Here you can see what we've been working on over the last month or so, in between teaching, recording and life at large. If you can't then click on the link to your right and the photos should appear - I seem to be having some technical difficulties at the moment. Anyway, the water catchment is complete with our groovy first flush pipes to catch the first flush (surprise surprise) of about 40 litres either end. We have put a tap at the bottom of each pipe and will attach drip irrigation from here to water the front face berm and grow green things to make it purty. This will work not only when it rains but every day with the dew - at the moment there are heavy dews and we catch about 20 litres either end every day!!
We've also been preparing the front face framing to receive the glass and windows, insulating the front tyre wall and building up the little berm at the front. Hopefully the glass will be installed over the next three or four weeks. We are waiting for a digger to come and dig a little trench first so that it won't disturb the glass plates later...does anybody know how to make a digger come when it's asked? They are impossible here.
THe skylights have been a disaster because our supplier neglected to open the package and check that they were in perfect condition as soon as he received them. now, three months later when we open them, they are cracked and not at all worth the 350 odd euros we paid for each of them. SO we only have one complete skylight and are waiting for the rest to be replaced. The one that is done is a beauty and once we have rigged up the weights and ropes to hold it closed will work a treat. Right now it is heavy enough to hold itself shut so no trouble with water or anything.
Finally, Oscar has been working hard on the parapet wall. It's been hard because the back hoe hasn't come to pile up any earth around the back of the house and he has to perch rather precariously on a ladder and beam type set up with buckets of cement and boxes of can. He's done a great job though and it is almost, almost finished. Now just another coat of render and then some paint...
And that's it for now!