Another year on

This time last year, I posted two photos, showing the changes in the garden. I thought I’d do the same this year, given the slight changes made in the last 12 months.

2012

The office in 2012

2013

The office in 2013

2014

Day-z has taken Carmen’s place

Hardly looks like the same garden!

But enough reminiscing and on to today.

There was a lot of painting completed today. The doors and skirting boards upstairs were given their final coats of gloss. This leaves just the picture rails and a little bit of repair work in the Blue Room. The trouble was that the paint needed the whole night to dry properly so I slept downstairs. It wasn’t just the god awful smell of oil based paint, it was also because I just knew that Day-z would brush up against something white and wet. As appealing as a zebra poodle is, I didn’t want the decorators to have to paint it again.

They also primed and undercoated the skirting downstairs in the laundry and extension.

…with a candid shot of Emma’s butt

Apart from all the rubbish in the room, attaching and painting the skirting boards has made a big difference.

In the bathroom, Mark laid the floor tiles. I didn’t bother with a photograph because he covered it all over with cardboard for protection and because it’s upstairs. He reckons he’ll finish it tomorrow and the plumbers can start fitting the bits and pieces on Friday. I’m not expecting the shower to be available by the weekend but, boy it would be nice. As lovely as the bath is, I’m a bit sick of it.

But Mark didn’t just lay the bathroom floor. He was also very busy cutting out the curved tiles for the terrace. This was very laborious and fiddly but, by the end of the day, they were looking very, very good. As I said to Mark, he’s a regular artist with a ceramic tile. And nibblers. And something else he used which I can’t remember. As he left for the day, he told me that Clive would be back tomorrow to put the terrace wall back up at the correct height. That’s good because I’ve missed Clive.

Mmmmmmm, curvy

And, for the record, that’s not a fried egg (as Mirinda thought), it’s a discarded dust mask. I know I should have moved it for the photo but given Mirinda’s hilarious response to seeing it on Flickr, I’m glad I left it in situ.

The biggest news of the day was our first visitor. Nicktor had a dental appointment in Guildford and decided he couldn’t hold off any longer from seeing the building works. He dropped in for a cup of tea (or two). He thought Emma was impossibly cute, saying that if Dawn saw her she’d want one as well. She’s due to visit tomorrow so he texted her telling her she wasn’t allowed to.

He also loved the extension, asking the important questions like where the TV would go for Nicktor Nights and why the fridge was full of tonic water.

Meanwhile, in the garden, Emma and Day-z have started playing together. Well, that’s what Emma calls it. Day-z calls it irritating. Even so, she plays along for a bit. Here they are, for today’s Puppy Pic.