White walls and sunshine.

Been painting the gite walls and it's looking a hell of a lot brighter now, but it does remind me of a country pub so I tend to get thirsty looking at it.  Takes forever to do and it needs two coats, and this is only the wee bedroom: we've got downstairs to do yet!

Also been stiffening the stair steps and adding oak trim to the front of the steps to protect them from wear.

Spring is here at last!  Planting the rest of the garlic and digging spud bed no.2 tomorrow.  Nice peach tree, eh (the twig in the foreground)?

Quick update.

No photos, but feel free to look up the double digging ones from last year.
Have been:
Double digging spud beds.  This is because potato yields are greatest when earthed up a lot.  I am digging 2ft deep trenches, lining the trenches with manure (from somewhere), spud on top and bury shallowly.  As the spud grows I will fill in the trench with soil and manure until I get the normal ridges.  With luck and lots of water I'll get a big crop.
Spending lots of money on the staircase bannister, wood for the bedroom doors (ledged style), and organic food because we've ran out of our own.
Brewing my last batch - I finally ran out of malt!  Not bad going though: a year's supply of beer from one sack.
Sealing the gite stonework prior to painting.
Planting an peach tree.  Howay them peaches!
Carving more crap spoons.

More stair pics.

I took the clamps off today and tidied it up a bit, so thought some more photos would be nice for my already inflated ego.

Got to reinforce the steps, add a bannister, treat the wood, oil it and then move on to the bedroom doors and stop being so smug.  Many thanks to them who helped!

Stairs there!

Glued, clamped, level*.  Job done.*

If I do another one I'll make it in modules so we don't have to heave it all together at once and 5cm short of the floor so we can raise it level instead of chopping bits off.

*As level as the gite can be, and I still need to finish the trim, etc.  So not really level or done but not bad for a first carpentry lesson.  Most people settle for a wee stool or some other simple shite they can carry home on the bus.  Hah!  We do things two ways on the Island: the hard way or not at all!

Outside we've got PSB and chard looking pretty.  Also got our garlic in.

Gite stairs nearly there.

I have spent all day bent over various bits of wood measuring thrice, marking twice and cutting er... once then again because I'd set the guides up too close or something.

 All assembled apart from corner post - which is a bit tricky what with all the corner steps and two strings being mortised into it.  Tackle that tomorrow.  Tell you what, it's going to be a bloody nightmare assembling it upright!  Took me three attempts to do it on the flat.

 Corner detail.  You would not believe how heavy this is to manoeuvre into position! 

Bottom wee flight.  I got a bit carried away and walked up and down it in my socks (wellies were a bit muddy)... too much caffeine I think.

Not bad for my first attempt!  There are now plans afoot to make the kitchen from scratch ...and anything else I can biscuit joint, rout, saw and chisel.

February rotten veg pics.

Too cold, wet and windy for everything but wee slugs and moss.

 Broads with chocolate spot and rot.

 Spring cabbage (and weeds) with slug infestation.

 Soft fruit netted against hungry finches.

 Winter salads looking ok.  I will sow broads in the tunnel next winter as well.

Old apple tree renovation - took the crown out this year.  Next winter will be final thinning if it doesn't snuff it.

Gite progress 2

Kitchen ceiling lowered so the sparky could get his wires in.  K's spent the last two days filling and sanding and it's almost ready to paint.

Just to prove that it's not what but who you know, the stairs are coming along well thanks to D and his biscuit jointer, router, clamps, patience and humour:

 Frame clamped in position to see if it fits.  It does thanks to me getting the drawings right for the first time in my life.

 Top flight fitted together and looking nice.

 Very tidy.  Better than bloody Gedimat's finest bollocks.

I took ALL BLOODY DAY fiddling about to get the wall string mortised into the post properly.

Wish I got paid by the hours for this...