Villa Week 12

Beez Neez now Chy Whella
Big Bear and Pepe Millard
Sat 13 Jun 2020 23:57
Week Twelve at Sleeping Indian
 
 
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Sunday the 7th of June. The week would not begin well without Aunt Ett’s – perfectly executed by Himself who enjoyed choosing egg events. Eggs, Marmite on toast and a lovely cup of tea, it gets no better than this.....
 
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During my cleaning process on the bedroom floor, I noticed (as in all the rooms) a dark line. I assumed it was tile glue and some of it was, but, quite a bit of it was years of mopping-edge-build-up. I set to with the scrubbing pad then promptly threw the huge, unwieldy mop away. The before and after was quite something. Late afternoon we managed a swim at the beach.
 
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Monday the 8th. Our tile order arrived but as soon as I saw the load I questioned whether it was for us. On the top of the pile were wall tiles, way too rough to be used as the front garden shower base. The rest of the delivery was fine so we helped the driver carry it all to the lounge and form orderly piles. A couple of hours later the same chap appeared with the correct tiles.
 
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We held in place the stair tiles with the aluminium edge strip and thought them rather smart.
 
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Larder moved, Bear settled to sanding the kitchen walls ready for tiling.
 
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We decided that the inner string on the staircase – once tiled – would lose nearly an inch of width. Out came the chisel and hammer. Bear beheaded a troublesome screw for me and I enjoyed my very own firework display. Very satisfying to see the pile of shards building at the foot of the stairs.
 
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Tuesday the 9th. I put the first coat on the headboards and mirror for the front bedroom (all white to allow for accent colours). Bear rewrote his job list, did lots of drawing and made a list of needs.
 
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Wednesday the 10th. During the hour or so it took me to lay out and sort the pattern for the kitchen tiles I think Scooby and Mr.Tiler had laid about a quarter of the patio....... Eventually up went the first layer of tiles ably assisted by Himself. Cannot finish until Bear determines the exact height of the cupboards – being raised a little to be able to use the small cupboards above the microwave and fridge.
 
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Thursday the 11th. Bear sorted the odd shaped cupboard in the corner of the kitchen. When we arrived I stood a bottle of cooking oil on the ‘whizzy whizz’ and turned it – everything fell off the shelf because the dishwasher pipe went through and between the two round shelves......Growling. Shelves removed, the plan is to box each side and have a two-shelf basket for vegetables. Bear spent the rest of the day sorting the huge stack of wood – useful bits of the old decking, shuttering, off-cuts and chunks from the balcony, he ended up with a pile to go to Beez to make a work station and platform, a pile to be used to make the ‘shed’ around the gas bottles and sides to strengthen the trellis in the front garden and a gash pile to go away with the boys. Very pleased to have got that job done.
 
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I decided on a bit of destruction and chipped the two mirrors off the bathroom walls as they were old and looked as if measles had got at them. Bear extended our ladder to use to get upstairs but Mr. Tiler was very considerate leaving the bottom four stairs untiled. Ladder shortened, set up on third step, wiggle past, climb and shimmy under (or over) the top banister. So much easier and much less of a struggle (thank you Tito).
 
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I carefully removed the upper tiles on our balcony as the boys told me sticking new over old would simply not do very well, then I went to work with the wood filler on the posts.
 
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By five o’clock we saw a massive difference on the patio.
 
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Quite a pretty sunset this evening.
 
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Friday the 12th. At lunchtime Scooby did a job for me, he replaced the tiles on the edge of the bedroom balcony with flush edges. It will look so much neater than the scabby looking grout (mostly cracked, chipped or missing).
 
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Saturday the 13th. First light this morning, water smooth, Mr Gecko waiting for the sun (middle picture) and looking left. The boys arrived early and whilst Mr. Tiler set about the staircase Scooby grouted the patio.  Bear went to the supermarket, I cleaned the excess thin set off the kitchen tiles and sorted the weeks pictures out. Blog writing as I definitely did my back in the other day.
 
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Our view from the front is still a work-in-progress but the back deck has really come along this week. At half past five we made it to the beach for a quick dip, back for cottage pie then we both fell in to bed exhausted.
 
In other news. Beez Neez alternator was sent back to America four weeks ago, had a nice time in Memphis (en route to Huntsville) but is now back here at St John’s Airport and some of my parcels due in from America stayed on board due to off-loading problems returned to Miami........
The first American Airline flight came in this week. Many of the passengers were returning islanders. Everyone has their temperature checked and has to spend a night in the quarantine centre. Those too hot have to remain at the centre for up to two weeks. Two people (one from Cedar Valley and one from here in Jolly Harbour) went straight to their homes and were fined $5000 for breaking the rules.
Health officials have strengthened the management of quarantining procedures, by mandating the overnighting at a public quarantining facility, for all passengers who will be living in the domestic communities.
Thereafter, these passengers will be interviewed to determine their eligibility for self quarantining at home. Those who are not eligible, will remain in the public quarantining facility for seven to fourteen days.
 
https://www.bwsailing.com/cc/2020/06/lost-legends-patrick-childress-and-brion-toss In hugely sad news we had to wave Patrick over the horizon, the first person we know to be taken by the Corona Virus. He put up a huge and brave fight in intensive care in Cape Town and only left us after Rebecca gave him permission to. We did not know Brion but we wish him Fair Winds and a Following Sea on his journey to the other side.
 
 
ALL IN ALL SUCH A QUICK WEEK
                     REALLY GETTING SOMEWHERE NOW