The Christmas wind down begins

From the lack of activity up at the barn it seems that the Christmas holidays have started early for Facundos men. Since Sunday I have only seen the soon to be Ukraine bound Roma, who has been cleaning and tidying but definitely not constructing.

It could be that nothing more can be done until the windows and doors are installed, or it could be that they are all off finishing up a different job before winter truly sets in.

I did manage a long conversation with whistling Roma about his impending 4,500 km and fifty hour journey from A Pontenova to Donets’ka Oblast, in a fifteen year old Peugeot 205. As a non-native Spanish speaker he is pretty easy for me to communicate with as our restricted dictionaries have many points of confluence. I did try and reason with him about flying, but it seems that he’ll be loaded down with contraband of some description, which sounds as though it will make the gruelling journey financially worthwhile.

scummycatWhile at the house I managed to get an incriminating photograph of Miro and Elenas ‘scummy’ cat who at first glance seems very respectable, well groomed, and although curious, not exactly friendly. But his classy demenour hides a far darker side. For when he thinks that no-one is looking he turns into a filthy ‘dumpster diver’.

He won’t be allowed in our house when it has its doors and windows!

After a couple of Portsmouth/Santander ferries were cancelled over the weekend I’ve been keeping an eye on the latest status on the internet. I even ‘live chatted’ to a nice lady at Brittainy Ferries yesterday and it looks as though I’ll be okay for my departure on Thursday teatime.

The forecast for the Bay of Biscay is for 6m waves and a 6m swell, which both sound as though they could be quite entertaining. Last weekends sailings were cancelled with 7m waves and swell, so it sounds like we’re still borderline.

originallogThe last couple of days of near solitude have been spent up at the house polishing my wood.

If you remember, this was the log which I picked out in October and which has gone through; cutting, sanding (for hours), and oiling with Tung Oil imported from Germany. Over the last day bathroomworktop20121218I have polished it with a lovely tin of beeswax which Stephen and Kay so generously gave me when I crashed their beautiful (rental) house in Trabada on the premise of delivering a Christmas card, but then also managing to wangle a superb dinner. They had previously got the wax to treat their newly laid wooden floors but had a change of plans, and after I’d mentioned my dilemma about various different beeswax recipies, and how to cook them, they offered me a tin.

It’s done a great job and brought the wood up perfectly, I think I just need a bit more elbow grease to get it from a dull gloss to a high gloss finish, but that can happen once it is in situ.

The worktop is now ready for installation by Facundos workers and sits in what used to be the milking stalls in the big house, in kit form with its oiled and polished lats.

I just need one of them on site so I can explain what I want them to do.

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2 Responses to The Christmas wind down begins

  1. Rob says:

    We really don’t need to know about you ‘polishing your wood’ Paul

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