Snowy progress

A productive week, in spite of sprinkles of snow and freezing temperatures. The extension oak frame is finally in, and half the windows (after Pat and Alan had to do a lot of tweaking!).  We're really pleased with how it's looking.  And the scaffolding is gradually coming down to reveal the house beneath.

Adrian stayed up until 2.00am the other night, after work, in the freezing cold, in order to finish cladding the steel beam on the extension ceiling (see below - yes, with floorboards!), before Alan completed the whole second coat of ceiling paint, so that the internal extension tower can come down.  (I texted Radio 5 Live after midnight when the presenter asked whether anyone listening was doing any late-night DIY projects. Adrian couldn't believe it - listening to the radio from high up in the house - when he heard a message from "Jacqui from Findon, in her cosy caravan, while her husband is working on their housebuild".  The next day on the school run a dad told me his elderly parents had heard the mention!)

 

Part of our routine, every morning, we have to move our cars off the driveway by 7.45am to make way for the builders' vans, so that we don't get blocked in.  (Stable Lane is very narrow at our point  so we try and keep vehicles off the road as much as possible.)  Adrian caught me in my pyjamas and snowboots de-icing a car at 7.30am one day this week, before getting on with the usual school day preparations (note more gradually dismantled scaffolding) ...

 

This week was the first time I've had to empty the caravan toilet during snowfall!  (The drain we use is just visible on the right side of the above picture - the black cylinder on the edge of the driveway, right in the view of all passers-by.... slightly embarrassing, with my wheelbarrow and bucket in tow!)