Today started to rain, and we are very happy with that!
At the point that we are in the construction, is fine that the rain is falling, since the main work is inside, protected from the weather.
It has been sunny mainly, which it's ideal for working on the land. We have been planting bulbs and pruning the trees that were affected by the fire (all of them!).
We are planning on creating natural water deposits (well, it's more about helping the land to accumulate water in same places, since the land is very empty still). That work was supposed to be done already, but it's what it is.
We have been thinking a lot if the plans for the house would continue the same or if we wanted to change something of the inside design.
And things have changed!
First things first!
By living in the caravan now we notice how much humidity and mold can be created by only cooking inside and turning the gas heating on! By this facts and experience, we decided not to have a bathtub inside of the house anymore! A small shower will be enough. But we were still in love with the idea of having a bathtub. Inspired by our neighbours, we have now a, very beautifully created by David, outside SPA.
Our life style changed a lot! We don't have to go to the municipal swimming pool to have a hot shower anymore, we can just go outside and have a hot bath! It's a romantic dream that turned into reality.
This is the one that we chose in Leroy Merlin
With a discount because it has a small damage
Trying it out at the shop and David happy because we could fit it inside of the car!
Our neighbours lent us their "bailarina", so we can have the hot bath. David connected all the tubes, and we just have to make a small fire inside of the "bailarina" and voilá! Dream came true!
From bath situation to frames and windows now!
While spending an afternoon in a friends house, with a fantastic view from their living room window, it was clear to us that something was missing in our Tiny House. When the house was planned, before we brought it to the land, the door was supposed to be on the other side. But with all that happened at the time, the entrance door is now facing the mountain on the other side of the stream. Which is actually better we think. But that side has no windows where the living room is supposed to be.
We decided to put the sofa on the right instead of the left (when we bring it here in the future), so we need a new window where there is no one now! Better to do it now, before we do the electrics and close the walls with the wood. Daid has been fantastic with this, because this was all made in the middle of the insulation work. Yes, all this time, between other tasks not related to the Tiny house, cork insulation has been the main thing!
But not only!
The back wall was fixed and the roof as well, since water was coming in!
What to do now? David cut a new hole on the wall and we have a new window! Glass was ordered and we are just waiting for it so we can properly finish that amazing view to the mountain.
We keep imagining sitting on the sofa, looking out of the window to the mountain.
At first I was resisting to it, because I just wanted the walls to be finished, but this was really the right thing to do. The house gained a lot with it and I think we did as well. There is so much more light coming in.
David fixed the 2 bathroom windows; second hand windows with glass problems. We have new windows! Looking forward to have the bathroom done!
The new solar panels arrived. And we are very happy with it. Right now we are in Tábua, washing our clothes in a laundry self service and taking advantage of the car power to charge everything that we can, since it's rainning and the batteries run very low. But David will explain better the power situation and how it is set up. For now, just see us picking up the panels and the final structure that David created for them:
With very cold days here (and everywhere!) we decided that the cats needed a special and cozy house just for them. They loved it:
At the end of one of these days, we celebrated life and the way that we are living at the moment.
We need to re-design the plan of the house, and we are very much looking forward to it. We had to re-order the wood for the floor because they made a mistake with the order and because the previous one burned. They say that it will arrive this week.
We are going to continue with the insulation work (just the roof missing), then the new window, then electrical cables and wood on the walls.
I was almost forgetting to tell you about the dry compost loo that David built outside!
A final picture was missing here and after it was finished, I wanted to beautify it somehow, so this is the result:
(before the final touches)
After the final touches done by me:
A lot of rain is falling, but that doesn't stop us. It doesn't stop the love that we have for this phase that we are in. A lot of creation times are what moves us at the moment.
That are quite a few challenges as well, but nothing that we are not used to. And even if something is new, we just dive in!
With love,
Raquel
