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<\/a>Now we can build all this!<\/p><\/div>\n
A while ago we passed our one-year anniversary of being here. \u00a0It would be great if more had happened up in the orchard by now\u00a0\u2014 at the moment it’s just the fig trees, dry grass, marker pegs, and one steel telegraph pole with a light and a power connection box. \u00a0But we’re optimistic that with all of the red tape out of the way, some earth should start getting moved around very soon.<\/p>\n
One thing that we did<\/em> manage to finish before the one-year mark was the kitchen. \u00a0I know it has been drawn out over many blog posts, but it is now finally, properly finished. \u00a0Here are some shots showing the tiled worktop and the finishing touches on the woodwork.<\/p>\n High-angle view of the kitchen. \u00a0Hope everyone likes the tiles.<\/p><\/div>\n The kitchen sink window looks out into the street at tractor-wheel height.<\/p><\/div>\n Free-standing cabinet between the fridge and the door. Plus added cat (Maya).<\/p><\/div>\n My mum and dad came to stay with us for the first half of August \u2014 we are trying to talk them into coming at a less outrageously hot time of year for their next visit. \u00a0But it was good seeing our progress through their eyes, as they were last here almost exactly a year ago. \u00a0Dad was extremely helpful in the garden, as he was the first time around. \u00a0And they talked us into taking a seaside break for a few days: the first nights we had spent away from this place since we arrived. \u00a0(A huge thank you to Sirem’s sister \u00c7isem for holding the fort and feeding all the animals while we were away.)<\/p>\n We spent three nights at the Panion Park Hotel<\/a> in the coastal town of\u00a0Guzel\u00e7aml?, close to the entrance to the Dilek National Park. \u00a0It was a really pleasant, quiet hotel and we can recommend it. \u00a0They have a lovely pool and an equally lovely bar by the pool. \u00a0They’ve only been open for six years and we were impressed with how well their landscaped garden had come along. \u00a0Lots of ideas to file away for future reference.<\/p>\n The view from our room in the Panion Park Hotel. Great garden.<\/p><\/div>\n What else have we been up to? \u00a0A recent carpentry project was the door to the second bedroom. \u00a0The old door was a bit of a mess and we had to lock it with a very amateurish chain and padlock around the handle. \u00a0More importantly, the doorway was much lower than it needed to be, with a small window over the door for no good reason. \u00a0More than one taller visitor had smacked their head on the low lintel (sorry, Mark). So we came up with a plan for a full-height door that included a central window with shutters for extra ventilation in summer. \u00a0Sketchup again, of course. \u00a0We think it all turned out OK.<\/p>\n New door from the outside, shutters closed.<\/p><\/div>\n From the inside: going for a medieval look with all the black iron hardware.<\/p><\/div>\n And with the shutters open to let in a breeze.<\/p><\/div>\n The weather has been really hot, of course, but never humid. \u00a0We found that the sun was tracking so far north that we weren’t getting enough shade on the sedir in the middle of the day. \u00a0So we’ve rigged up some sheets to make it feel more pleasant.<\/p>\n Dealing with the heat: sheets as shadecloth.<\/p><\/div>\n The grape vines do well in all that sun.<\/p><\/div>\n Summer also brings the insect population to life. \u00a0(Which is mostly fine, honest: even the wasps have their role in pollinating the figs.) \u00a0One day we found some ants struggling to lift something up the wall and into the garden. \u00a0Turns out they had stolen a cat biscuit, and were cooperating admirably to get it back to the nest.<\/p>\n The ant helpfully standing on the biscuit must be the one in charge, surely?<\/p><\/div>\n And to conclude: some readers will be unsurprised to learn that our four kittens have not found new homes yet. \u00a0We still haven’t named them, because we are clinging to the (perhaps foolish) belief that we’re going to successfully give most of them away. \u00a0In an effort to show potential adopters how cute they are, here are some photos at 2 weeks and at 5 weeks. \u00a0Incredible how much the ears grow over that time.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a>