No Show

Plans to take Rocky to a show today soon had to be abandoned as the work on the helipad took precedence. The time allotted to the show was instead spent shovelling sand out the back of the trailer and into the over worked concrete mixer.

We usually have the sand delivered but a slight underestimate meant that by end of play yesterday we were a ton short. Thankfully the builders merchants are open on a Sunday morning and Pritch was able to borrow a trailer. Unfortunately the trailer could only carry half a ton (well we could have tried a ton but last time the tyres burst so Pritch was a big girls blouse and wouldn't take the chance to provide me with some interesting pics for the blog) Anyway as we could only get half what we needed it meant that we had to use the first half quick, thereby emptying the trailer and get back so we could fill it again. Oh the happy looks on the faces of the builders merchants as we turn in at 12.57 pm, three minutes before they closed, to collect the sand we had already paid for. How they smiled as they unlocked the warehouse doors, found the keys to the digger, weighed the sand and dropped it merrily in the trailer. I think a new record was set for the fastest loading of a trailer.

Back at the ranch work continued apace. There was a nasty incident involving a poorly aimed trowel at a chicken who thought the donuts were hers and not the hungry builder's but she survived and he was placated with a custard slice.

Finally, after a long day the slabs are down, the third gate hole has been filled, change of plan, only two gates needed, this will cheer up the builders merchant no end on Tuesday when I cancel the order for the third, having endeared myself to him for delaying his Sunday lunch I have the feeling he might start crying when I call in again to get some of my money back. The block work for the pond was started just after this pic was taken. Tomorrow we, as in the Royal we, put another row of blocks along the top, finish the pond and point the stone work. My role in all this is to keep the mixer filled, move stuff, stop animals getting anywhere near any of it, ever as far as Pritch is concerned, supply drinks and make appreciative noises when the complexity of rendering is explained to me again.