December 2020 – Belize- building a new life . A Belize blog.

“Little by Little” in San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, Belize.

If you read the previous edition , which by the way I ‘knocked out’ , shortly after I’d got up around 04.30 hours , while I drank a couple of mugs of back , unsweetened instant coffee, you know that the next stage of work on the greenhouse was connecting electricity and water.

First though we had to have the hugely rust ridden D Switch replaced.

Nicholas, Moses’ younger brother, was going to remove the old box and connect a new one that I had bought but first Belize Electricity Limited (BEL ) had to disconnect us from the grid. It seemed only right that it was Nicholas because it was he and his brother Angel that had constructed the tower for the electrify connection for our house in November 2012.

Nicholas arrived around 07.30 hours to get everything ready for the big change over and BEL thankfully arrived shortly after 08.00 hours. Thirty minutes later the BEL team of three was on it’s way and Nicholas was doing his thing in the north-east corner of our garden.

Working all on his own Nicholas removed the old D Switch and replaced it with the new one and finished the task shortly before 13.00 hours. Just in time for lunch but I asked him to wait until BEL arrived and reconnected us. I wanted to be certain that everything worked. Nicholas readily agreed. Unfortunately- especially for a very hungry Nicholas – BEL didn’t arrive until shortly before 15.00 hours. Twenty minutes later though we were reconnected and everything worked. Nicholas left but before doing so promised to return the next day to start work on the greenhouse.

True to his word, Nicholas arrived the following morning shortly after 07.00 hours and he was accompanied by his assistant, Vilmer. Within minutes they disappeared from sight as they entered the trees and bushes in the north east corner of our garden. The area Rose and I affectionately refer to as the Dingly Dell.

After clearing a way in (and out) they set about digging a trench from the well and the electricity connection to the greenhouse and then started to lay the PVC piping for the water and electricity ‘feeds’.

Nicholas in the green T shirt and, if you look hard, you can just see Vilmer’s legs.

With the piping ‘laid’ Nicholas set about installing the utilities that we wanted for our greenhouse.

Fan in on western side over the main raised bed.

Fan installed in north- eastern corner . One fitted in south-eastern corner too.

Control ‘panel’ for the three fans and two fluorescent strips.

With the electrics ‘done’ Nicholas turned his attention to the water supply and it wasn’t too long before a tap (faucet for non-UK readers) had been fitted outside the greenhouse.

And the handle matches our railings ! Result.

And not too long after we had one in the greenhouse.

We also decided to make use of Nicholas’ electrical skills whilst he was ‘with’ us and got him to install two motion sensor lights on the eastern (front) and western (back) ends of the greenhouse to light up our driveway.

Little by little we could see the greenhouse taking shape but there was still much to do

like filling the raised beds with soil .And … planting seedlings !

The headline for this edition is based upon the single released in 1985 by Robert Plant which reached number 36 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and a lowly number 83 on th

“Big Log” in San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, Belize.

Knowing that windows for the greenhouse were about to be fitted I woke up slightly before 04.00 hours, made my mug of black, unsweetened instant coffee and read what Mikel Arteta, he’s Manager of Arsenal had to say the previous day at a press conference. With the season my team is having I was looking for any good news ! I didn’t really get any, it was more of an injuries update. Oh well, at least later on I , yes me, could actually start doing something in the greenhouse.

So, wanting to be certain I was ‘up for the job’ I showered, dressed and drove the golf cart down to Estel’s Dine By the Sea for a healthy breakfast of wheat toast – no butter- and jam, a bowl of fruit, a glass of watermelon juice and two mugs of black and unsweetened (Caye Coffee) coffee.

Do you remember those logs I told you about in a previous edition ? These ones .

That I had cut into more manageable pieces. And one Big Log in particular.

Well with the guys working on the windows outside the greenhouse I could get to work inside the greenhouse with the logs. Any idea doing what ? No ? You sure ?

Putting them into the raised beds , that’s what !

I put cardboard down first to hopefully slow down the growth of weeds. It is also a good source of carbon and can create air pockets of oxygen. Or that’s what my research informed me.

And I then kept stacking log on top of log.

During one of my many early morning Googling and YouTubing sessions I’d come across something called Hugelkultur which really grabbed my attention so I discussed it with the Head Gardener, that’s Rose by the way, and we decided to give it a go. Time will tell if it was worth all of the lifting.

While I was busy lifting, carrying and then placing the logs in the raised beds the guys were busy working on the windows.

Opening/operating with a rope and pulley system with a cleat on the inside of the window to secure the rope to and keep the window open.

Lovingly painted red by me to matech our railings !

Difficult to see but every window has mosquito netting as screens on the inside of the windows.

And Moses inexpensive solution to securing the windows from the outside (the screens prevent this from inside the greenhouse) .

In the next edition we move onto the next stage of the greenhouse’s development. Power and water connections !

‘The headline for today’s edition is based upon the single released in 1983 by Robert Plant (what a choice !) which reached number 11 on the UK Singles Chart and number 20 on the US Billboard Hot 100.

“Look Through Any Window “ in San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, Belize.

I can’t say that I got up bright and early. At the time I usually get up – anywhere between 04.00 – 05.00 hours – it’s dark, very dark. Ideal conditions for a mug , or two, of black, unsweetened instant coffee. And some quality time on my iPad before showering, dressing and heading down to Estel’s Dine By the Sea ((every day apart from Tuesdays (they’re shut)) for my breakfast.

You’ve had enough of my early morning routine though , haven’t you. You want to know how the greenhouse is progressing, don’t you. OK then. Well, we left it in the last edition looking like this .

Work on the construction of the raised beds proceeded at a fairly quick pace.

With the beds in situ it was time to start on the windows. A design and operating system that Rose and Moses had collaborated on ( I know my limitations – and there are quite a few !).

Using the first window as the template for the second window.

I can’t wait for them to be fitted because – wait for it – I’ll be able to look through any window . Worst headline link yet ? Probably there is worse to come. Keep following and find out at : https://abelizehomeforus.wordpress.com

The headline for today’s edition is based upon the single released in 1965 by The Hollies which reached number 4 on the UK Singles Chart and number 32 in the US Billboard Hot 100.

“When It Rains It Pours” in San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, Belize .

For as long as I can remember I’ve been an early riser. This probably stems from when I was around twelve to thirteen years of age and did an early morning newspaper delivery round (in the ‘dark ages’ when I was growing up you didn’t need to get dispensation to be able to work ) . The habit obviously formed. But since Covid 19 I am waking up even earlier.

So, yesterday I got up and took my first mug of coffee, black with no sugar, shortly after 04.00 hours. And spent some little time Googling on what things we can do to improve the growing conditions for our vegetables when they are eventually planted. I took a second mug before getting ready for the drive to Estel’s Dine By the Sea for my breakfast. Some habits are good for you !

Anyway, enough off my rambling , back to the building of our greenhouse.

Unfortunately the build took an enforced break when Ambergris Caye (the mainland and many countries within Central America too ) got hit with a tropical storm. Generally , in Belize when it rains it pours .

View from our western, first floor (second floor for non-UK readers ) veranda .

The conditions delayed things for a week but when the sun came back it very quickly resumed and the sides started to go up.

Southern side nearly complete. Just the top level ‘panes’ to fit.

Internal view of the southern side

Starting on the front, the eastern side.

Western side finished apart from the windows .

And then the northern side started to take shape.

And then it was time to start the build of the ‘engine room’ of the greenhouse. The framework for the raised beds. Three of them. All being 32 inches high and 20 feet in length with the two abutting the northern and southern sides being 21/2 feet wide and the center bed being 4 feet wide.

Oh, there was an upside to the rain. Our cistern was replenished!

Now don’t forget to keep your eye out for the next scintillating episode of this gardening extravaganza (bit over the top , I know ). Not content with growing vegetables I now want to grow my readership ! So, just go to the website : https://abelizehomeforus.wordpress.com and click on the link you see below.

This is the icon you need to click on to subscribe.

The headline for this edition is based on the single released in 2017 by Luke Combs which reached number 33 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number 1 on the US Hot Country Songs (Billboard) .

“Bringing on Back the Good Times “ in San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, Belize.

Up bright and early this morning around 04.30 hours . Well I think it was around then but I can’t be precise because I don’t have a watch at the moment. I sent it to London (the place of its origin) in February for a service fully expecting to collect it in April when Rose and I made our annual visit to London . But we all know what happened then.

Long term readers may recall that I started virtually every edition of this blog that I put out in a certain way . I can’t recall (increasing age and all that goes with it ) exactly why or how I stopped but I did. Well, the setting and circumstances are slightly different now but I’ve decided to resurrect it as a variation on a theme.I’m bringing on back the good times !

Anyway, back to the coffee. I took a second mug whilst catching up on the iPad on world news. I’ll be honest though, I spend more time now updating myself on sporting items. I then brushed my teeth, showered, dressed and headed to

yep, MY table at Estel’s Dine By the Sea . For

a healthy breakfast . The butter on the plate was a mistake . I rarely eat it .

Satiated I headed home to see what progress Moses was making with the greenhouse but before I got a chance Nicholas , he’s Moses’ younger brother who was going to provide the plumbing and electrical expertise for our project , asked me to have a look at some photos he’d taken as part of his review of what would need to be done .

The top of the D Safety Switch box that connects our house to the grid.

Little doubt it needed replacing as a matter of urgency and most definitely before running power lines for the greenhouse. That wasn’t part of the planning !

I very quickly got over my disappointment though when I started watching Moses proceed to complete the roof of the greenhouse.

But it has to wait . The hardware store had run out of zinc sheets and was waiting for a resupply from the mainland. Oh well, time to start on the sides !

Southern side up first. Ziggy checking to make sure the sheets had been fitted properly. Good boy Ziggy.

For those of you that are interested, we chose polycarbonate sheeting for the sides.

Keep your eyes peeled for the next captivating installment!

The headline for this edition is based upon the single released in 1969 by Love Affair which reached number 9 on the UK Singles Chart.

“Don’t Stop Me Now “ in San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, Belize.

Yes, yes, I know. Another edition . Unbelievable isn’t it . But don’t stop me now because I’m having such a good time !

I could just publish all of the photos I took of the greenhouse being built in one edition but I’m not going to do that. Of course I’m not. I’m going to drag it out. And drag some of you along with me. So here is the next installment!

In the last edition ‘we’ left the would-be greenhouse looking like this .

The next day Moses started on the northern facing side of the greenhouse.

In the background you can just make out the Hotel, the Marie Celeste of Ambergris Caye.

With the four sides in place we were starting to get a sense for what it would be like.

And as more and more wood was cut and put into position it looked better, and better and better (this is easy, doesn’t stretch the vocabulary at all !).

You can now make out where the windows are going to be.

And the zinc sheets for the roof start to be fixed.

Stay tuned for the next captivating installment ! It will be in (on) a tablet or smart phone near you soon.

The headline for today’s edition is based upon the single released by Queen in 1979 which surprisingly (well as far as I am concerned ) reached number 9 on the UK Singles Chart and number 86 – yes, 86 – on the US Billboard Hot 100.

“I’m a Believer” in San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, Belize.

The day that Rose and I had been waiting for eventually arrived. We got a ‘phone call from Moses. He was ready to start work on our greenhouse and I needed to order the building materials on the list he was going to send me.

The list arrived as promised . I knew it would because I’m a believer and Moses always keeps his promises and I placed the order and the delivery was made.

And I got to work treating the wood. No, that didn’t mean talking nicely to it. But giving it some …

Boiled Linseed Oil. Quite expensive but very good.

And I slowly but surely worked my way through the pile, length by length. Boring but … somebody had to do it !

Monday morning couldn’t come quickly enough for Rose and I . They (whoever THEY are ) say that you shouldn’t wish your time away but sometimes you just have to. Anyway, it eventually did arrive and so did Moses. And he was accompanied by his assistant.

They immediately set about marking out where we had told Moses we wanted the greenhouse to be built .

Although we were only looking at some posts in the ground it was very exciting . Our project was starting to take shape.

Now that got your attention didn’t it ! No, not yet , but hopefully soon.

The headline for this edition is based upon the single released in 1966 by The Monkees which reached number 1 on both the US Billboard Hot 100 and the UK Singles Chart.

“Still Waiting” in San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, Belize.

In the last edition I wrote about the wood chipper I’d bought to be able to create a covering for the floor of our planned greenhouse and as a mulch for some of the vegetables we would eventually be planting.

This ‘baby’ turned out to be a hungry Horace. As fast as I pruned the trees and bushes the wood chipper magically (OK I did have to ‘feed’ it ) turned them into mulch. And eventually I ran out of ‘stuff’ to feed Horace (it makes it more personal when you name a piece of equipment don’t you think ?) with . I had a dilemma . Or as Christopher Robin put it “What to do, what to do, what to do ?’.

Well amongst the very, very many great things about living here on Ambergris Caye is that there is always an abundance of dead branches by the side of the roads, and particularly where development has or is taking place . So I got the trusty wood hauler out (Pablo if you must know ) and scoured the sides of the roads. And in no time at all.

With no date set for when Moses could start to build our greenhouse I found myself still waiting so gave thought to the kind of things we could do to help the growth of the vegetables and herbs we would eventually plant. So, Googling I did go and found loads of interesting stuff. As I think you normally do when you’re searching any given subject. The problem is that I get sidetracked and Google off in a different direction. Anyway, back to the subject !

Through my Googling I stumbled across effective microorganisms and following some fairly lengthy (remember, I’m retired ) research I decided that I would make some . And it’s really easy to do (I chose recipe 2) .

The Kurd on the top. I understand that you can actually make cheese from this. Maybe after we’ve grown some tomatoes and spring onions !

And after straining it you’re left with the good stuff. EM .

It keeps well in a refrigerator so that’s where it is now until I start to use it on the soil. I’ll let you know how it performs.

A few paragraphs previously I mentioned that I do have a habit of getting sidetracked, I do get back on track but … Anyway, when Googling for soil treatments and finding effective microorganisms I kept seeing the word Bokashi. Now you know what I did next don’t you ? No? Oh c’mon . I did some Googling of course ! You feel foolish now don’t you ?

Having found Bokashi you know what I did next ? Yep, you’re right. I ordered a bin and a supply of bran to be delivered to US Trade Belize and around four weeks later it arrived.

You put all of the stuff from the kitchen that you’d normally put into your compost pile but you can also include stuff that you’d normally keep away from the compost pile such as dairy products, meat, onions, citrus fruits, etc. You can do this because the bran nullifies the smell. A couple of other neat things about the Bokashi method is that you can use the stuff in your soil a lot quicker around four weeks after filling the bin) because it ferments and doesn’t need to decompose. The other neat thing is that you get Bokashi juice as a by-product.

The headline for this edition is based upon the single released in 2002 by Sum 41 which reached number 16 on the UK Singles Chart and number 6 on the US Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles (I’d not heard of this chart either !).

‘“ The (Green ) House of the Rising Sun “ in San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, Belize.

If you’ve read the last two editions know that when Covid 19 struck Rose and I decided to involve ourselves in a number of projects from rejuvenating Highbury House to having a composter constructed.

Enjoyable as our tipple sessions on the east facing veranda have been there is little doubt that ambitions became bigger and bigger as Rose , on either Belikin or Pinot Grigio and me with my Hyper (which , given it’s price differential with, say , something like Absolut or Smirnoff , is surprisingly good) vodka and pink grapefruit juice .

Our brainstorming area. For this particular session I felt that vitamin C was more in order to accompany the vodka. Ziggy looking adoringly our hors d’œuvres. Which, if my memory serves me right, was Panko fried shrimp.

Looking down at the compost bin and holding Ziggy back from chasing iguanas our thoughts moved from a little vegetable patch to something far grander. A greenhouse no less. Time for a little Googling and YouTubing methinks. What do you say ?

I probably screen grabbed 40 to 50 photos of greenhouse designs which Rose and I, during a few of our ‘brainstorming’ (aka tippling ) sessions discussed at length and gradually whittled the selection down until we had chosen our ‘winner ‘. More of that later.

Our thoughts and deliberations then turned to how we would lay out and operate the interior of the greenhouse. Although Rose doesn’t look it (it’s true, I’m not just trying to win Brownie Points ) we are getting on in age and stooping down continuously to tend the vegetables we plan to grow would not be sensible. And one thing you shouldn’t get when you get old is stupid ! So, we decided we’d have raised beds. You know what comes next don’t you ? No? It’s obvious. I got into Googling and YouTubing mode and started screen grabbing. That’s what.

Next thing to decide was the location for this new addition to our ‘family’.

Traditionally in England, greenhouses are positioned in the back garden (yard for non-UK readers) and this is where Rose initially suggested we locate it. This appeared a sensible choice but we discussed it long and hard ,as is the case for many things that we are planning to do, and after much debate we changed our mind. We’d locate it in the front garden (I’ve no need to insert the translation again do I ? No? Good.) where the old flower bed had been.

We chose this spot because it has a number of attributes :

It would be a shorter walk for us to get to (I’ve already mentioned that we’re not getting any younger).
It would be a lot closer to the water and electricity feeds that we wanted for it.
It’s positioning would allow us to knock off another wish from our To Do list. You’ll find out what in a later edition.
Given that it’s position would be in the south-eastern section of our garden it would get early morning sun. It would be the (green) house of the rising sun (did you spot what I did there ?).

With the ‘What, Where and How’ decided it was time to bring in Moses. So we did. But he couldn’t start work on the greenhouse straight away. He was busy with a number of other projects. That’s what can happen when you’re good at what you do. And he is.

This delay didn’t really disturb us though. We had other things to get in place and we set about getting them done.

We ordered a wood chipper via one of the freight forwarding companies that provide services for Belize. If you’re at all interested (if you’re not then just gloss over this paragraph) we used US Belize Trade who provided (and have subsequently) a first class service. We decided during one of our brainstorming sessions that we used wood chip for the floor of the greenhouse (it holds moisture and prevents weeds from easily growing ) and sparingly for some , but not all, of the vegetables and herbs we would eventually plant. A word of warning here though. Tippling can be exceedingly helpful when you want to brainstorm but be careful. Don’t tipple too much or you might just forget those fantastic ideas that you came up with !

When the wood chipper arrived (it took around 4 weeks from placing the order )

I got to work with it straight away.

Loads of branches and leaves to convert into mulch.

And before long I was filling up box after box .

Looks good doesn’t it ? Well it does to me !

Next on the to do list was to collect some tree trunks and large branches – I’ll reveal why in a future edition (a tease, aren’t I ) – and I got these from a local guy (if you’re interested in who, just Message me) who I also got to cut the wood into more manageable and more easily (remember, I’m getting old) liftable pieces.

Cut and neatly stacked in front of the composter.

The headline (adulterated I know ) for today’s edition is based on the single released by The Animals in 1964 which reached number one on both the UK Singles Chart and the US Billboard Hot 100.

Keep your eyes on the lookout for the next edition . Will the greenhouse start to take shape ?

“Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes ) “ in San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, Belize.

The editions I put out on this blog are a little bit like London buses. You wait ages for one ((alright, you may not wait ages for one but someone (hopefully) does )) and then a convoy of them turn up. So, for the second consecutive day I’ve knocked together (and it shows ) an edition.

Anyway, when Ambergris Caye went into Covid 19 lockdown in March Rose and I spent our mornings/early afternoons working our way through the list of jobs that we had pulled together. Repainting the railings and burglar bars being a couple of them.

But in the afternoons, after showering, we’d retire (what a lovely ,old-fashioned description that is ) to our Caribbean Sea facing veranda (it’s in the shade in the afternoon) and take a tipple (or two or three). Rose normally choosing a Belikin , Pinot Grigio or a Prosecco and I’d ‘go for’ either a Belikin or a vodka with pink grapefruit juice. Throw in a dish of Pringles (Cheddar cheese for me and Cheddar and Sour Cream for Rose ) and we were ready to sort out the problems of the world. Not really, we just talked about what projects we could undertake to keep our bodies and minds active.

During one of these brainstorming sessions (a so much more accurate description than binge drinking ) we got to talking about growing stuff in the garden. We’ve tried on numerous occasions during our seven years living at Highbury House with limited success. The coconut and palms have generally thrived but virtually everything else has looked good for a while but then withered and died.

As the vodkas went down (I think I was drinking vodka but …) my thoughts became more adventurous. Funny how alcohol can do that to you,, isn’t it . And before not too long my adventurous thoughts turned to foolhardiness. “ We’ll have a compost bin” I exclaimed. “ I’ll produce great compost that will help what we plant to grow and thrive”.

Rose humoured (humored for non -UK readers) me, thinking, I’m sure, that the drink would wear off and I’d get my brain back in gear. Wrong ! The next morning I ‘went into’ research mode – I love Google and YouTube – to find the compost bin of my dreams. And I did.

A three bin composter. The Rolls Royce of compost bins !

I was going to go back to my youth – or at least a much younger age – and grow vegetable again !

Me and Rose’s niece Alice in the garden of our first house. Taken perhaps 40 years ago.

So , I had the design but how to get it built? Moses of course. And I needed to put something in it when it was built . So I started a compost pile. Forward planning has always been one of my strongpoints . Or maybe it’s because I’m poor at everything else !

But first I dismantled the flower bed – one that we never managed to successfully grow flowers in – and moved the rocks to create a wall near where the compost bin would be situated.

The temporary ‘home’ for the compost pile.

With the lumbar and roofing delivered it was time for Moses to start work !

And he was off .

And work on creating the bin lid begins.

Even people that know me reasonably well don’t realise that I have an annoying trait (I’ve probably got quite a few but I’m not going to list them today) . I can be extremely impatient. I want things yesterday. So having to wait between 3 months to a year for my pile of cardboard, grass cuttings, vegetable and fruit scraps to turn into useable compost just wasn’t on. So a Googling I did go. And I found a system that can – if you follow the procedure – produce compost in 18 days. Yes, just 18 days. You’re interested now aren’t you ! It’s the Berkeley Method.

Turning the compost every two days- and getting myself fitter and losing a few pounds as byproducts – from one bin to another , adding some water as I layered the compost and covering it with a black, plastic sheet the compost very quickly reached temperatures of over 120 degrees. Perfect.

And before long I had a colony of worms there.

I can’t wait to start plant the vegetables and herbs, especially the herbs and Rosemary in particular because – wait for it – I just know that love grows where my Rosemary goes ( you didn’t think I get any worse with the song links did you ? Well, I did. So there ! ).

Now don’t forget , if you got jobs doing in need of the multi talented Moses (he also a very nice guy ) you can contact him via Facebook Messenger , via telephone on 635 8764. And he’s on WhatsApp too!

In future editions – yes there will be more – I’ll let you know how much more adventurous we became.

The headline for today’s edition is based the single released in 1970 by Edison Lighthouse which reached number one on the UK Singles Chart and number 5 on the US Billboard Hot 100.

“You Make Me Feel Brand New “ in San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, Belize.

I know , I know , I know . It’s been a bloody long time since I produced (that sounds so grand , so important, doesn’t it ? No ? Oh OK ) an edition.

I mean it’s not like I’ve been terribly busy since Covid 19 reared it’s really ugly head . Or that Rose and I have been jetting off around the world . Nothing could be further from the truth . We’d love to have been catching a plane every couple of months but …

So, if we haven’t been enjoying ourselves on little trips away from our home on Ambergris Caye what have we been doing ? Lots. That’s what !

We’ve lived in the house we had built

in Tres Cocos for approaching 7 years and, although it’s still in a remarkably good state , things do, from time to time, need a little bit of ‘love and attention’. Don’t we all !

So, when Covid 19 showed it’s ugly face Rose and I got our heads together and started a list of things to do. First off was to give some time to the railings which are on each level of our house (as you can see from the photo above ).

When we designed the house ((and we did design it by way of a 10 page outline that we presented to our chosen architect ( https://www.strukturearchitects.com)) we chose blue as the colour for the railings.

Victor, the welder, spraying the railings with our chosen shade of blue.

Now a little bit of background as to how we chose the colour for the repainting of the railings. For those of you not aware, we named our new home Highbury House. Why ? Well both Rose and I are ardent Arsenal fans and ,when Rose and I first met , Arsenal played at Highbury . So …

Still not got it ? The cement work on our house is white . No ? Arsenal’s colours are red and white . Got it now ? No . OK then the chosen colour for the repaint of the railings was red. But first the preparatory work.

You can’t see it here but the railings were in a sorry state.

A liberal coat of

a rub down with wet dry sandpaper and a good wash and the railings were ready for a coat of

and the railings were ready to be Arsenalised !

With the railings ‘out of the way’ it was on to the next project . The burglar bars. The salt air had ‘got’ to the them too !

Out with the Ospho , the wet dry sandpaper and the hose pipe and they were ready for the primer.

The problem with the railings looking so much better was that our mahogany exterior doors now looked a little tired and jaded. A bit like me after all that rubbing down and painting. So only one thing to do. Call in Moses. Our ‘go to’ carpenter.

We’ve called Moses on numerous occasions since we moved in because we were so impressed with his work during the build of our home .