On a still Monday evening, we were startled by a loud bang and all the house windows shook. No, it was not a bomb, it was a tree. Less than 10 meters from the house is a huge native Georgia pine. At the base it is about 2 metres diameter, and at ten metres from the ground the trunk splits into five limbs, each stretching a further 20 metres or more into the sky. One of these massive limbs had without warning fallen away and crashed into the ground. We were lucky that it fell parallel to the house and only smashed a lot of vegetation.
If it had come down on the roof, we would be looking for a new home in a hurry! The railings on the far left is the deck next to the kitchen, 8 metres from ground level, where we have had occasional visits by BooBoo the black bear.
On the Build site
Well, things didn’t move quite as fast as I had hoped this week. Trimming the windows and doors (and all the other bits of woodwork around the house) went more slowly than we had been hoping. Cabinets continue to arrive and installation has been going on – but again more slowly than hoped. John and the cabinet company are rushed off their feet (and one key worker is not really active after a nasty accident), so they are not able to focus entirely on one client. There’s still no sign of my library! The tiling has been finished, though we’re a little unhappy about one part of it, so a return visit to fix is called for. Blue Moose were also present, fitting the workings for the elevator into the shaft. They can only go so far without proper mains power and a return visit in several weeks is called for.
Champions have been Alfonso and Juan – they are chasing a deadline (their annual one month holiday in Mexico), so were determined to finish all the brick and stonework this week – which they accomplished. And Greg has also been busy elsewhere, so the septic system is only partially installed.
We went on a tour of pool construction companies this week, checking out three companies that we have been recommended. It was a revealing time, we found out what we DON’T want. Next week they are coming out to view the site and put together their proposals. The specialist from the granite company was also on site this week, measuring up for the worktops.
Let’s hope more gets completed next week – it would be nice to have the septic system in place and the trench for main electricity (and broadband connectivity) cut. And more more cabinets in place.