Home Improvement

No sooner said than started.  We have two crews here today.  The first crew has chopped out the old asphalt floor in the room in the outbuilding where the dogs' little hut is in winter and are preparing it for concrete.  They will also pour 1 meter wide of new concrete along the north edge of the house, slopping away to carry water away from the foundation. We will do the other three sides this fall.

Trucks have been here with cement, sand and gravel and hauling away the used asphalt to be recycled.  The crew have also cleared all the junk out of another outbuilding room room and stacked firewood there from all the trees we cut down.

The second crew is working on fixing out water supply.  We have had no decent water pressure since we moved in her 7 years ago and a new neighbourhood line was put in along the street at the same time.  Today we found out why.  Down in the bottom of our sump hole, where the line comes in from the street was an ancient rusted tap.  It had no obvious handle and appeared to be just a fitting.  Our plumber who is sized right to get down into the sump and work found it to be a tap which was partially closed.  None of the previous guys we had her to look at it could solve the problem.

Now we have water pressure.  We can flush a toilet and still wash our hands. Now Tanya can use sprinkler systems to water her garden and not have to stand there for hours.

In the mean time, Tanya, Sveta and I were busy cleaning out the attic storeroom, in preparation for when the roof comes off.  Mostly it involved sorting and throwing away.  Many of the books of Tanya's boys hit the pile.  As Tanya said, her grandchildren (or others) won't be reading them.  Sveta saved a few dozen though.  I went through all my beef files and emptied one shelf of all my binders full of course material, and one shelf of magazine storage boxes full of brochures, reprints, photocopies and publications.  It was not easy but it was necessary.  Anything I need now I can find on the internet or in my own computer files.

Tomorrow should finish it.  Garbage is loaded into nylon mesh sacks and when the roof comes off, they will be lowered outside.  Suitcases and boxes full of everything imaginable are stacked in the spare bedroom upstairs.

We had two nice little rains Sunday and Monday nights.  Last night's rain was accompanied by lots of thunder and lightning.  The three cats (Vovochka seems to be permanent) sat on the table on the front landing and were enjoying the show until Tanya made them come in the house.  Everything is green so I took a few more pictures.

One quarter of Tanya's kitchen garden. 

Old Bubushka's yard next to us

I love these tiny perfect flowers

These little guys are so tough they bloom 12 month of the year

The front flowerbed, yellow iris nearly done, fancy iris just starting 

I love poppies so I am allowed one (and only one).