the daydream fund challenge thread

rozeepozee

Hello guys, it's me again. The occasional lurker/poster

Things are moving slightly more in the direction of The Dream: we have found a rental property a small village near Cardigan, son is registered at the local school and it looks as though we have let our property in South Yorkshire from 1st August which gives us enough time for the renovation/building works to be done.

I'm a little bit worried how we're all going to fit into this tiny starter home which was the only one available in the village we like. Once we are in situ, hopefully in under 8 weeks, The Search begins in earnest. We already have our eye on a few properties to view....

PiggyBankShaker

rozeepozee wrote: »

Hello guys, it's me again. The occasional lurker/poster

Things are moving slightly more in the direction of The Dream: we have found a rental property a small village near Cardigan, son is registered at the local school and it looks as though we have let our property in South Yorkshire from 1st August which gives us enough time for the renovation/building works to be done.

I'm a little bit worried how we're all going to fit into this tiny starter home which was the only one available in the village we like. Once we are in situ, hopefully in under 8 weeks, The Search begins in earnest. We already have our eye on a few properties to view....

Wow, that's brilliant I am VERY jealous

choille

Weather hot, hot , hot & then rained but the boys were back & got the kitchen roof plyed - so really pleased. They worked through until 7pm.
Got the remeaining chicks in the shed out into their own little run & house. Funny to watch them taking in the outdoors, although I did ave them outdoors a few times for a look see on warm days.

lostinrates

hurrah choille! How many working days do you think till watertight?

choille

They will only come on Saturdays - outwith their jobs.
So 5 Saturdays ish, but that's not any cladding or anything internal, floors in etc.
Got some pics to post.

Davesnave

Nice to hear you're really moving forward again, choille. I saw the last few pics of the build and felt a bit guilty about the way I moan on here about the weather & so on!

It's good to hear from rozee too after quite a gap. I'm sure you're doing the right thing, renting and really getting a feel for the area, before making the really big decision. I've seen a few really nice properties come to the West Wales market in recent months, but I fancy that the majority put up have quite a margin for reduction built in. One place I'm familiar with gained solar panels over the winter, and £40k on the price!

My news isn't so great. I had to dispatch our poorly hen tonight, as her improvement yesterday was only temporary. There's only so long one should let things run, and I think we'd reached that point.

Now, our medication-withdrawing hen can have her isolation coop back, instead of suffering the indignity of living in an ex-ferret run, but more importantly, she can go back inside the main enclosure, which is safer. Tonight we had a warning phone call from the village, where two foxes have been seen today in close proximity to houses with chicken runs. Hungry cubs need feeding, no doubt.

Finally, we also took action tonight, not only against the crows which raid the chook food, but also the small flock of sparrows which have learned to do the same thing. We now have black mesh curtains over the ends of the corrugated iron tunnel where we hang their food dispensers. The hens won't mind walking in through those, but I think the crows will baulk at it, and the sparrows won't be able to fly inside any more.

..............Nah, that's too easy, isn't it?

Lotus-eater

I think you've done the right thing Dave, I know it's difficult, but the right choice over when to kill an animal, for me makes a good or bad smallholder. Letting it suffer as many animal lovers would do, is the easy choice.

In yet more news, we also had a -1c last night, everything looks alright apart from a couple of small squash plants and they just look a bit sick, but I'm sure will recover.
My question is, do you always have a frost when the temp drops below 0c?

Lotus-eater

Davesnave wrote: »

The tomato's the Ben's Early Vine.

That's the one that is from their breeding program? Sounds very interesting. What's the taste like?
I could be up for a spot of seed swapping later, if you are?

lostinrates

Lotus-eater wrote: »

My question is, do you always have a frost when the temp drops below 0c?

Presumaby you need moisture too, for any harm to be done.

Cold, cold, wet (hurrah) windy (boo). wind/something carried by the wind has broken a pane of glass in our fanlight

I was wondering if, having had the early heatwave, then june plant season in may, if this is now ''august'' wet, and because its too early, colder??

The ''borneo'' summers a couple of years back..were wet and warm, after early heat waves....

Lotus-eater

I don't mind having June in May, but then I want May's frosts in April as well :wall:
And not frosts in actual June :doh: or should that be July .................. :undecided