Whilst here:
Ive helped cement up a cavity wall made of the light air-bricks - tejolo - that are ubiquitous in Portuguese construction nowadays. Suggested a plank could be used as a lintel, inbetween 2 concrete lintels. This is a hzbrid build of trad and modern amtierals! We used expanding foam to actually fix the window frame, the only one so far that cn be opened. Then we cement rendered around the window covering up the foam
Ive spent days digging a drainage along the rearside of the house, against the mountainside. AMon Toibin, and Four Tet, on the M3 plazer were isntrumental in my effort. I cut steps at the end, past the chimney. The pickaxe i used was too short, but he enchada, which i hated using at Tamera for cultivation, was perfect.
Measured up and laboriously cut to siye 3 itnernal bargeboards to fit around teh rafters, intended to exclude drafts. They may need augmenting to actually achieve that aim! DRawknives are the best, i love them.
Told the hosts about glass bottles as wall brighteneners, or even windows, an idea they now love and have gone for. So i cleaned LOADS of vinho verde blue bottles, attempted to set up a jig with an angle grinder to cut the bottles, which blew the machine up! The bottles were cut elsewhere and then glue gunned together with tin foil wrappers. Made cob for the glass bottle windows, and helped fit some of them with Judith.
Housekeeping: clearing the guest room, cooking meals, washing u, sweeping and mopping, wiping down tile walls, fetching water from the well for drinking, building and feeding fires to cook on and keep us warm at night, picking up and hefting firewood and building materials.
Distilled eucalzptus oil on a rocket stove, fermenting prickly pear leaves as additive for earthen plaster, picked and pickled olives, started sourdough and made quince jam.
Cutting to size and rehanging a door for the guest room, all by myself, including remaking a latch.
Today i swam in the river for the first time, sang into its broad vista under the moon, almost full, and used solar energy to finish my popper-pants, of which you will see more later!
Tchau!
