Life in France

A not every day story of normal people trying to live their dream in France starting at the beginning and ending?

Thursday, January 12, 2006

Deer & Plaster

I managed to get this shot yesterday mid-morning as the clouds were lifting and the sun was just starting to stream through. There were six deer just about 30 foot away from the back door of the house in part of the field normally used by the horses. I took this through the glass of the back door so it not brilliant but what a lovely thing to see. ( they were back this morning as well taking a drink from the waterhole in the field).
As for me, i am trying to teach myself the black art of plastering! I have taken the old stuff off as it was loose and cleaned back to the stones of the wall. As they weren't good enough to leave uncovered i rough rendered them and now... i am trying to plaster them. Does anyone know how to get this stuff to actually stick to the wall? It is sort of nearly there but i just can't seem to get it mirror flat.... Luschious bless her says that it is ok as the walls were never straight or flat before i started. It has taken me a whole day to do 4 square metres of wall, that leaves err err about another 8 to go..arrgghhh help, please...... I think more of the plaster is going on the floor than on the wall plus i am covered in it is as well. i look like a red indian that has gone mad with the white warpaint!
Ah well, here we go again...maybe i will take up deer watching instead? Posted by Picasa

4 Comments:

  • At 12:01 pm, Blogger R J Adams said…

    He-he, you have my sympathy. As I think I mentioned once before, I worked with a plasterer for two weeks in my youth. He had arms that would make oak trees blush and had been plastering for twenty years. I never understood how he kept the damned stuff on the wall. Sheer brute force and a determination not to let it beat him, I think. Once it starts 'going off' keep working the tool thingy (forget the name) from the bottom of the wall upwards and keep it wet at all times. That's about all I remember.

     
  • At 12:03 pm, Blogger the peasant said…

    R. J.: shall heed your advice but not sure what exactly to keep wet but inside of throat seems good alternative!

     
  • At 7:08 am, Blogger Ally said…

    How are you getting on with it?

    I had a conversation with our decorator-guy yesterday re plastering. He said he'd recently seen a TV programme where the people plastered their walls themselves and just smoothed it as flat as they could with their hands to get an 'old fashioned' look. Seemed like a good idea to me :).

     
  • At 2:39 am, Blogger the peasant said…

    Hi Ally: slowly slowly. My arms are aching. It is at least staying on the wall and is vaguely level/smooth. i am trying to smooth it out with a damp sponge which seems to sort of work. It is certainly a black art to master! i will take a before and after picture of the end wall in the "main" guest bedroom then you can act as judge and jury. Glad you got your attic room all done and the view you have across the roof is amazing.

     

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