Knowing from experience on just how hard the plastering was, I did not envy Johnny's helper, whose name I never managed to catch, his job of chipping it off the stones. I have tried umpteen times to drill holes to put up some paintings, without success, as I think the plaster was just as hard as the stones itself. But he manfully laboured on with Johnny watching him like a hawk, very cool and calm, why his labourer sweated and suffered.
But after the first morning had passed, without much of and indent into the plaster, the two sat conferring under the oak tree, and as the wind blew strong smells of pot down to my house, I knew that they were indulging in a favourite passtime of a lot of villagers, and only hoped that Johnny would have the guts after inhaling this to help the other one, as it was indeed backbreaking work.
But after lunchtime none of the two were any good, and although their spirits were sky high, and they talked and laughed a lot, not much was accomplished, and I was starting to think about also having them in the mornings only.
The second morning things looked bad, as the plaster was like rock, so Johnny said he would ask Jan for his big electric grinder, and he would try to first get some starting place from where they could then do the chipping. I ran for old bed sheets and plastic building sheets to cover my furniture, as this grinder made one big cloud of dust. I also took baby Emil over to Jan, as it was impossible to keep him with me, as he was already sneezing and wheezing, and they had only started.
It wasn't long before everything was covered in a thick layer of dust, including the two builders, who looked very strange with their tight curls all grey, and their yellow eyeballs peeping from between their powdered lashes.
The grinder was a big help, and it wasn't long before the stones became exposed, and I started having doubts of this two slightly built men getting the huge boulders out.
When lunchtime came I made them a good lunch, and some strong and sweet coffee, and told them not to smoke such a lot of pot, as I was not going to pay for them having a social afternoon while the work didn't get any further.
The rocks in the pictures were the first to come out, and I stated making a rockery, as I could not move it from where the two men had put it.