Spring 2006

Showers and sunshine seems to sum up the weather through early Spring. Some absolutely gorgeous warm days and then chilly and a little damp. In terms of building progress, it feels like we are really stuck on getting the area above the main site platform sorted out. Because all the materials need to be lifted up there it takes an age and a lot of physical effort. We've managed to build a mini-ramp to get the JCB in position so that we can hoist stuff up but its still back breaking stuff - literally since Anne is now nursing a strained back and is out of action. (Just can't get the staff!)

Now we all make mistakes, some are just more serious than others. Why couldn't ours be less serious? Having built a nice straight wall at the top in front of the threshing circle and back-filled it, it started to lean over - the wrong way!. Panic! More panic since rain is on its way which will make things worse. With help from the local builder (Sebastian), we smacked in a few props to hold it in place until I could decide what to do.....

Went to England for a welcome break for a friend's party. The weekend coincides with another holiday for the Andaluz. Dia de Andalucia seems to be another chance for a few days off and a bit of pig killing.

Back to the wall (ha! ha!). Decide to build reinforced concrete buttresses and then reinforced concrete wall between. Trouble is, no mini digger so I have to do it all by carrying the concrete up. If I was in my 20's it would be an opportunity for body building. Nowadays, its an opportunity for back breaking! Still, all done and hopefully it'll be strong enough until it can be joined up to the main house structure through the ring beam.

Heavy rain for a few days brings another halt to progress. Thankfully not too much damage and plenty of water in the river. Friends arrive for a few days and forget to bring their building clothes!

The big JCB arrives and the site is, at last, cleared to the desired platform size. Lots of spill is tipped down to fill in behind our lower retaining wall that thankfully is just big enough. It also makes the main ramp up much wider which is good for the building materials delivery.

We now have to work out how we are going to support the exposed rock wall face that will be the back of our house. Its 16m long by 3m high. Yup, its another retaining wall. I'm sure its possible to incorporate both retaining wall functionality with the main supporting wall functions but in the end, after head scratching, consultations with Sebastian and beermat designs, we decide to build a completely separate retaining wall and then put our house construction in front and over the top of it. More work, more money and more time but, in the end, more peace of mind.

Looking back at entries for the beginning of the New Year, I said something about 'Maybe February will bring some real progress, other than yet another retaining wall challenge'. April brings the same wish! Still, its warm and sunny, the birds are singing and wild flowers are everywhere - and the beer still tastes good!

We have got the wall up with the help of muscle (Richard) and machinery (Nick). Here is a proud owner sitting atop it (with the problem wall in the background). We are ready now for the footings to be dug out and, who knows, the outline of a house might start to appear!

Anne decides that some of the greenery is becoming a bit too deep so has a go at strimming.     Fully equipped and off she goes...

Electric power starts to enter our minds at bit more particulary since the thump of the generator is rattling them (minds that is). We intend using solar and water, which in itself may be a bit of a project so go to Electricity...

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