13.12.2025 The impossible just takes a little longer.

 ~o~

  Saturday 13th 45F/7.2C. A wet and misty morning is promised. 64F/17C in the room.

 Up at 2am until 4.30. Back to bed. Then woke again at 6.45. 

 I have to finish the foundations of the carport. To ensure all four legs are upright. Before backfilling the remaining holes.   

 10.00 Back indoors after making the legs upright. I used assorted, leaning ladders to achieve a slight bias. So that backfilling would make everything vertical. 

 My idea to make the second foundation holes oversized worked. I used 2x4s to lever the foundation blocks sideways as required. I pounded the backfill with another 2x4 as I went along.

 It felt like rain at times but I was safely under cover. My outer clothes don't feel wet. Though I am sweating I don't feel fatigued. I just went back out to take a couple of snaps. It is definitely raining now. 

 The legs don't look upright. Because of lens distortion in the phone camera. I have checked them all repeatedly with a 1m builders level. The ground falls to the left for drainage.

 The mess on the ground is mostly wet leaves. Accumulated over months. As I struggled to decide the safest way to erect the framework while working alone. In retrospect I would have erected the frame first. Then added the roof panels working from one end to the other. 

 The instructions said to do the roof first and then lift it with multiple helpers. I checked the AI calculator of an online app for small building works. It suggested £1000 equivalent for labour charges. Just for erecting the carport! 

 Apart from tidying up I still have to put the central roof panel back on. I also need to add the few screws in the feet. Which I couldn't insert in the dark. Because of excess galvanizing in the holes in the feet. Though generally speaking the galvanizing is fine. 

 12.30  I completed the bolting of the feet. Then tidied away the accumulation of detritus and raked the leaves away. Now I do need a rest. The watery sun came out. I have yet to fix the central roof panel. That should be amusing!  Lunch first.

 15.30 After lunch I continued to tidy the parking area. I raked the leaves away. Then ran the gravel leveling rake across the entire area. This hasn't been done for a while. Though the gravel seems to remain stable and reasonably smooth. Requiring very little upkeep. Except for the grass. Which insists on growing where it isn't wanted.  

 The scrap plywood can go down the garden to suppress the brambles. The ladders can wait until I have completed the carport roof. 

 I had a trial at parking the Morris and its trailer. Plenty of lateral room but not quite enough depth to fully cover both. The trailer has its own, fitted tarpaulin. So can brave the weather for years. By being moved back just a little. Which will shelter the Morris from nose to tail. For scale: The nose of the Morris is 13m [42'] from the house wall.  Now I really must go shopping in the village. I have run out of essentials.

 Dinner was a huge chicken curry with mushrooms. 

  ~o~