Sewer replacement - prep, prep, prep

Built-It Bloke often says that tackling projects around here is like painting a house. That is, 

How well a project works out is 80% about the preparation 
and 20% how you do the rest of the job. 

So, before we add a shade structure to the western side of the house, concrete along that side, plant more shade trees out the front and provide an even better outside run for the cats, we need to upgrade the sewer along there from earthenware to PVC pipe. It is required by Council, but it also makes sense, given the projects at hand.

Rest assured the preparations to actually do the replacement are extensive!

Here's how it looked when he started ... with cat run in the foreground (view from the back, left) and from the street end (right).

Under the tarp were floor boards, which have been moved to the front verandah, blocking access to the front door. Boy, is Build-It Bloke looking forward to having a shed, instead of constantly moving things from one place to another and back again.

With that done, things still weren't as simple as you would hope. We are forever finding old walls, garden beds and all manner of former infrastructure that has been discarded and built over or buried. This project was no different.

So far he's uncovered a huge stump (and removed it), a concrete wall parallel to the house and another concrete slab, step and small retaining wall near the verandah.

 So, here's where it's up to. Ready for the mini-excavator to dig the trench.                     

 

Oh, and in case you're wondering how the cats are coping with the removal of their run and its access tunnel, I think you'll agree that winter in a warm lounge room has them quite relaxed about it.

Bit bleak in winter?

I can't say I've been enjoying our winter weather much. Foggy mornings, the cold*, short days ... they just aren't my favorite.
* I know, it's all relative, but it's cold to me.

Herb RobertPerhaps it's being compounded by the stage we're at with projects here. As well as being a bit bare thanks to the deciduous trees and general winter slow down, we've had to remove some trees and shrubs in preparation for various projects. (Stay tuned for updates on the shed and sewer preparations). I know it will improve again once we can work around the new structures, but for now it's a bit visually challenging!

The good news is that we've planted some additional trees for shade in places that aren't scheduled for squishing in the near future. The soil moisture seems too good to miss out on. Hopefully they can get established while the going's good. We've added more pears, two persimmons, a white mulberry and a medlar. We had been thinking about ornamentals, but hopefully these guys will do an equivalent job for summer shade (and winter light), but with the potential bonus of fruit with a bit of care and attention.

Oh, and just to reassure me that it's not all bleak ... the herb robert has been prompting smiles for weeks as I pass it and admire its dainty purple flowers.

Fruit Fly info evening

If you're growing (or aspiring to grow) fruit in our area, you need every available piece of information about combating fruit fly. So well done to the Seed Savers Albury-Wodonga working group who have put together a session on exactly that.

Bonuses from Brian's renovations

There were winners all around after our friend Brian's renovations recently. You see Build-It Bloke's work contributed to a great outcome for Brian's reno (along with other clever tradies). In addition, our place has reaped the rewards - in a kind of flow-on effect way.

The straight-forward part was that we bought a sideboard Brian no longer had a need for (he's removed the wall it was up against and added built-in storage instead).

The bonus was that from the panelling, picture rails and doors that were no longer needed at Brian's, Build-It Bloke also made us a new storage cupboard and a partition wall in the back room (laundry).
It means a smarter and neater use of that fairly 'dead' space for us.

Here's a pic of the space. Usually it's full of stuff, and the fridge has been sitting against the wall on the right hand side.

After (not a great pic, sorry)Before

The features are the large cupboard (with a cavity for the sliding door to the kitchen which slides behind it), a partition wall, which will help protect the fridge from direct light and heat, and at the back the picture rail and some hooks have created out-of-view hanging space.

To top it all off, Build-It Bloke made a coat rack from some wood we'd already used for at least two other purposes previously, and re-used reo bar.

The back room doesn't know itself after all this.