As you can see from the Blog title, our windmill has had a name change, to Finca El Molino. Los Palos was a name we never really understood. It means sticks or clubs, but which sticks and which clubs? Maybe the previous owner liked the idea of living 'out in the sticks' ? Anyway, it is really obvious that it should be called The Windmill Farm or Finca El Molino. So today's job was chipping off the old names and sticking new ones on. It was fun in the ferreteria sorting out all the letters I needed. And of course I was tempted to try on the old Ronnie Barker trick of asking for two 'o's, or hoes, or hose..... Shame it doesn't work in Spanish.
Well , the kitchen has now been ripped out and the electrics and plumbing put in place ready.
Well , the kitchen has now been ripped out and the electrics and plumbing put in place ready.
A short distance from the kitchen window there is a concrete water storage tank which has never been used. I decided it would be useful to reinstate it in case the water supply is ever interrupted (a distinct possibility in Fuerteventura). The water supply is being arranged to feed the tank and we will draw water from either the main supply or the tank via a pressurized pump.
Rather than keep the existing arrangement of electric water heaters in the bathrooms and a gas heater in the kitchen, we are going to install a solar water heater which will feed the two bathrooms and kitchen via a back up gas water heater. It is a lot of work but it will reduce our electricity consumption from the solar panels and batteries and therefore reduce our carbon footprint. Below left shows the pipes running from the tank, buried in a large pipe, to the house. On the right is Antonio the Fontanero feeding the hot water supply pipe through the wall of the Molino, from where it goes up through a void to the first floor bathroom.
Rather than keep the existing arrangement of electric water heaters in the bathrooms and a gas heater in the kitchen, we are going to install a solar water heater which will feed the two bathrooms and kitchen via a back up gas water heater. It is a lot of work but it will reduce our electricity consumption from the solar panels and batteries and therefore reduce our carbon footprint. Below left shows the pipes running from the tank, buried in a large pipe, to the house. On the right is Antonio the Fontanero feeding the hot water supply pipe through the wall of the Molino, from where it goes up through a void to the first floor bathroom.
Wendy has been helping out when she can get away from the school. It is important to keep hydrated in this climate, though it is not easy drinking out of an 8 litre bottle, as she found out!
Some very surprising and very good news this week was that we have some extra land we didn't know about. It seems that the previous owner had the front garden wall built inside the boundary to allow for parking cars outside the gate. I haven't measured it but it must be another 200 m2 or so! It is funny to think back on when we were in England last year and my boundary dispute with our neighbours in Chacombe. All over 6 inches. Here is a view of the extra land.
Back in our rented house in Caleta my Oleander cuttings are coming on nicely and have put out lots of roots. Here they are ready for potting up. And a last look at the windmill at the end of another day.
