Forever House #47

Tuesday 29th May 2017

Ronnie ripped a hardwood plank we've been using
as scaffolding, to strengthen the front sliding doors.
He oiled it with the Jarrah coloured Intergrain.
He also doused the top of the mud with
Davkin Ultra Prime... I hadn't intended to seal
the outside of the mud walls but now I may have to...
or this waterfall effect could be a feature?!
Ronnie forcing my hand maybe....

Six days since I was last here and although progress is being made, photos don't show it really. Today I left home early but didn't arrive at the farm till 11.30am. Caught up with Ronnie who came out yesterday morning and is chipping away at things that are not immediately apparent to the naked eye. But that is building. He's preparing all the window openings and mouldings for the metal that will go up around the block walls. He's done heaps and suddenly all will be apparent when the metal goes up and the windows go in. He's redone the shower too - in the fifth of a six week stay. the canvas bag is on a rope pully system now to lower it for filling instead of heaving the hot water up and pouring it in up high. I think the revamped shower will serve not only us for now, but me and others for some time prior to the internal bathroom being operational.

On the way out today I had about 8 stops. Picking up food, fuel for car and genny, oil for genny, Bunnings for cement and screws, a recommended electrician at Casino to discuss solar install at the Forever House, timber yard to talk about collecting hardwood packing timbers that usually get burned but which are free and would make great cover for the metal bedroom walls.

Formwork removed from wheel! And mud wall complete.
View from inside second bedroom

Before we found out my Jeff was sick we ordered and paid for the Solar system for the farm. We took delivery of all the bits over three and a half years ago. Unfortunately the batteries have been sitting around without being charged during that time. I need to find out if they are salvageable and pray they are because to replace them will be a big expense. I am not sure the electrician I visited will do the work but I wanted to start the wheels in motion getting quotes etc. I'm no expert on solar - but I guess my time for learning is coming. These systems are very expensive and need to be taken good care of if they are to last a long time.

Mirror formwork removed and mud wall complete
view from dining/lounge room

After unpacking the car I put the kettle on and made Ronnie and me lunch.Didn't start mudding till 2pm. I've realised that I don't need to do much more mudding before Ronnie finishes at the end of next week. Just enough to finish the walls where the glass wall frames will go. I can continue the last of the internal mud post-Ronnie. My time is much better spent getting windows sanded, painted and glazed. And any stress I can take off my shoulder is a good plan for now.

oiled bedroom windows - smells and looks very lovely

Stumbled in shed rolling my left ankle and bruising the pad on my right hand. Sanded and varnished window openings in the main bedroom. Ronnie recommended Intergrain oil - which smells amazing. I didn't realise I had bought it in 'Jarrah' colour - it goes on quite orangy but dries a beautiful rich dark colour. Happy. I gave the bird highlight window frames a final green coat. Completed the 2nd bedroom wall to lintel height. Took the formwork Andy built many moons ago out of the wheel in that wall. Another small step for this womankind.

Ronnie will come back to help complete the inside when he gets his next break. He's got a shed to build at his home, a holiday in NZ, and an extension in Lennox to get done in the meantime. But he's very keen to come back and help me finish Yay 
I didn't bother with a shower using the fancy new pully system. I didn't get dirty enough and am only here for one night. Veg burgers, stars amazing, Cold, Fire, chatting with Ronnie, and in bed about 8.30pm. Night.

Wednesday 30th May 2017

frosty morning

Such a cold night. There was frost on the ground when I rose to meet the morning at 6.30am. My hands were happy to wrap around a warm coffee and porridge. Ronnie was working in the best spot today - in the sun out the front doing window jams. I got straight into my final mud row to level out the wall between the main bedroom and the kitchen ready for the glass wall framing.

Ronnie's window jam creation

mud wall complete - view from inside main bedroom

Ronnie has waxed his work boots so his feet were dry whereas my feet in my untreated wet boots were freezing even with double socks. And I was working on the shady verandah with my hands in water and mud. Brrrrrr.... The sun thawed us out though and we pottered on with our various tasks. Ronnie was having a lovely time with his jams in the creative concoction of windows we are creating near the front door. I was just doing enough mud to finish what needs to be finished for this push. With my arm the way it is I have let myself off the hook from further digging or more mudding than necessary. And I re-oiled the frames in the main bedroom with the Jarrah Intergrain. Dropped the last of the tin of oil but only lost a little. Whenever I say "Ronnie..." he stops and
helps me do whatever it is I need - and although he asks rarely I assist him too if it saves him a trip up and down a ladder. American Pete and a friend of his Paula called in. She was suitably impressed with the house - I told her she was saying all the right things. We have largely burned our way through the pallets so I collected a ute load of tree parts taken from a pile down the block left after the clearing was done by machinery last year. I wanted to make sure Ronnie had wood to go on with. He'll chain saw it up.











My last job before leaving near dark was to putty in four of the five panes of bird highlight window because I was itching to do. I haven't done much puttying before so felt a bit stressed trying to do it well enough to pass Ronnie's eagle eye. He'd already told me he'd sack me if I was his painter! Anyway he gave my puttying the nod so that was a relief. It, with it's twin bird window, will sit up high anyway and the stained glass will draw the eye not the putty. So on leaving the farm today my intention was to spend this weekend getting the bedroom windows prepared to be installed next week but I really do have to give my neck a break. The osteo since returning from the farm gave me orders. I So they may have to be installed in their current state and I will just remove one at a time and work on it as and when over the next weeks. My plan will be to spend a couple of days a week out there working with windows, painting walls and laying tiles. Chipping away at that rate will certainly see continuous progress.