OK, I TOOK THESE 7 MINUTES AGO.....
INCREDIBLE I KNOW......
This is the new verandah with columns at full
height and the first section freshly concreted....
On top all the rest is timber and tiles....



As we say here, everything is
simple, anything is possible, all it takes is money.....
After we say that, we normally burst into tears, or
head for a nearby bar....
Or both....



OK, this is another view....of some concrete erm, well, drying....



And another shot showing ermmmm, another view of
the concrete...and the columns of course....
And look, just look how much drier some of the concrete is.....
Interestingly, this shot is taken from the side of the pool,
more of which later....
Much more....

UP TO DATE VIEW (YESTERDAY) OF WORKS RECENT AND IN PROGRESS...POOL, GATE, AND VERANDAH UNDER WAY.....



The columns for the verandah built from the bricks from
Auschwitz (the old barbecue)....dirt base being tamped and damped....

Here you can see the damage caused by the first smaller lorry
carrying the fill for the verandah.....



So we had the second one dump outside the gate, as it's weight might've decimated the gate columns! Oh the fun!



Here the fill goes into the verandah base, prior
to the concrete going in...



And here damping and tamping under way with
more bricks being slapped on...

These, weirdly enough, are the steps up to the pool,
covered in Sao Tome stone, which is nicely absorbent
so non-slip when doused with water.... safety first as always!!!



Another view of finshed pool and deck...
The Sao Tome suppliers were a nightmare.....only delivered
40 sq metres of the required 60, then argued and refused
to come and measure up and then grudgingly supplied another
10, and managed to prolong the job by more than a week.....then
the stone powder for the final cement layer arrived but too
little and half small stones....another week waiting for them
not to rectify the situation....oh the joys....in the end we bought
more stone and more stone powder elsewhere....
It's not all fun and sun here you know....
Did I tell you about breaking my leg????



And just in case you haven't got the hang of it yet,
this is my pool.....in Brasil, where I live....has anyone
been paying any attention whatsoever at any
point at all or ummmmm, not????



And just so you really know it's not all fun and sun,
this is the truck that crushed my front entrance
(oooer missus).....

This is the birthday party for me and Sonia at my
house last Saturday...ohhh the fun we had.....
...food and drink and dancing and music and drunkeness
and cake and balloons and stuff....
These are my neighbour buddies from across the road.
I thought it best to invite them!!
(Apart from anything else, they give me freshly laid organic eggs....)



These are my expat buddies....Belgian, Hebridean,
Italian, and English ( plus a Brasilian or two....)



And these are the guys who work for me buddies plus
various wives etc.....



And these are the candles after the cake was ate....
Mine unfortunately are on the left......
Sonia plus Me equals 98 years old.

The party in full swing.....trouble is , my place is so
big you need a minimum of 100 people just so you
can see someone in the distance....mebbe next time!



People are dancing ......I actually DJ'd using the Sky
music channels on the TV and a few CD's on the DVD player....
The sound through the TV speakers was fine....



Me cheering Sonia's candles....(?)



The fab cake made by Conceicao plus truffley things
and the plants are gifts for all the guests....
Nice huh?

The cakey truffley planty gifty table.....



Dins laid out on the kitchen counter....I knew it'd
come in handy for something....



Shelling chick peas for the salt cod salad....



Conceicao making the mammoth birthday cake...
...also please note the completed kitchen over-counter light,
the first of two.....
Thank you for that....

I picked these up cheapo in Niteroi the other day....used
them to guide guests through the building site/garden....
...may use them permanently in the garden though
have also been expeimenting with them for various
other lighting possibilities....like chandeliers over dining
table por exemple...



We've made Fabino live under the sink in case
we need him for plumbing or other emergencies....
He seems happy enough....
In fact this was a last minute fitting of the new tap
before the party preps, as
the one I'd bought needed more pressure and I can't
afford poncey pumps and auto switches at the mo'.
Tings is tight man.
Bring on the oranges.....(Quick!!)



And just as a test...
Does anyone know what this is????