Once again we are visited by the little digger, but this time it's digging holes right outside the house. Really convenient ..... and lovely and muddy.
It looks so innocent sat there in the sunshine, but every night we have had torrential rain and apart from filling the holes with water this makes the soil that this lovely little orange machine has dug up turn into a sea of mud that is slowly and determinedly covering our layer of slate chippings around the house.
Which means that four human feet, sixteen little doggy feet, oh and not forgetting the four dainty little pussy cat feet are all walking it into the house.
Who was it that commented the other week that my kitchen floor looked amazingly white ..... yeah right ... not any more!!
Hopefully, once they have been inspected by Building Control, the holes will be filled in with concrete, which will act as the base for the steel supports that are going in to support the new conservatory roof. As the conservatory has minimal roof support on two of it's sides, it needs something substantial to hold up the proper slate roof that will match the house.
And did you spot something new lurking near the house too, yes we have had to buy a new oil tank as our current one is sat right where the bank of earth is to be dug out to make more space for the garage ... and it's developed a slight leak and killed all the plants we planted around it.
Three holes done ....
... and the fourth one should be done tomorrow, after the nice boiler man who is here at the moment currently syphoning all the oil from the old tank into the new one, has finished disconnecting the central heating and hot water boiler, which is handily right in the position the final hole needs to be dug.
So mud, mud and more mud ....... and no hot water!!
It's a good job I haven't had the central heating switched on yet, at least we've not got used to that little luxury before it's temporarily taken away from us. The boiler will be reattached once the work is done, in the meantime it will be showers for us and the muddy dogs, and water boiled in the kettle for washing the pots.
It's like one step forward and two steps back but at least hopefully in a few weeks time we will have a much cosier conservatory
Sue xx
Hey Sue is your Aga oil or wood? I would drag an arm chair into the kitchen just like my Gran!
ReplyDeleteIt's electric and, thank goodness, unaffected by all this and thankfully we have the wood burner in the living room, so we can get the house nice and cosy, and there are always the two Aga kettles sat on top of the Aga picking up the residual heat which we use for washing pots once a day.
ReplyDeleteOh dear!
ReplyDeleteThe driest September on record and you have a digger arrive in wet and squally October!
What rotten luck!
But how lovely to have it sorted before Christmas ;-)
It was me who commented on your lovely clean kitchen floor! My boiler has been on (our weather turns colder up here earlier in the year) but it has to be switched off for two days next week while major repairs are done to it. One of the dogs is going in for surgery the second day of the boiler work so I hope we can put the heating on for her when she comes home. Trying not to worry about her but can't help it!
ReplyDeleteMy one cat makes enough mess with her muddy paws, it must be driving you mad!
ReplyDeleteThink ahead, nice conservatory, looking out from the warm on wet days. Can't the dogs wear boots!
ReplyDeleteI share your pain - we have a clay swamp of a garden here now :( So pleased your work is starting though :)
ReplyDeleteWe are getting used to mud - unfortunately ours is on the inside!!
ReplyDeleteSue, looks like the dogs are very curious about the digger! You are so busy with your outdoor work!
ReplyDeleteAhhh, the joys of renovating!
ReplyDeleteThank goodness for agas and woodburners! P x
ReplyDeleteArrgghh! The mud that'd cause! I feel for you. Have you tried covering the floor with newspapers? Our Goldie-granddog brings mud in during winter off a perfectly reasonable lawn, so I have old towels that go down all the way across the familyroom to the kitchen lino, and it makes quite a difference. I only wash them when they're really muddy, and I realise that newspapers would do just as well, and help with the recycling.... perhaps I'll take my own advice .. next winter!
ReplyDeleteIt will be worth the mud and mess once it's completed! You'll come through it fine. xxx
ReplyDeleteYour soon forget about the mess when its done. I need to start the porch here soon but its got too wet the last week or so
ReplyDeleteThank goodness for woodburners :} I too use old towels next to the outside doors, much easier to wash than regular doormats.
ReplyDeleteJust keep telling yourself "it will be worth it in the end". (I've been muttering that for seven years .....)