End of Week 8...25 Nov 2015...

Wow, this is amazing to live in this type weather, even if it only ends up being for a year, a season.

If it's too harsh for me and if I can't heat the place sufficiently, I'll close it up and go to Prague or some hostel somewhere for winter. Then over the following 9 months, I'll get those nice water heaters in and connect them to the electricity...and I may even have to learn how to use gas too.

The fire is great, but every time you open the door to load wood in, some smoke escapes, gradually building up on the walls and ceiling. Plus it is too dangerous if anyone else is here when I'm not. So, next winter it will all be centrally heated.

I always wanted to be where the water froze over at night, to have the fires going and snuggle up, watching the umpteenth replay of Hogan's Heroes!

Actually, Hogan's Heroes is set in Germany, a "few hundred" klms from here, but filmed in Hollywood. The weather conditions in the series is like this here. They even have the sun positioned at the correct angles if you watch it carefully.

I can't seem to get the temperature inside the house up any more than 24C this afternoon, whereas every other time I light it, it heats the place to 27C in less than an hour.

I let the fire die off over night as it is so cozy by bedtime and I only need to sleep with a summer cover and a light throw, as it's lovely and warm. Even in the mornings it's still just under 20C every morning when I get up, so it seems to be OK so far.

But...to-day...Wow...it is different!

1/4 inch thick ice on the tubs of water this morning, the sun shone brightly, got the washing out and dry by lunchtime, had a cuppa and lunch on the verandah in the sun and then it clouded over and must have been zero by about 2pmish.

I never noticed this while travelling for the past 4 winters over here, as I was on the go all the time. This winter is going to be an exciting experience for sure.

I originally said I'd not do too much to the place until I'd tested the weather to see if I could handle it here, as I might have to leave if it was too adverse for me, even though I love the colder weather.

Now this will be the first full winter here in this house,(if my visa comes through, that is) so I'm getting a bit excited, wondering how it's going to turn out. Last winter I was on the coast, in Split, Croatia, the one before in Ireland and Australia, the one before in Prague, the one before in  Australia, Vienna, and EU in general.

So this will be the first one in 5 years, not on the move!

OK...Just changed the wood in the fire and it's up to 27C inside again. Weird, I forgot some wood burns hotter than others!

Out jogging this morning I came across this witch who was texting while driving her broomstick! On the farm up the road from me.

A great sense of humour these people have over here. 

Sunrise at 7.30am on my icy jogging track!

The poor little Minions, out in the cold all night, but still smiling!

This is for Jelena who has a scene like this from Belgrade...The back road of my jogging track...

Looks like snow to-day...but just a thick frost.

Back in time for breakfast...7.40 am.

The village fountain has been wrapped in plastic for winter...to stop pieces breaking off it... 

Curling smoke from Zoltan's Chimney is a wistful sight at sunset...

Will it be a clear day tomorrow or not? What does this sky tell us?

A big week this week...Bathroom floor being prepped and pipes laid down, ready for concreting...But no one is game to move the shower so we can concrete under it.

Double mesh over the cellar beneath Zoltan's feet...

Yeahy, the floor has finally been cemented...

Zoltan doing one of the 2 final waterproofing layers on the floor

2nd waterproofing layer being applied...a bit of smoothing out when it sets a bit and it will be as smooth as a baby bottom.

A nice pot of ice this morning...

Amazing...this ice was over 1/4 inch thick, it supported this log of firewood.....

OK...that's it until next week when all the floors will be smooth as, the end room walls all completed, the new doorway fixed up, the 2 new rooms all painted and I'll be grinning from ear to ear!

Wait for the next set of pics...