Christmas Message 2010

Another year has gone by and it feels as if my feet have hardly touched the ground....

So, at the end of 2010, what's happened this year? Not that much of note really. The most significant is that Mari finished her Masters in Veterinary Epidemiolgy and Public Health. This is dependant on the results of the final 2 exams that she took in the Autumn, but given her track record there is no reason to think that she hasn't passed them.

So, that just leaves her to Focus on her PhD which is intensifying, with an expectation of her first publication early in the new year.

My work is much the same, still enjoyable and challenging and not too much travel this year, the most notable being a couple of weeks in Meddelin, Columbia in January.

Une is growing and developing at a rate of knots. Talking and asking questions all the time. He is fully fluent in Norwegian and understands everything I say in English. His English vocabulary is also very good, but there is naturally still a tendancy for him to mix in Norwegian when he speaks in English. We are still very happy with his kindergarden, which he attends full time. He also loves it and is part of a good gang of 2 year olds. We have been very lucky to end up in this Kindergarden.

We had a great summer holiday with a visit to the Goodwood Festival of Speed (something that Une still talks about frequently), a week with family in a holiday home in Dingle and a week with Grandma, Grand dad, Aunty, Uncle and cousins in Cork.

My free time during the summe mostly dissapearred 5 metres up under the barn roof. A heavy winter left us with 3 broken roof trusses so major sugery was required. Due to this pretty much every other planned project went out the window!!

Mari hasn't had the chance to proof read this before publishing so I've probably forgotten something...... I at least will not forget to

Wish you all a merry Christmas, and all the best for 2011.

Regards to all
Andy , Mari and Une.

The Barn Roof #2

After consultation with the real farmer, it was decided that, due to the half arsed manner the roof was built the only right thing to was to supplement the roof with 11 new trusses in between the existing ones.

At the start this seem a daunting task and frankly, bulding the first one

didn't help to make the job seem any smaller.

Each truss consists of approximately 20metres of 8" x 2" including the jointed 9m "tie beam"

about 6m of 4" x 2", 14 assorted pieces of plywood

and over 760 nails....

When my work moved from what had been a production facilty to our new offices I was fortunate enough to be able to pick up this tatty looking, but perfectly functional sissor lift. Without which this job would have been impossible.

With a 400Kg lifting capacity, it's been perfect for pressing the new rafters up under the roof and lifting the "tie beam" into place as shown below. I really couldn't have managed without it.

In addition to the lift, the neighbours nail gun, which I have been able to borrow when required, has also been invaluable,

As you can see from the pictures, although it's taken all summer, autumn and some of the winter, progress was made, and I can now very satisfactorily report that all 11 new trusses are now complete, not that the job ends there.........

Kris Kindle 2010

It's that time of year again and whilst none of us know who we are buying for it's never to early to get advertising.

For those of you who don't now, the principle is that everybody buys a christmas present for one given person. This is to be done, more or less in secret as no one is to reveal who they are buying for until after the presents are opened. Since we only get one present, it pays to advertise and hopefully get something you really want (not just socks and pencils, which no one really wants (or do they......))!

As we have not had our letters yet this year, we do not know how the global financial crises has affected Kris kindle, but one expects that the value of the present will be around the €50 which it has been previous years.

Word has it that it's back to singles this year, and I believe that the rules do state that you do not end up buying for your partner.

The Kris kindle post last year generated 74 comments (some hilarious, some total nonsense and some hilariously nonsensical), let's keep up the tradition.

The barn roof #1

As mentioned in the previous post, the Barn roof has taken up pretty much all my spare time this summer. After heavy winds (not prevailing) blowing across the roof and piling a lot of snow on one side, the barn not only twisted even more than it already was, 3 roof trusses also broke. All in all, it was a miracle that it did not collapse.

So, quite rightly, all other projects were down prioritised on the grounds that the house will still be standing if we don't finish painting, the kitchen garden can wait and so on but the barn will not stand another winter.

The real farmer next door happens to also be a fully qualified carpenter/joiner/builder, very competant and, especially since he also has equipment up there, very helpful. He has been my consultent for this project, supplied materials (which will be paid for!) and lent a helping hand (along with his 2 sons) with any jobs I couldn't manage alone.

So, the barn was emptied, 1 "pack" of 8"x2" and 1 of "4"x"2" where delivered (local wood cut on next doors saw)

and early in June, phase 1 was to straighten up the gable end and install new diagonal strengheners. As you can see, the old ones were doing next to nothing.

With the help of a long strap, a laser and a tractor the barn didn't really need that much persuading to straighten up, somthing that it hasn't been for a long time.

The opening, which was modified (raised) after the barn had already moved was the only bit of the barn that was verticle, so this excercise has left me with a straight barn and a crooked door, another job on the list, albeit cosmetic.

Proper diagonals were installed

on both sides of the door,

and not surprisingy, when the tractor and strap were removed, everything stayed put.

That was the easy bit, now attention was turned to the roof.......

Getting Ready for winter.....

It's been too long.... I can blame how much I've had to do, motivation, a barn roof, a tractor, a studying wife, all the fun things there are to do with a 2 year old, a knackered computer, building a new computer and so on....

Anyway, nightime temperatures below zero are annoucing the oncoming winter, which we are not ready for.

Here's a photo of the only one who is ready....


This photo was taken towards the end of last winter when Ski's were on offer, he only had a couple of outings on them, but I expect that this winter he'll be much more enthusiastic. The boots should fit him now as well!

Here's another photo from the end of last winter, and the cause of the reason why we're not ready for this winter.


Here's the damage, which as the real farmer next door rightly pointed out, we had to do something with otherwise we wouldn't have a barn next year.


Drastic action has been taken and is nearly complete, more on that (maybe) later....