So, three days later than anticipated and more white-van-man visits than we can count, we finally have gas AND the road has been reopened. The road closure was supposed to be for a few hours but extended to three days, principally it would seem, because the team were too disorganised to collect the huge collection of barriers, signs and cones that had amassed in front of the house. All rather embarrassing really, but the neighbours have been really quite understanding, publicly, at least.
Look at the state of this!
;
Today we’ve been on the lookout for kitchen floor tiles, I’m not impressed with the selection I’ve seen, all a bit ordinary. We have decided on a couple of things though, firstly we want ‘rough edge’ tiles, like these, but nicer:
And secondly we want to use some tumbled pebbles, like these, but cheaper!
We’ve had chippies in to quote on a few jobs we need doing in the kitchen to move things along, like fitting the cubby hole window, extractor hood and finishing off a little paneling here and there. Once he’s done, we can then have the hob and extractor wired. Finally for this week, we had the guy from the fireplace company come to do a survey… He seemed a little…shall we say ‘overwhelmed’, it’s strange how normal living ‘on site’ becomes and it’s only when visitors arrive with their little shocked faces that we remember the scale of it all! Anyway, in a nutshell the chimney breast in the library is likely to collapse, and behind the board blocking the fireplace in the lounge there is…dead pidgeon, ta da! We were told this on Thursday and he’s still there, Ronnie won’t touch it and I’m sure as hell not going to, it’s probably been there for 50 years, a few more weeks won’t hurt, right?.
LANSDOWNE REVISITED 
We can relate to living with disruption! I don’t even apologize anymore when people see our dining room piled high with “stuff.” I don’t even know if they’re shocked anymore. I think they will be shocked when they come in someday and see a clean dining room table! What the heck is THAT??
I like the rough-edged tile look!
Oh dear! In the next few months we will be going through the same disruption with the the new water and gas pipes. As yet we’re delaying as we just haven’t found the time to dig up the side courtyard and down the drive for the new pipe work to be laid. Apparently it won’t require road closure though, thank goodness. A dead pigeon really is the icing isn’t it!?
To be fair, the fitting of the gas was fine… It was just the shame of the closure! The green grocer had a bit of a moan earlier, and I hear, it’s been the talk of the laundrette! Water pipes too though, ouch. Our next big deal is getting the heating in, not looking forward to that one! I’m thinking of sending in the cat on pidgeon removal, but she’d probably just run up the chimney.
For removal of the dead animal/bird variety, if I can’t collect it with a shovel, I put on a sturdy pair of gloves (possibly covered with plastic bags unless they’re rubber gloves to start with) and just get on with it. Trust me I a very squeamish person and I usually leave these chores for Charlie but I have been known to fling a dead mouse out the door on my own. (Has this encouraged you at all?) Jo @ Let’s Face the Music
I think I could cope if it was ‘newly’ dead, it’s the thought of it in decay…I’ve booked my farmer uncle in for the task, lucky man! Added to this Dottie cat has developed a new habit of bringing in big fat earth worms and hiding them in corners, as if there wasn’t enough to do without worrying about dead creatures littered about the place!