On our first anniversary, one week since moving, I have a new best friend – a chiropractor! After getting the mower in a position where there was no traction to reverse out, I needed to push it back a few feet. Yesterday morning I moved some boxes and felt a twinge which increased in severity as the morning went on. So standard procedure, take painkillers, rub on some dollop and rest.
Today, I was unable to move without sound effects. Fortunately we have moved to a village which has a chiropractor about 10 mins away and even better, an appointment for the afternoon. After all the paperwork was done and standing, twisting and bending in various positions, it seems that besides the pulled lower back, my left leg is an inch shorter than my right.
Well, it certainly eased the pain in my back, but not on my credit card. I return on Friday for another session £££. Meanwhile, the jobs are still there as I potter with one walking stick and June hobbles with the other. Ah the joys of retirement.
The rest of our possessions arrived today so we are finally complete and a (small) pile of cardboard boxes are gone. The removal guys tried to leave me with a box of ropes and chains that they strained to get off and then back onto the lorry. Sorry, but ropes and chains are not our thing, with the state of my back and June’s leg, even if they are free!
Thursday 13th
Well today is our 43rd wedding anniversary and to mark this prestigious day, we have nothing planned. We have however ordered a dishwasher – to sort the kitchen and garden chalet – a start at sorting out the box mountain and garden furniature currently piled in the spare bedroom. I’ve fixed the leak on the house front troughing, water running back into the garage when it rains and ripped out two units in the kitchen for a dishwasher. With a lack of plumbers willing to undertake small jobs, looks like I’m putting on my plumbing hat again, especially after plumbing in the washing machine last week with no leaks – big bonus.
Leigh, the chiropractor, is doing wonders to my back and credit card, but hey-ho, needs must.
Fixed a fairy door to one of the trees in anticipation of my great nieces visiting last Sunday. They had a great time running around and playing with the concrete frog behind the door and baking a home for slugs. Mum came over on Tuesday for the day and had a good sleep in the chair after lunch.
Last Friday, the electricians turned up to move the distribution board and put in a 20A feed for the tumble dryer. A relatively simple job turned into a 9-5 as cables from the old board were cemented over and could not be pulled back and had to be chiselled out of the wall. The board had been positioned over 7 feet above the front door, not great for the vertically challenged! Nice warm day outside, a veritable furnace for Alan in the loft.
Monday 31st
Jobs inside and out are increasing at a rate proportional to the number of trips to the chiropractor. I’ve started changing the old light fittings and was a bit miffed to see lighting flex terminated in the ceiling rose in place of twin and earth! The hall light needed a flexible person to pop into the attic and limbo under some 1m horizontals to make a quick termination. Unable to find such a person, I crawled up and under, then got stuck trying to get back. While up the ladder in the kitchen, I found out why the extractor was not clearing the fumes; a huge hole on the plastic flexi pipe above the kitchen unit plus lots of screw terminal blocks bound in electrical tape for the under cupboard lights.
The sitting room had a faux antique wood picture shelf some distance from the ceiling. With the tap of a hammer, a bit of filler and a coat of paint, the room is instantly transformed. The picture shelf was made from expanded polyurethane foam, and so are the other ceiling beams.
We had a skip, only a 4 yard one to start, but might work up to a 6 or 8 yard one when the kitchen gets done. It took a week to fill without too much trouble.
The forth toilet off the kitchen has been gutted, holes blocked up with cement and pipes isolated pending a big plumbing job. I’ve put shelving on one wall and now it’s called a pantry. The utility room opposite has finally had the tumble dryer fitter, with through wall vent pipe, as pushing the dryer to the open back door to vent outside was both painful and inconvenient. Almost totalled my wrist as the 100mm SDS core drill snagged in the brickwork, just saved by the mains plug being pulled out of the socket.
The robins and tits are quick enough to let me know that their fat balls needs replenishing in the feeder outside the back door. What I thought was a tree creeper turned out to be a nuthatch; aren’t books wonderful. Had some kind of yound bird of prey on the fence which I still need to identify.
Emma and Martin visited for the weekend and sorted through about 20 boxes and suitcases of Emma’s, sorting the contents into charity, bin, store and take back to Bristol. A real godsend and space saver. I can almost walk from one side of the garage to the other. By the time they visit next, we will have a functioning bedroom with curtains instead of a slowly deflating air bed on the sitting room floor.
We have an Indian takeaway in the village, the Cymru Balti. Bit reluctant to try it as it’s sandwiched between a funeral director and a vet. Had a takeaway from Dwbi’s in Cross Hands which was very good, but that was next-but-one to a vets. Must be a Welsh business affinity!
Looking back at old maps of the area shows a property here in the 1800’s. The house back then was called Tir Clai, which translates to clay field. Current maps of the area show the bridge over the stream at the bottom of the garden is Pont Tir Clai. It seems the long established locals are not happy that the bungalow was called an English name of Owls Lodge when it was built some 28 years ago not the original name. I’m expecting a visit from the Free Wales Army any day soon.
We’ve been here a month already and are getting to know local businesses, suppliers and roads to avoid. Once the carpets are replaced next month, another 20 or so boxed can be unpacked and after a lick of paint, the spare room can have the bed and wardrobe assembled.
