A seriously powerful rain attracting device (SPRAD)

The fire continues to burn and get larger by the day.  It is now almost 40,000 Ha in size. Recently a windy day helped it to jump the containment lines that were so painstakingly prepared. It has jumped the lines in the North, East and West however, there remains a huge effort in place to get this monster contained in time and finally out. Yesterday the low thump, thump thump of distant choppers could be heard all day. It sounded like a distant thunderstorm that never arrived, always in the distance.
In order to do my bit to help with this fire I decided to roll out a seriously  powerful rain attracting device (SPRAD).

For it to work correctly a few things need to happen.;)

Firstly Weatherman Graham Creed on the ABC news needs to say something along the lines of "sadly there is no rain predicted in the foreseeable future with at least a week of predicted sunny days ahead".

Secondly the ground needs to be baked dry and hard as stone.

Once I saw these preconditions I needed to get to work on the SPRAD.

This involves the use of tools such as pick, iron bar and trenching shovel.
To dig any holes in the sandstone and ironstone country requires a serious commitment in time and sweat.
I got to work digging the SPRAD and once I was past the point of no return.... the rain forecast changed!
Next there is a mad rush to get the services in the open trench before the rain starts.Will I get everything in place and the trench filled before the rain? Lets wait and see.

Every single time we have had an open trench during our building project it has eventually rained, quite often it has poured. In the past I have enlisted the DW to bounce up and down on the conduit in a rain and mud filled trench while I madly back fill to keep the cable and conduit from floating to the surface. Surely the wildlife were laughing at our frantic attempts.

The last trench which carried the gas line received a downpour and it funneled rain water under the house only a week before I was to start laying the floor boards! It was 300mm deep in place!

part of the trench

The SPRAD otherwise known by the boring term of "trench" is really to take the remaining
services to the house. Including the electricity cables which I have buried around 700mm deep.  The water pipe goes on top of that at about 600mm deep. Because this trench is over 16m long in sandstone country it is a huge effort to dig by hand. So when ever a trench is open I place a few extra conduits in it for future proofing in case I need to add anything else.
Hopefully very soon we will have working lights and power points.Now that will be nice.

Flooring Progress....look at those floors!

The recent fires near us has had me paralyzed with fear for a week or so....(I am not finished yet and aren't fully prepared for fire). Everything was just so dry,.....scary, crispy dry. Walking on the grass gave a sound similar to walking on potato crisps! The trees all around were starting to drop their leaves in an attempt to enter a type of dormancy caused by water stress. This all combined with the smell and sight of smoke had me worried, really worried.

However, a single recent thunderstorm has helped the situation and broken the grip of fear that was upon me.
Things seem back to normal, even though the fire which is yet to be contained continues to burn in the distance.

Regardless of the smoke and at one point dropping ash and leaves, work continued on the house especially by the DW.

All the rooms have been sanded, most are finished and a few just have the edges to do with the final grade paper. I think each board has been passed over by the sander 37 times when you take into account the different grades of paper!

I am sick of sanding now. 

We have decided to give the standard polyurethane finish a miss and have gone with a preparation based on Tung oil. The timber, oil and appearance is the same for each room but the camera has darkened some of the images.

Master bedroom looking out to deck

Master Bedroom

It is exciting to see a finished floor. So much so that we have already started to move "stuff" in with the Study receiving some furniture, paperwork etc.

Study

Bed3

The study, master bedroom and other two bedrooms now have finished floors. The hallways will be done this weekend.

Bed2 with dust on my camera lens!

The monster sized lounge room awaits the last edge sand and then the first coat.
I am off to finish those edges.....