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



Joined: 24 Jun 2010
Posts: 2201
Location: Llanfyllin area
PostPosted: Thu Apr 20, 17 1:57 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Seen my first bluebells out in a wood this afternoon from the motor, in a spot where I have never seen bluebells before, or not been looking. Lovely sheltered spot! Strange weather right now, warm and dull, half cloudy, but doesn't look like rain-so will be moving more stuff later on today. I am still looking for a scrap merchant who will deliver a skip and collect it when I have filled it and pay me money. Most want to hire the skip to me and doubtless half empty it before they weigh it, I am told. Every penny counts! and I have enough scrap to fill about a 10 metre skip. I also need to go and buy 2 entrance gateposts-for hanging and closing supposedly different sizes.
Bonus happened yesterday, I was summoned to the boss's office for a chat and have been given a pay rise; in practise I was expecting the worst, but it is spring and it is now we get busy and they want me to do more-I am already doing 6-7 hours a day and supposed to be part time!

Jam Lady



Joined: 28 Dec 2006
Posts: 2501
Location: New Jersey, USA
PostPosted: Thu Apr 20, 17 11:01 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Congratulations! Gregotyn. Such a good feeling when your efforts are recognized and appreciated. (And money is always nice too!)

Is your summer charcoal utilized by customers for their barbecue grills, Mistress Rose? It is popular here because there are no nasty binders used in forming the cheaper briquettes.

You must be quite busy Cassandra. Tantalized us with a promise of upcoming pictures, which I - for one - would enjoy seeing (and everyone else too, I bet.)

Mistress Rose



Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 15539

PostPosted: Fri Apr 21, 17 7:48 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Congratulations Gregotyn, but if you are already doing that many hours, you are hardly part time.

Yes, Jam Lady, our charcoal is mainly sold for barbecues, but we will also sieve out grades for blacksmiths and the finer stuff for horticultural use; Bio-char is sporadically popular, so we sometimes sell a bit of that.

I steeled myself to look at the lower part of the woods yesterday, the part where the hoards descend to look at the bluebells. In fact it wasn't too bad apart from the paths getting wider and wider. I took one photo on my phone that showed the path with just a few bluebells visible in the distance. That used to be all flowers. Sadly we can't think of any really good ideas rather other than keeping people penned into the public footpath, which we don't want to do.

I managed to find a lovely lot of early purple orchids Orchis mascula and got a few pictures of them on son's camera, but not sure how they have turned out yet.

After my walk I had an appointment with some charcoal bags, and the three of us managed to do 20 bags for a couple of orders. More to do next week, but at least we have enough for over 20 more, but we have those on order, so looks like another firing next week.

Jam Lady



Joined: 28 Dec 2006
Posts: 2501
Location: New Jersey, USA
PostPosted: Fri Apr 21, 17 12:53 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

So people are just walking wherever they please through the woods, and are walking on the bluebells, Mistress Rose? Hardly shows any appreciation of the flowers if that's what they are doing.

Yes, this is the time of year when each day brings more and different flowers. Nice that you do see / enjoy them, betwixt and between charcoal duties.

gregotyn



Joined: 24 Jun 2010
Posts: 2201
Location: Llanfyllin area
PostPosted: Fri Apr 21, 17 2:17 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

I think the 'wanderers' in the woods when they have access think that it is their right to wander ad lib, rather than stick to a path, a shame really but there we are. Some years ago there was a "right to roam" on most of the open ground in the UK as I understand it. If you do a trip over the Long Mynd in Shropshire-Welsh for mountain there Jam Lady-and start in Church Stretton you come to owned farmland on the other side, the welsh side as I call it, but still in Shropshire, and so you go through the gate onto farm land forgetting that it is private land and owned not by the state but by a farmer, and you also think that the gate should be open so you leave it open for the farmer's animals-sheep or cattle to wander onto open hill and potentially leaving what can be dangerous animals, cows with baby calves, or worse still bulls, to get upset with your lovely little dog, and you if you happen to be holding the lead! Bit of a hobby horse of mine-sorry.

If I were full time, MR, I would be doing 8am-5.30pm, with an hour break-too much for me now. The reason I start at 7am is to get the overnight deliveries ready for the mechanics to start at 8am-even if they don't actually start then, due to discussions regarding last night! then the kit is ready for them, boys will be boys!
We are not ready for charcoal at this end of the country yet, although it has warmed up considerably, a bit dull today and surprised it has not rained but so far ok.
I have made my first 6 trailer trips of various items to my holding down the road and started to fill the new shed. looks so small now that stuff is going into it I may have to have another!
I think I may have done a deal with a local chap who lives on a back road, to deliver all his logs to me and I will sell them for him at the weekends from my gate which is quite a busy "B" road to a prominent waterfall, the highest in Wales, I am told. It was where one of the Timotei-a hair shampoo in the UK-advertisements was filmed. He has logs which are sensible 'town' fireplace sized, and well seasoned, but nowhere to sell them from. As he is a good friend I will do it for him. I also have to get a gate post and concrete it into position to hang my new gate which he sold to me very cheaply. I am expecting him to come to see me tomorrow pm and we will discuss it further. He has offered some oak posts to me for gate posts but I could not lift any of them he has available, (age, sigh).

I hope Cassandra will be with us at some point tonight and that all is well with her.

Mistress Rose



Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 15539

PostPosted: Sat Apr 22, 17 6:26 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

The so called 'Right to Roam' was the Rights of Way and Countryside Act, and only certain land became 'access' land. Even on that people have a lot of responsibilities, like keeping their dogs under control, and some of that also has stricter rules and may be closed at times, such as when the army are shooting things across it. No arable land or woodland is 'access' land as otherwise some idiot would insist on their 'right to roam' in front of a combine harvester or a falling tree, and as I tell people, God is rather sparing with his miracles, so they would probably get killed. I agree about dogs Gregotyn. The number of times a dog shoots past us in the private bit of the woods, or just misses getting squashed by a tree, and you can hear the owner yelling for them hundreds of yards away. There are signs up saying it is a working woodland and dogs should be kept under strict control or on a lead. People just don't know what their dog will do unless they have already done it, like chase sheep, cows or deer, and of course cows and dogs don't get on. OK, rant over.

We have our coppice group AGM in the woods today, so have to be up there fairly early to make sure everything is ready for them. A bit bothering, but hoping it will go all right.

gregotyn



Joined: 24 Jun 2010
Posts: 2201
Location: Llanfyllin area
PostPosted: Sat Apr 22, 17 9:28 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

You are right MR., but how many folks quote the 'right to roam' when they are in fact trespassing? I hope the AGM goes well for you, get the kettle on early!
I've got definite plans for today; to move more stuff, and hopefully dig and concrete a gate post in the ground, but as the post is only 6"x3" cross section, I will be attaching it to the barn wall too with a rawl bolt, I think I have some M12 somewhere, sort of insurance. I will also be moving more 'stuff' at intervals if the digging gets hard, or more likely I need a rest. If I can't find a long bolt it may slow me down a bit-Monday afternoon! (The adage of never doing today what you can leave till tomorrow).

Mistress Rose



Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 15539

PostPosted: Sun Apr 23, 17 6:11 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Good luck with your gate post and moving 'stuff' Gregotyn.

The AGM went quite well, although we didn't have too many people unfortunately. We had a representative of Grown in Britain came and gave us a talk. She was impressed with how enthusiastic we were about the coppice standard I think, so is going to chase that up. I took them for a walk in our wood, and we had a good look at various things including the flowers, and various other points of interest for coppice workers. We actually saw a deer in one of the coups; it could have had a fawn there, although we were looking at the early purple orchids. There was a lot of interest in our retort kiln, and although I was left with lots of biscuits, they went down well too.

gz



Joined: 23 Jan 2009
Posts: 8576
Location: Ayrshire, Scotland
PostPosted: Mon Apr 24, 17 3:24 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

I thought Right to Roam was just Scotland?

cassandra



Joined: 27 Mar 2013
Posts: 1733
Location: Tasmania Australia
PostPosted: Mon Apr 24, 17 4:52 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

People tend to forget that with every right comes a responsibility - we need to remind them of this more frequently when they shout 'I've got my rights!".

Sorry about the absence without leave. Between a needy cat, and a busy lifestyle time flies. I will tell the last week in pictures for you by way of apology for my absence and the absence of images.

On Monday I went to Hobart in the hopes of attending an exhibition at the School of Arts. Turns out they are closed on Public Holidays which seems a bit odd when they are in the heart of the tourist complex on the waterfront, but it was a lovely day so I lingered. The lack of functioning parking meters was another incentive as usually a trip there is a hurried affair.

The waterfront is both a leisure facility and a working fishing port as you can see.



It was once (in my lifetime) a busy port, but that has passed to a large extent and now most of the wharves are restaurants or shops. A new motel has been built (not shown) that resembles a wharf, but is a complete new build. I rather like it.

These two photos are from the same spot, looking in different directions. The waterfront is at the head of the Derwent estuary and as you can see, the land on the other side of the river is still under pasture. Looking toward the Mountain, is a different story, but for those of you from more densely populated areas, the idea this might be a city is a bit laughable (though we do have a cathedral or two).



In the orchard the fruit trees are reaching the end of their bearing, though the medlars have not yet started to blet. The apples are all producing well, if rather small fruit, and I have plans (that may not be implemented) to slice and dry them.



The medlar, though fecund, has not produced anywhere near enough to warrant making jelly, so will be donated to someone with a more productive tree and kitchen this year. The colours of the autumn leaves on it are glorious however so I am feeling inspired to try dyeing a length of tops and see what happens.





The Mill was looking rather nice the other evening as I parked by the lakeside, so I took a shot of it for you.




And my knitting activities have produced a rather rough and tumble beanie (from the Ryeland fleece but with a variety of other wools in it too - the Ryeland is the blue and the white) which has been posted off to its intended recipient.



The scarf was finally blocked to some extent and has been donated to a friend's daughter since it is her colours.




And I am presently working on a pair of socks, this first of which is now 8 inches long, so I will be turning the heel in another inch!




The strange objects hanging off the bottom are stitch markers in case you were wondering.

On Wednesday we are expecting minus two overnight and a maximum of 8. With the forecast precipition i live in hope of our first snowfall, but they say it will be only above 900metres. So it's a good thing i have had another load of wood delivered. Not that I seem to need fires much any more since the insulation in the roof was inserted.

Still rearranging stuff in doors to fit displaced kitchen contents, hindered by animals who get too excited by it all.

Mistress Rose



Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 15539

PostPosted: Mon Apr 24, 17 6:07 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Thanks for the pictures Cassandra. Sounds as if you have been busy. Hobart looks a lovely civilised city, even if it is catching up with the tourist trail in patches.

I like the sheep and dogs? on the beanie. Perhaps as you get into spinning more and spin a bit finer the detail will get sharper, but very nice anyway, and I am sure the recipient will be very pleased with it.

We are also expecting cold weather this week, with frosts being forecast all over the place, with certainly snow in Scotland and possibly elsewhere.

Gz, you are right, the right to roam only exists in Scotland, but the press picked up on the term, and as most people only seem to read the headlines, there are plenty of people who think they have the 'right' without, as Cassandra points out, understanding that for every right there is a responsibility.

We went to a pole lathe turners meeting yesterday and I made a spoon out of holly as some was available. Didn't like the smell very much, but persevered, as I was pretty sure once it dried it would be unworkable. I finished it and gave it to our host. It wasn't the best spoon I have made, and certainly not the shape I am aiming for at the moment for a re-enactors fair in June, but that is what came out of the wood.

gz



Joined: 23 Jan 2009
Posts: 8576
Location: Ayrshire, Scotland
PostPosted: Mon Apr 24, 17 10:36 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

We are now up in the Waikato..a beautiful hot Autumn day here once the clouds cleared, and not as cold as expected at night. However that could be the big city effect of Hamilton!
I'm hoping that our garden in Scotland won't be too badly frosted...we're back a week on Friday and hope to really get on with developing the productive side. We've seen some good veggie gardens here and I'm getting inspired!!

Mistress Rose



Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 15539

PostPosted: Tue Apr 25, 17 6:15 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Sounds good Gz. We are expecting a few cold days; the house temperature overnight here has just dropped by about 5 C with no heating at night. Should be milder again by the end of the week, but still cool. Otherwise, sun is shining and it looks like a good day, but wind from north.

We bagged up over 20 bags of charcoal yesterday, as we definitely have an order for 10 of them, and probably the other 10.

gregotyn



Joined: 24 Jun 2010
Posts: 2201
Location: Llanfyllin area
PostPosted: Tue Apr 25, 17 1:36 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Woke up this morning and it was snowing quite well for April, white over, but none on the roads so I 'hared' to work as usual-well there is no traffic on the road at 5 am up here! Regrettably the gate post didn't get done-I took 2 colynnau-hinges, but in Welsh, Jam Lady-and they were short, my fault as I didn't measure them even though I knew the width of the gate post. That is now a job for another day.

Hobart looks really good Cassandra, that seaside cleanliness if you know what I mean. I wish they would do our wind turbines to look like your windmill and then folks may be more accepting of such power. I don't happen to mind seeing the current large white 'poles' and rotor blades, but for some they are an eyesore. It does appear that at some point last w/e the whole country was powered by renewable energy. Something I heard, rather than read, but hope it was true.
I would like to order a beany hat of the sheep dogs and sheep please; or ideally 2 sheep and one dog! Let me know how much it would cost and if you would do it, please?
My mother used to knit socks and it was a sign of her work that as I liked long socks she would knit the bottoms to a pattern, but the tops were knitted in any wool she had left over from another knit! and would be in plain knitting out of sight! All socks in our household needed elastic garters to keep them up.

I am pleased your AGM went well MR. Don't knock the leftover biscuits, as you can heave them on the family! Over the years as I have felled timber and 'thinned' a few of the lower branches I have kept a fair amount of now well seasoned bits. I will start to make a few 'things' once I get moved. I am hoping to make eggcups in different timbers. I am not sure how some of the wood will react to heat and being washed up, but there we are, I will have a go.

Jam Lady



Joined: 28 Dec 2006
Posts: 2501
Location: New Jersey, USA
PostPosted: Tue Apr 25, 17 9:00 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Nice to hear that everyone is so well and busy.

We better not have snow Gregotyn, my bananas are starting in growth.

Mistress Rose, there is no "right of access" on private property here. In fact, people often post signs on trees along the perimeter - no hunting / no trespassing.

Cassandra, excellent that you are getting out and about and enjoying yourself.

Busy rest of week. I'll be back in May (which is not that far off.)

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