swings and roundabouts

We finally have our building warrant and can make a start on the substructure for the two linked roundhouses. We have finished the floor slab for the shed/garage - at 28.8 square metres it took well over 100 batches. We ( well I have !) have realised the folly of trying to mix all the founds and floors by hand and intend to hire a pan mixer to do half cube batches filling it with our JCB bucket and not hand shovel. We are too old and too decrepit to mix another 1000 plus hand mixed batches though we have done over 200 for the shed.

Our luck has changed since last week when we had no functioning JCB, no warrant and another 80 hand batches to mix to finish the floor. This week the JCB is working better than ever with new hydraulic filter and clean oil, the warrant is with us and the floor slab is finished.

Plans are to take advantage of a few days dry weather and strip the oversite, level the trenches and excavate the first section. The driveway will be graded and 20mm to dust raked out and compacted - though we'll have to water it manually. All the spare 75mm down crusher run will be carefully stockpiled for the underfloors. Our building water is now a priority as we'll need loads with a pan mixer and expect to get connected within a week or so.

Jayne is grievously upset that she has reduced her high personal standards and now wipes her nose on her tee shirt sleeve when concreting.

All in all a good week so far.

Sewage plant has arrived and is stuck on the Cabstar - awaiting lifting off at Kinnererach. It is very high centre of gravity and will have to be secured on its side to get it down the track - too risky at 2.5m above the flat bed on the Cabstar that it'll roll the truck if we drive it down as it is.

Our woodburning stoves are also here - well on the mainland on a pallet.

Finally got to see a World Cup match as we have been so busy and was most impressed by the North Koreans especially their No9. Brazilians not bad either.