Last weekend was my birthday so a request to spend it sailing down to the Pitons and staying overnight was greeted with enthusiasm from the skipper. We took Foxy for her first sail and she did very well. She was quite at home with the motion of sailing but preferred to have me close by most of the time. We gave her a run ashore when we reached Harmony beach and again that evening and the next morning. She did the necessary and we had nothing to clear up on the boat. She didn’t swim but was happy to watch us. We had lovely fresh fish at Benny’s that night and Jeff surprised me with a birthday cake that he’d organised earlier in the week. We were told that the customs officer in Soufriere made it. We had good weather, great sailing and altogether a very relaxing few days.

The rain has kept away all week, which has meant the excavator was able to carve out the road and make good around the sides of the house. The big thing was getting the generator down the hill by the side of the house and it now sits proudly in the swimming pool pump room.

I have been to the house most days to put the wood treatment on the newly arrived windows and Jeff has been gathering and fitting the plumbing bits and pieces; we shall have running water, hot and cold in no time at all.

The carpenters continue with their task of building the kitchen and sitting room cupboards and Sextus is still on painting duties, doing a great job of finishing off upstairs and making a start on the external walls.

The tiles and Diamond Brite for the pool have arrived and we plan to pick them up next week but probably wont get that done for another few weeks. It really feels like we are in the finishing stages and we are beginning to get excited about living in a house again and getting to see our belongings that are in the container..could do with some doors though!

This is our raised salad garden with a new layer of good topsoil, just ready for planting.

The driveway wall has been built and next week should see it plastered.