We chased up the architect this week who’s dealing with the renovations and the licence applications, he’s confident that now we have paid the fees to the rambler association, the cheek, we paid them on the day the bill arrived and posted the forms back recorded the same day, track n traced to next day delivery a month ago now. But he’s confident that we will soon receive written confirmation to support the verbal confirmation he received about two months ago now.
Do you remember the headlines “construction in Spain slow to recover “? Well no wonder as the domino conga line has a few pieces missing.
Once our architect has received his written consent confirmation from the rambler people he can put that with the outline consent letter we got from our local town planning dept way back in march and then design the works draw up the application pack and make a formal request for a planning consent licence. That will lead us right back to “its no problem, it’s always ok“ as we were in February. So here I sit watching the cat roll about in the dust where the pool should be, well 1 out of 3 of us being happy isn’t too bad I suppose.
The almonds have now all gone to the Co – Op and the deal is completed a smooth process and one we have agreed for next year. I’ve had my orders to tidy the place up and to prune the trees in the late autumn and some water would be nice!
We’ve started by cutting and logging the old dead trees for the fire but its hot work at the moment and as the small log box is full (holiday home) ill leave it a week or two to cool off. I’m not sure what’s the most work cutting and carrying the logs or trying to start the chain saw, once its running its great, fast, slow, tick over no prob. But hot or cold start arr I’m knackered before I’ve started LOL.
It’s a new saw and I’m meticulous with the mixture a lesson learned on lawn mowers over the years and I’ve checked and set the spark plug but arr it’s a pain, the amount of expansion stretch on the chain is unexpected hanging so loose below the bar that you can get a finger in but the adjustment is used up , so its off and wait a few min’s and the contraction puts the guides back in the track, then I only have to start it again arr.
We’ve recently built up one of these concrete BBQ’s bought from the Brico in Almeria, we had to put it on a plinth as the chimney would have been inside the lanai screen roof, but even this has left it just about on the cusp so off to the shed and I made a mould to cast a flue section on concrete 500mm long, it worked quite well just one flaw a crack has appeared down one corner but it looks repairable, and once its all rendered and painted there’s only us who will know.
Our neighbour has started to clear an adjoining piece of land as he’s planting almonds in it, the position of the land is directly in front of the cortijo about 300m off so it actually looks like ours but its not and will improve our view no end as the trees will be much better to look out on than bamboo, prickly pear and weeds, so well done franc.
I’m now on the look out for a farm type quad bike and trailer to speed up the getting about the place and save the strain on the car, as loading with logs etc is not what we got it for just 9 months ago!
Well that was quick, im now the proud owner of a 300cc Yamaha grizzly quad bike bought from a nice couple near Mazarrón, heard about it on the local grape vine again !, its like a grass fire in a hurricane you mention in passing something and in no time at all every body seems to know what your up too. I bet the only thing faster than the grape vine is bad news !.
So I’m still looking for a trailer but have a lead on that also, a chap back near the rental villa who’s brought it from the uk but it now needs an ITV so its not worth much as its not legal but would be spot on for us, going to have a look but again will need to take it apart to get it back in the car as we have no tow ball so cant chance it.
Been waiting all week for a parcel, we usually have them sent to the post shop but as it’s a PC and they said their using a courier I thought we would have it sent to our home but the tracking says out for delivery and has done for 2 days now, must be that DPD means donkey parcels direct, so I wait.
The lovely wife went to the notary to see to the quad papers but as we’ve not got around to sorting a pardon that was a none starter so she had to go to the town hall and get an application form, followed by a list of photocopies etc that they need not normally a problem ( but the colour ink has just run out and the black wont work without it. I’ve tried before to get HP ink for my aging printer but as its an office not a home spec there not to be found here so that will have to wait for no. 1 daughter to send the red cross box. I know I should buy a new printer but this is great and I still have 4 extra large black cartridges in stock, it’s a shame they don’t do Xl colour. )
The notary wants 170€ for the paper work I think the DVLA are missing a trick they could be racking it in if they followed the Spanish format.
Talking of racking it in I came across a Routers news report on line from sept 2013 reporting on massive punitive fines for the “ middle class and foreigners” who install PV electric solar panels when they have access to mains electric. One guy the subject of the article faces a fine of 6,000,000€ for having panels on his apartment balcony :-{ the idea of the fine is to replace the 26,000,000,000€ of lost income by Spanish energy companies when the government blocked price rises on the 80% imported fossil fuel generated electricity.
As PV was on our shopping list I was stunned , further research finds other articles in the same theme, so that’s well off the list for now, im so glad we swapped those bulbs LOL.