the daydream fund challenge thread

Davesnave

Itismehonest wrote: »

I know the feeling, lir. We got rid of our burner because it was more trouble than it was worth.

It's been fairly bright but chilly here.

Dave - I see they'll be star-gazing from over Dulverton (tomorrow?) I hope they've picked one of the 5 days/nights per year it isn't raining there
Apparently they want all the town to turn their lights off.
Why not just go over the hill where there are no lights anyway?
Reality TV :rotfl:

We love our woodburner, but each to his own. Maybe we have a good one?

It's been a lovely day here. We managed to move the Rhodies and their coop into Peccadilly Circus inside the main run, so the older hens can feel they are 'among' them before we incorporate. A couple of them will soon be laying now and the egg count from the others is slowly picking up too.:)

I also managed to burn off the cleared blackthorn hedge material I piled up before Christmas. It took all day, but it was a pleasure to be out there, and in shirtsleeves.

So Exmoor is the first Dark Skies reserve. Well, I suppose that's cheap, but I'd guess choille has better darkness levels. It's pretty good around here if I don't look directly at Chulmleigh, brash, neon-lit metropolis that it is....:rotfl:

Itismehonest

lostinrates wrote: »

If the town turn their lights off maybe they will see and appreciate what they ar emissions...I hope it catches on.

Are missing? It's that pre-emptive text thing. It's a b*gg*r ain't it?

lostinrates wrote: »

Glad it's not just me who is fed up of wood burners. The main convienience for me is I can safely stored a couple/few days wood in the huge inglenook away from the burner, which of course can't do with an open fire but it's cold, yet hot enough to burn you,...it just melted my pjs, and while I appreciate that economy and efficiency are important, I feel a couple of extra logs a night...may be less than that if I can get logs cut bigger instead for a dog'n'grate, I get more heAt and just accept I'll need a fire guard.

Ours didn't sufficiently heat the room unless the doors were open which made it a bit of a waste of time. So we just opened up the inglenook.
Our flags meant that fireguards weren't really necessary unless we were keeping the fire in overnight.
Mind you, we've left all the grubby behind now & just use CH. So the fireplace is more of a feature now although it can always be put into use if necessary. It's still got it's complete bread oven which seems to fascinate a lot of folk.

lostinrates

I want a bread over, certainly. We have one here, but it's bricked in . I want somewhere to clot cream in the new kitchen fire

Itismehonest

Davesnave wrote: »

We love our woodburner, but each to his own. Maybe we have a good one?

Probably. I think it also much depends on the chimney & the draw. I wonder sometimes if the big old chimneys for inglenooks are just designed for purpose & end up sucking the channelled heat of a flue up & away.

Davesnave wrote: »

So Exmoor is the first Dark Skies reserve. Well, I suppose that's cheap, but I'd guess choille has better darkness levels. It's pretty good around here if I don't look directly at Chulmleigh, brash, neon-lit metropolis that it is....:rotfl:

Yes, I've no doubt choille has good dark skies. There must be other places around, too.

There's absolutely no light pollution where we are, though. The nearest places with streetlights are tucked away behind hills so we don't even get a hint of a glow from them.
Unless it's so cloudy that there's no moon or starlight visible we can usually see around outside quite easily without artificial light.
When the moon is full it's almost like a silver daylight. You can easily pick out the individual gorse bushes, trees & animals on the hills. It can be quite magical. I often stand gazing out of the window ..... until I realise I'm getting chilly & dash back to bed

It reminds me of a poem from school....

Silver

Slowly, silently, now the moon
Walks the night in her silver shoon;
This way, and that, she peers, and sees
Silver fruit upon silver trees;
One by one the casements catch
Her beams beneath the silvery thatch;
Couched in his kennel, like a log,
With paws of silver sleeps the dog;
From their shadowy cote the white breasts peep
Of doves in a silver-feathered sleep;
A harvest mouse goes scampering by,
With silver claws and a silver eye;
And moveless fish in the water gleam,
By silver reeds in a silver stream.

Walter de la Mare

Itismehonest

lostinrates wrote: »

I want a bread over, certainly. We have one here, but it's bricked in . I want somewhere to clot cream in the new kitchen fire

We have one that's open & one bricked in behind the kitchen Rayburn.

You can clot cream on the Aga/Rayburn, you know? In Somerset they used to call it Scalded Cream - but it's pretty much the same as far as I can tell. I think I have a recipe for it somewhere.

lostinrates

Davesnave, you know where we were, there was precious little light pollution thanks to the hills....it was actually brilliant. Have to say, if we ever move I will go to the place at night and check.


Maybe we should move the woodburner from the sitting room into the study to be, rather than have a fire in there so that I can leave that room alone more. Sitting rooms are less of an issue, one tend to sit in them, lol.

lostinrates

Itismehonest wrote: »

We have one that's open & one bricked in behind the kitchen Rayburn.

You can clot cream on the Aga/Rayburn, you know? In Somerset they used to call it Scalded Cream - but it's pretty much the same as far as I can tell. I think I have a recipe for it somewhere.

Wild love to see the recipe.....I have done that before though...from a very old book, which I probably
Y have still in a box:D


But I am not going to have an aga. Its been a tough decision, but for me, apart from the clotted cream:D and the toast, and maybe the fried eggs, though I prefer poached:o I just don't think it's worth it now. I might, if I am lucky, get something fancy and French as a normal cooker eventually.

choille

We have little light pollution apart from nasty neighbours dazzling mega beam when he switches it on which causes cattaracks.

You need a stove doc LIR - Now new build cannot put in open fireplaces - I think the powers that be think we are all eejits who can't be trusted with a box of matches.

Well stunning day here - so orange - there's a big ball thing in the sky............

Itismehonest

lostinrates wrote: »

Wild love to see the recipe.....I have done that before though...from a very old book, which I probably
Y have still in a box:D


But I am not going to have an aga. Its been a tough decision, but for me, apart from the clotted cream:D and the toast, and maybe the fried eggs, though I prefer poached:o I just don't think it's worth it now. I might, if I am lucky, get something fancy and French as a normal cooker eventually.

I'll see if I can find the recipe.

The thing I find reaaaallllly stupid about most range cookers now (including the new Agas & Rayburns) is that they all need electricity to fire the jets nowadays Ok So I know many country places have their own generators & don't have to totally rely on the whims of the National Grid but it still seems daft to me.
We had the old solid fuel converted to gravity fed oil. As long as there is oil in the tank she plods on regardless

Itismehonest

Found it

There are 2 methods. No quantities &, obviously, it refers to a rich full fat milk.

1)
Place milk in shallow pans or bowls & leave overnight until the cream rises to the top.
Scald the milk for about an hour by placing the pan/bowl over a pan of hot water. [kept at a temperature of about 180F or 82C]
When the cream is straw coloured & wrinkled in appearance it is ready.
Cool overnight for about 12 hours.
When cool, skim the cream from the surface using a perforated skimmer or a shallow spoon.
[If left in a fridge the cream will thicken further]

2) Direct scald method
As the method above but using double cream.
After scalding & cooling the whole contents can be used as clotted cream [No skimming necessary]