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Post by Old Dragon (Al) on Aug 26, 2009 21:34:25 GMT 1
We are now on DAY 98, and since the brickie put the walls up, I've seen the builders briefly there for just a few hours! Long enough for them to have the money to buy the materials for the roof... Now the excuse is the weather - again. My old horse isn't impressed because he'd rather like to be in and out of the weather by now, thanks very much. Of course, we now have a Bank Holiday looming, which probably means that the builders won't do anything for that week, and half of them will probably go away on their holidays... Meanwhile, the birds have been spreading the word about free food behind the building, and are getting through 2 x feeders of nuts; 1 x feeder of seeds, and 4 - 5 fat balls per day! There's also a squirrel cheeky enough to hop over the wall into the hedge right in front of me and start scoffing as I am still filling feeders.
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Post by Old Dragon (Al) on Sept 6, 2009 15:15:56 GMT 1
Managed to get a photo (Day 109)... I am told they plan to get the roof on this next week, but, of course, it still needs doors, the floors levelling, the concrete path laid down, the car park levelled, the interior and exterior painted, etc. etc. It is becoming very autumnal there now, with many leaves falling, and the squirrels particularly busy, as are the birds at the feeders. They seem to be able to empty the seed one on a daily basis now. I've now moved that one to give the birds a clear view along the side of the building, and plan to site more feeders along there, to gradually encourage the bird around the building to the front. There, under the overhang, we'll site some nest boxes ASAP, so that the birds get used to seeing those and feeding around the front too, where people can see them. The doorway to the right of the photo will be that of our group's 'room'. However, mucky tools, feed stuffs etc., can be stored in the feedroom, which will be the next room along. Amongst the items won for the project in the August Teamwork challenge is a metal bird feeding station, which will be sited either on the edge of the car park above the actual garden, in in that somewhere. It hasn't been erected yet, but has various hooks to hang feeders on, along with trays for food and water. The only drawback initially, will be that it is rather exposed, and any birds feeding there will be visible to the preditory ones, such as the sparrow hawks and kestrels in the area. Once the Leylandii screen grows, they will have something to hide and shelter in though, so possibly the feeding station may be sited nearer the building and shelter of the hedgerow initially.
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Post by mysticalmidnight on Sept 7, 2009 0:39:47 GMT 1
I wished i wasn't the closest. I wished the builders would of finished way back. I am trying to think of something positive to say, unfortunately other than getting DIY SOS and Ground Force in i can't see it being finished until 2010 I hope the builders are not on day rate, then again it might work out cheaper Dray x
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Post by RuthE on Sept 7, 2009 8:05:30 GMT 1
I hope Merlyn has a roof for his new abode before the weather turns (and I hope our builders who are arriving today and staying a week will not be so tardy as we will be without a bathroom for the duration!!).
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Post by Florrie on Sept 8, 2009 11:35:11 GMT 1
well it looking good ( is that Ethan peeping over the top?) maybe it should have been which year will it finish
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Post by Old Dragon (Al) on Sept 8, 2009 13:01:01 GMT 1
The builders now have some of the roof's supporting timbers fixed in, so hopeful that Merlyn can come in soon, even if he has a yard full of rubble to look out onto. I'm not so worried about the little ponies, as they are both young, fit and carrying plenty of condition, so can withstand the wet weather better than the old fellow. Sue, which year is about right! Even when the builders finish their bit, there will be loads more to do. Indeed, that is Ethan peeping around the pallets. I walked him down there on that day, and as he seems to like walking and doing a bit of nature study on the way. However, he also wanted to try out numerous rocks as seats on the way... and got into a bit of a huff when I tried to hurry him up, so stalked off ahead of me!
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Post by petdesigns on Sept 9, 2009 9:44:10 GMT 1
My builder is still working, too... sigh. But at least he really is working when he said he would!
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Post by Old Dragon (Al) on Sept 9, 2009 11:05:41 GMT 1
Well, mine now seem to have the excuse that the roofing sheets have to be cut in the factory, so won't arrive until, at least, next week! We have about a week of good weather forecast, so what's the betting that, by the time the sheets are cut, it will be too wet for them to fit them again? Why can't they fit the doors, or level the floors and lay the path in front of the building in the meantime, for goodness sake? The answer is simple - they have another job on the go at the same time, and that also needs to be done in good weather! Oh, and just to help keep track, we are now on Day 112!
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Post by Florrie on Sept 18, 2009 8:57:17 GMT 1
lovely photos of Ethan ( they grow up so quick!)
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Post by petdesigns on Sept 18, 2009 10:56:53 GMT 1
Is the roof now on??
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Post by Old Dragon (Al) on Sept 18, 2009 16:11:21 GMT 1
It is now Day 121 and the builders had the scaffold at the ready this morning awaiting delivery of the promised, specially cut in the factory, roofing sheets and... guess what? Yep, they sent the wrong sheets! Alas, I turned somewhat dragonesque, even on the phone to the factory supplying them, who had cocked things up this time. They said they'd have them delivered this afternoon, but the builders decided having them then was too late to get them up and they'd be lying around over the weekend and at risk, so now they are coming Monday morning instead. I also asked why the **** they couldn't get on with fitting the doors or levelling the floors... Also asked where they'd put the bag of door fittings I'd got... They hadn't a clue and reckoned they'd not had those! Odd, as I bought the tethering rings at the same time and they have got those fitted into the walls! Having gone arse over belly a couple of times recently on the rubble they have left littering the car parking area, including spilling a bucket of feed in a fall yesterday, I had a go about that, too. Before they left a few upturned brickends were flattened down into a rut! Big deal!
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Post by reclaimingrebus on Sept 18, 2009 19:44:55 GMT 1
Oh Al! fingers crossed this starts to come together soon. You're right about the autumnal feel to the weather
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Post by Florrie on Sept 22, 2009 9:19:19 GMT 1
hope the roofing sheets turned up
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Post by Jazz on Sept 22, 2009 10:38:42 GMT 1
I dont know how you have stayed calm this long. I hope its done soon for you xx
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Post by Old Dragon (Al) on Sept 22, 2009 13:02:48 GMT 1
Well, the roofing sheets -= correct ones - turned up yesterday, and I informed the builders, who nevber seem to listen to the weather forecast, that there was wind and rain coming in overnight. ;D Of course, I failed to say that the high winds were forecast for Scotland... They actually worked overtime! ;D
It was breezy last night here and has been drizzling since the early hours. I'll be heading down there shortly to see what further progress may have been made. The doors were supposed to come today, but we've only been able to find enough of the door fittings for one stable door so far. The rest must be buried under loads of other stuff in the neighbour's shed, I hope, and that we can find them.
I'll report back later on any further progress for Day 125.
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Post by Florrie on Sept 22, 2009 13:36:24 GMT 1
and so it goes on and on and on
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Post by Old Dragon (Al) on Sept 22, 2009 15:55:24 GMT 1
Well, I didn't see a completed roof, and apparently the sheets have yet to be positioned properly and fixed! The hold up this time being that they need some silicone sealant... Yeh, right! The clear fibreglass sheets appear to be much smaller than I originally thought, and have mored position. Didn't see the builders, either, so phoned. One's off sick, but the others are supposed to be down there now putting a full sized door on one room, instead of the half door... Why? It's so they can lock their scaffolding equipment in there! Apparently the weather is supposed to improve for the rest of the week, in which case, they assure me, they'll be cracking on with the job... I won't hold my breath.
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Post by reclaimingrebus on Sept 23, 2009 19:20:20 GMT 1
perhaps you should change your name to Job
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Post by Old Dragon (Al) on Sept 23, 2009 22:34:00 GMT 1
Mmmmm! Whatever, the builders did appear for work there today. The TRPD room now has a roof and a door! No, don't faint! What it now needs is a smooth floor, so that can be sealed and carpeted in some way - probably with that 'green' carpet my mother saved for years and then said was brown, but then turned out to be pink with flowers on!!! That carpet won't be large enough for the whole room, but will do a section of it for the time being. We'll also need to get it painted with masonary paint - white inside, so it is as light as possible. If the timbers are painted black, it'll almost look like a period property... Well, the time it's taken to build, it almost is!
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Post by Old Dragon (Al) on Oct 1, 2009 10:03:58 GMT 1
Day134 has just got off to an infuriating start - someone, probably a joyrider in a stolen car, missed the bend last night and crashed their car into the brand new, only just fitted gate!
After the recent spate of petty thefts of feed, bags of shavings and the door fittings etc., along with the dumpings of old bedsteads, bits of bikes, car tyres/wheels and bags of rubbish into the field, it was the final straw, and I phoned the police. Only yesterday the local community officer was telling the roofer working over the road, that they had no resources to address such things, so you could say I was not in the best of humour on the phone.
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