A covered walkway to my shop

[Blogwitch]

This is a job that has been in the planning stage for well over a year, but has had to be postponed until now. I had all the sketches done ages ago.

A couple of chaps turned up this morning and started work on it, under my supervision. The first was my son-in-law, a nice tall one, he can reach places where no one else can, and my mentor and best friend, Tel, who turns up whenever help is required, he is giving up his Easter holidays to do this job for me.

This is a shot of the area of my tiny garden that is getting a new covered way, not only for me to get safely to my shop, but somewhere open to the fresh air, for my long suffering wife can sit under when the weather isn't good enough for her to sit and relax in the garden.

As you can plainly see, this area has been neglected for a fair time, with all sorts of raw materials spread about the place. We just haven't been able to do anything with it for the last year or so.

They have got most of the main support frame up today, and yes, it is an hoptical delusion that the wall plate and frame seem to be at angles with each other, they are both perfectly level.

Just the far end of the main uprights to do, then the joists and smoked triwall acrylic sheet can go up.
This covered area will be 6 metres long by 2.5 metres wide (19.5ft x 8ft).

This will also give me a little more outside storage for raw materials, and we hope to have most of it done for when the better half gets back from the hospital. Weather permitting of course, it has forecast a bit of nasty over the next few days.


Bogs

 

[kellswaterri]

Go for it Bogsy, hope that you are getting much better weather there than we are here,
All the best for now,
John.

 

[dsquire]

John

I am going to chip in and sent you one of our nice sunny spring days to help with your job. Hope it goes well for you. :bow: :bow:

Cheers

Don

 

[Blogwitch]

Thanks lads, it would be real nice to see a bit of well wished sunshine.

You can see by the cover on the garden swing, it was a bit blowy when this was being done. We don't mind that, it is when that wet stuff comes that causes the problems.
Luckily, I am letting the lads use all pneumatic tooling from my shop for this job, but the chop saw is still electric, and as you know, water and electrics don't mix.

But it will all be OK when we get some of the roof on.

Just Tel and myself on it today, so things might go a little slower than planned.

John

 

[steamer]

"....and we hope to have most of it done for when the better half gets back from the hospital. Weather permitting of course,....."



I wish her a very speedy recovery John.....Nice looking walkway too...

Dave

 

[Blogwitch]

when the better half gets back from the hospital

Thanks Dave, but no probs on that score, just a few final tidying up bits, a couple of different body scans, blood tests, general poking about etc, plus promising results by next week (we hope).

That is why the son-in-law isn't with us today, he and my daughter are taking Mal to hospital first thing, waiting, and bringing her back this evening (a full day out), as I can't manage that sort of thing any more.

We were hoping to have this canopy all but finished by the end of today for when she gets back, as a bit of a surprise, but if the weather is against us, and also being short handed, it doesn't really matter, she knows we will get it done for her (and me), eventually.

Bit of a 'lads' lunch today as well, nuked Bockwurst on a big bread roll, piled high with relish (a couple of minutes prep time), and a can of something or other.
Plus only two plates and a knife to wash up (my job).

What more could a pair of mates want when the better half is away for the day.


John

 

[steamer]

Glad to hear that John.

And a lads lunch every once in a while is alright....you get to eat all the things everyone else tells you not to..

Warm Wishes,

Dave

 

[Maryak]

Bit of a 'lads' lunch today as well, nuked Bockwurst on a big bread roll, piled high with relish (a couple of minutes prep time), and a can of something or other.

I hope her indoors has good results and I hope the can contained more than cola.

Best Regards
Bob

 

[Deanofid]

That will be nice, John. A nice bit of the yard for some dry, even in the wet.

Very best wishes to Mrs. Bogs.

Dean

 

[John S]

Bit of a 'lads' lunch today as well, nuked Bockwurst on a big bread roll, piled high with relish (a couple of minutes prep time), and a can of something or other.
Plus only two plates and a knife to wash up (my job).

John

Get Bandit to give them a quick lick, wipe over with an oily rag and back in the cupboard, job done.

John S.

 

[ariz]

so, could you finish the job today Bogs?

here (Italy) it was the first day of sun after many raining days, I hope that was sunny also there

and best wishes for your better half and you too

 

[Blogwitch]

Trust you to let the cat out of the bag John, but I don't use the oily rag bit, it gives the game away when her indoors washes the reused plates, tell tale oil slicks.

No pics today, but at least we got all the joists in and a bit of preservative on as well.

We've been too busy celebrating. Cokes all round.

I don't want to go into too much personal detail, but it looks like my wife should be able to enjoy a lot more time in the garden if things carry on the way they are going. Next stepping stone, July.


Relieved Bogs

 

[ozzie46]

Thats Good to hear John.

Ron

 

[zeeprogrammer]

That's wonderful Bogs. All the best.

 

[steamer]

Yes truly wonderful!....Good to hear Bogs!....

Dave

 

[Deanofid]

Wonderful news, John. Good that you got some more done on your project, too.

Regards,

Dean

 

[Blogwitch]

Many thanks for the well wishes chaps, we are floating around on cloud nine, and the wife hasn't stopped crying since she has been home. She will never be totally clear, but after the prognosis last year that she might not be with us after last Christmas, anything is better than that.

We just cannot thank the world famous specialists at Christies Hospital enough for what they have done for us. A specialist surgeon even travelled back from Paris by road and rail, taking over 10 hours in very bad weather conditions, for what is normally just a couple of hours flight journey, just to operate on my wife over last Christmas. Nothing was too much trouble for them, and not one penny in costs. VIP treatment for my wife and our family at all times, you were treated as a person rather than a number

http://www.christie.nhs.uk/



But this build is about the covered way, not our personal trials and tribulations, and yesterday, I slightly overdid it, so a rest day today.


John

 

[bentprop]

Good to hear your better half is on the mend,John.There's nothing like fresh air and a bit of sunshine to put a bit of colour back on the cheeks.
So your walkway/patio will do double duty.
Best wishes to mrs.bogs,and your good self of course.

 

[Maryak]

yesterday, I slightly overdid it
John

Translation - I damn near killed myself. ;D

R & R and good news about Mrs B.

Best Regards
Bob

 

[Blogwitch]

Close, but not quite Bob.

It got to a stage where I was crawling around on the ground on all fours, because it was too painful to try to get up again, so I stayed down until all the anchor bolts were tightened up, then I gave up. I must have looked like a beached whale.

The things we do to get jobs done, which we shouldn't have been doing in the first place.

John