Renovations Continue but looking forward to a break too

A lovely lunch with Shannon & Joan at Mapua

Can't believe how fast this year is going, unbelievably quick. We are now into November but ready for a months break up north (Covid allowing of course). In the last blog I mentioned we had been hoping to be back on the road by Christmas. Well that's not happening for two reasons. The main one being we haven't finished the renovations and the second and almost as important being we can't travel to Western Australia to join Rocky/Daniel/Em/Nick for Christmas 😟

Kitchen completed and looking fabulous 😍

  The renovations are steaming along now, with downstairs and outside still to complete. The kitchen is all finished and with the carpet/vinyl looking great. More roomy than we had expected. 

Gibbing the back wall and ceiling in the garage

With the weather warming up but plenty of spring showers, it was a good time for Bill to work away inside downstairs on the new entrance and the garage. There were no linings in the garage, so with the gib Bill has put up, the rooms are transformed. We have been pretty lucky with getting materials, not too much delay. Except for the new front door, which hopefully will arrive on our return from our break. The days Bill lined me up for painting always seemed to coincide with me being called into work at my two ex work places. Can't turn down the money Bill!😁 With our Bus currently being parked up out at one of them, I am always happy to say yes.

Remodelling the entrance way

Port Tarakohe 😍 for a little R&R

We did manage a sneaky weekend away to Golden Bay where we had 3 nights at Port Tarakohe - a lovely bit of R&R. We caught up with friends of Rocky's - Jana & Drew and their three gorgeous children who had returned to the Bay from Perth once again with lots of exciting ideas to carry out on their piece of paradise up on the hill overlooking Tata Beach. Hope it all comes to fruition.

SDT workshop repairing our little Bus

Shortly after our wee break, the Bus was due for it's COF (WOF for you car owners). I usually take it in as for some reason Bill always expects the worst - I'm happy to enjoy one of their coffee's and read my book 📚. But this year we had a little issue that required some welding. Thank goodness I have my Trucking Company Mates - thanks Brodie for allowing Pete to do the repair. I was very fortunate that it was a quite time between trucks, so had it repaired and I returned to get the COF all in the same day. We are all good again for another six months.🚍

An afternoon in Washbourne Gardens with Joan

With downstairs well under way, it was time to start on repairing and modernising the existing deck. After Bill doing a bit of research, we decided to go with the recycled plastic/wood decking Bunnings sell - a bit more expensive than timber decking but a lot less maintenance and beautiful appearance. It's been a rather big job to repair any joists that had deteriorated and replace the front perimeter board. Much of it at heights many of us would struggle to handle. Thankfully he got through it all safely, maybe not quite how OSH would have allowed!

Trevor helping once again - 
You can see the height of this section of the deck!!

Now with the metal railing and glass in front of the two sections we look through, it has really transformed the outside of the house. Still not wide enough for party's but good access to both ends of the house.

The beginning of the deck restoration.

While Bill has been working away on the decks in between my call outs to work, I have been continuing to dig drainage for the leaks and water that continually runs down the hill. We need a lot of rain now to put it all to the test! We're pretty sure no water should get into the basement any more 🤞

Bill has extended the deck to go to the end
of the house and onto the garden/patio area

With this complete, I have been able to restore the top small crib wall, which allows the lawn to be levelled off. Next project is the big crib wall once Bill restores the base of it with a concrete footing. Another big job. We had hoped to have the driveway sealed before Christmas but time has run out and with not going away at Christmas we have plenty of time early in the new year.

Green marks the blockage - so the Drain Inspector
said! yeh right!! But I got there eventually 😓

We have continued to take Joan out at the weekends when weather has permitted, which she enjoys as there are no organised activities in the Resthome like they do through the week. She has really settled into The Ernest Rutherford which has relieved a lot of stress on Bill and his brothers. 

New decking almost completed

Shannon came over for a few days recently for the Nelson Art Festival which we were looking forward to going to with the Mask Parade and some of the shows. But sadly it has been another Covid casualty. So she still came over which was lovely to see her even if she had to continue working online and have one of our children to cuddle (hope you enjoyed it too Shannon - enough cuddles for 3!)

New view from our bedroom

But next week we are hoping to head away up North - as far as Coromandel, for a month. Hoping to celebrate one of my brother's special birthday while up there. Stay away Covid!! #$@&

Ready to sit and read - maybe Christmas!

Ramp being created to give access to the 
back yard & BBQ area.