oh my goddd wow

They haven't arrived yet. Fear not. There will be so many pics.

oooOOOOOoooh this is good to know

I'm a bit vague about meaning at this point.

Not for the kitchen

That one does look rather gorgeous

I love you joining in! And samples are on their way, so we'll see...

Is there any fruit under the cat??

Now the trick will be actually choosing one ...

My questions are: who gets the job of inventing these names, and why can't I do it?

It is. And we're so high up, my lungs and heart have probably compensated by now??

It is! Although I think if I keep up this level of excitment at every stage I could be heading for a stroke. Which would be a shame, given what I've survived so far.

In a development that will surprise nobody who has spoken to me in last 4 yrs, I've ordered tile samples in the following colours:
- Lustrous Nouveau Alligator Green
- Little Italy Green
- Exquisite Terracotta Parquet Forest Green Gloss
- Elan Green Gloss
and, just to confuse them,
- Dapple Linen

Torn between being allowed to join in with a rake, wading about ankle-deep in concrete, or standing around taking pics.

Going up. Concrete pour now scheduled for next Monday. Had better be - I paid for it today. HOW MUCH?? #CairngormBuild

This can only be watched when completely sober and drug free.

oh my godddddd

shell of a stone cottage, with 3 walls standing and pretty much nothing else. Foundations poured, first line of blockwork going up so we can do the main floor pour. Tanking membrane up the back wall and round the corners a bit because my structural engineers were afraid of the north. The far end gable wall shows signs of historic damp getting through the roof, which is now fixed on account of leaky roof being no more and new roof about to go on.

This doesn't look much but has taken MONTHS - we can just see the top of a new sewage treatment tank which is now buried in the garden, along with assorted hidden drainage pipework in and out. I won't go into the whole story now of how my builders had to take the tank out over winter after it had been put in wrongly by previous Bad Builders - that is a whole other probably litigious matter. One day will tell all. What will be a bit of my garden currently is barren earth, with non-native spruces on the boundary that will be coming down to open up the view to the hills

I have clear sky and sunshine and a tiny bit of hope that by the end of May I might have (most of) a house. Commence the build spam! Need a hashtag so you can shut me up if it all gets too much - how about #CairngormBuild?

Underground work almost done. This was a couple of days ago:

and no specification of typeface - serifs could make a huge difference here

We would have come looking for you. I mean, I tried to raise the alarm even when Matt turned into that sexy lady for a few hours.

Always. Also: what did you do? Also: have you not slept?

ah - QUIZ NIGHT! I forgot

I may have to watch another historical film adapted from a nineteenth century book tonight. Everyone has their own ways to cope.

Oh. Did he join the dots? [narrator: he did not join the dots]

Not listening to the news. He'll either be there tomorrow or not. Is it AT ALL possible to vote for a party that is competent, vaguely ecological/nice to people, collaborates to get stuff done, is in it for the long haul but helps people along now, and has think-on-your-feet communication charisma?

He should be so lucky. My cousin (a bit removed) lived to be nearly 109 there, all her life. There are stories to be found there.

It's certainly distinctive, isn't it?

Standing outside in drizzle because the boldest coal tit had knocked and demanded more sunflower seeds. Heard a repeated song, and thought 'that sounds like a thrush who only knows the first bar'. Merlin app says mistle thrush. So there you go.

small patch of a delicate white flower, with tiny folded leaves of three green leaflets. it is growing, appropriately, in a crevice in a moss-covered fallen tree in woodland

slightly damp but still gorgeous - wood sorrel I think

well of course