Daydream fund challenge part 4

choille

Gorgeous day here for a change.
Not bad yesterday so managed to drag some wood down that was a part of a tree sawn down last year as it was leaning on a fence.
Rare breed sale cancelled so OH went for animal feed the other day as we will need that extra now. Girls all head butting, horns clashing all trying to ram their heads in the lick bucket at the same time.
Apart from that just bobbling on staying home - everything cancelled but I wouldn't want to go anywhere busy, or anywhere really.
Don't know what the year will bring but already there are camper vans going about and dots of rubbish appearing at the side of the roads.
Birds are all chirping on today. Got a little group of gold finches the other day in the garden near the feeder - very unusual for us to get them. Rhubard starting to poke up so Spring is coming but we should be growing rice.

Davesnave

choille said:

.....just bobbling on staying home - everything cancelled but I wouldn't want to go anywhere busy, or anywhere really.
Don't know what the year will bring but already there are camper vans going about and dots of rubbish appearing at the side of the roads.

On the local news tonight the folks in the touristy areas were getting upset about the numbers of people coming down here to self-isolate in caravans and holiday homes. The message was, "B*gg*r off, we don't want your germs or your bodies in our hospital beds!" Of course, they usually welcome the tourists with open arms, but there's little for them to spend their cash on now.

I'm going to do a quick in and out for a bit of fresh stuff tomorrow morning and then it's back to the safety of the ranch.

Very good bonfire today, but didn't quite finish. The school buses passed as usual around 4pm, but that'll be the last time for who knows how long....Wedding's off, DW's birthday surprise is off and visits from Sam will be off for a while too, as his Dad is a key worker. It's going to be a strange year.

ukmaggie45

Davesnave said:

On the local news tonight the folks in the touristy areas were getting upset about the numbers of people coming down here to self-isolate in caravans and holiday homes. The message was, "B*gg*r off, we don't want your germs or your bodies in our hospital beds!" Of course, they usually welcome the tourists with open arms, but there's little for them to spend their cash on now.

We're at the caravan self-isolating (over 70). The local Plaid Cymru MP made a statement similar to that too. Park owner has said that the park is still open. 3 out of 17 caravans occupied at present. Big parks at Prestatyn, Pwllheli and near Portmadoc have closed till April 16 initially. Though the one at Pwllheli have since said that owner occupiers (as we are here) can still visit.

Our main problem is that we can't get anything delivered as all supermarket slots are filled up, so despite supposedly being self-isolated OH will have to go out for fresh veggies probably next week sometime. We've got plenty of food though - we built up a stash in case of a Hard Brexit over the last year or so! Shame the freezer here is so small though.

Yesterday OH went out to pick up some chicken breasts to freeze, and a lump of beef to roast tomorrow. The butchers was doing a one person only at a time in the shop thing. The Spar is handing out disposable gloves to customers as they enter, but the other small supermarket just has a notice saying to stay away from each other. The newsagent is not bothered at all (yet!). Meanwhile we're learning Welsh on Duolingo in the hopes we survive to practise it with real Welsh people at some future happier time.

choille

Oh, Dave - of course - all those plans put on hold. Everything on hold.
At lease we are lucky having some space round us to wander about muttering to ourselves. Wouldn't want to be in a flat with no outdoors to be in.
Maggie nice that you have got a change of scene. It's all an unknown at the moment but I won't be going far for a while. 
I left the garden to go its own way last year as it was so wet & the year before wasn't that great so I spent a little time yesterday forking over the eye sore in front of the kitchen window where the boat was mouldering away. Filled with reeds & heather. Taking it slow as my back is rubbish at digging. I plan to put all the sprouted tatties in the ground to get them out of the pantry. - which is a glorified walk in cupboard that is cold. It's been a godsend for keeping all the jams, pickles and flour and stuff.

Davesnave

ukmaggie45 said:

Davesnave said:

On the local news tonight the folks in the touristy areas were getting upset about the numbers of people coming down here to self-isolate in caravans and holiday homes. The message was, "B*gg*r off, we don't want your germs or your bodies in our hospital beds!" Of course, they usually welcome the tourists with open arms, but there's little for them to spend their cash on now.

We're at the caravan self-isolating (over 70). The local Plaid Cymru MP made a statement similar to that too. Park owner has said that the park is still open. 3 out of 17 caravans occupied at present. Big parks at Prestatyn, Pwllheli and near Portmadoc have closed till April 16 initially. Though the one at Pwllheli have since said that owner occupiers (as we are here) can still visit.
Yesterday OH went out to pick up some chicken breasts to freeze, and a lump of beef to roast tomorrow. The butchers was doing a one person only at a time in the shop thing.

It was hastily added that owner-occupiers are different, which they are, since most pay rates etc directly. And let's face it, if people are going to self isolate, they'd be mad to choose Birmingham over Budleigh Salterton....except when it comes to getting vital supplies perhaps.

I noticed the butcher in the wee town here was doing a 'one at a time service' this morning, which is all well and good, but he's on a blind corner, so the risk from being hit by a vehicle massively outweighed that of contracting corona.

In the town 10 miles away, some parts of the supermarket were bare, caused by country folks' mad buying on Market Day (Thursday) and no delivery since. However, the greengrocer and other shops in the town were all functioning normally, as was the pannier market. Not really much sign of panic, and although politeness is usually pretty good here, it's super-good just now. I had two people open doors for me!!!

choille

We are a distance from shops so that when we go it's not just a pint of milk and loaf of bread but I don't know if we be allowed to get a weeks worth in. We have enough in, it's the fresh stuff that we will need next week or else we'll get scurvy.

Davesnave

We have to get alfie back on here, if we can. Have you heard from her, choille? She'll have lots occupying her mind, but at least her field should be drying-out now.

It would also  be good to hear from other old-time regulars who haven't checked-in for a while, like Fay and CTC. Wonder how her garden's coming along?

Now we are stuck with loads of annual flowers and tender perennials that would have been for the wedding, so I suppose we'll put them into displays and try to flog them at the gate, but will there be much passing traffic this year? Questions, questions!

We had a new neighbour move in next to our mini woodland/stream garden last week, but I've not had a sighting yet. The one opposite, with whom we can't determine the exact boundary, is all for leaving the 'dead' Wych elm and just letting it decay. That's fine, I guess, as more of it leans his way! I say 'dead' because DW says there are signs of life below a certain level, so the tree could probably still be saved if it was cut down to a tall stump. Won't fund that alone though.

Yesterday was too wild to cut the remaining trees on the road bank. Maybe today.....

choille

Dave - I copied the post you put up about getting into MSE to Alfie. She did respond to me then but hasn't responded to my last 2 emails. I'll try again.
Bright here today. A bit sore after a little digging yesterday - pathetic I know. We aren't going to be going far for the foreseeable.

Davesnave

choille said:

Dave - I copied the post you put up about getting into MSE to Alfie. She did respond to me then but hasn't responded to my last 2 emails. I'll try again.
Bright here today. A bit sore after a little digging yesterday - pathetic I know. We aren't going to be going far for the foreseeable.

Alfie will be worried about her Mum. DW is worried about hers, but we've stayed put today, as instructed.

Finally completed the hedge laying without anything falling on the road. We've kept 15 oaks, 3 hawthorns, an ash, a holly and a spindle tree in the 200m run that's taken us 4 winters to sort out. Next step is to plant about 30 saplings of trees not already in the bit we've just done, like field maple, alder buckthorn and wayfaring tree. Then it can just get on with it for 3 years with only  face cuts.

Sainsburys have written to me saying that they are introducing an Old Fogeys Hour at 8am Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays so that we vulnerable pensioners and NHS/social support staff can all go in and infect each other get our shopping before the  hordes descend and clear the place out. Nice one; I might try it on Wednesday.

Davesnave

Didn't bother to go shopping, as we had enough fresh stuff to last till Friday. DD tells me her store is manic on food first thing in the morning, then it goes dead after lunch, so that's a tip I'll check out, perhaps. Apparently B&Q (other rubbish DIY stores are available ) are doing a roaring trade in paint, as bored isolators tart up their houses.

No one seems to be reporting that the government no longer considers Covid 19 to be a 'High Consequence Infectious Disease.'

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/high-consequence-infectious-diseases-hcid#status-of-covid-19     ....if you're interested. Yes, it can still kill you, but so can lots of other diseases. Mind you, I'm hearing the first grumblings from those who find the current crashing of the economy a somewhat painful price to pay for protecting mainly elderly people....you know, the Boomers, who had it all so easy. Seems to me that we shall once again get it in the neck, just like we did as teenagers. Anyone remember, "We had to fight a war for you!" ? Soon it will be, "We lost thousands, just to protect you oldies!"

Rant over, almost. I was just planting the last of my diversity saplings in the road hedge on Tuesday when who should come along but Pete. "Very nice," he said, "but why did you leave thicky ash with two stems an' one of 'em leaning?"

I didn't like to say "Cos it's so bloody big, it will scare the willies out of me, dropping it."

But I know I will keep looking at it now and thinking,"Shoulda done that one properly!"

Maybe next Sunday. Road is still going like a fair here, but there are police about. Someone actually saw two walking through the little town on Tuesday. They weren't 2m apart either!