Spur Wing Shed House

I finally found some guys with time to help me put the other windows in. All was going well until we found one window and one door too tall by 100mm and 70mm respectively! I checked the original order, and realised I had approved the manufacture of the wrong size. In my rush to get the order underway I had not carefully checked all of the sizes the supplier put down on their order with my new master list I produced after carefully checking the frame opening sizes. Fortunately it should be relatively straightforward to adjust the wooden framing to make room. In the case of the window, it is the one for the en-suite, and it could be a blessing in disguise as I think the larger window will not be a bad thing. The trickiest window to insert was for the mezzanine attic level. The windows are SO heavy being double glazed, that my two strong men were not able, or willing to carry up two flights of stairs, so it was decided to winch it up the side, all 7 metres from the ground. It was s...

Yes, I know it is off topic... But I again went Aurora chasing on 21 Jan. This time was even better because a) I had a tripod this time, and b) I stayed long enough to capture some rays! It is a pity that I did not properly focus the camera on the stars... Anyway here are some pics: Now you do not see that too often as far north as Tamworth! Nothing much happening at the house I am afraid. It has been quote hot of late. I am sorting out the remainder of the window order.

I've been quite busy this week with Astronomy Club and our openings for the TCMF. Nevertheless I had one of my builders, Will, back to fix a problem with the 12 windows Scott and I put in. As a result of our rookieness, we forgot to take out the weather flap at the bottom of the window. Once we did that, we then had to adjust every window to ensure they were plumb and that the opening portions opened without scraping, which many were. A fiddly operation, and I still have a couple to correct. He are some windows with the flaps out. Another seven windows and glass doors arrived today, including the front door. They were the remainder of the batch I had hoped would arrive before the Yule festival. I now have to find a couple of guys to help put them in, and in a couple of cases, carry upstairs. "Fun" times are ahead...

The stairs to the boat deck have been completed, thanks to Scott my jack-of-all-trades man. They turned out to be quite tricky to get right. Happy that they are complete, and now there is external access from the southern shelf to the boat deck and bridge.

On 29 December about 20 of us gathered for my "Procrastinators Christmas Party". I took "pig" out for her first party in decades. She loved being on the bow of the boat deck at sunset. My Tambar Springs friends came, as did friends and their extended families from the Sailing and Astronomy Clubs as well as an old friend from my Armidale days, Vicki. It was such a good night. Note to self - put out the dips and the little baby cheeses before people come. The boat deck was a popular gathering spot, as I thought it would be. The upturned work lights reflected off the silver foil on the ceiling to create plenty of soft light for the rest of the evening. Pig complained I was hogging her limelight. She is such a ham.

I am back from a couple of days in Goomburra for long time friend Greg's 70th birthday, and headed up to the block Christmas morning. With the boat deck largely completed I tossed the drone into the air to take a few pictures. For a fleeting moment a nautical film about an unseaworthy boat popped into my head, but I forget it's name... Off to John and Jan's this afternoon for a Californian & Australian Christmas.

Paul, Scotty and I installed the first 12 windows and 1 door. That is about a third of the total, albeit the easist third being the smaller windows on the ground floor and one on the first floor.

The first 14 windows and glass doors have arrived! All double glazed. The design I chose have a double reveal arrangement that helps to hide the aluminium frame from the inside and also serves as an aid to thermal efficiency.