Last Sunday we took the dinghy out to give Foxy her “boat dog” lessons. She was well behaved and took her place at the pointy end and even looked over the edge a few times, with a bit of encouragement. We beached the dinghy in a small bay around the headland and she was able to run around and bark at us whilst we swam. We tried to coax her in but she would have none of it; the waves were just a little too scary.

The first internal concrete pillar has been clad with wood.

The week had its ups and downs as far as the house is concerned. The pool and decking areas are great. They have been sanded and coated in decking sealant. The tiles and diamond brite have been ordered and should take three weeks to arrive. The excavation hasn’t taken place, which is just as well because the ground is water logged. This was due to heavy rain and also the entire contents of the plastic water tanks, all 800 gallons slowly leaking out from underneath. This has now been rectified and we should see a difference fairly soon. The weather has been unseasonably wet which has not helped us. This is the beginning of the dry season but it certainly is not.

This area at the side of the house is getting a retaining wall. Next week all that wood will have gone and a flat concreted area will be there instead.

The decking area has now had its wood sealant painted on and looks very good. Jeff is sanding and treating the railings to protect them from weathering and UV.

The kitchen begins to take shape as the first of the cupboards are made out of white cedar.

We have moved into Maggi’s house for a week, whilst she goes sailing. The dogs all get on well although Foxy is now a dirty grey colour having been rolled around in the mud during their boisterous play. It will be a weekend of relaxation, catch up and a good Skype connection, what joy!

Betty the stray kitten is getting fat and it looks as though she is pregnant. If she is still around after she has had them we shall take her to the vets to have her"done".