Rock step

After the earthquake, many rocks from the dry stone walls and steps we have built to terrace our garden were dislodged, and we spent weeks rebuilding them. This is part of one set of steps.

Today the valuation of our house for insurance purposes arrived. It was a much higher figure than we expected, but these dry stone walls were not included. The valuers didn't quite know how to value them, and we thought there really wasn't much point in insuring them. After the earthquake EQC decided we had had no land damage, so we received no compensation for all the time we had put in rebuilding them! It is a great feeling to have most of them back in place again, though, and we have built some of them better than they were originally.