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cassandra
Joined: 27 Mar 2013
Posts: 1733
Location: Tasmania Australia
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gregotyn
Joined: 24 Jun 2010
Posts: 2201
Location: Llanfyllin area
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 Posted: Fri Apr 11, 14 2:24 pm Post subject: |
 
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I have pm'ed you elsewhere MR, before I saw your post, as I have found the blurb. I am quite interested in buying one as the machine does a good job, and can run on a tractor pto or electricity I'll use my '35. and start looking for more customers!
Doctor Kate O'Dwyer has sorted me out with a cream for inside the nose-a new doctor to here and seems really good, she may even have a sense of humour! It was the aspirin making the blood thinner that gave me the panic.
Autumn does seem to have set in with you now, Cassandra, as we are well into spring and today has been positively warm up here, and I have seen damson blossom out! I am impressed with your theory of growing, I have been saying that for years and think the pretty bits which were for the ex to do drove her away! I had 1/2 acre of veg, 1/2 acre of fruit and an acre paddock for sheep in the winter and make hay in the summer for the said sheep. All she had to do were a few short borders about 3 metres long and 18" wide-ie hoe round the roses-I did the pruning! I did the green houses as well, didn't like my veg., too earthy!
I have got my arrangements for gardening with age, as you know I do it in boxes that I can sit down to the job-sort of 2 ft off the ground deep beds! I too have done a few jobs today the worst being to pay my LR insurance £360 or there abouts- so all is done with that till tax it time in October. See you all tomorrow. |
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cassandra
Joined: 27 Mar 2013
Posts: 1733
Location: Tasmania Australia
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Mistress Rose
Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 15598
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| Posted: Sat Apr 12, 14 8:35 am Post subject: |
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Thanks Gregotyn, I have replied to the PM via the 'other side'. Glad your nose bleed problem is sorted out. I assumed you would be on aspirin. I know it can cause bleeding problems as husband is on it, and if he has a cut it can bleed quite badly.
It worries me when they talk about 'Over 50s' as if we were ancient and decrepit. To some extent I think it might be an idea to make the garden easier to manage, but it seems to have other ideas. Before I get to the 'ancient' age group, I would expect to move, probably because next doors who are older will have to sell their house, and that will probably be redeveloped making our position between them and small estate untenable.
I have some low raised beds, but husband put them in so that I could cope with defined areas as being ill, I was finding looking at a large patch of ground impossible. I used to work with a man that had polio in his youth and was in a wheel chair. He had raised beds and did the gardening quite happily, although I suspect that he had to get someone else to do any digging or heavy work.
Seasoned firewood is always a problem Cassandra. Don't know what your suppliers are like, but we always tell people what the state of seasoning is, unlike some who swear blue's black that the green beech dripping sap is fully seasoned. If you can find a good supplier, I would try to stick with them. It won't cure the problem, but it might help letting a bit more air into the fire to take the worst of the moisture up the chimney.
Not surprised you are tired after doing out 3 flats. Husband, son and the lad dug a soakaway hole, put the crates and shingle in yesterday and more or less covered it over. Think they were all tired after that. I did odd household jobs and refurbished some spice and pot pourri ropes son found in the spare room from many years ago. |
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gregotyn
Joined: 24 Jun 2010
Posts: 2201
Location: Llanfyllin area
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| Posted: Sat Apr 12, 14 9:23 am Post subject: |
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Cassandra, I guess you will be stacking wood-isn't there a prize really? what a swizz! now there is a 'dating' word-takes me back to the days of the 'Beano' and other equally desireable rags at the ages of 8 to 13! A bit of a pain when you have been working as well. Seasoning is important for efficiency of burning ref MR and Dave Cooke. I have seen the results of burning fresh spruce at a friend's house to know that I don't want tar running down my bedroom walls. Does the same thing happen with unseasoned hard woods?
'Tis true that at 50+ you are written off. They don't understand why our boss employed me-except that they are beginning to realise that a chap who always turns up at 0630am and gets everything ready for them to start at 8am and distributes the previous afternoon/overnight deliveries to hopefully the right places, burns the rubbish, ticks the order book against what has been delivered during the morning, and generally fetches, carries, holds spanners, bundles cardboard, drives the fork lift(licensed), and saves one of them having to do 'it.' Oh I have to make my own tea! Age is just one of the reasons the holding has to go and am going to the bungalow in advance of needing to! I haven't read your pm but I will say the prices will be wrong as I was looking at a 2007 list!-oops. I have sent another pm!
I am going to a farm sale which begins at 1200, not sure why it is so late, but possibly because the auctioneers are from away and want time to get there! It is a beautiful farm and house. I often go to sales to be "nosey" and "just in case" there is something I really cannot exist a moment longer without! I am afraid to admit that I have bought so much on impulse and it is still in the box! |
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cassandra
Joined: 27 Mar 2013
Posts: 1733
Location: Tasmania Australia
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Mistress Rose
Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 15598
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| Posted: Sun Apr 13, 14 5:11 am Post subject: |
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They are working up to that in the UK too Cassandra. In the farming and forestry industries however the average age is in the 60s I think, so being over 50 is no real disadvantage among other workers, just gets a bit more difficult, which is why we need youngsters to come in with the physical abilities to learn from the experienced.
Green hardwood (in the UK) doesn't burn very well except for ash, which has low moisture content, so it generally isn't a problem with severe tarring. I haven't really burnt much softwood, but knowing how much resin it can contain it certainly could cause a problem. The other thing is the flue. It sounds as if your friend didn't have a flue liner Gregotyn. Old houses which don't have them have to be rather careful anyway, as there is always a risk of fire, and with tar getting through that is even greater.
Finally managed to start the garden yesterday. Dug over one raised bed and sowed some seeds. The bed had potatoes in last year and I found a few more, as you do, so have got them settled in a large pot hoping to get some sort of crop. |
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cassandra
Joined: 27 Mar 2013
Posts: 1733
Location: Tasmania Australia
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| Posted: Sun Apr 13, 14 8:28 am Post subject: |
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Australian hardwood burns slow and black when not adequately seasoned. Not at all when green (unless you have a passing bushfire of course).
I think I like Sundays - a whole day uninterrupted by external demands - time to spend by myself, and the company of the dogs and cats if I get bored.
A couple of loads of washing took advantage of the sunny weather (rather hot and humid to be frank) and I stacked half the load of wood. The remainder is at that awkward distance from its destination that is not far enough to warrant the double-handling required to load the wheel barrow to take it there, but far enough that walking over with each piece of wood to position it carefully in the stack requires more effort than seems desirable. I will sleep on it and make a decision in the morning. My present thought is that since it is a curved stack, and the tank is at one end, if I buffer the tank by piling up the narrow and very long branches beside it (useful for fire starting and readily cut up with the drop saw), I can perhaps barrow loads over and simply dump them, now the stack has been defined, and once enough barrow loads are in position, I can then start building a low perimeter at the front to contain the rest of the wood..... But I probably won't, and will continue stacking it in an orderly manner since that is what one does with fire wood - at least where I come from.
I have a rather large beef roast for dinner - it went into the oven a bit over half an hour ago, but will probably start cooking rather more effectively now I have adjusted the oven setting from griller to oven..... I popped it in in a bit of a rush as Seb had taken a fancy to it. He has a disconcerting habit of standing up on his hind legs, resting his forepaws on the counter and helping himself to whatever takes his fancy. I am not used to animals that take human food, so it is a matter we have yet to resolve. Shadow would no more do that than fly to the moon and even the cats practice restraint.
Apart from that, I have popped around to pay for the wood, selected enough shorter pieces to keep things chugging along indoors for a couple of mild evenings, made the bed up with fresh linen (scented with lavender as I have finally found enough lavender bags to use up the dried flowers I have collected over the last few summers), taken in the washing and put it away. And now I am planning to wait for dinner (somewhat delayed) and crawl into my nice clean sheets in the not too distant future.
Tomorrow will be somewhat cooler and with a drop of rain in the afternoon, so not sure how much wood will get stacked after all.
As you say MR - the timber industry does seem to be mainly older people. The chap I buy from has just had both his knees replaced so his son is now doing it (hence the change in the quality of wood - the younger chap is not that tuned in to the job yet - all rush and no quality. There is another chap who I have bought from who I will place an order with once I have this lot stacked. He charges more, and delivers smaller loads, but his last lot of wood was good (albeit of unreliable sizing). I will ask him to give me normal sized wood too (this last lot is normal sizing as I am sick of paying extra to get it cut to length, then having to cut it up myself anyway) and see what I get this year. If it is better than I have at present, then I think I will support him in the future as this is the second time my usual chap has let me down on quality. |
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cassandra
Joined: 27 Mar 2013
Posts: 1733
Location: Tasmania Australia
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Mistress Rose
Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 15598
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| Posted: Mon Apr 14, 14 6:15 am Post subject: |
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Stacking firewood is a pain, which is why we don't stack for many people and charge for most of them. One women who has been ordering from us since we started has a double load and we have to stack at some distance from the van for her. It takes ages and is very tiring, but at least she gives us a cuppa and biscuits.
We had our first show of the year yesterday. Weather was lovely and got slightly sunburnt. We had a 'hedge' of wild cherry behind us, so we have a mixture of wood shavings and cherry petals over everything. Went fairly well, and got to talk to a few useful and/or interesting people. There was one very old man in a wheelchair that had been a wheelwright in the past. He spent a while watching son doing pole lathe turning with a big smile on his face, so think he must have been glad to see the skills he knew still going. Not sure they used a pole to turn the hub, but it would have had to be turned, out of elm if possible.
Rather tired after yesterday, and the others are doing fencing today, so I won't be needed so will have a bit of a rest-perhaps.  |
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gregotyn
Joined: 24 Jun 2010
Posts: 2201
Location: Llanfyllin area
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Mistress Rose
Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 15598
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cassandra
Joined: 27 Mar 2013
Posts: 1733
Location: Tasmania Australia
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| Posted: Tue Apr 15, 14 8:31 am Post subject: |
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If they grew 30 feet in five years they would have outgrown their strength Gregotyn. I imagine, as you say that they were in the wrong spot. They like going thirsty. Tell him to try some river red gums next time.
My stack is marginally higher, but not noticeably so. I did cut some up and bring it indoors as it was cool today. We are apparently going to have a run of cool weather over the Easter weekend (typical, we have a garden working bee on the Saturday and they are forecasting rain).
Then I finished up that quilted curtain (or at least the top layer - I have to buy some wadding as I realised that piecing together the scraps I have will show through when the sun is behind it). I may knock up a few more if the weather settles in colder. Though tomorrow is apparently going to be 17, so perhaps not tomorrow.
Little else was achieved once the fire was lit, apart from sticky beaking at all the work that is going on over the road. The new neighbours have moved in and seem to have a team of workers going flat stick - two new rainwater tanks (a total of around 50,000 litres storage, so they won't be running short), and the garden has had a once over already. I did notice them trying to split firewood with an axe, so I will take the blockbuster over tomorrow and introduce them to the concept - being from the mainland and desert parts at that, they may not have met one before.
I did roast beef the other night, and have been having it in sandwiches ever since. todays were Beef, cheddar and caramelised onions - very tasty indeed. The meat is rare to medium rare, so just right for wafer thin slices. I will try to find some horseradish at the shop tomorrow, but I suspect they won't have any. |
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gregotyn
Joined: 24 Jun 2010
Posts: 2201
Location: Llanfyllin area
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| Posted: Tue Apr 15, 14 1:16 pm Post subject: |
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I will certainly be telling friend what to plant, Will the R.R. gum tree put up with the cold weather? I will explain about the desire to be short of water for the EUCs., and thank you. 50k water seems a lot to store. I expect to use less than 1k litres to heat the bungalow for a winter unless I get a bit on the nesh side!
I had a shock this am at work, a strange car went up and down the road as I was opening up at 6.30, so I left the premises closed after I had gone in-'in case'-and got into the routine, next thing the bosses head comes through the hanging curtain 'only us he says, we're off now', I then see him and someone else getting into his car and away they go! It appears the potential intruders were his guests at some show or other! Well safe not sorry, but I suspect if it had been the wrong folks it probably would not have mattered how well the place was locked.
Thankyou for the pm. MR., I will go to see the man at the school and see what he has to say. |
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Mistress Rose
Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 15598
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