Internal scaffolding Sunday 16 - Tuesday 18 July 2023

Left Melbourne after lunch on the Sunday and drove to Sutton Grange to pick up the olive oil.  Unfortunately despite our prodigious olive picking (around 120kg), and Terry's 36kg, John said that we had 153kg (have to allow for boxes/baskets weight) and only made 18 litres of oil.  I thought we were going to make much more than that - but John had said that the green olives didn't have much oil in them (hadn't fully ripened) and the black olives had taken on water - so the oil was harder to extract from them.  He did say that it was very nice oil though

So I didn't get to Inglewood til around 4.30

And it was cold - was very pleased to have the split system

Monday morning - there was a lot of frost - and the old kitchen bowl outside which had water in it was frozen

The ice was reasonably thick

The thermometer on the fridge said the downstairs temperature was around 7 degrees....which is pretty chilly

The scaffolders came around 7.30 - and didn't take long to put up the internal scaffolding

And I prepared for the new fridge - clearing out a suitable space in the hallway 

And also gathered together the painting supplies/equipment for Fraser & Rileigh 

I also had a coffee and a chat with Pauline

And then I got down to sanding - ie what Vic hadn't finished upstairs ie on the skirtings and also the wooden beading on the arches etc - was very dusty work 

Below are some before and after shots

I also rather fortuitously took photos of the scaffolding from various angles, and put them on our King St family whatsApp group

Justin quite rightly came back to me and asked how Fraser & Rileigh were supposed to paint the walls below the platform.  I hadn't even considered this - having concentrated on how they were to reach the ceiling

So I had to call back Matt from Bendigo Scaffolding to come back and rectify it - put another platform/ do something.....which he did - on Wednesday morning (after I'd left)

Fraser and Rileigh were going to come Monday afternoon, but ended up coming early Tuesday - maybe too early - as they were tired when they arrived, and so had a nap 

I also picked more olives - this time for table olives.  Ended up picking close to a full basket - around 9kg

Saw Terry out of the corner of my eye - leaving the front door - so we went in and had a coffee.  He told me that he was having a working bee at his place in 2 weekend's time - as he was maybe going to sell (I hope not)  

The fridge was also delivered from the Good Guys in Bendigo - and fit in well in the space I had made for it 

After Terry left I went back into the garden and did a bit of trimming, weeding, and also planted another loquat - maybe this is the 3rd or 4th - they never seem to survive - hopefully this one will

My final job was to empty the cellar (again) - got out the pump again, and the long hose.  And got Fraser to assist in holding it - while I unspooled it - and and worked out the correct length to cut it - so that it could reach the cellar and the scullery sink - but not be so long as to get kinked etc - which is what was currently happening   

So did this - and had to muck around a bit with the pump - it didn't seem to want to start - so I wondered if the water was too shallow - but I persevered - and it finally started up - hoorah, but there will still need to be further manual scooping out