A busy busy day…
I think I’m a bit sunburnt. I’m certainly hot enough, and pink enough, to fit that description! But I think it’s been worth it. Maybe. I’ll tell you tomorrow!
In case you hadn’t worked it out yet, we headed out for another working day out at the ranch. On arrival our attention was split two ways. First up, the house had windows and doors! WOW! It really does look like a house! Secondly, the big orange ball on the water tank was still at the bottom. Gulp! Uh-oh! But which to focus on first! Luckily(ish) Bec had to cruise into town to do a few things there while I got on with some work, so it was up to her to go hassle the water guys and get that part sorted. Meanwhile I wandered around staring at the windows…
All looking pretty good to me, and even pretty clean!
And they even seem to be the right size and everything! I think there’ll be a “no backyard cricket” rule around some areas of the house though. Some of the panes are pretty bloody big!
Then the work began. First up: hammering. Thanks to the guys at the hardware store I didn’t have to do any sawing as well! But a few nails later I’d managed to put together four little garden plots for us to chuck a few plants in. As long as we have water! Which with a bit of twiddling of various valves the builder and I managed to work out we did have. Some at least. I think he was quite relieved. I could see his mind working overtime about how he was going to get a kettle’s worth of water for smoko otherwise! Immediate crisis averted, but still a bit nervous about the whole deal…
But onwards! Now we had somewhere to put some dirt, it was time to find some. Luckily there are a few piles of various sizes lying around from various bits of trench digging around the place. Cue use of the garden sieve that we made a long time ago which has been lurking around in the shed just waiting for its chance to shine.
And shine it did! It coped marvellously with all the boulders, rocks, stones, and pebbles that we have in every shovelful of dirt out there. And with not a saggy bottom in sight! The only thing better than that sieve would be another one with holes half the size to get the even smaller pebbles and chips out. But I think we’re fine leaving them in for now. I’m sure it helps with the free-draining aspect of soil we’re looking for. And besides, the location of these plots is temporary anyway, until we get water down to the proposed vege garden site.
Anyway, during all this Bec had arrived back, having managed to harangue the irrigation guys to come down to check out the water. Which they duly arrived to do. We left them to it while we met the new project manager trainee that is going to have to learn our little ways. And get used to Bec’s sense of humour! I’m sure he’ll get there eventually!
Finished with him. Back to the water, and a confused water guy. More scratching of heads, as everything looked like it was fine. A borrowed ladder later, and the issue was resolved. The tank was actually full, but the little orange float was stuck down, so it looked like it was empty. DOH! Oh well, at least we’ve got water!
So back to the sieving and dumping. Things were moving along a little faster with two of us, with one and half plots full of soil (but waiting for some compost or Caleb’s Pony-Poo to be added as well).
But then we had to pause to wander around the house with the sparky pointing out where we’d like all the switches and sockets. Took a lot longer than we thought it would! But I think we’ve managed to almost get that sorted. Still a few things that aren’t quite going to work like we thought they were due to trusses being in the wrong place etc., etc., but we’ll find a way around that. Hopefully!
A bit of last minute sieve action, a quick water of the trees, and then home for a fish ‘n’ chip dinner. All ready for an early night, ready to get up early tomorrow and do it all over again! Although tomorrow I think I might get the sunscreen on just a bit earlier, and/or wear the long sleeved shirt…
I am jealous of your fish n’ chip dinner.
The fish and chips were pretty standard really. A bit disappointing! But then we were so tired and hungry that they were wolfed down anyway.
Hopefully one day you’ll be jealous of the garden instead! A way to go there though…