Ploughing on this week with excavation around the foundations to lay drainage pipes to redirect the natural water course that runs of the hill has been a challenge. The thick clay has been difficult to work with but we are just about there. The pool and decking is taking shape and should be ready for casting next week. Inside the painter is getting on with the wardrobes, the tiling is complete in the bathrooms and floorboards are being laid on the ground floor. We have been hampered by rain once again which has slowed things down. We have a plumber to do the pool and he has already laid his first pipes.

Our time at Maggi’s has been quite enjoyable but for the first three nights Foxy didn’t like the idea of being kept in the utility room and we were kept awake for hours whilst she howled and yapped. She was very persistent, only stopping for ten minutes or so to lull us into thinking she had stopped and just as we were falling asleep she would start again. We didn’t give in, although we moved her to the downstairs loo where she would not hear the dogs on the balcony. Since then we have had three bark free nights and a well rested puppy. Maggi’s house has several on -going building issues due to very poor workmanship so it was not really surprising that we should awaken to the sound of pouring water in the downstairs bedroom. A small pipe from the en suite loo had come adrift and the ground floor was now awash so I have spent the morning moving wet furniture and rugs and mopping up. This pipe wasn’t the standard fitting ,it was just a piece of plastic piping pushed over the water inlet and when the water pressure rose it slipped off. We have checked all the other toilets to make sure they have the correct fittings and they do. In the meantime her solar panel pipe work is groaning and two nights ago a large picture fell from her wall .I think the whole house is spooked because whilst I have been typing this I heard a large crash and found that one of her potted plants has just fallen from the veranda onto the decking. I’ll just go a sweep up the pottery pot and brush away the mud..aaaaarrrrghhh! Her dogs are loonies, very timid and still chew things, mainly the dining room chair legs. I smeared Pataks curry paste onto the area affected but they both appear to love the taste and have licked it all off. It was medium hot curry. The next line of defence will be Mama Sheila’s hot pepper sauce that she made for Jeff, it makes your eyes water just taking off the lid.

These are the lights that are positioned over the cooker island /breakfast bar.

The pool is almost ready for casting.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             We are having a day off tomorrow and going out with a friend on his new (to him) 48ft stinky. We are just going to the Pitons, which would be a two hour sail for us but I guess we will get there in about 15 minutes. We are really looking forward to it to see how the other half live. Next week it is our turn to sail them on Wine Down to show them how to really relax and instead of engines we shall use the sails and all powered by the wind for free!

Another cat has taken up residence but this one has good manners and will let you stroke it after she has eaten.

Tilly and Foxy playing tug-of -war.