo. Then it was more of the same. I managed a brief trip to the shops, and we went to a local bakery for lunch. We were both a little smelly and I got a few dispariging looks from the patrons in the shop, but hey you get that! Kate ran the reticulation on the western side as I was digging holes, and then the process was repeated. We had hoped to be finished by four, but it landed up being about ten to five before we had completed the mulching, and tested the reticulation.
But it was all good. With a degree of pride, we stood back and had a look, and I tell you what guys.... It will look the biz!!