A while ago we put some concrete in on the upper gardens to build a wall to stop the soil from disappearing over the edge. Today we installed more blocks to go with ones we had fitted a few days ago.
The remainder of the cement was used to neaten up the edging of the lower patio, before we lay the next slab.
The view from the roof shows where the next slab has to go in.
Another day and time to pour another slab of concrete. Not to difficult this time just move the frame and pour, Seem to have got this down to a fine art now.
The view from the steps end.
And looking back the other way.
Having got a complete slab of concrete on one side of the lower patio, it time to start on the other side. So we moved the frame into position and then shifted several barrow loads of gravel down from the top. After a rest for several hours and lunch it was time to star the concrete pour, the second in 24 hours! It took a while longer for this one as it is a large area and quite thick, and it slopes up to meet the ramp at the end. But once done gives a nice feeling.
That's it we’ve done it now.
Yep we have a complete concrete slab at the front of the house, Ok I spoke to soon, it’s not complete, complete but one side is now finished.
OK it doesn’t go completely to the steps, but there are a few things that need doing before we can get that far.
This is the next bit at the bottom of the ramp.
I’m going to fit some power that’s what I gona do (Apologies to UB40).
Yes finally we are starting to work on the kitchen again, the first job is to get the conduit runs and sockets into the wall, this is not made easy by the fact that these walls are made of concrete that was poured around rocks. So every time you chisel a hole in the wall there is a dirty great rock just where you want the socket to go.
Here is the sockets for the fridge and worktop, with the holes for the distribution boxes down below (they will be behind the fridge when done)
And a different view showing the socket at the other end of the worktop. The big black patch is where the original barbeque pit was, all this soot has to be cleaned off the walls sometime which is going to be a messy job.
Now before we can lay the next section there’s just one more thing to do. We need a little more soil just to bring the level up just a few inches.
With that and the manhole done we can pour the next section of the lower patio.
Where are we getting the soil? We are digging out a section on the next level down which will be the foundation for a wall that will go in, in the future to make the path down better.
In the garden things are doing we have harvested the Broccoli and will get a few more bits of them soon, the Cauliflowers are coming soon and we shall eat them starting this week. the first lot of Onions are maturing nicely, along with the Beetroot.
A second crop of Onions has gone in.
And we are trying and experiment this year Garlic… not that we expect a vampire apocalypse soon.
The first crop of potatoes has come out and in there place are the Beans, Peas, and later Maize.
And the second crop of potatoes is just beginning to pop up. One big problem this year is that we have had a very dry winter, almost no rainfall, so we have had to water the crops manually.
Before we can put the next section of the lower patio we have to do a couple of jobs, the first on is just a quick manhole to connect a few conduit runs together, unfortunately as the manhole cover was smaller than any of the ones we had used before we had to build a new former first and then cement it in.
and dig a channel through to inside the house. What are these conduits for, we aren't sure at present, but they go to various points in the garden for possible power feeds for pumps and watering control that may happen in the future and it’s better they go in now before the concrete is laid.
