I had to start on my front door again, as it looked terrible, but the sticky stuff between some of the paint layers was indeed a problem as my little electric paint remover did not lift it. So I went for help at the co-op, and they gave me some stuff to put on,and promised me that it would kind of liquidize the brown stuff, and then I could just scrape it off. It took a few days, but at long last, with a few nasty blisters on my hands, as the stuff the co-op sold me was quite hazardous to the skin, and burned like fire if it does manage to drip onto a hand or arm, I had that job done, and decided to paint the door and all the windows woodwork a light, kind of Frenchy blue.
The lot building at Jan's place were not very friendly towards me after the cement episode and I got a bit scared, as they sat watching my every move when they were on their lunchbreak. So I decided to let Skramunkel out to roam my yard, closing my eyes when she snacked on my roses, as I knew that nobody would dare enter my place when she was on the loose. I was feeling quite vulnerable, as Hendrix, being a Labrador, was everybody's friend, and as he is always looking for a snack himself, he was in a much too close friendship with the builders, hoping that they would throw a morsel or two his way.
My door looked very pretty, and being me, I painted a little design on it, maybe not the most stylish thing to do, but then, I have never cared much for being too stylish, much to Irma's disgust, as she did a lot of paintings for an interior decorator's company and worked in a close relationship with them.
Then I sanded down all the windows, and painted them the same blue, and suddenly my little doll's house looked like it should have been standing somewhere in the Loire Valley, or Provence.
Had a bit of a moment again, when I heard this terrible screams coming from the builders's sight, both from the men and Skramunkel, and found that the gate leading from Irma's yard was open, giving Skramunkel the chance she wanted since they started, to show them who ruled the homestead!

One man was busy scrambling up from the ground, I suppose from where the horse had downed him, while the others were outside in the road squealing like pigs being led to the slaughter, while Skramunkel was kicking and snorting, and tossing her head, her eyes wild and rolling viciously in her head. I ran as fast as possible to get her attention away from the worker to give him a chance to get out, as I'm sure she was out to do serious harm. She calmed down when I talked to her, and I led her back into the enclosure of the yard, and asked the workers why the gate was opened, as they had nothing to do in there. It must have been them, as the horse could not possibly do that, the gadget being of a nature that clicked in, and not like the other gates, where she could just lift the thingy with her muzzle, although I have never seen her open a gate.
I had a serious talk with Hansie the contractor, as it would be terrible if one of his workers got badly hurt by the horse. He was quite cool, and said that according to his men the horse opened the gate and attacked them, but I asked if he seriously thought that a horse could open it! So, with the lot glaring at me, I put a chain and a lock on the gate, so that I could have peace of mind!