What have I been up to lately?

Good afternoon (just, it’s 12.05pm) from the now cool Goldfields of Western Australia.

I’ve been missing in action for quite a while! I’m still alive! Just been super busy. Writing, you ask? Unfortunately, no. Just some hard, physical labor. I hope you’ve all behaved yourselves, and you’re all still healthy.

The beginning of March 2021, weather here cooled off a bit – as it should because it’s Autumn down under. Some days we even had to wear jumpers and socks, and hubby debated over lighting the fire a couple of times. So, we thought “Great time to build the deck” that we’ve wanted to build up the side of the house. Way too hot to do that sort of thing in summer here when temperatures get up to almost 50 degrees (Celsius).

On the 16th of March, hubby cut the steel posts and work begun, concreting them in. By Friday the 19th, all the posts had been concreted. 7 in total. Tuesday the 26th of March, we drove to the next town (140 km round trip) to get a shit load of timber, then bundled it up in the garage so it didn’t warp, with plans to begin the following day. Then, we got a freaking heat wave! Temperatures in the very high 30’s (Celsius), so we decided to wait a bit because that was just too hot.

But the heat wave didn’t end, so we began work on Friday the 2nd April, building the framework, while it was 39 degrees. By the end of Friday, most of the frame work was completed, and stumps were secured underneath, then painted with a sealer, which was completed by 8.30pm. Yes, we worked till that late. Thank God hubby had set up lighting.

The batons were done by Sunday the 4th April, and also painted with a sealer. The decking boards followed. Began cutting and laying them down on Monday the 5th April, and most of the boards were drilled and screwed down by the end of Tuesday the 6th April by about 6.30pm – I just couldn’t physically do any more that day. I’d had it, and so had hubby. Most of the boards have 14 screws – 12 on the shorter ones near the steps. We were still in a heat wave, with temperatures around 38/39 degrees every damned day! I’ve never had to drink so much water. Must have gone through about 12 litres in 3 days! Each! Sweat was constantly dripping off the both of us. And the flies – OMG, must have gone through a tin of fly repellent!

Anyway, the deck was completed, with all holes drilled before being screwed, and a step hubby made, by 9am on Wednesday the 7th April. Then we had to take the crappy timber back that the manager of the hardware (trade section) personally picked out when we picked up the order – cheeky bitch had turned up those boards, and placed them in the middle of the pack of 77! In all, 18 of them couldn’t be used. Lucky I over-calculated, or some shit would have gone down between her and me! I was in the right mood by then, I can assure you! So, after we got a heap of money back, we returned home and hubby washed down the deck and coated it with oil. And it looks fucking fantastic! The lattice work is temporary – a steel fence that matches the gate will be built there.

By Wednesday night, I thought we were both suffering from heat stroke. I felt cold, with chills deep down into my bones, and hubby said he didn’t feel the best, either. The spa (hot tub for all of you in the US) was used a lot during this building process – some days, it was twice a day! Both for sore muscles, and for bone chills.

Murphy’s bloody law – the temperature dropped by a whopping 14 degrees (Celsius) the day after the damned deck was bloody finished! It got very cloudy, and even rained yesterday morning. Typical! We didn’t end up with heat stroke – we ended up sick with the Goddamn flu because the bloody manager at the hardware store was coughing! So, now we’re both coughing up a lung, with headaches, and sore muscles – and I still feel bloody cold with chills. Hubby was supposed to travel to the city yesterday to meet our grandson, but the trip has been cancelled due to him being so sick. Now you all know what all the photos show, and why I’ve been missing for so long. I promise to be more present from now on.