the daydream fund challenge thread

rhiwfield

Lir, like the rest I chuckled when I read your tale, but also felt relieved that you and Strawberry came to no harm. I know that from time to time we read about fatalities from inhaling slurry fumes, so maybe Lotus-Eater's long handled net might be a wise investment. Take care now

troglodyte

LiR, I'm sorry I did laugh a lot at your story, that was real dedication! The most I've ever done in that line was rescue a frog from a cesspit, and that didn't require getting in it!

And thanks for your suggestions re buildings. Still thinking. He has been outside all his life, got a rug this year for the first time, the field does have rather weedy hedges on three sides and a couple of large trees but the fourth side is a fence separating it from a large arable field and on cold days an icy wind really seems to sweep across that. I guess really I want a shelter for my own benefit, so if it suddenly turned very cold and wet in the middle of the night or something I would know that at least he had the option of a bit of shelter if he wanted it. I've had a good look around at my stockpile of scavenged wood and found that I have almost enough to build a frame for a shelter 8' x 12' and 8' high which I think ought to do the trick, then there is enough pieces of ply for one short side and enough planks for most of the long side. :j Going to have another rummage around now and see what else I can come up with. The roofing is the biggest expense so will have to buy that. So the plan now I think is to put together a frame with a roof at the weekend (when we have a couple of 'volunteers' staying :rotfl:), add as much of the sides as we can, then just add the rest later when I can get my hands on suitably priced materials - and perhaps I could just use a few straw bales for a temporary wall on one side if I felt it was really necessary (small bales are £2 each here)

Dave glad you got your van problem sorted, I dread doing something like that as I only have the one key for my car and the loop that used to attach it to a keyring broke so I literally have just the key in my hand, I'm always afraid of dropping it down a drain or something

Right off out now, the sun is shining, there is wood to be sorted and transported and will also keep an eye out for any friendly builders to butter up

lostinrates

Lotus-eater wrote: »

Good story

I must admit, normally a story with a beautiful young woman who strips outside, then has two baths and amazingly soft skin, doesn't have me going "Ugh!" the whole way through

I mean, didn't you have a long handled net or something? :rotfl:

Nothing I could find could reach....

what it has done is make me anxious about the muck heap management. We need to get a pump in it, ( the garden will be thrilled imagine the nutrients). Its all ''fresh'' poop, this years, and I confidently said we'll NEVER fill that, but without a digger to get in, nd its too wet for me to do it by hand....chicken was an exception, its hard to manage. I actually like building muck heaps, but not if I have to swim to do it!

Levelling the base might be a wise thing to consider in the future, wouldn't need to be the smart concrete it is now, but must be sweepable and solid to drive on, some of our hand core and pressed chalk maybe?


My clothes are o their third wash and still stinking.

alfie_1

Rummer wrote: »

I have been planning what I am going to plant this year and I am going for an edible landscape type setup instead of planting in lines. I will still have my square foot beds for structured planting but I want my garden to be pretty and productive. I will be starting from scratch as a lot of my beds are empty so I will need to plant my seeds nice and early indoors, when should I start this year, is is about February time? I missed the boat last year and was late getting things in. I really want to get the most from my garden this year as last year was such a washout.

my only advise is dont think that putting seeds in pots near heat will do them good! it wont... they need to be just above the coldest temperature on an even lit table or they will bolt for the light. and you will end up with gawky seedlings. most seeds actually appreciate being chilled [ pop in fridge for a few days] then planted. try putting pyramids of different beans/peas in amongst flowers [helps polination]. and the foliage and flowers are nice to see. try growing sweet peas in amongst them, this doubles up on one frame.[ i put very tall canes into a pyramid and hang a hanging flower basket inside the top so flowers come down as the beans go up! spectacular... plant cabbages and marrows anywhere, they again are good ground cover and the leaves are lovely. just put allsorts in allsorts of places, mix and match !! youde be surprised how well things "do" when not in regimental order. i use frames to support my dahlias and grow short french beans around the frame and the dahlias fountain out the top.
never be scared of mixing things, as long as your soil is dug now, left in big clods, frosts will break it up, add fertiliser [organic fresh or i personally recomend 6X] then just lightly dig it in the spring and plant away. stagger your growing from seeds tho incase the 1st planting out gets damaged by frost/cold etc
hope this helps..
p.s. i would love to put a pic of "my baby" up but have no idea how to !!!! deeerrrrrrr !

alfie_1

troglodyte wrote: »

Morning folks,

Haven't started planning for next year yet, need to go through the seed packs. I have filled a lot of the garden with onions and garlic though!

Now you guys are always such a source of good advice so I'm back to ask about another of my ideas...
I need to build a field shelter for an elderly horse (been caring for him for the past 9 months). Looked into timber but the cost for a decent frame, even from the local timber recycling project, would be more than just buying a cheap ready-made shelter, and then we would have to find the time and manpower to actually put it together. Then I thought... how about using straw bales?? If we were going to do it properly, to last years, we would need some sort of draining foundation, but straw is pretty cheap so maybe we could just leave the bales on the ground and then add a few fresh ones every year if necessary. It would be a bit bigger due to the thickness of the bales but it would be nice and warm! Then we could make a roof on a supporting frame, kind of like a bus shelter. Anyone tried anything like this?

iv built a straw "house"/shelter. the MUST is to make sure the bales are secure [as mentioned} .i put strong metal stakes through the 1st layer, hammering well into the ground. then through the 2nd layer into the fist and so on. from the 1st layer i got some builders damp course plastic sheeting , layed over top and at an angle out to the ground all the way round. i trenched this in about 6ins from side all round, sorry its a bit difficult to describe.... but this detracts water from settling round edges of straw. i used scaffold poles across roof [using big iron U shaped "pegs" driven in to straw]and attached corrugated iron sheets [reclaimed].
the other idea is to get some fencing panels, attach to upright posts, leave about a foot gap at top to stop wind lift before you put roof on,[a heavy roof is always better.] and there is lots of unwanted fence panels around, just put an add in your local freeads??
hope this may help
will agree tho that you need to check out local planning! nothing worse than building it and then beeing told you cant!!

alfie_1

LIR i could not stop laughing and your description painted a perfect picture.... im sure weve all done something like but i think yours is worthy of a medal !! ......still laughing

lostinrates

Something I have noticed is how clean Strawberry's underneath now looks compared to everyone else's (they perch above my head height). I don't show or anything, so none of mine have ever had a bath, though a few have been shocked to find them selves swimming when we tried an inflatable pool in the orchard...chickens are too nosy for their own good! I'm resisting the urge to add ''cleaning chickens'' to my spring cleaning list!

Rummer

That could give you an extra income as a chicken groomer!

alfie_1

can anyone help me, in laymans terms , put a photo with my text?? i am getting mad with myself trying at the mo !!!

lostinrates

alfie_1 wrote: »

can anyone help me, in laymans terms , put a photo with my text?? i am getting mad with myself trying at the mo !!!

I think I've used image shack before here. If I can do it anyone can. Some nice old MSE chums were trying to help me start a blog but I think my ineptitude exhausted them

IIRC having uploaded the pic on to your comuter you go to imageshack, locate the photo by ''browsing'' and then it gives you a few different URLS and you copy the one for forums and paste it in your text here and then it appears as a thumbnail.