3rd April 205 - Steady Progress

Thought for the day :"Average things are manufactured at the satisfactory."

Wet (only a bit)

2025 : Wet 41 : Dry 51

Off to Bookers to get provisions for the Belgian Horde...

Met up with Nancy who has a current business card - apparently I can apply o line and take some ID when I go next ..

But bought the provisions for the pre cook food for the Belgian Trip and I took the opportunity of buying in Tavern supplies that I cannot get elsewhere  

Back to the homestead and Dave and Rhys had given up because they did not find the key to the back door and could not get a coffee, but despite my initial thought, they had done some rendering , some work with the digger and some settling of paving stones ..

In fairness - Rhys finished with a half day and Dave gave me another couple of hours 

So only a few photos today - but Susie cleared the shower block and put the first layer of paint down onto the floor. It was very strong in smell!!  It is a rubber based paint and would be difficult to use inside with the chemical aromas.

I spent some time on the lighting, trying to repair the ones that have been filled with water and have rotted - seems that I made a mistake in unscrewing some as it let water and corrosion in ..   may have to replace with new bulbs which is a pity - will try some more spare bulbs tomorrow and see if it is the holder r the bulb at fault..

We are getting there slowly !! Honest 

Both very tired tonight and popped down to Charlie and Spot for glass of wine - actually we were meant to be picking up some items but never got around to it ..

Left a note for our favourite ASDA man - Gareth, saying that we were down the road and to give a call when he arrived - He gave a call to say that he had bagged up all the items, had put the frozen food in the freezer and was on his way and enjoy your drink !!!

You can't fault service like this !!

Will have to see if there is a place I can leave a feedback!

Anyway - a little rain coming in overnight but hopefully we still have good weather ahead

Hoping to finish the Eco Toilet tomorrow 

Cheers !
 

2nd April 2025 - Painful Wednesday

Thought for the day :"Sad, when you try to leave work early and the boss points out that there are 7 hours left"

Dry 

2025 : Wet 40 : Dry 51

Wednesday means Chris with me for 6 hours, or "Popeye" as Rhys terms him, I think because of his stamina ....

Dave and Rhys arrived a little later - some domestic matters to deal with but got on with some major tasks, Rhys o the painting, Dave on laying a new floor in the Ladies Loo, to stop it flexing and causing leaks, also to strengthen the structure so the door shuts ! and put some steps down. 

After that we decided that the trailer tent really should have some safe steps as well - so used up the blocks to get some safe steps.

Also helped with the internal structure of the Shower Block

(Note Susie's 'Victor Lock' on the front door.  Panels masticked and metal back plate for the shower put in place. 

Meanwhile, Chris and I attacked the first section of brush by the gate ... a lot of larch just lying down so cleared it away - the remaining branches seem to have some growth despite laying down..

Chris enjoyed this as it involved a big bonfire !!

Then we looked at the second task of the day - to cover the platforms with the grass carpet 

Sadly, we needed much more to cover the platforms than I had estimated - and we were only able to cover three- but have ordered more carpet to complete the job, and decided to get an additional 4 to act as ground flooring for the tents - one in each ..  Estimated delivery 2-4 days - hopefully we get within the time scale .

But must say I think that they look good

Job three was to put some steps in 

May use some of the clay earth from the pond to even the steps out and form a hard base.

A look now at tomorrows task - to level out the land around the pond and dig a proper trench - hopefully the digger will be able to get in there tomorrow 

 

And to finish the day - a walk around noting that there are parts of the garden that are flowering now - the first Bluebells are out and some of the other flowers are starting

First Bluebells

And White bells

Last set of lights to be hung in the lower quarter

Willow Fedge sprouting

And it is starting

Susie's Camelia - mine is still doing nothing 

Bullace Blossoming 

View of the house - thought I would
 take this so we see the magnolia
as it comes out 

And so - A Time for  Beer 

 

In other news

Picked this up form my old Facebook Notes
Since you can't access them except o memory I decided to put it here for posterity 

 

Note to Self : Get Passport Early cos....

Subject: Passport Application

Dear Minister,
I'm in the process of renewing my passport but I am a total loss to understand or believe the hoops I am being asked to jump through.

How is it that Bert Smith of T.V. Rentals Basingstoke has my address and telephone number and knows that I bought a satellite dish from them back in 1994, and yet, the Government is still asking me where I was born and on what date?

How come that nice West African immigrant chappy who comes round every Thursday night with his DVD rentals van can tell me every film or video I have had out since he started his business up eleven years ago, yet you still want me to remind you of my last three jobs, two of which were with contractors working for the government?

How come the T.V. detector van can tell if my T.V. is on, what channel I am watching and whether I have paid my licence or not, and yet if I win the government run lottery they have no idea I have won or where I am and will keep the bloody money to themselves if I fail to claim in good time.
Do you people do this by hand?

You have my birth date on numerous files you hold on me, including the one with all the income tax forms I've filed for the past 30-odd years. It's on my health insurance card, my driver's licence, on the last four passports I've had, on all those stupid customs declaration forms I've had to fill out before being allowed off the planes and boats over the last 30 years, and all those insufferable census forms that are done every ten years and the electoral registration forms I have to complete, by law, every time our lords and masters are up for re-election.

Would somebody please take note, once and for all, I was born in Maidenhead on the 4th of March 1957, my mother's name is Mary, her maiden name was Reynolds, my father's name is Robert, and I'd be absolutely astounded if that ever changed between now and the day I die!

I apologise Minister. I'm obviously not myself this morning. But between you and me, I have simply had enough! You mail the application to my house, then you ask me for my address. What is going on? Do you have a gang of Neanderthals working there? Look at my damn picture. Do I look like Bin Laden? I don't want to activate the Fifth Reich for God's sake! I just want to go and park my weary backside on a sunny, sandy beach for a couple of week's well-earned rest away from all this crap.

Well, I have to go now, because I have to go to back to Salisbury and get another copy of my birth certificate because you lost the last one. AND to the tune of 60 quid! What a racket THAT is!! Would it be so complicated to have all the services in the same spot to assist in the issuance of a new passport the same day? But nooooo, that'd be too damn easy and maybe make sense. You'd rather have us running all over the place like chickens with our heads cut off, then find some tosser to confirm that it's really me on the goddamn picture - you know... the one where we're not allowed to smile in in case we look as if we are enjoying the process!
Hey, you know why we can't smile? 'Cause we're totally jacked off!

I served in the armed forces for more than 25 years including over ten years at the Ministry of Defence in London. I have had security clearances which allowed me to sit in the Cabinet Office, five seats away from the Prime Minister while he was being briefed on the first Gulf War and I have been doing volunteer work for the British Red Cross ever since I left the Services. However, I have to get someone "important" to verify who I am -- you know, someone like my doctor ... who, before he got his medical degree 6 months ago WAS LIVING IN PAKISTAN...

Yours sincerely,

An Irate British Citizen.

Cheers !

1st April 2025 - Shower Blocks, Trailer Tents and Trump

Thought for the day :"To be able to speak many languages is a skill, the ability to keep your mouth shut in many languages is priceless"

Dry 

2025 : Wet 40 : Dry 50

Another glorious sunny day with blue sky ....  a little chilly but still a cracking day ..

Dave and Rhys here early to start the painting of the pine end and Dave tidied up the brick walls at the front and put in the slate covers to keep the gullies clear.

Susie and I did a run to Aberaeron to get the splash panels for the shower and more white paint as Rhys is going through it very fast - new render just soaks it up.

Also got some handles and bolts for the doors,

Dave and I went to the Farm to look at the wood and lengths of support that we could use, including some lovely slip resistant planking that will be ideal for the eco-toilet.

Then worked on the wiring at the Pine end and a really annoying problem with the George the Dragon light that just keeps on coming on and off for no reason - we finally decided it was probably the switch ..

Will unwire it and try it out when we have a little more time - did not want to spend any more time on it at the moment - there is still too much to do ... 

Think that if Dave managed the floor to the Ladies toilet, replumbs the loo in and does the steps for the loo, and also the steps for the wood store at the house then we are about finished, I shall probably do the last of the painting myself as it is all areas that I can reach.  It also means that Dave can get on with Nancy's house.

The annoying light !

Shower at the start of the day 

Door and secure 

And splash panels in place..  ready for masticking

Fabio is in fine form 

New Gate in place but ducks still getting through - need to put some chicken wire near the hinges..

 

A Rear Fabio

Magnolia just peeping out ..

and colour at the springs 

with the Skunk Cabbage growing daily 

And finally, the trailer tent opened up and was found to be well aired and ready for use .. 

Will keep it up to get it fully aired while we have a few days of good weather...

 

And in other news, as Trump decides to add tariffs across the world, I though it would record the following for posterity - the Criminal Record and Financial Record of Donald Trump.

Cheers !

31st March 2025 - More Progress

Thought for the day :"If someone slaps you with high frequency - it hertz"

Dry

2025 : Wet 40 : Dry 49

Change of Clocks means that earlier start than normal but Dave and Rhys were with us at 9am, and started on the remaining rendering.

After working on that we put George (the Dragon) back on the other pine end and I ran off to Chadzy's for the feather edge planking for the shower door and the eco-toilet.

Susie built the door for the shower block and then we both fixed the roof panels on top
 

Door will be on tomorrow 

In other works - having grassed the duck pond area stretched a chicken wire section to keep the chickens off them ..

And put the new 6ft gate on its posts - need one more bolt to finish the job - maybe buy tomorrow 

We are slowly getting there ... 

Back to it again tomorrow 

Might finish the eco toilet with luck and the carpets should be arriving tomorrow as well - will be interesting to see how they try to deliver..

Fabio is in fine feather  though Zsa Zsa is spending a lot of time sitting on the ground..

Last day of March today - April 1st tomorrow - tend to think that April Fools is finished - there is too much in the world that is crazier thank anything that could be made up ! 

Cheers !