Some of you have probably been wondering why I don't have a shed built yet, or indeed made terribly much progress on a whole lot of things on my bucket list. The main reason is that each and every activity requires some preparatory work, and I have not had the materials to progress this work. The key item is a retaining wall which needs to be in position before I can start digging a hole to put the new tanks in. That is because when you dig a hole you need somewhere to put what you dug out of it, and that somewhere is the intended location of the new shed. This is a bit of dirt accumulated last time I dug large holes in the ground for the septic tank etc. It starts out level where the tank stands at present, and slowly peters out as you progress down the yard. I had not realised just how large the distance was between the height of the existing tank and the natural ground level. So great it would require a retaining wall higher than one meter which in turn requires me to get all manner of complicated, not to mention expensive, engineering approvals. So that problem had to be resolved before I lashed out and bought retaining wall components. I finally worked out that I could build it up in two sections - one two courses high to create a platform for the tank to be moved to, then another, probably three courses high, to provide a platform for the shed. Of course the cost of retaining wall components blew up out of all proportion in my head so I was pleasantly surprised when I went to Bunnings and found out it is only $17.50 per linear metre. So the back of the ute was laden with 0.6 tonne of concrete blocks on the trip home - sufficient for the first platform. I chose sandstone colour, but am now thinking the bluestone will be better for the taller wall as it will not show up so much - not that it matters as I can't see it from the house, but it would be nice for it to look nice from other angles.

Unloading that much concrete in one go seemed ambitious when I still had to clean the bank so I hauled off about 30 blocks and the rest will come off on Saturday (or Friday, depending on my mood, how far I progress with ditching and laying and the weather). I have left the blocks closest to the ute cabin for balance and also because they are the hardest ones to reach. Fortunately the ground was dry enough to get fairly close to their destination so I didn't have very far to carry them.

My other surprise purchase today was wallpaper. Decorama seems to have a new store (or I have never seen it before) in Moonah which was having a sale. The paper I liked at Bunnings is $50.00 a roll, so it was nice to find something acceptable at Decorama for $10.00 a roll (or part roll, actually but sufficient for my needs). It is a creamy white background with occasional sprays of faint flowers in blue and pink with greenery. The paper itself is textured like slub silk and has a slightly opalescent glow to it. Suitable for a bedroom, coordinates with the second-hand curtains I found, and since it will effectively only be on the front of the chimney breast (the sides and flanking walls being due to be covered with builtin wardrobes)  it should not be too overwhelming or intrusive. The wallpaper was so cheap in the sale I was tempted to get enough to do the whole room as a cheaper alternative than painting, but sanity prevailed.

While at Bunnings I also found they had a special on countertops of a particularly luscious nature, but I couldn't remember how deep my current counter tops are so left that there. Frustrating, and a poor choice, but perhaps they will still have some when I go back. Since I have no chance of matching the existing countertops and really only need enough to do the return from the corner to the stove, and the top of the 900mm counter on the other side of the room, it would have been nice - a warm reddish brown oiled (fingerjointed) mahogany colour. Would have looked good with the matt black of the existing. Sigh.

The main reason I was at Bunnings was to match up the springs in the spinning wheel maintenance kit with cheaper versions at Bunnings, but I forgot to do that too. Blonde moment as I still had plenty of time, but I was distracted by kitchen fittings and builders bog.  That is another item that has thwarted progress - I needed it to finish off the finials, and also to stop up some gaps in my front door that are barely noticeable until the wind is from that direction. I  will have fun playing with that too.

The Wool Shop had the maintenance kit I needed, but not the Maiden, so I bought the fitting for the maiden and will pluck up my nerves to face the lathe again (after a 40 year gap having been deeply traumatised by the one at Ag college). Meanwhile, however, I can get on and do a few things with the wheel at the History Room, and my own wheel here. My challenge is that not all the knobs and dials shown in the diagrams exist on either wheel, and neither is there any trace of them being present at any time in the past. I expect I will work it all out eventually.

I think I will head down to town again on Saturday, now I think about it, and see if those benchtops are still there, get the springs I need, and pick up cat and dog food which I didn't buy this time as I frightened myself with my spending activities! Despite them all being perfectly legitimate and in the budget allocations.