More progress

We got to the house, and Steve was there already - brilliant surprise!

He's getting on well, and had another really helpful suggestion: a few days ago he suggested having a spot light as well as the outside lights, and today he said we could have a spot with PIR sensor inbuilt, rather than a separate sensor (as we had been planning when it was just going to supply the existing outside lights).  It will give us a better response when someone comes up the drive, and we will separately turn on the lights that are already there.

We finally got around to discussing exactly how we want the kitchen layout [and so the electrics], and I think we'll be OK with that?

The 'proof of the pudding' will be in how it works for us in practice; it's difficult knowing how to arrange things without ever having lived in the house, so fingers crossed we've got it there or thereabouts.

I went off to carry on the work of de-brambling access for Adam [or his chap(s)] to cut down the conifers and trim the oaks that need it, and today's logical step of clearing briars from one conifer was to finish cutting up the fallen oak boughs behind the garage.

Doesn't sound logical, but being able to approach the plants from 'behind' means I can cut the stems more easily than if I meet them 'head' on.  I managed to move all the bits of oak apart from the two biggest bits from where they left the trunk; I will need the help of my lovely assistant for that.

David came to find me at the point where I could no longer see what I was doing, to say he couldn't do any more bathroom dismantling without assistance.  He has removed the basin from the downstairs bathroom [that we are going to re-purpose as a utility/boiler/shower room], and disconnected the bath, but as it's cast iron he needs help shifting it.  Also, given the angles of doorways in that part of the house, it needs to exit that room on its end...

I'm keeping my fingers crossed Steve will lend a hand tomorrow, as I don't think my injured/weak shoulders are capable of wrangling that much awkward weight [I coped with moving the oak bough because it was straightforward lifting, and not far (I needed to rest it on a block so I could cut the branches off to move them), and I could bend the knees and keep my arms straight]...

Only one downside today: the powder puff had been rolling in fox poo, and despite a bath last night, he was still quite *ahem* aromatic.

Oh, well, it's not as though the rest of the house isn't stinky!