Simon paints the pergola!

He came over at 7am. I am grateful he is willing to do it. It was a lovely shady morning for about 2 seconds before the heat hit. He left after about an hour as it was just too fierce.

I am so excited by the way it looks already, I have taken photos of the one tall pole from all different angles!

And I arrived home from work last night to this - wow! Looks so much better. I can only imagine how good it will feel to get vines (jasmine) growing over it to hide the rough edges and look so pretty. For me, this reno business is such a long process (money issues) but every bit of help is fab, and I know my ideas will work.

The 'before' look: painted is much softer.

And...the height of ugliness shot (below) - part-paint, ladders, paint cans scattered, car covered, container, orange barrier, ugly power pole, half-baked lawn and no paving. Sigh. Perhaps things have to look bad before they get better.

Tiina riding out the heat

All of this week, it has been around high 30's - 40C.

Poor cats have had a hard time of it. Here is Tiina, hazy with heat-sleep, on the threshold, making the most of breezes.