September 15 - 21, 2008

I spent a leisurely Monday morning in Paraibuna ordering glass for the storeroom windows. Monday afternoon, by contrast, was spent wrestling 100 meters of 50 mm plastic hose up a stream, where it will be connected to the back end, to increase the water's pressure, of several hundred meters of 25 mm plastic hose that supply the main house with water. Given Monday's turn in the weather (hint: I could have stayed in England), the rocks in the stream were very slippery, and I managed to fall repeatedly, which resulted in a soaked pair of work pants, flooded Wellington boots (aka wellies, topboots, gumboots or rubber boots) and two sprained thumbs. After more than an hour of struggle, Clair and I found a suitable spot in the stream, which we then cleared and covered with small stones that we had carried upstream in 25-liter tins. To prevent debris from entering and blocking the plastic hose, we covered and tied off the end with a pair of pantyhose I purchased at a pharmacy in São Paulo a couple of weeks back. Imagine the clerk's reaction when I asked for a box of vinyl, not latex, surgical gloves (for tarring the foundation, of course) and a pair of pantyhose (to use as a filter for a plastic hose, of course). While very courteous, I have little doubt that she was quite happy to see me leave.

Tuesday was spent in São Luiz do Paraitinga ordering the elusive 'final' list of construction material. Kind of reminds me of Groundhog Day, starring Bill Murray. While there, I also purchase three more hens. When I got home, I put the new hens in for the night so that they could get accustomed to the henhouse. The next day the three new hens made happy together, pecking and scratching the ground and bathing in the dirt. Unfortunately only two of the new hens returned to the henhouse that evening -along with the casal or couple, who basically never leave their love shack. The third new hen spent her first two nights alone outside; impressively -and thankfully- she survived her odyssey. Order has at last been established and William H. Macey, our rooster, and his four hens spent Friday night safe and sound in the henhouse.

In terms of construction, this week was highly productive, in particular given the miserable weather on Monday and Tuesday: we wired the main house and storerooms, finished off the graywater recycling system, installed the granite kitchen counter top and sink (specially built for people taller than 190 cm), connected the toilets to the sceptic tank, poured concrete for the water tower pillars and laid back-of-house, concrete drainage. On Thursday, the glaziers arrived as promised, cut the glass and fitted the windows.

Also, Clair is making stupendous progress fencing the area soon to become Lone's vegetable garden. When complete, the fence will comprise approx. 700 bamboo stalks. Somewhere out there a Giant Panda is salivating.

Finally, I painted the main house...just a test...a prologue to its final look and feel. When complete, the house's coloring should resemble that of a typical house in Skagen, which Lone and I visited in June of 2007 while celebrating our 21st wedding anniversary.

Beginning on Monday, there are only three days left until the household appliances arrive, seven workdays until phase I construction is complete and, most importantly, 11 days until Lone arrives.