the daydream fund challenge thread

Lotus-eater

For the first time in years, I didn't get one thing for the garden or outside, for Christmas. But I did get 2 (expensive I think, ouch) WW2 American, Grow Your Own posters. Which are great!
I also got the entire Laurel and Hardy collection, so settled down yesterday to watch "Sons of the desert" in glorious black and white and had the joys of showing my kids them for the first time. (I think they preferred Spongebob)
I hope you all got what you needed and wanted.

LIR, I think 3 sweet chestnut trees are a brilliant present!

lostinrates

cootambear wrote: »

Permanent BST please

do you know, I don't really care what time they choose if they'd stick to one...the clocks changing have really screwed with me this year, I can't get the routine down. I try and get up with the light most of the year...though not the very longest days:D. The dark mornings at lest haven't been so bad wih the snow on the ground...it never gets properly dark.


lotuseater, it is a great present isn;t it...its just choosing where to plant them that's awkward...we need trees on our southern boundary...both for shelter, shade and privacy but its a long way to go for chestnuts:o. So we have a northern boundary that would be good, or on a bit near the yard, but don't want to block the view from there. The preferred spot was ruled out when I pointed out the branches would hang over the muck heap and that's not the best place t gather chestnuts from.

choille

Hope you've all survived the festivities. Hope you're not too bruised Dave.

We do normally celebrate solstice with a bonfire , but haven't these past two mid-Winters. We also usually have a bonfire in mid Jan as that's when we get the sun back.

I grew sweet chestnuts from seeds - they are easy to get going & they grow really well here - so they must be hardy.

We have a barn owl in the byre - really lovely to see that - away to 'do' wood.
All the best.

Lotus-eater

lostinrates wrote: »

do you know, I don't really care what time they choose if they'd stick to one...the clocks changing have really screwed with me this year, I can't get the routine down. I try and get up with the light most of the year...though not the very longest days:D. The dark mornings at lest haven't been so bad wih the snow on the ground...it never gets properly dark.


lotuseater, it is a great present isn;t it...its just choosing where to plant them that's awkward...we need trees on our southern boundary...both for shelter, shade and privacy but its a long way to go for chestnuts:o. So we have a northern boundary that would be good, or on a bit near the yard, but don't want to block the view from there. The preferred spot was ruled out when I pointed out the branches would hang over the muck heap and that's not the best place t gather chestnuts from.

Well you're not going to be going there very much, so I'd stick them on the Southern boundary.

I don't think it matters what time system we use at this time of year. There was a couple on the radio the other day who use continental time, all year and say they save a fortune on bills, I just don't believe it, there is only so much daylight and that's it.

Davesnave

COOLTRIKERCHICK wrote: »

Davesnave, hope you are ok, and not badly brusied... or ye and your 'bits' badly burned with the water;)

I didnt get any seeds this year.....but i have got a load left over from last year... really do need to sort some garlic out... before its too late..

choille wrote: »

Hope you're not too bruised Dave.

I'm fine, thanks. Being small, height-wise at least, I don't worry about falling, or suffer when I do.

I was just wild that I lost all my hot water. :mad:

Huh! Just looked at the water pipe in the garage, and despite wrapping it up in foam insulation and sticking 25cm of polystyrene between it and the outside wall, it has still frozen and popped the joint at the cut off valve, on the wrong side, of course!:( Still, this is better than splitting the pipe, so if that's all, I shall be one lucky bunny. (Makes note to buy heat lamp later this week.)

CTC, my garlic went in late last time (January) and it still did OK. Most of it will be late again by the looks of it.....

lostinrates

Davesnave wrote: »

(Makes note to buy heat lamp later this week.)

nota bene: I've found them MUCH cheaper on tinternet than been buying them at mole valley and country wide this week. I hate using artificial heat more than necessary but we'd have been really in trouble this week without I think. I'm typing now from sitting room, where the radiator has been on (at 50 Fahrenheit) overnight an the woodburner is now blazing. we've just cracked the shutters open and yes, there is ice all over our best, least condensation prone windows.

Heat for us is a ''comfort''. Keeping pipes working at least as far as the feed room, and preferably the first trough is really a necessity now.

I plan to buy four more lamps soon (and a stock of bulbs, thouh they do last well). I also think I might think about some sort of heater for the feed room next year, once the old draughty doors have been replaced it shouldn't be too hard to keep just above freezing.

Looking at architects plans to day and bashing heads over options. ATM am considering knocking the two west facing and small reception rooms into one long narrow one to become a dining hall. Its very narrow, two sofas don't face each other comfortably. ATM they are a study (which can be very easily resited to the current kitchen) and a small sitting room we call ''the garden room''.

Davesnave

Pipe fixed.:)

I thought it froze last time due to the garage door not being tight shut + lack of insulation, but that's not it. Lord knows why it was OK last year! The thought of water pouring from it all over the freezer in the middle of the night is enough to prompt a lamp purchase (from t'Internet) asap. The longish range says no more horrible frost for a while.

Anyway, if we get off this lightly, I'll be amazed.

rhiwfield

Davesnave wrote: »

Huh! Just looked at the water pipe in the garage, and despite wrapping it up in foam insulation and sticking 25cm of polystyrene between it and the outside wall, it has still frozen and popped the joint at the cut off valve, on the wrong side, of course!:( Still, this is better than splitting the pipe, so if that's all, I shall be one lucky bunny. (Makes note to buy heat lamp later this week.)

Aaagh, I'd forgotten about the garage tap. Lagged and boxed and frozen and not turned off at stop !!!!. Idiot!!!!! Pray it hasnt split.

COOLTRIKERCHICK

I have been worried about you lot on here with frozen troofs and feed rooms etc..

now this is just a thought, too late for this year, but maybe something to think about..

When i was small, ( ok i should say when i was younger as i am only just over 5ft..lol...) our next door neighbour was a keen gardener and used his greenhouse to the max .. just outside his greenhouse he had a little brick alcove type thing, with an old rayburn fire in there, ( basically similar to what we have in our living room) he had 2 quite large pipes running from it, and they were running round the inner edge of the greenhouse... he only had it 'ticking' over, but he allways used to say it was cheaper and had more even heat than a parafin greenhouse heater...( also maybe a heating idea in the future) ..
now i was thinking... if you could pick up on of these fires on your travels... maybe farm auctions, contact builders, when they are doing up houses, they might be taking one out of an old house, etc this might be an option for heating out-houses, barns etc... ok it might be expensive with buying the pipework etc, but maybe in the long run it will be cheaper than the electricity for the heat lamps etc...

Anyway, just a thought....

oooo talking of thoughts...lol... you could even convert an old gas bottle into a log burner for out-houses, to take the chill off the air to stop pipes freezing

a bit like these ones on ebay,
http://shop.ebay.co.uk/?_from=R40&_trksid=p5197.m570.l1311&_nkw=gas+bottle+woodburner&_sacat=See-All-Categories

but if you are handy.... we have seen them in the farm auctions... and they look straight forward to make...

alfie_1

WELL HAPPY BOXING DAY TO YOU ALL...

i didnt get up till 12 o clock !! boyfriend got up and fed everything [have programmed myself today not to check up that hes done it like I DO !!] nothing will starve, in fact glancing at mabels treats store, i think shes had a bumper breakfast today !!! my friends laugh at me for "shopping for mabel"... i get fruit and last date buns/cakes/etc to soak for her....aswell as her sow rolls....

we had a nice meal last night, son had a quiet day at the station so i was pleased! hes on nights tonight so hope thats peacefull too.
BF and i sat down to watch dvd INCEPTION last night, cant tell you what its like as i saw beginning and the end but fell asleep during middle !!:rotfl:

there is a sheet of ice covering the gravel drive here and like davesnave i have done my torville minus dean act laden with tesco bags...seeing my "to be roasted turkey breast" piroetting across the drive was a sight to be seen, thankfully only by me :rotfl:

it is extremelly cold here but no snow and no rain as yet...

BF has gone off to see his daughter and after, his mother [which i must admit i managed to avoid ] im getting where i cant be a**ed to make small talk with someone who has nothing to say ! not very festive of me..:o

i hope you all have had a good time anyway.
BF bought me some high tec camera, which im sure he will "instruct" me in how to use later !!

well that big tin of quality street is beckoning and insisting i sample its wares.....so will oblige !!:)