landscaping summer 2014

The waste from the old front of the house floor is transformed into steps, a long bank with shrubs and young tree ... well done Tracey, great work.

Wonderful, wonderful gates

Briefly, some praise for our new gates ... remotely operated, wide and sliding for the cars and one for people and dogs ... so very good to see the back of the old wire fence 'arrangement'!   Posh postbox as well ...  at least it feels that way as this one opens from both sides.  

and ( as well as polishing walls, building more walls, and putting up gateside lighting) Tracey and Paul have been digging out for a new path down the side of the house ...

Its 

 

Its gardening weather here, warm and sunny, so more pics later when we've done with the mowing, strimming, pruning and weeding.

The new floor: it is what it is

I promised some time ago to post some pics of the newly tiled floor  ... the title to this post says it all! We've just about accepted that it is what it is and not what we wanted but, hey, at least we negotiated a substanital discount off the original invoice.

Tracey is already at work making repairs  -what a blessing she is so good at tiling. 


The front gate is also in progress, its being made off site and will need some digging etc. to install. Oh, how I will not miss that unwieldy stretch of wire we have at the moment.

Ideas for shape and size of the sofas in the family room are being discussed and the oak table we bought the first year we moved in looks just great.  And do we want curtains, blinds - no-one can decide.

Progess, real progress.

Winter 2013

I'll get around to some pics of the new floor soon, but in the meantime my terrace now has railings

 

...  a great place to catch the sun in winter or the shade in summer.

The Hot Tub has arrived

I am not joking, we now have a beautiful hot tub in the garden ready for days when its good to warm up rather then use the pool to cool down!

Its now fully installed, full of water and well covered until needed, hopefully not too soon.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Meanwhile, the local bees are flocking to the hen run for drinking water ... we can't decide if hens can be stung but we are being very careful! 

 

And as you can see Ali still loves her private paddling pool.

Getting ready for the new floor

We've been busy these last few days (and more days will be needed yet) clearing the front of the house for the new floor in what will be the kitchen/family-room/hall. The burner, soon to be tucked away somewhere safe for a few weeks, looks a little lonely now most of the temporary units have been moved.

Up on the first floor my terrace now has plants -agaves, succulents and a number of those ubiquitous spider plants that just seem to go on and on - all capable of surviving in the heat and tolerating only the occasional spot of attention. The handrail is awaited ... so for the moment we keep away from the edge.

Writing this on another sunny and very warm evening  -the tomatoes and figs are ripening, our new hens seem very happy although not all are laying at the moment and the cockerel is slowly finding his voice.

2103 Spring and Summer ... some changes

A brief post to catch up with progress here ... mostly these days the changes are small and subtle. Paul has done lots of work on the electrics, James' room is very nearly finished and the well has been restored.

In contrast, and in preparation for the not small and will be obvious work to replace the floor at the front of the house, due to start  in September, Tracey has fitted a door at the end of the hallway.  Seen here from Paul and Tracey's living room, this door was in our Northleach house once upon another time, so great upcycling. 

The garden has acquired inrernal fences to give the dogs lots of room to play in, and to keep them away from the cats, veg beds and hens.

 

 and further down is the pool and barbecue  - essential parts of this heatwave summer.

The New Year Trench

Its the first poor weather day for a very long time and we’ve hired a mini-digger to run a trench for a second electricity supply to the house. Paul & Tracey were out early so by lunchtime there is a large pile of ‘mud’ and a very deep ditch from here

to here

Macca and Crumble were keen to help and Cookie to spectate but eventually they came in out of the mist and watched me light the burner, take down the Christmas tree and make chicken soup!

 

 

Now I’m thinking about a design for quilting the scrap quilt made last spring and now hanging on a temporary design wall while I wait for inspiration. It will be the largest one I’ve quilted so far so I need a quilting pattern that can be repeated and will compliment al those straight lines.

The Truck & the Box go their separate ways

Finally, today Paul & Tracey’s first home (the Box) was separated from the Truck! The word was out in Puycaquier that today was the day, the ground was just right –hardened by summer sun- so the crane didn’t sink, and there were plenty of straps, ropes and helping hands for the task.

it went from this

 

t

 

 

 

to this   

then, with some help from the van, the truck moved …

and, finally, the box was put in its new resting place

Hopefully, it won’t be too long before the scrap metal guys return and remove the truck –apparently its not going anywhere as the clutch has gone!

All this was done in the wonderful October sunshine that’s still with us –although we have had a couple of brief, very wet, storms. The tomatoes and french beans continue to ripen and Paul has pulled the first parsnips.

And the stone wall is looking very good, with pointing almost as far as the front of the house … well done Paul and Tracey for all your hard work this week.

A special garden for the dogs and other stuff

I’ve been out and about with my camera recording the changes at Enmatte in the past few months and days. We now have a dog proof garden under the old oak tree –very useful at reducing the number of times we are distracted by the task of looking for Macaroon or looking for Crumble.

 

When the dogs go walk about they are almost always looking for the cats –an impossible quest as Tom and Geo are wise to this activity and know where to go to not be found. But that doesn’t stop the dogs trying and the new fence gives them freedom and limits!

 

  There’s lots of toys for them to play with –but one small stick was very much in demand this afternoon.

 

 

 

Work is progressing on the stone wall. Paul has fixed the power hose so the water goes where it should and importantly not all over him.

 

After the cleaning comes the pointing –the stone looks so good once this is done.

Today is hot and humid –wonderful weather for October. The sunflower harvest continues, Paul’s tomatoes are still ripening and (not good this) the cabbages are populated by Cabbage White butterflies. The wasps continue to be a bother despite a special trap and most likely attracted by the fragrance of Peach & Vanilla Jam Paul made last week. And late last night I did battle with a very noisy mosquito –no bites, thanks to the wipes I bought for the South American jungle and bought home untouched.

Its market day in Fleurance tomorrow and I’m hoping there will still be soft fruit for sale –peaches for breakfast is just the most wonderful way to stretch the summer.

Moving week … its wonderful on the 1st floor

I’m not usually at Enmatte in October but this has not been a ‘normal’ summer, Anyway, I am here at last, the sun has been shining since I arrived and best of all I have moved into the 1st floor space. Its almost impossible to describe just how wonderful it all is … spacious, light, airy, full of character and now full of me! The large pile of boxes of books and other stuff is no more, although more book shelves are needed (no surprise there, I hear you say),

I have spread all my sewing stuff across the middle space and sorted out an office space, and the sitting room is a calm, quiet place. 

One of the best things about this space is the mix of furniture from different places i have known all my life. I am writing this on our dining room table bought in 1967, over there is a small table that used to be at the top of the stairs in my Grandmother’s house, behind me is the camphor wood trunk that belonged to John’s parents. Two of the bookcases once belonged to John’s Grandparents and I have a chair from their house in my dressing room. In front of me is the brass chess table we bought in Iran, Peggy’s Singer sewing machine … it makes for a memorable and practical melange of everything a home needs.

Then there is the bedroom,  through the sliding doors …….

 

and (very posh this) a dressing room. The wet room has a great shower, the best lit loo ever and the tiling is, naturally, Tracey’s finest. 

Paul’s electrician skills are so very good –the lighting scheme he designed and built for this space is perfect & Tracey has built me a wardrobe that has swallowed all my clothes in a way that means  I can see everything behind the large mirrored doors. Clearly, I am in love with it all.

 

More pictures to follow ,,, will try to also post some of little Macaroon who is the best puppy ever, and is growing up fast. He is slowly learning what belongs to me up here  -my slippers and the content of the waste paper bin - and what is his to play with. Crumble is quite adult beside him, and has made the spot at the end of my terrace her very own. It is a joy to be greeted by them each morning as if I had been away from weeks not just overnight.

And the work continues. Paul and Tracey have been cleaning the west facing stone wall of the house today, ready for pointing. I’ll try to post some pics of that this coming week.

We have floor–wall 2 wall

Thanks to Tracey and Paul’s persistent hard work the first floor of this wonderful house now has an oak floor –soft to walk on, transmitting very little noise downstairs –this is gong to be a great space to live in.

 

 

 

 

Sanding and oiling are next, skirting boards need to be added plus a few cupboard doors. Its amazing how much light the floor level windows and door let in … probably no need for any skylights, just a few lights to work and read by. 

Meanwhile, Mack the puppy continues to be a joy, he met the vet yesterday and went out for his first proper walk today wearing a very posh collar! Despite a large box of toys he much prefers our slippers and the broom … but he’s learning what ‘not yours’ means. 

A new member of the family

Welcome to Mack, or Macca or more properly Macaroon & I’m not even going to attempt his ‘real’ name! He is a very well socialised, perhaps a little plump, eight week old English Staffi  -presently snoring gently on the space my laptop leaves on my lap. Cookie and Crumble have been very welcoming, only a little overwhelming at times but very happy to play and share their favourite spots. 

Only 500 metres left …

Its hard work, there are bruises and splinters, there is noise and wonderful progress.

The floor is out of James’ room and alongside the top of the stairs –with lots of craft needed to get a good finish on the last step   - well done Tracey.

As I write more insulation is being pumped in the space between the ceiling and the floor –the stack of bales of compressed newspaper is diminishing. A good use of one sort of print media that we quickly discard. I’m thinking of John as I write –his newspaper habit was legend and he would have been so proud of all this work.

Briefly other news –overnight we have had the best sort of rain …soft and gentle on all the young plants. Paul has forgiven me for pulling up the wrong spring onions –I now know where the ones for eating are! My quilt is less a pile of small pieces and more a pile of small squares and yes they were a few days late but the homemade hot cross buns got top marks. I don't expect there will be any left for tomorrow! Off now to do some more work on my poetry and then make pizza for lunch.

The start of the cover up …

I’m writing this to the beautiful sound of floorboards being hammered, strapped and nailed into place. The pictures tell the story so far –lots of planning, hard work and the occasional fall of dust. I’ve been taking photos to record what is under what boards –some places light fittings, elsewhere insulation.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I’m also making tea, cooking for the workers and sometimes getting in the way as my bedroom looks more and more like a place to move into –and, as always, once a floor goes down, a much bigger room  than before. Cookie and Crumble keep a watch on it all. Yesterday we 3 went out for our usual along the hedgerow walk admiring the blossom and young wheat that now really does need rain. Cloudy today but no sign of rain yet.  To be continued …..

Spring 2012 update

I’m writing this inside away, yes away from the March midday heat! Not sure if this is early summer, just a good spring but its certainly making up for the icy spell in February that gave many plants and trees a shock they may never recover from. Its a case of watching and waiting, seeing past the impact of the sub sub zero temperatures on the eucalyptus, passiflora etc.  lots of brown leaves and peeling bark at the moment.

The fields are vibrant with young wheat and hedgerow blossom –but rain is needed for the crops to continue to flourish. As usual Cookie is taking advantage of the sun out on the front terrace currently a work space for the laying of the floor

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Yes, after lots of work on the professional plumbing by Paul to improve access to key pipes and construction of  James’ bathroom it is almost time. So glad that I am here to become chief tea maker and cook for the ‘workers’ over the next week as my rooms are given their finishing touch. Some early pictures below –lots of levelling, cleaning up the dust and fitting cork soundproofing strips happening today. I’ll keep the camera handy and continue the story -OK its a bore for most but I am so excited to see the plan for the space working out so well.

… switches on the wall

In fact, we have six switches at the top of the stairs –brushed satiny grey steel- elegant and ready for the light fittings we are still pondering over .Switches so nice I had to take a photo …

 

I just hope I can learn which switch works which light in a shorter time than it has taken me to know which switch to press to get light in the family room!  Blinking lights comes to mind whenever I try to turn them on and off .. and here are only four to choose from there. 

Paul is busy with the plumbing for James’ wet room …  and with the floor well rested, next week the fitting can begin. I am trying not to get too excited but I man be sleeping up there next time I’m here… WOW