the daydream fund challenge thread

Davesnave

Looks like we might get a break from this rain today.......

Yesterday, I whipped out all the remaining monster leeks, so we processed them for freezing and turned some into soup. They weren't looking so clever after the frosts, but we saved 90% of them.:)

The polytunnel site looked a bit of a mess yesterday, with the spring having filled most of the foundation holes, but there is nowhere else suitable, so we'll look at how to ameliorate that problem another day. We'll probably need to add some field drains to one end, but I had a pond below there in mind anyway.
Glad to see less rain being predicted for the South West this weekend, as the ground is saturated. I thought we had a leak in one of the underground pipes we laid, but having turned the water off, it's still going strong, so I think this is another spring.

Having some grotty weather was useful in giving us time to stand back and consider our options here. The barn, though it looks fine and is well under 10 years old, has practical & structural issues which will need sorting out eventually. Demolition would be my first choice, but obviously that would mean no PV system could be installed on it, so I think we'll be kicking that idea into touch for the time being. We could get away with a less-than-perfect job, and we may have to do that if the money gets tight after we've done the bungalow, but it's our housing that ought to come first anyway. We shall therefore press-on with getting the house plans in front of an architect PDQ.

COOLTRIKERCHICK

Hubby was saying this morning... good job this rain wasnt snow... we would be in a right pickle then......lol..

lostinrates

The wind last night was incredible. If that had been snow I'm not sure it would have been able to hang onto the ground!

What I know is that the horses have given up going out, staying on the yard and in the barn instead....there legs were brushed clean and haven't reappeared muddy for two days. LOL.

Tomorrow afternoon the rain is meant to come down very heavily again in this area. Today is a bit of a planting window for the discount rose

rhiwfield

Davesnave, does that mean that you intend to demolish the barn in due course and forego pv?

Monster leeks? Mine arent even pencil thick!

As for the weather we've had bits of local flooding here, nothing too bad, and dryish today, but more rain tonight and again sunday Everything is squelchy.

Still looking at heat pumps, just had a letter from one supplier saying they are so busy they cant take query! This is the second winter in a row where we've had issues with oil prices and/or delivery so we'll keep plugging away until we have a better idea of system, cost and performance. Reading MSE heating forum doesnt fill me with too much hope though!

Rummer

Choille day today! Too stormy for a fire here but I will burn candles later as a substitute! Hope you enjoy the sun Choille.

lostinrates

Choille day! Hurrah.

Its frightfull here too....and the hunt are riding past/through this morning. I'll be a nervous wreck by this evening BUT we're going to burn something even if its small twigs with a bucket of water on hand. After all, its CHOILLE DAY!

I hope choille's weather is better than ours....we won't see the sun here I dont thnk!

Davesnave

rhiwfield wrote: »

Davesnave, does that mean that you intend to demolish the barn in due course and forego pv?

Monster leeks? Mine arent even pencil thick!

Put it this way, if we were certain that the barn would stand OK for 25 years, we could put pv up there before April 2012 and rake in £4k a year. However, it's a pole barn and the poles at one end are in poor condition. At the other end, where the weather doesn't get at them, and the horses didn't pee on them in the past, the poles look OK. They are from the same source though, so we can guess that beneath the surface, they're also rotting.

Altogether, there are 18 poles.......Remedial action would be more expensive than replacement.

The barn is very handy, and it was a bonus, so we can't complain.
If it weren't for the pv, this wouldn't be an issue as we planned to just fix it at the 'easy' end and hang fire on the rest, which will probably be fine for another ten years. It is ironic that the roof will probably come off part of the house during our build, so we don't have that as an alternative.

Which leaves a ground mounted system..... We haven't ruled this out yet, but we'd need to see one before deciding. We have a line, pole and transformers in our top field,(where we don't see them ) so it's a possibility, especially as the stays for the pole prevent hay harvesting around there.

Of course we could mount something on the house, or on the barn later, if we replace it, but realistically, that will be after April 2012.
Frankly, I think the money will go during the house build, and whatever we end up with will go on its roof.

Yes, the leeks Giant Tornado leeks ended up pretty thick, but they didn't weather as well as the 'Bleu de solaise' which are only half the size, but standing better.

May be able to light a fire today. It is wet ATM......

Edit: ......but I have a cunning plan!

rhiwfield

Davesnave wrote: »

Which leaves a ground mounted system..... We haven't ruled this out yet, but we'd need to see one before deciding. We have a line, pole and transformers in our top field,(where we don't see them ) so it's a possibility, especially as the stays for the pole prevent hay harvesting around there.

Shame about the barn, but there would be no point risking an expensive pv set-up on a dodgy structure. Ground-mounted?
Love this photo, 2 crops from the same bit of field

Choille, hope you see the sun today. Its wet and dank here, but will light a fire later!

Davesnave

Yes that photo is similar to ones I've seen. I wouldn't put something that ugly where we could see it, but by the top hedgerow near the leccy pole is out of the way and hardly anyone would see it, even from the road in winter time. I guess the neighbour might, but they have a large leylandii hedge, they rent the place and.... errr...aesthetics isn't one of their big things, judging by their own garden!

A definite maybe!

COOLTRIKERCHICK

happy choille day!!

Did try and use yellow but it didnt show properly.

Mega rain here, so it looks as though i will light a candle tonight for you. but if it is dryish tomorrow We will have a little fire.. for you..

just come back from being out and about, called into a local fruit and veg shop, and it looks as though the quality of the veg has def been hit by the snow...plus the prices were higher than normal...