Friday 14 June 2013

The Build: Week 1

The extension at 88 has started. Dust, dust, dust every where which as I rarely do any housework isn't much different to the norm and everything is so topsy turvy anyway there is no room to push a vac or any flat surface to swivel a duster upon.

The builder assures me that the first week is always difficult as they discover the good bits and the bad bits. The good bit: err...mmm...ahh....well.....yep...sharp in take of breath...what are the good bits? Ahh yes after 18 months in the planning the build has started and we will end up with a lovely home. Bad bit: very poor foundations to the existing single storey extension have been uncovered; a cracked drainage pipe (badly patched up by previous builder/plumber) and we are living kind of camping style before I realised we would be. I have an image of the original extension builder riding up in a Stetson having just galloped in from the American plains, playing poker in the one-horse town's saloon with our foundations as collateral. Alas he clearly lost the foundations in the card game and managed get out a town before any showdown with any local building inspector sheriffs who might query the loss of said foundations. But I had mentally prepared myself for a whole lot of palaver so am surprisingly emboldened. We are philosophical. David says 'It is as it is'.
It was my son's birthday the other day and he had to open his presents in an empty dining room and put all his cards up in his bedroom but he doesn't seem to care as there are lots of holes to peer down and he and his sister just don't know what they will find has happened in their home between the hours of 9am and 3.15pm. They will be annoyed as a big lorry carrying concrete has just parked up and they are at school. They'd think it all awesome. Oh we lead such exciting lives. Ah...must dash there is a knock on the door....need to move the car I think.



Wednesday 12 June 2013

The deader the better

We went to see my Mum after we got back from Tiree. Of course she asked her grandson what had been the best bits. I wondered what he would say...perhaps the abundant white sandy beaches? The living wildlife? The sunshine? The rocks to climb on and the pools within? No - my son was in no doubt. He had found (well actually my brother's partner had found it) a sheep's skull with upper jaw in tact and that was the 'most awesomest' thing of the week. That was closely followed by another skull but tiny - possibly a hare - that was truly awesome too. Then of course there were all the dismembered crab legs and bodies (not done by us I hasten to add - just by nature and the tide) which both children were blown away with. My little girl walked 2 miles back home from the beach one day with bright orange crabs on her outstretched hand. Dead cool they were!

NB We did see some living creatures too - hares, basking sharks, seals, a buzzard, lots of sea birds, a frog - living cool they were.

 

Monday 10 June 2013

A boat to Tiree

We took a boat over the sea to Tiree. The sun shone. It made us very very happy.