Snow in the air

Was it only Saturday when Paul was sunbathing without a shirt on the terrace? Today it’s windy, overcast and snow is in the air. It’s 7 Celsius. And I have come inside to warm up and charge up my mp3.   Dario is back from his holiday in Spain – and back on the building site. So that’s wonderful news. I didn’t know that was his plan so all my dark mutterings about his absence were unnecessary.   Sando isn’t with him alas, as this is the week for apprentice building school, so progress will be slower and more expensive with just the master builder doing the work.   But one seems to go beyond fussing about the bills after a while!  I just have to sell more screen stories, do more work, and sell those jams at the Christmas fare.

And be builder’s mate.   This morning I hauled stones.   The side of the studio that abuts the mountain needs a good gravelly protection now that the damp proof material is down.   And as the place is heaped with granite stones, that is what one uses.   Bucket of rocks work. Not the bucket of manure work I had hoped, but it gets the job done and cuts down on the costs.

Dario is continuing with the cladding of the exterior. The north and west sides is what he has managed so far.   And by having lunch inside the studio he has found all the drafty bits that need attending do before the weather really turns. Not bad to test drive the building over a hurried lunch.

And while he was munching, I managed to zip down to the pool garden and plant a dozen euphorbia seedlings in a bed.   These are seedlings that have sprouted from the herb garden. I yanked them up a month a go, dumped them in pots temporarily and now they have to be raced into the ground before it freezes. I never cease to be amazed how well some plants cope with such neglect. All of the seedlings have good roots and aren’t fussing.   If all goes well I will have a hedge of these lovely euphorbias by next spring.