So we got Steve all ready to go again and got on with rocking in along the western wall. Some errant project manager had forgotten (yet again) to pick up the electrical conduit and mount boxes for power and data points in my study and the lounge. Steve left gaps while I got my act together but mentioned something about poor workflow on the rocks. I could easily see what he meant. It's amazing how that (efficient work spaces) is something that I've long strived for in my various work environments over the years and here I was stymieing the building chi on my own place... Anyway, angst balloons released ("let it go, fella!"), we forged on.
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| note: holes in walls for eventual conduit etc :) |
Had to head into the big smoke (Shepparton) next day to drop off template for roof flashings, so grabbed a couple of rolls of conduit, clips etc and also picked up a gas powered 12V camp shower. Washing in the dam while seizing up after a day of cement, lime and rock dust was getting ordinary and we looked forward to a hot wash. Got back to find the bloody box did NOT contain the required gas connection, even though I'd explicitly asked the salesman if it as all good to go...grrrrr... Lucky enough, Marijs turned up on the bike that night and offered to go get the hose for us next day. What a champ...
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| lounge walls have some nice rocks |
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| looking sweet |
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| lounge finished |
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| end of lounge wall |
Got a fair bit more done then poor old brickie broke again. Slipped on some rubble while hefting in a big rock and twanged a hammy. Bugger. I'd also been feeling the pinch a bit with some nasty sciatica kicking in so we slipped back a gear or two and hobbled on slowly like a couple of antiquarian invalids for a few days.
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| kitchen / bathroom plinth |
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| keeping mud clear of steel pole |
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| finito...sweeto |
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| from outside |
Heat and humidity were also taking their toll, so after work ginger beers at the Bogie shop sure went down well. Not going down well were sleepless nights for Steve - his new swag was turning out to be pretty crap. Various arrangements were tried but the final straw came when a storm hit and he awoke in 3" of water. R-n-r required for the rockie...
While Steve recuperated (and I took it slowly), I spent a day cleaning up around the work we'd done and then hired a 3000psi pressure washer for the next day to wash down the cement and rocks. 12 hours and 3 wire brushes later I was done. Hard work but F****N wow - these walls now look amazing. The colours in the various rocks vary far more greatly than I'd seen previously and all the little quartz chips sparkle like diamonds. Using a bright white light on them at night makes them come alive!
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| clean up before the wet mess |
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| and how they do sparkle... |
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| wet the poles down too to see how they might look |
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| these photos really don't do justice - soooo impressive in the flesh |
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| mmmmmmmm |
Dana suitably impressed... Not so impressed after several hours of screwing in internal diagonal bracing so that we could remove all of the external braces (workflow, remember!) but happy anyway. Weekend building relief after crappy workaday week sure seems sweet. I constantly appreciate the opportunity to hang out here. We can neither of us wait too long to get here together permanently.
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