Like a never ending pregnancy

There are still quite a few things that need to be completed. And SWMBO is inventing new ones faster than I can complete the items on my to do list.

We managed to find a faux leather Ottoman so that SWMBO is more comfortable during the long conversations with her chums. Our mail server and UPS units are stored in the cabinet on the left. Next step is to hide the cables that connect into the DSL router.

 The garden is growing quite nicely with about 80% coverage of Wonderlawn (Ground Cover). The shrubs along the north wall seem to be doing quite well too.















The Indoor unit with the roller doors has had a new top of porcelain tiles installed on which the motley collection of orchids and indoor plants are displayed. Needs a lot of work

 This is the cupboard that Stewart and Yours Truly started constructing whilst he was here. It conceals a sliding door. Shelves are adjustable

 

 Moving to the East wall - a potting table with a granite top salvaged from Debby and Brendan's renovations. This is a work in progress - still to come is a polycarbonate awning and shelves

Without too much help from me the shrubs along the east wall which I thought I had bull dozed into oblivion during the siute preparation are thriving.

We have been kindly given a large quantity of Agapanthus lilies (they thrive anywhere) which are going to  planted down the side and in front of terraforce walls we have erected.

 The Patio with its motley collection of plants. When SWMBO releases me from my housekeeping duties I will give this area some attention.

The front garden. Watch This Space!

Completed Patio Table. This is where I serve SWMBO tall drinks shaded with little umbrellas after a busy day supervising me.

Stewart and I found some very sturdy inexpensive and very comfortable chairs. They are easy to wash with my pressure spray. Unfortunately when the blue bird of happiness visits us he does not fly upside down.

Terraforce wall that holds the bank. This is going to planted out with Clivias. We manged to salvage a large quantity of these from Maison La Belle Champe in Parktown north.

 More Terraforce wall outside the kitchen. The pockets hold plants that will eventually hide all of the concrete. Nasturtiums galore - excellent in salads.

And this is farmer Belsham's vegetable garden containing

• Raspberries
• Lettuce
• Cabbage
• Bush Beans
• Swiss Chard
• Basil
• Cauliflower

Three granadilla (passion fruit) vines have been planted against the trellis (Back left) - and are starting to bear fruit.

Each concrete pocket will contain a vegetable of sorts. These pockets are ideal for vegetables that trail such as Tomatoes, Squash, Cucumber. We will plant two or three  rows Agapanthus in front of the wall.

Final Touches Mark 1 at the FossilPad

 Railings on North Side

We can't have SWMBO falling off the porches so railings have been constructed and fixed to the wall with huge plugs and galvanized bolts.

You can also see that the Wonderlawn has covered the front lawn area by about 50%

In the background a table topped with a polished granite slab salvaged from the children's remodeling project.  We also have some additional pieces that are destined to become

• The worlds first polished granite garden potting table.
• A counter incorporated into a barbecue I am planning.

Railings on West Side

My friend Len Harvey did a wonderful job under difficult circumstances (It rained every day and Welding machines and rain don't mix!) in welding and erecting the railings. I wonder how long it will take David to discover that the ramp makes an excellent BMX track.

The Great Room viewed from the north side Sliding doors leading to the Patio.

Pretty much finished. We bought the leather and oak chairs from a thrift store for R500 each (about $48 each). SWMBO lashed out and bought a Turkoman carpet to tie the areas together. The devil held a gun to her head.

Just joking Grace! The one I wanted was more expensive but you made a good choice.

Pull outs for the Laundry and Dressing Rooms in final stages of construction:

Two dressing room pull outs are going to house SWMBO's collection of sweaters dating back to the dark ages; (Oh well moths have to eat too!)

And the smaller one will be installed in the Laundry alcove in the bathroom to house soaps and powders etc.

Final Touches December 21 2014

The Fossil drone (who reports to SWMBO)  had a spectacular fall during his exercise class and landed on his tailbone against a hard floor. Nothing broken but  his activities have been somewhat curtailed during the last few days so the final tasks will need to wait until after Christmas.

We managed to salvage some large pieces of granite slabs from the kid's renovation. Here is the frame that will support a granite top 1700 x 900mm. Another top which is about 2400 x 600 is destined to become a potting table mounted along the east wall. The granite tops are a honey colour with flecks of black. All the railings have been made from mat black epoxy coated tubular steel section and will be fixed in place early January. The basic planting has been completed with a variety climbers and bushy shrubs designed to screen the street side wall to eye level. Visually it should give the illusion of sitting in the middle of Delta Park. 

  

The study / filing room - Small but everything is conveniently located. Every inch of space represents a major achievement. Currently under construction at the Fossil Works is a low cabinet (window seat) to house the communications gear and a mail/web server - Enough room to swing a cat provided it's a small pussy.

The great room - a rather "lived in" view. Scheduled for early January is the skimming and painting of the bulkheads. The wall was designed and dimensioned to fit some solid oak cabinets purchased from a deceased estate. We have made provision for 5 pendant lights above the kitchen island, over the dining table, and in the living room area but the light provided by the LED tubes incorporated into the bulk heads may render these superfluous or decorative only.










The table seats 8 and there are 4 Bar chairs at the kitchen counter. The majority of our paintings and artwork have been hung with a few pieces still to go.

Another view from the front door. The Great room is very spacious - we like it that way - so I have to restrain myself from visiting too many second hand furniture stores.

December 1 Getting stuff off the floor

The next stage is to get everything of the ground and off the surfaces. Bulkheads need to be completed, skimmed and painted to match the walls. About 2 thirds of our paintings have been hung on the walls.

Part of the great room

 The two leather chairs at the end of the great room are together with four bar chairs our latest acquisition. These where purchased for a song at our local second hand furniture store.
The great room is entirely lighted by LED tubes above and below the bulkheads and by under counter kitchen cupboards.

 This is the "office" surprisingly there is enough space to keep all of the business files and to house workstations for yours truly and SWMBO. Now that I have repaired my table saw I am going to make a small cabinet and locate this underneath the window to house all of the communications gear, Domino Server and file server out of view. Today I located two second hand three draw pedestals (goning for a song) that will complete the under desk top storage

 Collection of signed Keith Joubert prints and a Russell Flint on the great rooms internal wall

 The bedroom - artwork will be added to the wall shortly

 The bedroom looking into the great room. That black spherical object is a pilates ball. The Pilates ball is for ces mois to exercise in the periods between when SWMBO is thinking of things for me to do,

 The patio which we paved using rough stock bricks and just some of the pots which we brought from our old house. A slab of granite 1700 X 900 will form the top of a table which will be installed in the patio on top of a frame work made from 100X100 tubular steel.

Finishing Touches

The Great Room viewed from the kitchen door

Ok we are just about done. All we need is the light fittings and for our belongings that are in storage to be delivered. That and a bit of carpentry here and there.

The Bathroom - waiting for the shower panel

Shelf above the bed head

Planks painted with a mixture of Carboleum and Raw Linseed oil

Earthworks

Unfortunately we were unable to use a Back Actor or Skid Steer without causing damage so all the earth and rock moving was  done by hand.

View from the south side of the house

Retaining wall to be planted

We terraced the bank using stone found on the property

What it looks like with most of the rubble removed

Most of the rubble has been removed and except for connecting the Solar Power system to the main distribution board and putting in the light fittings we are ready to move in. Our appliances and some of the contents of our previous house - currently in storage are being delivered on Wednesday.

The earth has been shaped and terraced ready for some strenuous planting.