Dinosaurs bones?

Today was the final day of Jaimin's so far productive paternity leave. The objective was to start raising the floor boards and unearth what lay below. Despite his best efforts, re-using any of the boards wasn't an option because each one was double nailed to each joist, and because they were very dry they splintered, tore and snapped. Good progress was made including managing to rip up all the boards, loosen and remove more than half the joists, take out most of the lean-to doorway and remove the East fireplace hearth. Some of the joists have been left in as a half baked measure to leave something tying the roof on to the floor, although given the rotten nails and loose mortar in the joist/floorplate area, this is wishful thinking. The roof survived a windstorm last night so it should be ok.

A bonfire was lit from the beginning of the day which Jaimin kept feeding with timber from the gutting. The 2 piles were all but eliminated, although all the decent stud 2x4's were set aside in case they could be handy later on. The floor boards replaced the pile of burnt wood.

Timber pile from the gutting. 

The bonfire begins. Safely this time!

Floor boards still there...

Bigger hole...

Even bigger hole

Finn was convinced that the bones in the cottage were dinosaur bones. They might be but I think they are more likely to be rabbit bones. Evidence suggests that the space beneath the floor boards was a not that long ago, a fox's den - pretty cool!

Dinosaur bones?

Much reduced timber pile 

Floor boards gone!

What is this poking in one end of the wall???

Joists being lifted

Not much left apart from plasterboard

 At the end of the day while the fire burned out, Jaimin managed to do some tidying up, and threw an old folding bed frame, some wire, buckets and the fire hearth in to the trailer. This weekend we're getting a helping hand from Will so we might do some pointing...

The view never gets old.