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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 Dec 21, 17 11:22 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

I would have had the nets in plenty of time if the man had done the job immediately, If I had known he was a waster of time i would have done the job myself and added the cost of nets' vat to the price of the whole job. If only his wife's computer hadn't burned the details it would have worked out fine all over now, but they still haven't delivered! I had hoped to get a few done before I go away to my friends' home. I am not sure which day I am going yet but if it is Friday I am in trouble! I am packed up however, and ready for a break. I finished work yesterday and go back on the 2nd of January hopefully with kindling stocked to the rafters! The main thing is that I have a lot of stock cut and chopped. Even though I could not fill bags I kept on cutting and chopping and bringing home the pallets. I have the storage space for the raw material. I can also select what I want and reject other stuff if I have a good stock as backup. I have had compliments from people about how dry and well my kindling lights fires from several of the customers of the shop, which is good to know.

Glad that you have sold a basket MR, as a result of a show. Some folks say they are a show case and don't go with the expectation of selling there, but see the show as a demonstration of their wares and hope they get follow it ups, seems to work! Others go to shows and expect to cover the costs of showing their products on the day, coming away disappointed. I suppose if you are selling a consumable you need to cover the costs on the day. I heard that several of the caterers didn't cover the cost of the food at one of the Welsh shows as there were more food sellers in evidence than normal. Our National show in Builth Wells has varied attendance-if it looks like rain there are more farmers there, if it is dry then there are fewer farmers there as they are silaging or hay making and the machinery lines are devoid of serious machinery buyers!

I am pleased that the food bank went well MR, and that you were able to accommodate late arrivals. It is good when you can make a difference to others.

I am in the process of negotiating with the young neighbours who want to buy my place. She is horse mad and got a lovely animal, he is a timber harvester on softwood plantations, and both are really good to me! He comes from a good local family and is "straight" if you know what I mean, so I am hoping we can sort it between us. We are going to do up my tractor, needs some work. He is going to do the drive to the house so I don't wallow in the proverbial when I go out and come in. There is a hard base there but it is below where I am currently walking and driving! Another load of stone at £90.

I will be here tomorrow with luck to see when I am going to Bridgnorth, but if I am not here, then the usual break a leg greetings to you all as the library is not opening again till New Year.
Enjoy Christmas and a happy New Year to you all.

Jam Lady



Joined: 28 Dec 2006
Posts: 2501
Location: New Jersey, USA
PostPosted: Thu Dec 21, 17 2:12 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Happy Winter Quarter Day

Mistress Rose



Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 15539

PostPosted: Fri Dec 22, 17 7:47 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

We tend to call it the Solstice, and a Happy one to you too Jam Lady. From now on the nights start to get shorter and the days longer, which isn't a bad thing.

gregotyn



Joined: 24 Jun 2010
Posts: 2201
Location: Llanfyllin area
PostPosted: Fri Dec 22, 17 2:58 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

I had forgotten the date for the shortest day! It only gets better from now till autumn. Both a friend and I suffer in the dark mornings and evenings. I get a bit agitated-short fused; but once it turns I get over it quite quickly.

My nets arrived yesterday MR, all 2000 of them and today I have taken them home and stowed in a building. I did fill the first 15 ready for delivery. The new net holds more sticks but is faster to fill, and is more money, therefore from 2 points of view.

I am away from tomorrow morning to my friends in Bridgnorth. So I am wishing you all a very merry Christmas and a happy New Year now as their internet and I don't get on too well. Enjoy yourselves-all downsizers-everywhere.

Mistress Rose



Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 15539

PostPosted: Sat Dec 23, 17 7:37 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Glad you finally got the nets Gregotyn. Now you can get on with them.

Merry Christmas to you too, and hope you have a good time with your friends.

As you say, the days now get longer, and we will start to notice it soon. The panic time in the woods now starts as you realise you didn't do anything in the way of coppicing last year and now spring is on the way so it is still all to be done.

gregotyn



Joined: 24 Jun 2010
Posts: 2201
Location: Llanfyllin area
PostPosted: Tue Jan 02, 18 3:12 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Happy New Year to you all. I hope all went for you as you wanted.

I am back at work now, and this is the first day that I have pooted since I last posted pre Christmas, with the library closed till now.

I was pleased to get the nets when I did, MR, 30 have already gone in and I hope not to have to restock him for a day or two; there was 8 left yesterday.
I had a good time at my friends' for Christmas. I 'do' Father Christmas for the young children-3 of them-and have done for a few years now. This year I have a new outfit, beard and hair and so on, plus the kit that goes with it. The 6yo hasn't twigged it yet, so the 3 and 1 yos haven't a clue! Regrettably the kit is all Chinese man made fibres so really hot to wear; it only takes an hour so not too bad.

On the real plus side my neighbours about 400 yds. away want to buy my holding and we will convert a building for me to live the rest of my life in. On paper it sounds good. They are both really nice as a couple and I have the commodity they want-land to graze the horse and for him to play. He is a mechanically minded chap-drives a timber harvester for a living-and between us we have got my Fergy 35 3 cylinder, vintage 1959, working after 14 years of having trees growing round and through it-branches using the tractor as an anchor! So far all it has cost me is a new battery. I will get them to post some pictures of it for me. I have negotiated 2 newish rear tyres from a friend and another chap will put them on. I will be fetching them on Saturday morning so won't be here unless something happens in the meantime. I have my little trailer at home after lending it out, to go and fetch the tyres. Sounds fun but expensive! If the sale of my holding goes through it will be good, but either way-they have it or they don't, it will be my last home I hope, its a good spot! and in spite of about 13 inches of show the council boys have kept the road open throughout the winter so far-the boys are good round here I go out usually between 4.30 and 5 am and they have gritted by that time or snow ploughed if needed.
The trees growing through the tractor are suckers from a tree that I felled as it was swaying too much by a public footpath so I decided it had to go. I now have several hundred of its offspring on my old veg patch and the plan is to rid myself of them too for firewood. I will be doing a test burning at the friends' house to check suitability and heat generation, I don't want them to be spitting all over folks carpets and I need to know they will burn well without damaging the carpet! I think they are called Whispering Elm, any ideas-MR?
All I miss about moving from the old place to here is the barn I used to park under, so the motor was always frost and snow free! My house even with no heating is warmer than the caravan with heating and now only 3 bottles in bed rather than the 6 in the caravan. I guess if I had a wife it would be an electric blanket on-it was when I was married and so I was 'cooked'.

I hope all is well with Cassandra and Jam Lady and gz.

Jam Lady



Joined: 28 Dec 2006
Posts: 2501
Location: New Jersey, USA
PostPosted: Tue Jan 02, 18 3:43 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

We're fine, gregotyn. But it is bitterly cold. Last night's low temperature was 10 degrees Fahrenheit, and at that it was twice as warm as New Year's Eve when it dipped down to 5 degrees Fahrenheit. Daytime temperatures are in the teens so the frost is deep, deep into the ground



and there is ice on the Delaware River.

I'll be filling the upstairs wood rack this morning. Then after lunch we'll fill the big downstairs rack in the basement from the outside wood storage.

In between I get to clean the oven as one of the potatoes I was baking for yesterday's dinner exploded. Never had that happen before. What a mess.

Be well, stay warm, peace health and happiness to us all in the new year.

Mistress Rose



Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 15539

PostPosted: Wed Jan 03, 18 9:02 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Glad the logs are selling and that you had a good Christmas Gregotyn. Make sure you have a good contract before you sell your place including time scales for your building conversion. You don't want a repeat of last time. Elm isn't usually considered good for firewood, but if you season it very well, you might get away with a bit mixed with other stuff. It is usually regarded as best for things like chair seats as it isn't inclined to split. A Windsor chair seat in elm is usually 1/2-2/3 the thickness of a beech one. Sadly that means the tree has to be pretty big. Great that you have your tractor going again, and look forward to seeing a picture.

Jam Lady, it sounds as if it is very cold with you. We are currently mild and rather windy. We have storm Eleanor passing through today, and as we already have one tree down across a path in the woods, work has been cancelled there today for safety.

We had a good Christmas, but I have had what I think is a cold for the last 2 weeks and am still not feeling too good. I have a blocked ear, so have gone deaf on the right side. If it doesn't show signs of clearing soon I will get the doctor to check it is just catarrh and not an infection. Have been busy with paperwork and housework lately, so nothing on the Downsizer front to report.

A Happy, Healthy and Prosperous New Year to all of you.

Jam Lady



Joined: 28 Dec 2006
Posts: 2501
Location: New Jersey, USA
PostPosted: Wed Jan 03, 18 1:23 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

When I got up this morning it was a nippy 4 degrees Fahrenheit. I believe that translates to -15.5 degrees Centigrade

dpack



Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 45374
Location: yes
PostPosted: Wed Jan 03, 18 6:37 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

hny etc

big elm is ace furniture wood, iirc even fairly small stuff has uses for treen

my 1840's yorkshire version of a windsor chair is a good example of elm in furniture seats. still works perfectly

Mistress Rose



Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 15539

PostPosted: Thu Jan 04, 18 7:51 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

That's cold Jam Lady. Where I live I don't think it has ever been that cold. We are fairly mild at the moment, about 7C I think, but it is due to get colder again at the weekend. The wind seems to have dropped to a fresh wind rather than nasty gusts, so hopefully we can get on today.

Jam Lady



Joined: 28 Dec 2006
Posts: 2501
Location: New Jersey, USA
PostPosted: Thu Jan 04, 18 1:04 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

It's warmer, relatively speaking, at 24 degrees Fahrenheit. Snowing enthusiastically. When I look out the window it seems foggy, from the heavy rate of falling snow. It's a doozy of a storm, and will be worse closer to the coast. Schools are closed here in New Jersey and up into New York City.

gregotyn



Joined: 24 Jun 2010
Posts: 2201
Location: Llanfyllin area
PostPosted: Thu Jan 04, 18 3:54 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

In my antique dealing life around 20 years ago elm was an in demand timber in furniture. That market is relatively dead now, folks don't want the cleaning and looking after such stuff, plus central heating is not good for such pieces they say. I don't have heating full stop, 3 hot water bottles in the bed is the only concession, and the rest of my life is either at work-no heating there, here in the library, too hot here or in the wood shed where chopping wood keeps me warm! Guess I should get out more!! Old elm chairs are so good; the feel of the wood when highly polished is wonderful. I remember selling a set of shelves from an old shop to a gypsy for too little money they were dirty but still elm and polished would have looked beautiful, £200, approx., 10ft wide and 4 ft high. I would like them in my kitchen now, but there we are.

Sorry you are in a cold spell Jam Lady, In around 3 weeks we will be getting the same thing-mother's adage-I am not looking forward to it as at 5am when I am on my way to work I am not so keen on the snow. The snow plough and gritters are out early and this year so far the roads have been passable at "my" time in the morning. The main thing for you is to keep warm. The logs heat you at your home several times; when you cut the trees down, cut into log lengths, split into appropriate sizes and when you get a load into store and when you get them out and when you burn them The hardest work I have ever done is felling timber for a couple of weeks, but I needed the money! Deep frosts can serve good purpose too however, killing some of the nasty bugs in the ground-I can't name any now-40 years ago I could have given you chapter and verse, but memory- just not there any more.

Talking of felling timber I was on a treatment course in Bucks. and went to visit a saw mill. Full of and only cutting huge beech trees- and all-yes all for paintbrush handles! such a waste of lovely wood, and woods if you think about it long enough-Co2 adsorption and O2 given off. I suppose there is an economic life to consider too, but I love trees-growing!!
Look after yourself, MR, go see the doctor! I am heading that way myself soon as I am getting very forgetful and when on your own it is a little worrying. I am told they can do things for me. I just ain't ready for the home, the community singing and the visiting dog, well not for a year or 2!

My young couple are keen to get the holding, the barn converted for me and to move in to save the large rent they pay for an half acre paddock, 2 bedrooms and a kitchen and dining room. Over £600 a month, plus rates and water!

I hope Cassandra is well.

gz



Joined: 23 Jan 2009
Posts: 8576
Location: Ayrshire, Scotland
PostPosted: Thu Jan 04, 18 8:54 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Friends near Georgetown in Tassie have fires 1km away from them...luckily the wind was blowing away from them...I don't think cassandra is near there.
Others in NZ have a tropical storm

Mistress Rose



Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 15539

PostPosted: Fri Jan 05, 18 8:07 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Cassandra has been on Facebook and not mentioned fires, so hopefully all is well near her.

A chairmaker in our coppice group had a lovely chair with a burr elm seat. Really lovely, but we don't need any more chairs. It is sold now, so last I will see of it no doubt.

I agree with you about the cold Gregotyn; a cold snap does sort out the bugs of all sorts, and discourages things like ticks too, all of which is a good thing. I was filling log sacks again yesterday, and delivering 20 of them with husband. That certainly kept me warm enough, but the wind was blowing through the log store I was working in, so not that warm. Currently we are at a fairly mild and wet session, so we are working in mud up to our ankles in places. Not very comfortable and very tiring. A bit of cold dry weather would be rather nice.

Hope the doctor can help you with memory Gregotyn. I don't think my memory is as good as it was, but I passed the nurses test with such flying colours she said I did better than she could.

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