I decided to build a firewood store using some of the old roof beams. We have a bit of firewood kicking around but it’s all been outside getting wetter instead of drier. We had done the initial ground prep then one day Dave was working on his laptop and I decided to get on with it. I set the four posts in place, measured and cut more wood to make the top of the frame, put in cross-braces and added a waterproof roof with some old tiles on top. I was pretty pleased with it for a day’s work. It is sturdy and functional and I learned to use the circular saw in the process. That project made me decide that not only am I capable of building things, but I like it too, which has pleased me no end. Since we moved here, I’ve been enjoying the slow re-distribution of work from a relatively traditional division of labour to a more equal one. I’m getting better at building and fixing things whilst Dave is taking more responsibility around the house. It has definitely made me feel more independent.
We have started pointing the inside back wall (despite the fact that the side wall we started is less than half finished). One week whilst Dave was working, I did a bucket a day and saw slow but steady progress. Then Dave spent a few days on it and got a fair bit done. One afternoon, I went in and remarked ‘Oh – you’ve built up the apex’ and I think my flat tone gave away my wince of disappointment as I looked up at the very wonky bit of new wall. He’d been working so close to it that he’d matched it to the nearest stones (which stuck out a lot) rather than the overall aspect. He stepped back a bit and looked at it, acknowledging defeat ‘It looks rubbish doesn’t it. I’m going to have to do it again.’ I did protest, but not too much, because it was quite rubbish. And to his credit, he took a deep breath, tore it down and built it back up again and now it looks great.
The pointing was aided by the addition of four pairs of hands on our first group workday! It was great fun. Our friend Judy who runs a small hotel nearby had two volunteers staying and all three of them fancied coming out to see what we were up to and help out for a day. My friend San was also visiting at the time and so the six of us were up at the house enjoying a beautiful sunny day, great company and some good honest work. Ellie and I made a storage place for the old roof beams to stop them rotting on the ground, then carried the beams down where Judy pulled all the nails out before they went into position. Dave and Nick were busy pointing and San was sorting pruned bits of apple tree into firewood and kindling boxes. Then we had a sunny lunch break, looked around the village together, did a bit more pointing and everyone enjoyed chopping some firewood and having a go on the circular saw. Smiles all around and I hope we meet up again.
January was a mixed bag in terms of weather, but we’ve made the most of the sun and the snow. When we haven’t been working on the house, we’ve been out sledging or walking in our winter gear, then coming back to the rental house, lighting the fire and cooking up pies made with garden veggies.
At the end of January we went away to go on a biannual skiing trip to the Alps with my extended family. After a big dump of snow and closed pistes on the first day, we were delighted by perfect snow and glorious sunshine for the next five days. We skied, we drank, we danced and we chatted until we were all exhausted!
We came home to one last sunny day before lots of forecast snow and enjoyed being up at the house getting on with a few jobs and basking in our view, happy to be home again.
Anna
for people. for nature. 