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As seems traditional with any sort of building project progress has reduced to a glacial pace. The electrical side has been completed, so really all we’re waiting for is the garage doors to be installed (they’re in boxes in the garage – apparently there needs to be a bit more concrete ground out of the rebate or something before they can go in), and the drainage to be complete then we’re done except for the painting which we’ll be attempting ourselves. At least to start with. We’ll see how long that lasts!

But in other news, we seem to have managed to get a decent crop from one of our pear trees this year. In fact it’s the first pear crop we’ve really had of any description. Up until last week I wasn’t aware that you’re meant to harvest pears a little under ripe and ripen off the tree, so these might actually be a little too ripe, but we’ll take them!

It also seems that unnoticed by us the white peach tree has been quietly ripening its small, but very yummy white peaches. Again for the first crop from them. Bonus!

I suspect a lot of this is down to the extra water they’ve all received this year. Either that or they’ve finally matured just enough to deal with the conditions here. But it’s nice to finally get something back from them!

Over the last week there’s been a coating of Gibb applied to the remaining interior walls, and since this photo was taken there’s even been a bit of Gibb stopping action too. And the beginnings of a ramp built so we can actually drive into it.

Think we’re down to electrics and garage doors now. Although we still need to decide if we’re going to get all keen and paint it ourselves or just get someone who knows what they’re doing to paint it. And maybe add some skirting boards. They’re not there yet, and somehow I suspect they’ll claim they’re not in the spec.

Eleven nights into autumn and we get our first frost! Grrrrrrr! Weather report was for 6 degrees C overnight low in the city, but it was obviously a bit colder out here. White lawn, ice on the windscreen, and some damage to the more tender plants in the garden. Nothing that looks fatal yet, but a reminder that it can all change any night at this time of the year.

But at least the tunnel house is still cranking along. Masses of toms, eggplants, chillies and peppers still to work out what to do with. It’s gotten to be a bit tricky to walk from one end to the other now without pushing through all the tomato plants.

Apologies again. We’ve been a bit tardy with the updates, but here’s a little run-down for you. Wednesday last week the scaffolding team of five guys arrived and plonked up the scaffolding. Thursday the builder and his mate put on the roof, and also added the interior plywood wall, swept the place out and called it a job well done. Friday the electricians arrived to do the pre-wire at very short notice. They left. Now I guess we’re waiting on either a council inspection, or the batts to go in. Not sure which has to happen first.

But then after that it’s just Gibbing, sparkies adding the sockets and switches, the main garage doors going in, a ramp to be constructed so we can actually drive into the thing and we’re done. Another week should do it, I reckon. Oh. Hang on. There was some sort of interaction with the council in there, wasn’t there. Maybe a month and we’ll be done then!

Yes, there was progress yesterday, but it didn’t get posted. Sorry!

Three walls had most of the cladding installed by the time I got home yesterday.

And then today the rest of the wall cladding and all the windows and access doors were installed. With kitty door in one, of course, just in case the kitties wander in one day and need to get out. You get a picture of the other door though, just in case you were trying to squint to see the kitty door.

Sounds like there’ll be a brief pause tomorrow as scaffolding goes up, then the roof goes on. Then I guess it’s the electrical install, gibbing, and, of course, the garage doors. Can’t see any reason why it can’t be finished by the first frost this year!

And here we have the next stage of the garage. Yep, hard to notice, we know. But they have added a bit of cladding to the front today.

I drove in today after work and wondered what they had managed to do, or thought perhaps they hadn’t come at all. Then I noticed they had applied some ‘boards’ to the front. So we are moving along. It still appears to be going up pretty fast even though I thought they had managed to do nothing today. 🙂 I hope it’s not a sign that when it’s complete it’s going to be invisible!

Hard to believe that it’s just over 5 years since these guys trenched in the line, which since then has been poking up out of the lawn in exactly the wrong place.

But we might now be able to mow the back lawn without having to get off the mower and move the bloody irrigation line!

So two days on from the last update and there’s been a steady rate of progress. Trusses went on, along with all the bracing between them, then various bits of hardware went on in what looked to be strategic places, and then then wrapping went on at the end of the day today. If it had a roof it would almost look like a proper building!

(And no, this isn’t some sort of advertising deal – I guess that’s just why they bother to screenprint building wrap!)

These guys are wasting no time in cracking on with things. As soon as the frames arrived on site they’ve been cracked out of their packaging and pointed skyward. Pretty sure most of the external walls are finished.

The good news is it appears we’ve planned things with immaculate precision, and the pitto hedge-line we randomly threw in the ground a while ago will be in the perfect position to come across right next to the back door. What planning! What finesse! What sheer bloody luck!

A few slices across the surface of the slab. Three cuts to be precise, but I suspect you’ll only spot the one.

Sorry for the slow reporting!

On getting home later than usual last night we found some packages of frames had been delivered, which meant that…