Another lovely sunny day and a determination to get another 5 - a - day barrows of grit down to the lower quarter. Took the opportunity of finishing off the path around the Yurt and as Susie had introduced me to the "Island" which I had never rally looked at - about 1/3 acre of additional land between the established land area and the river, I decided to have a look at clearing my way into it ...
So, primarily, it was a case that some time in the past it had been a decision to run a straight line of barbed wire across the "island" and area that obviously spends a certain amount of time in any year under water but which at the moment seem pretty clear.. and that this wire could be moved and the area opened out...
So I did it .. I cleared the undergrowth and the dead branches and cut the wire into manageable lengths and then re-located it along the river bank - thus giving us access to the area which proved fairly dry under foot. It seems we have a couple of glades that could well be used for camping if we ensure that the nettle and bramble and balsam cannot take root at the beginning of the year ... It looks as though it could be managed with a weekly strimming and give us a fairly large area that we were unaware of ...
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| So - as we start there is barbed wire and a lot of debris |
What a glorious day - it was actually warm enough to be in shorts and vest to work and not just because I was working hard...
Susie has cleared the bank by the Veranda - at least of the nettles and brambles - the decision as to what to do about the crab grass is for another day. Meanwhile my task for the day was to build a planter for the Primulas we bought yesterday - as they were wilting a little.. and the location was the fallen tree trunk that Susie has been clearing over the last week or so...
And the chosen wood was of course a pallet! and so we began. Sadly my phone is desperately out of space and storage - probably due to the number of vids and photos on there, and failed to take many of the photos I was taking today ... But we managed to get some .. a before and after at least ...
A sad night for me - I had been looking forward to my first live "gig" in ages and a chance to be with some of my LARP friends, for playing in the Castle at St Briavel's for the Black Company.
But day by day the increase in Covid cases has been incessant. New variants BA2 and the mixed variant of Deltacron is putting more and more cases forward - more hospital cases and of course we have lost the news as Ukraine is taking all the headlines.
England has removed all safety restrictions - we still have masks in shops here but the remainder of the country do not have any requirement for being careful. Most, it seems, are now accepting that they will get the "lurgie" and will have to live with it - and they may be right. However, my next stage of tests for my breathing problems is not due until May and it must be said that it is difficult to think that catching the virus would just be the "light touch" that many are getting.
My social feed is filled with people who are getting ill... Many after one or two previous illnesses. Most however being those who, like me, have managed to remain resistant for the last two years - and now have fallen. It is a worrying time.
And so this afternoon I decided to cancel my hire car for next week at the Castle.
That means I am not going.
It saddens me as I know that the organiser has had a series of disasters with regard to the event which he has worked so hard to get together - mainly as a personal celebration - then extended to the Mercenaries of Curious Pastimes, primarily the Black Company, and now a Sanctioned CP event ..
My good friend Devil Stick Peat was to be the main entertainment. Worryingly, his wife has Covid at the moment! I was to be the support entertainment as Bard and was looking forward to setting up a full speaker and mike set .... as well as my normal Bardic / Boozie self.
It is a sad decision but one that I am confident is the right one for the moment - I could not forgive myself if I went off to the Castle for a weekend with 75 friends and came home with Covid to upset our lifestyle at the moment ...
In other news....
It was a day off from the Yurt development today - I took a rest from the main work ..
It was a glorious sunny day though so the Dogs and I went for a long walk, while Susie planted some new seeds in the Greenhouse and cleared more of the top terrace of brambles, and grass.
We also took a trip to Newcastle Emlyn and picked up my new polo shirts - Vollsanger Green !!
Back to the Homestead... it was a day to complete the Storm Damage on the party Chair that sits on the lawn. It has been renovated with pallet wood and today received a coat of black paint to preserve. It can go back into its place tomorrow..
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| Toby Inspects the work |
In other news - Border Changes in European Continent .... Useful historical record
