Some update pics and the day.

Song of the day: “Yes sir, I can Boogie” hah. Yes I can…sorta. This one’s by Sophie Ellis-Bextor by the way and I’ve had it come by a time or two already, haven’t I? No matter, considering it’s a fun song, and it got the sibs singing along…sorta.

I overslept by fifteen minutes today, which was stupid since it made my eyes fall half-shut again most of the morning while big brother and I were making the proofread changes, again. Seems kinda endless, doesn’t it, but I like to look at the process like fine tuning, or even polishing the manuscript. We are actually coming to a point where it appears to be quite impossible to make any more improvements. Changes, sure, but not correcting errors. A good thing, I’m thinking.

There was a big batch of laundry, some other chores in-between the session, and then, because our focus feels a little shoddy today, we head out early.
The weather was downright beautiful today. A solid 29 degrees a fresh eastern wind, 41 % humidity and only a handful of tiny clouds dotting the clear blue sky; in other words: Absolutely perfect. Hah.

Because we’re early, we decide that today is the perfect day to start pouring the path that leads into the courtyard. The rocky, uneven ground has been an eyesore since the day it was dug for construction and finally we start putting in concrete that will allow for easy passage, and keep away mudslides in the winter to boot. Yay.

The preparations done, outcroppings chopped away (the jackhammer’s drill broken, for some reason, aaargh) and grandpa doing the removal of the debris, middle sister and I move the leftover piles of flat rocks out of the way. Little sister and brother start mixing cement, and by the time four batches are made, big brother is ready for the concrete and I begin hauling buckets, and shovels full with the stuff to cover up the path.

It takes some time and effort, especially because the dogs have this amazing NEED to walk on recently laid concrete. And yep, you can see this one coming, halfway into the path, Touri, (my black cocker spaniel) manages to climb over the temporary fence we put up, and gleefully barges through. Shouting and swearing ensues, the damage is fixed and by the time we get the path another foot farther, Arthur (he’s a timid one) tires to rush into the courtyard going, right through the path. Aaaaargh.

There’s more fixing and we’re just about reading to start adding new concrete once more - this time the courtyard gate is firmly shut, and the fence to the back yard open so the dogs can mess around there, behind the wall - when Alta (Portuguese waterdog) jauntily decided to scale the 7 feet high fence. He lands slab dab in the middle of the recently fixed path, of course, rushing straight at us, and then doubts, spins around uncertainly when we’re snarling at him (I know, not smart; it’s a knee-jerk response, hah) to get his butt out of the wet concrete. Grrr. By then we decide to chase the majority of the pack into the house so we can fix it…for the friggin’ third time



Looking good after all, especially compared to what it was like.

But anyway, after that rather troublesome venture of laying a path, we finally finish up, quickly fence the entire thing up and disperse into different tasks. While big brother and grandpa head up to the carport for…I don’t know what, actually, hmmm, I head down to the balustrade we put up yesterday.



The big vine that grew over the old one needs to be put up again and I spent about twenty minutes doing exactly that (little brother, the sweetheart, brings me a plate of fries to fill the hunger gap) and then head up to join grandpa and big brother at the construction site of the day.

Some cleaning and organizing follows, the concrete mixer needs to be hauled back up to its old place, tools cleaned, plants watered (like every day) and straightening out the mess.
That done, we head for the carport for a few more minor woodworks and setting up tools. In the final minutes of daylight I work some more on my new window - tomorrow we’ll put the glass in - and we chat for a bit before heading inside to have dinner.

A quick dip in the pool follows, changing into house clothes, and then it’s BLTs some more fries and digging in.

Here're some more pictures.



So, since I'm doing them anyway, this is from the BIG wall and the plants that grow there now.




This one too.




These are the stairs big brother worked on this past week. Downright perfect.




The seat over on the left was my doing, it's attached to the island and a big bowl for a rose or something.




Oh yeah, and this was the wall that crashed last week...or at least this is it's replacement. I love the old ruin feel to it.

Well, this 'll do for today.

A little distracted.

Song of the day: “Ain’t love a kick in the head” by Westlife (originally Frank). Gawd, I’m having this one a lot, and I don’t even like Sinatra, hah.

Like planned I got up early this morning to take our tenant to her doctor’s appointment over in Marbella. Strangely enough the day started off hot, which was a first this summer. Really weird, but then, considering the temperatures usually start to drop exactly after the seventh of August, maybe we’re just going to have our last hot days…personally I’m hoping for some extras, nut we’ll see.

Hmmm, where was I; got a bit distracted, I think. Ehm…oh yeah, had to leave early for the doctor’s appointment. Right. So we took the beach road, and were making good time - considering we were about ten minutes late leaving home - right until a police car came tearing past, lights flashing. I knew it right then, and the next thing I know the road is jamming up, and we’re stuck in it for at least an hour. What are the chances, of picking this road for the first time in months and then getting a traffic jam. Darn it!

In the end, it isn’t such a big problem after all, since the delay allowed for our tenant to go on to her doctor immediately, rather than wait the habitual hour. I’m actually regretful of it today; I’d taken the computer along and I’d fully intended to do some writing while I waited, so now I only managed half a page or so.

The trip home is pretty uneventful and after a much-needed dip in the pool, (greeting the pack, of course) throwing some laundry in the machine and a very late breakfast we start doing the proofreading corrections. In the hours that follow, we get a full chapter done, making them pass really fast.

It is still hot when we head out, and rather than stand in the scorching sun working with rocks and cement we decide to do more carpentry. I’ve been wanting a small window in my bathroom ever since we built the cabin, so since there isn’t much else we can do, this particular project gets started on.

What with the supplies we’ve gathered over the past few months we’ve got everything we need stored away, so it is not a difficult task at all. So while I start sawing a square out of the wall, little brother paints the frame big brother made and within a couple of hours it can be set.

While little brother finishes up with adding some final licks of paint big brother, middle sister and I head down to the old pool where the new balustrade still needs to be set. Considering all the wood is already cut and painted, this only takes an hour and by then night has fallen.

So it might not have been the smartest idea to have little sister make one batch of cement (we hadn’t figured it would take a whole hour) because when we’re done the light is really gone and we still need to finish it on the small sections around the new stairs.

When we’re finally done, I’m more than happy to call it a day, (hauling those last rocks was like…exhausting, hah) and head for the pool for a quick dip. This morning’s laundry still needs to be hung, but once that’s done, we head inside to have a late dinner and relax a little.

Yep, another busy day, and since I’m on time with the blog for a change, I think I’m going to do a little surfing online now. Hah.

No time.

Song of the day: “Barbie girl” by Aqua. Oh my gawd, it’s been ages, and it is such a silly song that I was almost embarrassed to sing it. But since that is the only way for the song to get out of my head, I did it anyway…of course I had “Dr. Jones” the song’s sequel in my head afterwards, but what the hey; by now my brain is amazingly empty.

Let’s see what I did today, ‘cause I need to get to bed early (have to drive our tenant to a doctor’s appointment) so I’m just going to rush through it a little.

I had some trouble sleeping last night, so I got way too little sleep. Not that it matters, but it was annoying. My mind just wouldn’t stop spinning. Anyway, finally I got to sleep and then didn’t go into R.E.M., which made the night a jumble of dreams.

When the alarm goes of I’m reasonably coherent, and I quickly go through the morning rituals before heading down to the house. The dogs are rather restless – I was obliged to lock Trin Trin up in the back yard until I was ready to go down, lest she attack one of the others - and make quite a racket. No mishaps, gratefully, and soon big brother and I are working on the proofreading corrections.

That done, we head outside and considering it is way too hot (hotter than it has been in weeks) for hard labor, like building walls of rocks. Our guest has arrived this morning and she joins us while we start working. So, the younger sibs start on weaving reed mats, while big brother, grandpa and I start with the carpentry project that is going to be a balustrade on the terrace surrounding the old pool.

Since the wood comes from the pallets we recently found, so long steel nails get removed, the wood sanded, and sawed. After a couple of hours, the temperatures have dropped enough to start making cement, and I do it so big brother can begin with the last step on the stairs. Before I join him, to make a low rock wall beside it, I go to the courtyard to make repairs on the plateau for the washing machine.

With that done, I worked on the small walls surrounding the stairs, and a small elevation where the next stairs will be, and finished the last bit of daylight sweeping the terrace of the terrace under my porch. There’s a really quick dip in the pool, I’m such a whiner, I find a pool of 24 degrees too cold these days. Hah.

But anyway, after hanging laundry, dinner and a quick surf on the Net, the day is over, with another proofreading. Yep, that’s about it.

Getting there.

Song of the day: “This kiss” by Faith Hill. It’s been a while. Kind of cheery, isn’t it?

With considerable effort I manage to drag myself out of bed in time this morning. I know, surprised me too, but I can’t stand this urge I have (every now and then) that makes if practically impossible to get up in time. But anyway, there were dreams; something about some strange dude sticking a syringe in my gut…freaked me out a little. Hah.

First thing up when I head out the cabin and go down the mountain, is take pictures of the stairs (I’ll post the progress of them sometime in the next few days) and straight on to the laundry so big brother and I can start on correcting the errors we found during proofreading. A chapter is soon finished, which means that it’s time to start on the other tasks for the day.

First one up, is repairing the kitchen drawer, which hasn’t been sliding properly in its casing, so a small adjustment is necessary. Second one, is a similar problem in the laundry closet which keeps pulling apart in the center so a short support beam has to be attached in the center.

Then we all head outside to start on the day’s task. While little sister and brother start on cement for big brother’s step, middle sister and I head down to the guest quarters to put in the large Persian rug (it has been washed considerably these days past) and oversee the final touching ups before our guest comes to stay the night, tomorrow.

The room is looking pretty good, cozy too, so while middle sister finishes up with washing the windows I go outside to get down to opening up a path towards the ancient wall under the veranda…remember, the one we have to fortify. Lots of branches, reed and vines need to be removed, but after a few hours, we’ve got a good passage that should allow us to start on the wall just as soon as the weather starts to cool down a little. Today was pretty intense, especially with the work, within no time we’re all sweating like mad.

Luckily the temperatures start to drop just as soon as the sun nears the mountain in the west, and with that middle sister and I use the hark and pickax to even out the ground behind little brother and sister’s wall. It doesn’t take me long to see options for the newly flat surface; veggies, probably, some more zucchinis, or tomatoes, or onions certainly wouldn’t go amiss. Hah.

While middle sister and I are working on this particular section little brother hauls some more rocks down, and then a big pile of debris that has accumulated over the past few months. Since the night isn’t over, and little sister has already gone inside to make dinner, I spent the remainder of twilight putting in a couple of basil plants into the ground with grandpa and then help big brother finish up with the sixth step of the stairs.

Both dusty and more than a little weary, we take a quick dip in the pool…one of the last times this summer, I’m thinking; what with the wind that picked up it is already starting to get too cold for late swimming.

Dinner is next, followed by this Blog and of course a quick course through the messages (I’ve got soooo little time these days, I even had to give up un my much enjoyed Amazon fun, darn it). But the day has come to an end, and we still have another proofreading session ahead of us. I’m actually looking forward to it, considering yesterday’s went so well. So great to see how much the manuscript has improved over the past few months.

Well, gotta go.

Mind awhirl.

Song of the day: “Don’t turn of the light” by Enrique Iglesias. Awesome song, though without instrumentation it might not be the best one. Hah.

I overslept this morning so I’m running a little behind. Yesterday’s play-around writing session kept spinning through my head during the night, so today, rather than edit, big brother and I delved into the possibilities for an actual novel with the piece as a prologue of sorts. I don’t know, but for some reason I found the idea of an alien, such as described in the previous Blog, rather fascinating.

I mean, just imagine, that being lands on earth and…well, has to learn to function here. It’ll be my first extraterrestrial story, so it’ll definitely be a first. I don’t know where it’s gonna lead, I sure need to finish those edits first before I can dive in, but who knows, it might turn out into something interesting.

Anyways, we’re doing research, and the location I picked will be suitable for the story (it is exactly like I’d thought during the night). It actually always surprises me to see when I get it right. Hah.

Research takes hours so we really don’t manage a good edit at all. When it’s time to head outside the sun is shining brightly. In the shade it is wonderfully cool, but when I start hauling big buckets of rocks down the mountain, and fill up the center of the island I’m creating beside the new stairs, perspiration gathers rapidly. Still, we make good progress, topping it of, and then continuing with the plant container attached to it.

The dogs are of course being a nuisance. They keep want to walk on the new step, through the walls of the new container and then on the top of the island as soon as it is closed off, shifting the flat rocks every time they attempt it. It causes both hilarious and frustrating scenes.

Several hours later the island, along with another step of the stairs, is done. It’s looking rather grand, but I’m not going to do any pictures until this section of the project is fully done. I like the look, and I can’t wait to either plant a rose bush, or a Chinese rose. It’s going to look so darn pretty.

Like yesterday and the day before that, I used the last hour of the day to do some useful exercise by hauling several wheelbarrows of rocks down the mountain. By now, day three, the pile down by the old bus is starting to grow nicely. I think we’ve got at least half of what we’re going to need for the support wall of the veranda.

A much needed dip in the pool follows, and then some more laundry (yep, big brother managed to fix it) and finally dinner around ten thirty. And with that, the last activity of the day is over. Just another proofreading session to go…if I manage it, since my head keeps spinning with new ideas…and then I can drop in bed and pass out for the night, hah.

Writing fun.

Song of the day: “Dream a little dream” by the Beautiful South. Had it before, I think, but still a grand song.

So, considering that today was basically the same as yesterday…well precisely actually. Hmmm. That’s weird, but whatever…I thought we’d do something different again on the Blog and fill up some space with practice writing. I had this idea of an extraterrestrial being, so I started writing about it and thought it came out interesting. First person narrative, which is not my usual cup of tea, but still, it was fun to do.

The Alien.

Space as far as the eye could see, it was all around me; distant stars glittering within the infinite blackness, beacons that blinked at me, sparkled enticingly within the deep black. So pretty, so still. I drifted aimlessly within the emptiness and heard it, wondered about the far-away call coming from so far away. What did it want? Where did I have to go?
I stirred in my slumber, a shift of luminous vapors and moving matter that set me apart from the emptiness all ‘round. Awareness was a peculiar sensation, swirling within me like a vortex as I began to move for real. Tendrils of pink and yellow colors floated through space, sweeping outward as I tested my limits, solidified to a point where motion would be effective.
No body to speak of, except for light and particle clouds that began to listen to the inner demand of “being”.
The call was strong, a tingly sensation that rolled over me time and again; I had to go, see what it was, move, live and awaken fully from the deep slumber that had held me in its grasp forever it seemed.
A battle of wills, inactivity standing strong against this tiny spark of wanting, needing.
The tendrils of my gaseous body swayed out for real, the need victorious of inertia at last as I begin to move, gathered up momentum with tremendous effort. Slow, infinitely slow, like pushing through cold molasses, speed increased, the distant call my sole buoy within the emptiness of space.
Color faded from the particles that pushed me forth, bright white light replacing it when jubilation of movement surged through me. It was a powerful wave of energy, this sensation, tripling my speed and sending me hurling forward until the stars around me blurred into tiny bright lines.
I gasped at the sensation, the thrill of it like nothing I had ever felt before as I continued on my way. The call was drawing nearer, adding to my excitement as in the distance I began to see the outline of a small solar system that spiraled in the vacuum of space.
A bright yellow star, surrounded by tiny planets orbiting around it somewhat erratically; it lies straight ahead, pulls at me almost.
Speed increases without effort, the vapors that make up my body, cluster together, gaining more shape when I pass the outer planet. It is a tiny little thing, orbiting leisurely, and barely more than a spot in my vision.
I continue on, more planets passing like blurry flashes of color while I spiral towards the star, using its gravity like an anchor, hauling me in.
There, right there: It’s the voice, coming from the third planet colored a pretty blue and green. The orb turns sluggishly around its axel, and while I surround it, my gaseous form easily forming a shell that keeps it in its center I wait - try to locate the source of the luring voice.
For only a moment, I linger there, the swift orbit around the star almost making me dizzy, but there it is, on a large land mass wedged between deep blue oceans the call continues to lure me closer.
Tentatively I pull myself together, going closer and closer as I take shape an propel down into the clouds that swirl within the atmosphere.
Their beautiful and I am tempted to linger there in the warm light of the star, shining on me, through me until every particle of my being sparkles. But there she is again, the voice. She calls to me, urges me on, so I pull even closer together, plunge down towards the surface.
Gravity pulls heavily and when I land, the ground gives beneath my feet, sending up a cloud of rock and sand.
I have arms and legs now, two of each, with feet that stand firmly on the red soil beneath me.
Warm sunlight cascades down on me, the clouds overhead a pretty sight as in the distance tall structures tower high into the air. There, off to the left where a shimmery surface, just like water, pierces up from the hilly landscape, is the source of my lure. But there are more voices now, millions of them, all crowded together in what appears to be a massive habitat of sorts. I am undaunted however, for I must find the one who has called to me.
Muscles I did not have before flex as I put my first step and then climb up from the minor crater that my landing caused. Off to the right, there where the light falls prettily down, tall organic life blooms vibrant green, and delightful scents tease my newly developed nostrils.
I wish I could linger, but do not. I must find what I came for; fulfill my purpose no matter what the cost.

Well, that’s about it I guess. Kinda fun to do and, well, who knows, it might lead to something someday. Hah.

Nothing of much interest.

Song of the day: “9 million bicycles” by Katie Melua. The first one I ever heard of this particular artist, and she’s stuck with me ever since.

Got too little sleep, of course, since big brother and I ended up proofreading an hour later than usual, but then I took a five minute catnap during the manuscripts improvements this morning, so no harm no foul. Hah.
Made excellent progress during the course of five hours behind the computers: caught a few more technicalities, shifted around and removed some punctuation, and actually found another typo *gasp*, other than that, there is little to nothing memorable to today’s proofreading.

The dogs enjoyed their usual howling session once they got outside, so they had their fun while we started to work on the projects. The younger sibs and I finished the last bit of yesterday’s small wall…I’m gonna have to post pictures soon…and started on the small island beside big brother’s stairs (he did the second step today).

Considering the day was still relatively young, I spent the remainder of it cleaning the terraces and stairs, and then, since I’ve a hankering for some exercise, but think it’s a waste to do it with useless fitness, I grab the wheelbarrow and haul rocks down the mountain.
I manage four full ones before I’m thoroughly out of breath (the trick is to go back at a semi-jog, hah) and am sweating considerably when dusk has settled fully and I headed inside for a nice dip in the pool.

What with the low temperatures these past few weeks, evening dips have become rare, so it was rather nice, really. Next followed dinner the blog, and I’m thoroughly tired so regretfully this is all for the day. Maybe I’ll manage another proofreading, and if not, well, I might need to make it an early night and get some proper sleep. Hah.