This is one of the metal 'feet' we've been waiting for. The supports for the upper porch will slot into these, and because they're galvinised and off the ground hopefully they won't rot. Not in our time anyway. Frustrating week-end because we hoped to get it all done on Sunday and then of course it was one of these horrid snowy cold days, and NOTHING got done and Mike got cross. The support posts are very huge and heavy and I feel we need a little help from our friendly farmer, but himself will have none of it. So if you hear of me felled by an 8 x 8 don't say I didn't warn you. The new room with all it's insulation, despite having bits open to the sky, is about the warmest place in the house at the moment. Bodes well.

No photos today. But to keep you up to date, all the slating is now done (being extravagent and using all our super bought in slates rather than the thick old Ballahulish ones), and Mike is busy fixing guttering. We await the welder from the town who forgot he was supposed to be making wee feet to sit on the concrete that supports the pillars that hold up the roof that covers the porch that's part of the room that Mike's built. New telescope arrives on Saturday and the new decking will be a wonderful base for star gazing.

Mike discovers that our original floor joists, bought from Tayinloan, vary in depth by at least half an inch; we always wondered why our floors bounced up and down.

This is a hanging newel post - just in case you hadn't guessed. It will support the stairs - yes, we're going to have stairs and they are on the way. Top platform is now in place. Howard has been commissioned to create a flowing banister or some such , so deep discussions when we were in Inverness.

Ghastly weather but hopefully a better week-end so we can finish the slating and get ris of the scaffolding.