30th April 2021 - and breathe...

Thought for the day :"Military Barbers shave their privates"

Cheers 

29th April 2021 - to the Dump.. to the dump... to the dump dump dump..

Thought for the day :"On this day in 1852, Peter Roget released / set free / freed / discharged / liberated / emancipated / unbound / uncaged / unshackled (etc) his thesaurus."

Llanelli run - and a trip to the dump - my mother would have enjoyed...
Was sneaky and booked two slots, one for me and one for my father in law - but I was getting rid of his armchairs and mattress so I think that was acceptable ..
Managed to get a load of bags and furniture and also most of the garden watse from 41 and the wooden slats and trellis.

Second run to the dump I ran into  someone throwing some fencing posts and trellis away so brought that back with me instead - will come in handy. Sadly the paving slabs I was hoping to pick up free had already gone...  

Stopped on the way back at a house clearance and antique place who will have a look at what we have and what it will cost to clear on Tuesday... 

Other than that - little to add today 

Tomorrow is another day ..

Cheers !

28th April 2021 - Flower Bed Walls and a rethink...

Thought for the day :"I just started a business where we specialize in weighing tiny objects. It’s a small scale operation."

Woke up to find that it was a rainy day after so many bright sunny ones. It was one of those Mizzy rainy days where you feel that you can walk about because it is not really raining but find that you are soon soaking through.... 

But I had an area under cover to work on the next flower bed wall while Susie had an enjoyable day in the Green house sorting all her planting.

So - this is the wall in preparation, painted with the Tudor Black Oak, then permeable membrane to protect the inside of the wall, stakes for securing and put all together. 

All looking really good - but after discussion with Susie we think there is a design flaw in the set up.

Firstly, the batons are all nailed into the sections from behind. Did not occurr as I was building, but of course the weight of the soil will push the wall off the batons and it will not survive. We think that we will have to take them off and then screw from the front - which will require drilling and screws....

 

If we are taking them off then we may as well add another central stake to make sure that they stay in place. Also - it will be easier to level the ground first to a level for the pathway and then fit the wall to that point - which will need less infill behind ... Oh well - it was a good try but nothing lost yet.

Llanelli tomorrow to get to the dump so will a task for Friday...

 

Meanwhile - when the rain ceased, Susie managed to finish her 3 sisters bed...

Order of Athelstan Provincial Zoom meeting this evening and it was officially announced that I am stepping down as Deputy Provincial Grand Master for the Order and my successor announced. So that is an end of an era - but feel a lot better for it ...

Stencils arrived so I will be able to start putting signage around the gardens...  I have in mind labeling the Meerkat Mountain, Temple of Doris, Wizard's Retreat etc... 

Another full day - and a hot shower has not taken all of the aches and pains away yet - maybve a glass of Ffynnon Rose will help....

Cheers !

27th April 2021 - Llanelli - but that is another Storey

Thought for the day :"If you see someone doing a crossword today, just lean over and say; “7 up is Lemonade". "

Llanelli Run today...

Managed to complete the clearance of the top floor.

Next stage is the Office and then Basement and lastly Kitchen ( and garage!)

Not very impressive but it means a lot to me !!

Sold the electric armchair - happy it is going to someone who really needs it. I priced it at £30 and ended up with about 14 interested - but the money has bought some 1p concrete slabs for the dahlia bed.. which I will be calling the "Tanner Bank"  after the old stand at Stradey Rugby Ground...

May also have found a couple of small fairies which now reside in the grounds....

No pictures for today ....

Finished doing the slabs on the duckpond - pictures tomorrow again.

Susie has put her Bean Poles up and finished that veg bed, and almost finished her three sisters bed.

She has also tiled the base of the Chicken Coup, and we are hoping that Ouzle and Ondle will walk free tomorrow.  

Lit a small fire by the pontoon this evening and burned a lot of rubbish and cleared the willow... 
Susie also put chicken wire along a section of the pontoon fence to dissuade 'Thena from entering the river to go walkabout. Decided that if we take the Chicken coup down by the tavern and move it to the Peacock enclosure then we have more old chicken wire to use...  So plenty to do tomorrow...

Seem to have lost our Blue Safety Cable which I need to get power down to the peacock enclosure for the Freezer Chickens that are in the incubator at the moment. Candled and 11 out of 12 are viable.

Of our own Cedric's eggs - two are viable so we are heading in the right direction.

Temperature dropping again after a few delightful days - needing the fires lit again this evening. 
Looks like rain and cloud for a couple of days now - well the Garden needs watering !! 

(I really am turning into a Farmer !!) 

Had a delightful Skype meeting with the Trunkenpolde and Abtei this evening - some good friends and excellent musicians from Germany - in fairness they spoke better English than my German!!.. 

here they are with a surprise cameo ..

And so - another day ... where are they going ?

Cheers !

 

26th April 2021 - Fixing and Duck Ponds

Thought for the day :"I stopped for a bite to eat last night at a posh burger van. It had 4 Michelin tyres..."

Another Sunny day here in Rhydlewis...  though it looks as though it may be changing tomorrow, sadly.

A bit more work on the duck pond, and decided to repair the Chair looking towards Tolly's Troll Bridge

Failed to start the Timberpro strimmer / 7 in one machine. Tried for a while and got it to start twice but could not keep it going - and then the pull starter stopped pulling on the motor..  So a trip to Cardigan to Grow it Mow It who fixed the other machines - or failed to ...  Did not seem hopeful to be able to get parts - which is a pity as it is almost brand new in terms of use.....

So popped into B & M at the same time and bought some edging for Susie's next flower beds...

Susie meanwhile fixed the chicken coup with some planking to stop foxes entering and putting tiles onto the ground to stop the rats getting in ... 

We seemed to be busy all day but not sure what else we completed...  

A couple staying with Rhys and Roisin popped in to have a look at the peacocks - so we gave them the guided tour... It is times like that when you realise how much we have actually done !

Anyway - a few photos 

Bench in need of repair

New planking for the seating

and a Coat of Paint and done..

Duck pond at start of day 

A quick break and a trip to the Bluebell fields 
in the lower quarter

Dragon taken out to find some higher stones
to put back in so we can see her

End of day's work at the pond - finish next time

In other news - this was designed to keep the ducks from the springs in the lower quarter. It has worked and Tesco and Novochok have not gone into the Spring at all since... But there were a pair if mating mallards in the spring !! Best laid plans ...

and breathe!!

Cheers !

 

25th April 2021 - Duck Ponds and Spring

Thought for the day :"If someone dies and came back as a tin of condensed milk... would that be reincarnation?

Sunny Sunday at the Homestead.

Ouzle and Ondle were released into the main coop today. They seem to be fighting their agoraphobia well and enjoying the sun. Went back tonight without problem so probably we can let them out into the paddock in a couple of days.

Started updating the duck pond, digging the lining under the earth and putting paving slabs around. Also started collecting the fallen wood, and chopping into logs for use in the outdoor firepit.

Went into the river to collect stones to put around the Duck Pond and barrowed them back to the pond.

Took the opportunity of raising the hammock to a better height - so needed to test it out - of course! 'Thena appreciates having someone at head level and with a stick can keep you in perpetual motion by her tail wagging!!

Susie started digging her "Three Sisters" bed - Corn Squash and Beans. Also know apparently as the Holy Trinity Bed.   

Three hundred years ago, when early American colonists took a look at the food gardens in Native American villages, they often saw a unique companion planting plan – sweetcorn, climbing beans and pumpkins or squash being grown together in the same plot. Compared to the neatly ploughed rows and fields of Europe, these “corn gardens” looked suspiciously wild, but for the Iroquois, Cherokee, and other Native American tribes who grew Three Sisters Gardens, their success amounted to a minor agricultural revolution. With cleared land at a premium, here was a way to grow three nutritious, easy-to-store crops in one space.

We examined the lower quarter which is drying out well at the moment. we have a Cherry tree which is probably the largest that we have ever seen. There is a Wild Cherry as well. Bluebells are in full bloom at the moment, and the hand held chain saw had some use getting rid of some ivy and dead wood.

Cut the lawn on the go-kart - and failed entirely to get the strimmer fired up - tomorrow is another day.

We have had a number of dry days now - so Susie was watering for over an hour this evening.

I meanwhile enjoyed a nice can of lager watching the wild Mallards on the river...

Some views of the day ..

Ouzle and Ondle

Slabs for the Duck Pond

Pond at the start of the day 

Blooming

Susie in the Bluebells of the Lower Quarter

And this is a Cherry Tree! A Wild Cherry

and a Bird Cherry 

The Wild Cherry is Huge 

Bluebell Quarter

Susie with her Peony Tree

The Flowers are ready to come out 

Susie's Gate behind the Peacocks - all hung and secure

View back to the house through the
azalea and Bullace Blossom

Mallard on the river - Honest !

So - half way through the duck pond

Temple of Doris - in Flower

Susie hadn't noticed that a small Buddha had appeared 

I can't believe it's not...

Duck Pond from the other side

And the Gate is protected again 

Ouzle and Ondle

Enjoying some freedom..

A long day - probably will not go to Llanelli tomorrow ..  Have booked the dump of Thursday so perhaps Tuesday and Thursday is better..

Cheers !