I'm sorry I realise that cement mixers don't make the most attractive of pictures especially for those of you who look at this blog mainly for the stunningly beautiful landscape that is the north west highlands of Scotland! I'm not trying to turn this into 'Concrete Weekly' magazine or anything! It's just that we've waited so long to get a garage that I feel hugely excited when an event happens that brings its completion just that tiny bit nearer.
The garage/cupboard sits and waits. An enormous flat pack, complete with trusses and gable ends and carrier bags full of nails and bolts and screws and hinges, and all we do is 'pop' it together! It's very heavy so 'pop' might be a slight under exaggeration!
We've designed it ourselves - actually it isn't that hard to design a garage! But in terms of strength it needs to be able to support roof tiles, we've a number left over from the house and it would be nice to be able to use them and keep the garage in keeping with the house.
Our neighbour Dodo arrives to give us a hand, and at this point, feeling guilty I put my camera down, and pick up a shovel and get stuck in
which is why there are no more photos until this one, which is just about at the end, except of course no laying of concrete would be complete without the obligatory dog to run across it just as you think you can down tools
Poor James, he got such a telling off and looked so incredibly sad and forlorn. He did wag his tail again though before he went home. It reminded me of when the house foundations were being done. James' dad Cole did exactly the same thing here!
People say we're amazing to do such a lot of the work ourselves. But simply living here you can wait forever for workmen to be available. Old Black queried where our nearest quarry might be. Actually it's just on the other side of Ullapool, eleven or so miles from here. The Scottish highlands are sparsely populated with large empty spaces between small hamlets. But there is building work going on. We attempted to get a local builder to do the footings for the garage for us, but he is booked up with work for months to come and even then there is no guarantee that you'll get the man on the job. We've simply learned to try and tackle what we can ourselves. And when it goes right it's enormously satisfying, if enormously exhausting at times.
Last weekend we went to a very beautiful beach and I promise I'll put some photos on of that before I show you us 'popping up' (propping up even!) the garage.
7 comments:
Never mind the beautiful beach - the cement mixer and the garage construction are rivetingly interesting! And wet cement needs paw prints.....
I am full of admiration of your energy - that's a large amount of heavy concrete to spread around. I would be completely exhausted!
Please keep up the building diary - it's like watching an episode of Grand Designs!
Great colour popping. You do that whilst they pop up the garage.
I love your photographs and must find out more about colour popping.
Nearly there with the garage - paw prints should be left as a reminder of the work done - poor dog his sad face.
Happy Week
I do admire you for tackling the job of garage building, that's beyond us now. I liked your pictures of the cement truck, but looking forward to the beach pictures.
Just found you via Rachel (Slow Lane Life) Wonderful photos and intersting story of the work. Look forward to reading more. Regards Anne (way down in the Scottish Borders!)
How exciting! Good for you to do so much yourselves, with your neighbours. But your poor doggy! He really looks like he's "in the doghouse" and he knows it.
Post a Comment