16.09.2023 Whoops! There go my stairs!

 ~o~

 Saturday 16th. Bright. Another warm and sunny day is promised. Last [late] summer weekend before the weather turns to autumn settings. Up at 7am after a 5.45 start seemed a bit silly.

 09.30 Still mostly bright sunshine but I have run out of laundry. I made it to my usual turning point in the lanes today. I have been rather slacking of late. Most of the fields have been smoothed and replanted for the next harvest. The speed with which new crops rise from the bare soil is terrifying!

 A lot of the earthworks now looks complete. With the northern half of the field raised to match the parallel drives to perfection. Excellent work and no doubt a serious visual upgrade for those who live on the original drive. Compensation perhaps, for the noise and disturbance of all the building and earthworks over the last couple of years.

 My side of the new drive is much less positive. With piles of soil yet to be distributed and plans for the marshy, adjoining field unknown. All I can see, beyond my intervening trees, is a raised, packed earth dam.  

This view is from the north, looking south. Over the newly landscaped field.

 I am slightly surprised they aren't taking advantage of the sunken field. By raising this too. For greatly expanded and level grazing. Not to mention the improved, cosmetic appearance for their own [new build] home. Plus a much refined approach along their "posh" new drive.

 Morning coffee over. Time to consider using my day more seriously. Than waffling on the computer. I have immediate grocery needs and the require the wares of a DIY outlet. There's a beautiful, undulating ride. Of about 10 miles each way. To another builder's merchant. With the usual shops on an equally gorgeous, return detour. Good choice!

 13.15 Returned from shopping. I managed to find venetian blind, cropping scissors. 35km at an average of 25km/hr.

 15.15. I have been struggling with the new carpet at the entrance to the lounge. It had to go under the stairs. Which meant lifting the bottom of the stairs with a long lever. The moment I did this the top of the stairs slid a foot [30cm] down the wall! 

 So I brought in a car jack and length of timber. To lift the top of the stairs back up again. Each time I gained a couple of inches in height I'd use another long lever. To push the stairs towards the wall.

 Eventually The stairs were back in place. To avoid any future surprises I ran a 12mm drill through. Then bolted the top of the stairs to the adjoining floor joist of the raised stage. I even slipped a vicious star washer over the coach bolt, between the timbers, before tightening. To increase the grip of the bolt and reduce the risk of the stairs slipping downwards. Needless to say I was very careful in climbing the stairs. To do the work up at the top!

 The new carpet is not a perfect match but is in keeping with the overall colour theme of the adjoining carpet. There are alcoves and chimneys at the edges but I have no plans to cut the carpets to fit. So the carpets lie midway between the various obstructions and look the part. The phone camera is distorting the view. I tried to fix this with image handling software but was not completely successful.

 19.00. I have been doing some gardening! Mainly pulling out 6' high weeds and thistles. The trailer is now almost full of garden waste. 

 Time to think about making dinner.  I am going with sliced chicken and mushrooms. With mashed potato and baked beans.

 Thirty five minutes later a dinner was born to the coffee table. 

 While I watched a B&W, Netflix film where Margaret Thatcher was a vampire. It seemed so perfectly apt that I was driven to believe it.

~o~