22/09/2014

So, I expect you’re wondering what the coypu stew was like? Well, it tasted a lot like a rabbit stew; LSS prepared it with mustard. Our first garden carrots were included, as were home-grown onions and potatoes. Basically it was a totally free meal (except for the mustard of course). The sauce was enriched with half a bottle of our pea-pod wine. It’s not very nice to drink, but tastes great in a stew! For dessert we had a bowl of strawberries each; we’ve been eating these regularly since May.

The blasted post(wo)man left another “sorry you were out” card in our letterbox! LSS will no doubt be informing one of her old school-friends, who justhappens to be the head postmistress for the area. I don’t think the postie will be getting a Christmas present this year. In France, at the beginning of December, various persons pay one a visit, selling calendars for the following year. These persons include the fire brigade – which is staffed by volunteers – and the post(wo)man. They purchase a stack of calendars themselves, and sell them on to householders. One pays as much – or as little – as one wants.

I have now finished operating the rotary hammer; the doorway is now at its required width. And the ceiling hasn’t fallen down, which is a bonus. Tomorrow I will construct a plywood form which will serve as the support for the brick arch until the mortar dries. Some geometry comes into play here; the arch needs to be 15cm high, and the width of the doorway is 90cm. So it is necessary to calculate the radius of a circle which fits the arc.

In case you were wondering, the formula is: Radius = H/2 +W²/8H, where W is the width, and H the height. The radius in this case is thus 75cm. Now I just need to find a compass big enough…

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