27th March 2025 - Platforms, Moles, Lawns and Wade

Thought for the day :"“Conjunctivitis.com – that’s a site for sore eyes.”
– Tim Vine

Wet ..

2025 : Wet 38 : Dry 47

One of those drizzly days - starting about lunchtime and as we head to bed the rain is coming down a little harder.  As a result Dave decided that it was not possible to do the Pine End rendering so went down to Nancy's to price up some work for them ...

So it left Susie and I to do some general work around the site ...

Susie, having planted her new Strawberries yesterday in the raised beds, she transplanted the old strawberry plants  into beds in the Polytunnel.

For me, I was up at 8am in case Dave turned up, so it was an occasion to gather all the cardboard boxes and paper wrapping that was around the Wade, and has generally grown over the months and to start another bonfire, clearing the rhododendron branches that we removed for the shower block, and gather some of the brush still on the ground.

As Dave was not arriving Susie and I popped off to Beulah to get some coal and layers pellets, and took the opportunity to head on to Newcastle Emlyn to get a new clematis to replace the dead one on the patio, and so I bought some grass seed to help recovery of the area of the Duck Pond which now has very wet mud after digging out the pond. Covered it up with the old pond liner to stop the chicken stealing all the seed straight away.

We popped into the antique centre to see if there was any demand for WADE and there was not a lot there, and then went into the charity shop for Skanda Vale, and Susie found a Rum Topf (£9.50), and a rather nice cafetier (£3.50)... 

We carried on through Penrhiw-llan, and stopped of with Ellen, the 86 year old lady who runs the Charity Garage - a continuous garage sale of bric-a-brac and a chat.  Susie found a pig in a tyre, with the title "piggin' Tyred" and I paid £2 - double her asking price ...  All her proceeds go to Charity.

But she also chatted about the old days, and apparently there used to be a picture house - a man came once a week to Rhydlewis with a projector and it was called the local cinema. Best guess it was at the location where the Community Hall is now.   

We also chatted about the fact that she had been tea-total since a child as was her father, which led us to chatting about pubs in the village and her memory of a "home" bar near the old school, but her recollection is that Rhydlewis was the local Mecca for the youngsters and she was not allowed to go on her own until she was 16.

We also chatted about Reverend John Green, who shut the pubs in the area...

(previously discussed in https://vollsanger.blogspot.com/2020/12/december-23rd-2020-pubs-and-back-to.html )

On then to Pets and Ponies for straw for the Eco - Toilet, chopped wheat for the duck bedding and some suet pellets and Fat Balls for the birds..

Back to the homestead and dry enough to do some more work. 

And so I got the opportunity to run the tractor up and down the garden so I though I would drop the blades and gave a gentle cut of the lawn - the first of the year. In doing so I took a spade and bucket and picked up the new earth from all the mole hills and putting it in a pile for Susie to use as planting soil.

(First Cut of the year)

Straw taken to the lower quarter.

Final task of the day was to start breaking sections of wood into useful lengths for use in the building of the eco toilet and the shower block - work for tomorrow.

And so Susie was then left to carry on with her Wade Whimseys. Sarah popped in for her Thursday glass of wine - sadly I was on antibiotics so it was just Susie and Sarah, and they sat unwrapping Wade figurines for an hour, glass in hand .....

And so, another day continues, the rain is a little harder late this evening, so not sure what will be done tomorrow - hopefully we can hit the shower block and eco toilet - we shall see. Can't do any more to the tent platforms until the carpet arrives.  Also want to wait to open the trailer tent until it is assured to be dry for a few days ...

And another day and only a couple of weeks before our Belgian friends arrive - we have worked out that it is 14 boys and 4 girls ... 

Did the TENS application yesterday for the four days of Easter Weekend ....

Note to self - "Remember to pay Lyme Bay" - keep on forgetting during the day - may be a little busy !

Cheers !