Frank here! Well it's been quite an eventful weekend. The cat and the bird are fortunate enough to be blessed with many fabulous friends. Thankfully three of them were available and willing to give up their Sunday to help them finish the leveling and laying of paving slabs. Such friends are worth their weight in cake and gold.
We much enjoyed homemade courgette cake, which is far, far, nicer than it sounds; with homemade blackberry and vanilla jam; which is as delicious as the ingredients suggest. All this was washed down with lashings of tea, coffee, and Guinness. Considering the refreshments served, it's an achievement that only one slab was broken all afternoon. I believe there were also no crushed fingertips or toes. Impressive.
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| A sunlit angel appeared in the corner of the garden and said, "That one isn't level." |
There was some (wholly warranted) cursing in Spanish, all in regard to one troublesome slab, and there was much laying and then uprooting and re-laying but we did, eventually, get the job done. It was almost dark, and some of us were looking somewhat demonic, but nonetheless Catbird Craft is now prepared for the imminent arrival of the new shed/studio.
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| "Get off of our land, or we'll chase you with a broom!" |
Before any keen-eyed soul asks...The cat and the bird took the executive decision to not lay a weed barrier beneath the slabs. They decided that they'd rather weeds grew beneath the shed so that toads, gnomes, and other critters have a place to hide. (This week alone two juvenile toads almost come to an end which involved decapitation.) Instead, they will fix the barrier to the underside of the shed's base so that the weeds don't spout through the floor.
So, in conclusion, what has this experience taught us? Well, the cat has learnt that she absolutely cannot trust the bird's mathematical skills. It was the bird's job to estimate just how many slabs they would need. Her estimations were exactly 50% out - hence the multicoloured final design. We also discovered that a patch of ground may, to the eye, appear to be as level as level can be, when in reality the overworked spirit level says 'wonky'. But the most important lesson that we learnt was that hard graft can be good fun if shared with friends... which is just as well because the shed is now due to arrive this week.
Yes, yes, the shed people have been contacted. The new arrival is expected this week. The delivery company have even promised to call us 24 hours before so that we can summons the troops. Whether this happens remains to be seen but I shall keep you all updated. I will also post more pictures from this weekend on my Facebook page, which can be found HERE
My regards to you all,
Frank
x
