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... the sky is baby blue, and the just-unfurling leaves ...
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cassandra



Joined: 27 Mar 2013
Posts: 1733
Location: Tasmania Australia
PostPosted: Sun Jul 16, 17 8:53 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Best of luck with the move Gregotyn - wishing we could all be there to give you a hand. Hope you have some willing helpers!

Not sure if the sun rose today at all - I certainly didn't see it. And a cold grim day it was in the History Room huddled over the heater trying to keep my fingers sufficiently limber to be able to knit. At least the vest is now large enough to serve as a knee rug as i work! Almost to the top and i am fairly sure I have the right number of stitches either side of the neck opening - was not at all sure for while and had to make some unscheduled reductions to get the balance right once more! So it will be a bit wonky unless I am really lucky.

I am trying to work out what to do about the steeks as the pattern says nothing about casting off along their tops - fairly sure that would be a good idea to avoid runs, so I will probably do it anyway. The shoulders get grafted together once the steeks are cut, so I will cast them off as I go around the final row, leaving necessary stitches on holders as I come to them. I will ask on my knitting forum and see what everyone else does.

gz



Joined: 23 Jan 2009
Posts: 8562
Location: Ayrshire, Scotland
PostPosted: Sun Jul 16, 17 9:02 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Have you had storms Cassandra or just generally miserable weather?

cassandra



Joined: 27 Mar 2013
Posts: 1733
Location: Tasmania Australia
PostPosted: Mon Jul 17, 17 12:13 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Just generally miserable weather gz - snow is forecast for Wednesday (thwarting my plans to go to Hobart) and Thursday, meaning another miserably cold day in the History Room (as will be the case tomorrow). I am about to head out into the gloom to split a stack of wood to bring up to near the house in preparation. Fortunately the fire was still glowing this morning to getting it started was no problem, but I am very low on kindling sticks so have been out foraging for some eucalyptus bark (now stacked in the loungeroom to dry out). Billy has shown me that temperatures around the base of the wood heater are safe to stack wood, so I am also putting morning sticks there overnight to ensure warmth and dryness.

Mistress Rose



Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 15510

PostPosted: Mon Jul 17, 17 11:03 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Does sound rather miserable Cassandra. Hope you don't get too much snow and it isn't too cold in the History Room. Do you have a fire or other heater there?

We have just got back from a couple of days in Dorset. Had a Dorset/Hampshire joint Coppice Group meeting on Saturday evening and didn't fancy the drive back, so as son was away for the weekend, we thought we would spend a few days away too. The highlight was playing one of the tunes Thomas Hardy would have played on a violin in his birthplace cottage. Lovely place that just feels comfortable and right in the landscape. We also visited Max Gate, the house he built a couple of miles away when he had 'arrived', and went to Brownsea Island where Scouting started. Sadly didn't see any red squirrels. They seem to hide from me when I go there.

Mistress Rose



Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 15510

PostPosted: Tue Jul 18, 17 5:54 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Came back yesterday to find the courgettes had been getting delusions of grandeur and one at least was trying to be a marrow. For some reason it was growing in the pea sticks, so well up off the ground. I also found that finally one of the squashes has set too, which is rather nice.

Made a 'slaw' based on a Hairy Bikers recipe to go with salad for dinner. Shredded courgette and cut carrot up fine (it wouldn't shred) and added salt, pepper and lemon juice, then dressed it with my own plain yoghurt. Rather nice. Their recipe is more complicated and probably a lot stronger tasting, but that suited me.

cassandra



Joined: 27 Mar 2013
Posts: 1733
Location: Tasmania Australia
PostPosted: Tue Jul 18, 17 8:36 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Yep - you can't take your eye off those courgettes once they get going! It continues grey and grim - no sign of the sun for two days, and today it put in a very brief appearance. Tomorrow's forecast of snow to 400 metres has been revised to 'snow to 900 metres' which technically means a trip to Hobart is possible, but I have been so dis-incentivised that I have not made my 'list of things to do' while down there. And tonight it is simply not going to happen.

I have knitted as far as I can go on the vest, and will need to spin some more dark grey yarn and some white yarn - also not going to happen tonight. I was hoping to get away without doing that, but have realised that since i also need it for the basque, I have no option. Oh well.

Today in the History Room was spent in solitary splendour - yes we do have a wood heater, but it is sitting bang in the middle of the passage, and in a draft from under the front door - but it beats the socks off sitting on the sofa at some distance and hoping for the sun to put in an appearance.

Two senators from my favourite Party have just discovered they have dual citizenship so have resigned. One will be replaced by a 21 year old chap with cerebral palsy (clearly not as limited as my cousin's child) and the other by someone from a suitably left wing party. Both emigrated as children and took Australian citizenship but were not aware of the need to renounce their country of birth. I have to wonder how many other parliamentarians born elsewhere have similar dark secrets and are less forthcoming about it. Life is never dull in the Australian parliament!

gregotyn



Joined: 24 Jun 2010
Posts: 2201
Location: Llanfyllin area
PostPosted: Tue Jul 18, 17 1:33 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Thank you all for the good wishes regarding the move. Yes I have only one willing helper, that is me, Cassandra, but I am happier that way as if something is in the wrong place it is me and no-one else's fault! It is going better than I hoped and not a lot to do now of the bulk stuff. Saturday I had a man with a fork lift on his loader tractor and he took about 12 pallets of 'stuff' for me. I was expecting to be short of space, until friend showed me how to deal with padlocks that had not been opened for years and that gave me a lot more space in a lorry body than I thought I was not going to have. As it is the new steel building is much too small as the man who built it said it would be! I thought he was fishing for business but he was so right! My next purchase will be a digger. I own one but doubt I will ever see it or the money for it. The chap who has my digger will however, pay one way or another-not violence, but I have other holds on him-nasty piece of work, which I didn't know at the time or I would never have got into partnership, he simply took and never put back, he must know that at some point I will have a go at him, just waiting to see when he is at his most vulnerable then strike. He works for the same company as me-why do you think I took the job there? He thinks the job has compensated for £3800 I invested-oh no it doesn't!

I have invested in a log splitter, a Draper 4 tonne model seems to work quite well. If only you lived next door Cassandra. The main thing for me is that I have about 80% of my kindling requirement chopped, I can net it up nearer the time; first thing is to start throwing away. Looking forward to log fires of my own making-just not looking forward to winter! I need a lot more dry weather to be sure everything is in place and dry for winter, some casualties are inevitable. I also need to set a few traps-more investment! I am not so keen on poison as it affects other creatures if they get hold of it.

The only place I have seen red squirrels is in Scotland; thought there are some in North Wales at the Welsh Language Centre, but I didn't see any when I was there. Dorset is such a lovely county, MR. I have a couple of college friends who farm near Shaftsbury.

I may have completed the move by the weekend so I should be "in" on Saturday with the 'low down' of why not to gather too many potential projects till you have a place to do them!

Last edited by gregotyn on Thu Jul 20, 17 1:10 pm; edited 1 time in total

Jam Lady



Joined: 28 Dec 2006
Posts: 2498
Location: New Jersey, USA
PostPosted: Tue Jul 18, 17 2:08 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Glad all is well for everybody

Mistress Rose



Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 15510

PostPosted: Wed Jul 19, 17 7:01 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Well glad you seem to have avoided the snow Cassandra, but the History Room doesn't seem too well laid out. I assume you didn't feel warm enough to do any spinning while you were there.

I was reading on your FB page about the senators. It seems a rather odd situation, especially as so many Australians are probably of duel nationality, but then everyone thinks other countries political systems are odd. Nice to know they are honourable though, and if they get it sorted out they may be back. Cerebral palsy affects different people in different ways. DIL is fairly severely handicapped physically, although she can walk a little bit, but she is certainly all there mentally. Others are far more lightly affected, and some, sadly, far worse.

Nice to know the move is pretty well there Gregotyn and useful that you had someone to find you more storage space. Hope you get settled in quickly and the weather stays dry for you.

We bagged charcoal yesterday and have enough for this weeks orders. Good thing we did get it bagged yesterday as we had thunder storms in the night, so everything will be wet now. By the sounds of it we didn't have too severe rain storms, but some places had some nasty flash floods.

They have started the harvest here, so assume they carried on in the next field on the next hill to us until the humidity got too high. Can't see them finishing for a while today as everything is going to be soaked.

cassandra



Joined: 27 Mar 2013
Posts: 1733
Location: Tasmania Australia
PostPosted: Thu Jul 20, 17 6:12 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

As the man said Gregotyn - work out how big the shed needs to be then double it - I have found this to my cost also. Barely room to move in there at present! Hahaha

The snow failed to arrive today too, which is surprising as the maximum was four and it rained and rained. Only 7 mm in the gauge, but better than nothing.

The History Room, as you suggest, was very chilly - the sunny morning allowed for some spinning to be done, and I moved closer to the wood heater before giving up entirely at two and coming home. No-one in their right mind would be touristing in that weather!

I did have a woman with two grandchildren in the morning - I hope she got home before the weather came down.

As a result I have two bobbins of yarn to wind off tonight, ply, wash, dry and then resume knitting. Hopefully sufficient unto the task as I have no more of the white tops left and don't particularly want to buy any (though I have several white fleeces, if all else fails).

Dinner last night was corned beef - a lump of salt beef braised in vinegar with veges. It has turned out a lot closer to the texture of the tinned variety this time, presumably the cooking method. So the leftovers (after tonight's dinner) will be done as hash with potatoes which will provide several more meals!

gregotyn



Joined: 24 Jun 2010
Posts: 2201
Location: Llanfyllin area
PostPosted: Thu Jul 20, 17 1:42 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

We had rain but not too much, and escaped the severity they had in the South West-Coverac, I gather had helicopter rescues of little old ladies of their roofs-sp?

We appear to have the same problem Cassandra-the consolation is that I can put another shed up on my 5 acres of ground to get a place to work in! In fact I have two buildings with each with the roof off. One is easily fixed I hope, and I will be getting that into play asap after the move is completed, at the weekend I hope. Apart from the move all is quiet at home, and I have been working longer hours-knowing that once the winter comes the times will be reduced for me-but we are busy so no one worries about how much time I am there. I don't ever "spin my work out", however, I think that is totally unfair on a boss who could, realistically do without me if push came to shove, but the other 2 lads would be racing around with heads buried in the computers.
Do you carry on spinning when you have folks in the history room, Cassandra? and wait for them to comment, or do you stop and conduct the visitors round the exhibits?

The extra storage space came from an old lorry body, MR, which belonged to the friend who demonstrated how to get in when you have lost-misplaced I mean-the keys!
Glad you have the charcoal situation under control, I hate losing a sale anytime-I often have to get the shop which sells my kindling to open the outside bunker at the weekend. The time when most of the product is sold is Friday pm-visitors coming to the cottage for the w/e don't always bring firewood with them!
Corn harvest has begun here in South Shropshire they say, with winter barley. We have had a couple of combine harvesters in for servicing ,and new parts in one case was a front auger of 24 feet, very big for this area.

I am assuming you are well too Jam Lady? Well I hope so!

Back to it now Only about 6 more small trailer loads to do !!

Jam Lady



Joined: 28 Dec 2006
Posts: 2498
Location: New Jersey, USA
PostPosted: Thu Jul 20, 17 2:01 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Brutally hot weather. It was 33 degrees Celsius here at home yesterday, a couple of degrees warmer (according to my car's thermometer) on the road. The bananas are loving it.


Mistress Rose



Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 15510

PostPosted: Fri Jul 21, 17 6:28 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

They are aren't they. Do they ever produce fruit? That sounds far too hot for comfort Jam Lady, so I can see why you need air conditioning.

The harvest has started here too Gregotyn. I noticed the OSR where I get my meat has been cut, and followed a grain tractor part way to the woods on Tuesday. Since then we have had rain, so I assume they were cutting until it got too damp to work. Hope you can get the roof on your shed and the move sorted out quickly.

At present we don't have any charcoal orders, but we don't have any charcoal either. We were cutting thin wood for it yesterday and husband wants to run both of the big kilns. The weather forecast makes that seem unlikely until next Tuesday, so hope everyone has enough charcoal in the meantime.

Husband and son flattened the sawdust heap yesterday and came across 2 slowworms, one of them quite big. The leveret was also hanging around. I saw a big green dragonfly, possibly a green hawker patrolling one of the log piles, presumably for insects.

cassandra



Joined: 27 Mar 2013
Posts: 1733
Location: Tasmania Australia
PostPosted: Fri Jul 21, 17 8:48 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Ah slow-worms - my introduction to these delightful beasts was finding what looked like a lethal serpent coiling on the floor of the kitchen in my house in Kent - brought in courtesy of Esther. It was only when I realised it was rather stumpy that it occurred to me it might not be a snake - turns out this rare and endangered beasty was quite prolific in that particular street and I was perpetually rescuing them thereafter.

Gregotyn, I wish I had more shed space, but I can live with what I have once the renos are complete - it is the spare stuff that is taking up floor space and that will all either find a home or a new owner as I go along.

It was bright sunshine today which took some getting used to after a week of grey dense overcast - And several loads of washing were done and dealt with which is a relief. My gas bottle ran out two weeks after I bought it so I took it back full of indignation only to discover on my return that the leak was all my fault. I don't think I will own up, but part of my conscience tells me I should.

The corned beef was therefore tricky to reheat the way I had intended last night, as the gas ran out before it got tepid, so it was finished off in the microwave. It did work today, however, and very nice it was.

The beauty of the new dishwasher is that despite the inside looking smaller than the last one, the configuration is such that all the tall plates that never previously fitted do now - and I can manage to get in several pots in at the same time for those occasions (such as tonight) when I am feeling lazy.

Time to treat the latest crop of chilblains now, so I will leave you all gasping in the heat and wondering why anyone could possibly want to see sunshine!

Jam Lady



Joined: 28 Dec 2006
Posts: 2498
Location: New Jersey, USA
PostPosted: Fri Jul 21, 17 1:58 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Brief, exceedingly heavy rain early yesterday evening, the kind where it is sluicing down the outside of windows. Then settled down to familiar sort of rain. Sunny today, which means humidity will make the projected 33 degree Celsius high temperature even more obnoxious.

Yes, the bananas do flower and fruit but they are small and fibrous. Given the choice I'll take more cold tolerance over grow my own.

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