A day at the 'office'

Bit of a murky day today, so a spell in the Turnip house is welcome.


We are making orders, stock for the gallery and experimenting with felt hats, all great fun!

stage one of a sweater - the front

hills and parts of mountain - the view from the 'desk'!

Elaine making a felt hat

definitely a day for the fire

ready for the windows

Final measurements were taken of the holes that we've made - so the windows are on their way (2-3 weeks) There will be great excitement that day!

the south east side - there will be 2 windows and a door here. You can see right through to the other side now

looking through the central arch

one of the original window openings

looking north west; three windows and a door here

through the central arch the other way

It's very scruffy outside, but now the structure is right, we can start to tidy things up:

Across the divide!

The main piece of heavy work was still to do this week: make a hole between the two cow sheds; to unite the space and make it so that you could walk from one side of the place to the other.


The big question how big? Well we all know, big IS beautiful, 


.... but in this case also brings pain!

success!

Here's some pictures of what we thought might take a day, and in fact took three:

from small beginnings ......

the happy team!

we have a doorway at least

view from the other side

Murmurations!

As dusk fell this evening Elaine noticed a fantastic starling murmuration down the valley

a cloud of starlings race past the full moon

in full flight - this is just part of it

it's hard to grasp the scale of it from a picture

Let There be Light

Here's what we've been at on the other side of the Gallery:

At the end of day one we'd only managed to cut away the blockwork. We new this was going to be tough, but this was hard slog!

Still, we were getting there on day two

what a mess - still - omelettes it is!

By the time We'd finished -there was not a lot left!

this home made lintel was a monster

more than up to the task:  solid iron that nearly had us beat

think we'll stop now...

 The views both down to the Mournes and up to the Dromara Hills are even better than we'd thought 

still snowy

Slievenaboley

this corner will be filled with light

nearly ready for these - 2 doors and 6 windows - it's exciting!

High and Low

You never know what sights will greet you up here in Benraw

Holy Moly!

Well, the time has come to bite the bullet, pick up the big beast and cut the holes for the windows in the gallery

The Beast

helpfully - and scarily it states that it spins at 4700 

needs more light

the plan is to cut holes for the door and two windows, to  make something like this:

the plan

We started with two cuts by the existing door, (terrible work!) and began to knock out the concrete blocks that make up the wall. As bits that we didn't want came crashing down round our feet, it became obvious that subtlety was not the answer.
So we took out the whole wall!

well, that's that sorted

How many holes are we meant to have?

the fireplace in all its glory

here's hoping for many sunny mornings like this

and this is the view

Rain Stops Play

not going out in that!

Well today was wet and windy - it has rained for 24 hours now. 
So no tree planting. Although the 140 that were planted yesterday will be well settled in! 
Thanks to all those who were to come up and help today - the rest will keep for a few days!

Tree Planting Day 1

Thanks so much to the crack teams of tree planters who came today to help put in the 194 trees that we picked up yesterday from the Clandeboye Estate.

the day dawns

snow on Bernagh, but only frost down here!

Charlie watching and waiting

getting organised

the first Oak tree goes in!

ready for action

a blackthorn hedge small - but perfectly formed!

planting the Hazel Grove

Charlie supervising as ever!

in the thick of it

We have planted a fantastic 140 trees!

Looking forward to tomorrow - full report and more pictures then!