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gregotyn
Joined: 24 Jun 2010
Posts: 2201
Location: Llanfyllin area
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 Posted: Thu Jul 06, 17 1:53 pm Post subject: |
 
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Life is like that, Cassandra, make an appointment and arrive late, they must have got this 'being late' from the saying that "if they ask you to dinner at 7.30 for 8, then you must not get there till 7.50". This is not my theory; I like to be wherever I am going on time and am prepared to be early and wait round the corner, good manners is never to be late. The British workman is just the same, and usually with traffic as an excuse! Perhaps they chose the scenic route!
The resultant product looks good on the floor, and you liking it is the main thing.
I have a feeling that the fishing will come back to Scotland once Brexit is in place; hopefully giving some to export to 'them' over the channel, may even get a new cod war! Pennan was a tiny village with nothing to commend it except it was peaceful and beautiful with a natural harbour if I recall, nearly 40 years ago since I was there. Lovely little cottages on the horseshoe surround of the harbour and allotments on the side of the hill above the village. I could retire there....do very little....and enjoy it! The descent was so steep into the village that the window in our bedroom was at road level, but only the length of the pub bar! on the ground floor!
Glad you have the charcoal situation well in hand now and that it has been in good demand, MR. The best-anti horsefly is smoke I understand, I prefer to kill them myself you are sure that way.
Not a lot happening down this way, apart from silage and haymaking, there are plenty doing the second cut already, in spite of a late start, things have speeded up a bit weather wise. We have threatened thunder storms, I just hope they keep off till harvests are in store.
It appears that I got the greeting wrong Jam Lady, it should be Happy Independance Day, and not Thanksgiving for which I apologise. I often open my mouth and change feet! |
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Mistress Rose
Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 15591
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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 Jul 07, 17 2:08 pm Post subject: |
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Yes a hare fan here also; it is the lolloping gait that I like, but so few round here, mostly rabbits. We also get a lot of moles; it would only take a couple of years to get a waistcoat!
We have overcast now with a gentle breeze, so warm without squinting into the sun. My doom and gloom prediction-it will probably rain or get dark before 12pm tonight!, sorry!
I will be packing more tomorrow with a view to going in a couple of weeks-I will miss being under the barn, in a 24 ft. of caravan, mainly the morning sun and the view.
I think there will be fishing after the exit, as there won't be so many of those big hoover type vessels in British waters. But as you say, MR, it depends on the patrol vessels available-read money!
Do you think those Jam Lady baskets are made from freshly felled ash MR? I have a few to fell soon, 1 or 2 largish. would it be better to wait to work them or get them cut into slithers early whilst green, hoping to avoid splits and so on. And would it be best to use quartered timber for them too. I realise the ash handles would want to be seasoned, but for manipulation round corners I would have thought that fresh was best, cut into lathes and kept moist, I don't know, help needed please. |
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Jam Lady
Joined: 28 Dec 2006
Posts: 2507
Location: New Jersey, USA
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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: 15591
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| Posted: Sat Jul 08, 17 7:44 am Post subject: |
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Sounds as if you have a lot to do with your kitchen Cassandra, but at least you have the flooring more or less installed. Should be good when it is finished.
Gregotyn, I have never prepared ash for baskets, but as I understand you need to get a long narrow plank that has the grain running along it all the way, so you would need to cut vertically down through the log and discard the middle bit. You then bash the ends until the grain separates, then I think you can pull it apart, but not sure about if you need more bashing. There is bound to be a clip about it on the internet somewhere. Try looking under preparing ash for baskets.
We don't get many rabbits. Think disease and predators got most of them, but we do seem to do well for hares, which are supposed to be quite rare.
Husband and son managed quite a bit of firewood yesterday. On the way back from Food Bank I stopped off at the Downs where the Parish Council have a bioblitz. They are looking for all the wildlife they can find over a 24 hour period. They had moth trapping and a bat walk yesterday evening, and I did some flora surveying for them. Only spent an hour or so, but got quite a good haul, although nothing particularly unusual. Sadly the Downs are being spoilt by dog walking and lack of grazing, but people don't like cattle where they are walking their dogs, and the cattle aren't too keen on some dogs either. It is owned by either the parish or county council, so is a public open space.
We didn't have any rain btw, so I had to water the vegetables. |
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Mistress Rose
Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 15591
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gregotyn
Joined: 24 Jun 2010
Posts: 2201
Location: Llanfyllin area
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| Posted: Sat Jul 08, 17 9:26 am Post subject: |
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Thank you Jam Lady for the link to the baskets, interesting. I had a look at the ash preparation for baskets but there was too much noise and I had no ear plugs to stop the noise from the video going into the library and disturbing the other folks in there.
Thankyou MR for the gen on the ash prep., I got a fair bit from watching a video, but would have liked the commentary too. I will have a go and also get a set of head speakers to be able to listen. I think it is safe to say it is probably a green wood job rather than a well seasoned dry timber job but the chaps cutting the wood from the trees were doing it in the cold-snow on the ground! There are several clips to look at I discovered yesterday, but not enough time to absorb the gen. I have the librarian looking for a suitable book of instructions, because they are good like that here-and the fact I supply them with free starter firewood helps!
Dog walking and cattle don't mix too well, folks get maimed and even killed by cattle in the event of the 2 sets mixing, especially cows with calves at foot. Some dogs will work cattle and sheep, but they tend to be fleet of foot to get out of the way! And then if you graze sheep on open ground legitimately, the situation is that some dogs will chase sheep and kill them. My friend has shot a few that he has caught in the act of chasing sheep.
I have been into work today to collect 2 large pallets-12ft long by 5ft wide. I was going to borrow the company pickup, but the boss had to use it so that fell through, but I did some work for the 2 chaps who came in to open up at 8 o'clock. The timbers of the pallet are large cross section and suitable for another large shed frame. Be a lot cheaper than the all metal one I have just bought-which is not enough. No rain for us either, but was expected.
Hope you get your kitchen sorted soon, Cassandra, but important to get it right, both for the eye and efficiency. |
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Mistress Rose
Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 15591
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| Posted: Sun Jul 09, 17 5:55 am Post subject: |
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Yes, I think the ash is worked green Gregotyn, so I am afraid your well stored ash is more suitable for something else. Your librarians sound lovely; ours are pretty good too, but I don't use the computer there, so don't know how much help I would get with that.
I think they fence the cattle in to various parts of the Downs so the dog walkers have to stay out of them. Of course that causes problems as they insist they have the right to walk their dogs where they like. I noticed though that when I was up there the other day there were paths, probably mowed, in certain places, so that tends to keep people on the right route and off the more delicate bits and the best flowers.
Had a good afternoon in the garden yesterday. Husband cut the lawn, which hadn't been cut for a good few weeks. We had one pyramid orchid, so that area has been left. I worked at building a compost heap with alternate layers of wood chip from cutting the buddleia and grass cuttings, which gave us a good hot heap and lots of good compost last year. He went up to the woods for a little while and I did some more work on a coffee scoop I am making with a feather shaped handle. Have now got the bowl about 1 tablespoon and the handle about the right thickness. Main work now is to make some detail on the feather, so need my knife for fine carving next, then the others again to make some further shaping. Will see how I get on. |
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cassandra
Joined: 27 Mar 2013
Posts: 1733
Location: Tasmania Australia
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| Posted: Sun Jul 09, 17 8:41 am Post subject: |
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I am so with you on that Gregotyn. I would rather not rush the job as I am a firm believer in doing a job once and well, and as this will be the second iteration of the kitchen, I want to be sure to get it right. One job that will be easier while the cabinets are missing is installing the window sill, so I am off to the Men's Shed tomorrow to cut a long piece of timber in halves down the middle for that purpose. I will probably cut it to length before I go though. It has moulded sides and ends, so will make a nice sill, and the cut end can easily be formed with a rasp as it is soft timber. Basically a D-profile for those who wonder about this sort of thing.
Since it will be plus one degree tomorrow I hope I will be able to manage an early start, but the animals show no interest to getting up lately, and if it is a foggy morning I may well sleep in!
Speaking of the animals, I got home and found Smidgen and Billy curled up together on the sofa - a real breakthrough! Though when Smidgen spotted me, he looked terribly self-conscious and got down rapidly, lol. Since things settled down post Billly's arrival the two cats have maintained an armed peace, tolerating each other at the food bowl but not when relaxing, so this is real progress!
Another day in the History Room and unexpected visit from a good friend and her daughter - albeit brief as they were en route from one end of the island to the other and planning on flying out to South Australia in the morning. But good to see them. It seems her mother is failing badly, so it will not be long before we all head up to Ulverstone for the funeral I suspect. Mind you, said mother is pushing 100 so not surprising really.
More knitting done - about 60 rows to go to finish the vest body, then arm holes and neck to bind and I have a new garment - just in time for Summer I suspect, lol |
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Mistress Rose
Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 15591
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| Posted: Mon Jul 10, 17 6:36 am Post subject: |
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Hope you get the window sill done Cassandra. Sounds as if it will be ideal. Good that the cats are getting on better now, even if they don't really want you to know.  Your vest should be ideal whatever time of year I would think. From what you say of your summer, it might be suitable for the cooler days.
We did our Charity walk in London yesterday; about 6 miles including some of the bridges. We caught the 8am train from our local station to allow ourselves plenty of time to get there, which was just as well, as we had the usual problems getting to the start. This year it was the Jubilee Line was stopped because sadly there was a body on the line. We had a choice of walking or going by river. Two of our team went on on foot to register us, and the rest went by boat and just got there in time, which I thought we wouldn't. Apart from a lift not working on one bridge, which was a difficult one for DIL to climb because of the shape of the steps, we managed pretty well.
London is looking pretty scruffy. Seems like years of austerity have had their effect there too. To all foreign visitors; please don't judge us on what our capital city looks like, the natives are the same. |
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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: 15591
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| Posted: Tue Jul 11, 17 6:59 am Post subject: |
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Never trust electronics; it's out to get you. I used to work with it, and as I always saw it in the development stage, it always amazes me when it works, rather than the other way round. My instant diagnosis is always dry solder joints, especially if it is an 'intermittent fault', and I am usually right.
Yesterday morning went round the woods with a woman who is going to do a bat survey in a week or so's time. She was looking for somewhere to put our mist nets as the bats she is looking for are difficult to find with the normal echo locators. As we are starting at dusk, it shouldn't be a problem with people around. Trouble is we finish rather late, but luckily nothing in particular to do the next day.
We are expecting rain some time today for the first time in several weeks, but not sure when, so charcoal bagging may have to wait until tomorrow. Husband and son got the charcoal out of the kiln yesterday anyway.
I had a tea party given by the leader of the food bank for the helpers. Lovely tea, but I ate too much and all the wrong things. She sent me home with two huge slabs of cake too, so plenty for the rest of the family. |
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cassandra
Joined: 27 Mar 2013
Posts: 1733
Location: Tasmania Australia
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