Daydream fund challenge part 4

lostinrates

Davesnave wrote: »

Saturday looks pretty windy and grim in parts, but Sunday seems ok for you.

Plans are afoot to get more care for Horse Woman, who's going downhill. We seem to be the point of contact now between her and the surgery, and we're not happy with the way things are being handled. She needs to go somehere with care 24/7 till she builds up her strength again. We know she doesn't eat all the food she has or take all her medication.

It's a worry we could do without. Although we're happy to carry on shopping and daily calls to check-up etc, we can't just stand here helpless and watch it all slide....:(

It's so good what you are doing. Neighbourhoods need this.

Ooh, Sunday it might be then. g can do the path, I'll walk the trio of dogs.

I'll suggest to Bimble he writes postcards here for alfie to catch up on when she is back.

choille

Very hot here - too hot for me, so slunk about in the shade. Guy came with digger & made a start on levelling around the house.

I have someone interested in my Ram - I don't know if I should get rid or what. he's a handsome, biddable beast.

DaftyDuck

The first small batch of sheep arrived today, and they have settled straight in. The younger donkey has fallen in love with them, and wanders up and down the fence watching them as they munch! The fields look so much better as healthy, happy animals arrive. More arrive in a bit over a week, and then there's the Melton Mobray sale in September for the rest, hopefully goats included (if I'm allowed by the Boss! )

As coincidences go, this one is quite good. Last week we drove south for 30 minutes to visit a sheep farmeress to discuss rare sheep breeds and other pertinent stuff, as she's an expert. We'd only had a brief chat beforehand, and were welcomed with a full tour, while her husband was out harvesting. After an hour of sheep chat, she asked where, exactly, we came from, so we named the (small) village. "Oh, my husband was born there... ". So, we named the lane... "He was actually born in that lane...". So we named the farm, and she told us that's where hubby had been born, and lived for 35 years, up to the 1970's when they were married. He was rapidly informed by mobile, and came harrying in from the combine to find out if it was true, and rapid discussions as to what was where in the house/farm/barns then and now ensued.

We left some hours later with dozens of old photographs of the house and barns from the 1940's to the late '70's. I had already tracked down the chap who owned it for much of the time since then (although not met him yet, as he's older and frailer than they are, and he was partly responsible for some of the losses of original features from the house, grrrr). It was lovely to hear and see what the house was like in finer days, and it gives us a real boost - and a challenge - to set it right again. And, it sure will be a challenge!

Anyway, got sunburned by spending too much time sitting on a bench watching our new flock settle in, and tidying up the last bits of their fencing in the mid-day sun. They aren't exactly tame yet, but they'll happily wander around a few feet from where I'm working.

Oh, and my new impact driver (a "posh-Lidl" one) broke yesterday. Tried the phone number for the guarantee, brrr disconnected Sent email, bounced. Sent email to Lidl.... nothing back .... This morning got response from Lidl apologising that details for guarantee (phone & email) were wrong, followed by an email from the manufacturer saying they'd just send out a replacement as mine sounded dead-dead. Result! Two batteries for my new driver, when it arrives. Then opened up the old, dead-dead one (no user serviceable parts inside of course), found the fault and fixed it. So now feel guilty it was so easily fixed! But, hey ho, one isn't meant to even try that kerfuffle nowadays, just bin the thing and start again.

Baaa. BAAAAA! Some days is good ones. Off to make some supper, and soothe my sunburned self with white wine

greenbee

Sheep are noisy creatures. The ones here are making a lot of noise at the moment. I think they're hot...

Was in Devon (South Hams) last week, have been home for about 5 minutes and am off to Norfolk tomorrow for a bit to see my parents. It's a good thing I can work from anywhere although i'm not sure my boss will be impressed by me calling into an 8pm meeting from the car with 2 small children in the back who are guaranteed NOT to be asleep!

I've managed to get a lot more cleared in the garden, but could really do with some time at home to make some real inroads into it. And I need to get the builder/oil engineer back soon too. Electrician is at least communicating about the new heating controls.

I've been breaking up old fence panels for kindling, and next need to clear the ground where they were so I can put new ones in. I have one wooden post that looks pretty solid and two concrete ones, plus a bit of wall. One post is missing as next door replaced their 6ft panel with 3ft post and rail (there is hedge there) so i'm thinking I can put 3ft panels in and then 3ft of trellis on top. I just need to work out how easy it's going to be as I haven't done it before!

I've also got a bed to clear along a 30ft post and rail fence. Most of the plants have been removed (or will be). I'm going to leave the climbing roses in. And hopefully a honeysuckle and clematis viticella, but cut them all right back as they're not looking healthy after 3 years of neglect. I'm thinking of filling the gaps with rosa rugosa and more clematis and honeysuckle. I could do with something prickly that smells nice by the septic tank too ... maybe more rosa rugosa?

pink_poppy

Good luck with the panel/trellis conundrum, greenbee, I've been pondering how to attach a trellis to a brick wall for 10 years One of these days...

I'll have to look into rosa rugosa, I've seen it mentioned a few times on here.

I'm after a skinny, evergreen and fairly fast-growing hedge (6 or 7 feet) ~ am I being too optimistic that one exists or does anyone have any ideas?? I've seen a nice looking hedge around the corner from where I live and I keep meaning to take a furtive photo, I'll post it on here for identification if that's ok as it looks as if it could potentially fit the bill.

greenbee

pink_poppy wrote: »

Good luck with the panel/trellis conundrum, greenbee, I've been pondering how to attach a trellis to a brick wall for 10 years One of these days...

Apparently it involves power tools. That's what always puts me off. No idea why! I seem to prefer manual labour.

Must remember to take the cartridge out of my strimmer as I need to buy another one and without taking the old one have no clue what I need. But I'd quite like to be able to use the strimmer for a few more bits and pieces.

I'm slightly frustrated by having to be away so much, as I really feel I'm making some progress in the garden (house is a tip, but who cares :cool:) and just want to get on with it...

Davesnave

I baulked at buying the Lidl driver, Dafty, because it didn't sound powerful enough for me, but maybe I was wrong. 10.8 volts only, or something like that. My last Lidl drill survived a 7' fall onto concrete , but eventually succumbed to battery rot.

My Hitachi SDS drill is stuttering, which is probably the brushes. It's 3 weeks out of guarantee :mad:, so I'll send it back to 'em with a nice letter. Then they can refurb it and pack it with grease, which is important.

My sheep aren't noisy. :A Ours are just learning to walk on their hind legs so that they can browse the apple trees, and that's both frustrating and hilarious to watch!

Often, sheep baa a lot when new into a field with lambs, but then they settle after a week or so, calling less often. Hens are noisier, especially if there's a cockerel, or in our case, Vorwerks, which have learned to crow. I had to bump off one of ours which was crowerwhen it fell very ill (old age) , so imagine my surprise when the dual tone crowing started up again.....Another one had taken its place! :rotfl:

DaftyDuck

Dave - they're 18 volt, and 180 Newton metre, so pretty powerful. Still some in my local, so might be some local to you ... Mine did break... Loose connection to motor... Took 2 minutes to fix, and their guarantee seems to work well.

Our sheep are quiet at the moment, but coming out of their wooly shells and getting braver by the minute.

Hoping the rain reaches us, fields are getting a bit dry and brown, even trees wilting gently. Mind you, then I'll moan it's too wet!

lucielle

Sheep are moaning because their lambs are being taken off.
L

choille

Very hot - had to go to see someone miles away so we went to Attadale Gardens on the way back as I've been meaning to go for years but we didn't as it was so far away.

Amazing place & such a glorious day to go. Gorgeous japanese garden & other bits - lovely huge trees including Wellingtonias & a few black birches which I don't recall seeing before.
Am,azing kitchen garden with very low apple cordons with lettuces planted beneath.