Daydream fund challenge part 4

DaftyDuck

Evening all! I started a long post, and it vanished on trying to edit bits! I'm on an ancient Blackberry, so nobody is getting thanked either, so there! [shan't risk finding a sticks tongue out emoji.. it will probably kill the entire site]...

All staggers on. I spend some short time a month in the lab or office, wearing a suit and tie, and almost all the rest using up the remaining smart clothes clearing a hedge or ditch! Quite funny, really. I am getting a reputation in the village, and in Uni!

The wildlife here has really taken off. We had the local wildlife trust come and do a count, and they were quite delighted. I'm concentrating on the bugs and worms as much as the pretty stuff, which seems to be working well. We run a butterfly introduction scheme as well, and three of five species have bred this year, so I'm happy.

Tree planting went well, if rather late, so I'm glad of the cool spring. We took on some more goats, and someone has yet another donkey to rehome.... and I guess I'm a mug! So that was a yes, then.

Renovation on the house has stalled, as there aren't enough hours in the day to fit that in... luckily oh is very forgiving. We will get there with that... one year...

I now have a tame kestrel, follows me around on the tractor, and catches... my water voles(!!!) as I pass. Oh well, she's very beautiful, even if ruthless.

I broke my little finger a month ago. Jumped off a fence, and left the finger stuck in the gap, and there was a loud crack. Still hurts, and amazing how much you use it.

There's also a pick axe in the long grass in a field, and I CANNOT find it. I know it's in the long grass somewhere, and I need to cut it... If I cut it with it in there, I will kill the topper.....idiot!!!

Anyway, as I slowly descend into increasing eccentricity, the village seems happy to accept our weirdness and they enjoy the animals and woodlands. The insanity of Brexit eats into working time a bit - more for OH - but the idiots pay her massively for it, so who is to grumble. Me, I'm for digging a moat, sticking up a wall, and locking everybody else out.

Since most of you on this thread are also mildly insane, I'll allow you in. Just ask for the password! Oh, and bring a bottle, or a spare animal!

All the best for summer!

Edit : hey..." Thanks" works.... sometimes! Sorry to those where it doesn't!

Davesnave

I agree, Bude is too 'bucket & spade' seaside, which we've never done. Our kids are still prawn hunters and winkle pickers, so love the rock pools in the coves. Take Sam's Mum anywhere there's water and she'll be in it, including the rivers.

For gardens, it's maybe time we visited Docton Mill again. While it's wild out there on the Hartland peninsula, the owner told me years ago that the wind just whooshes over the top and they're quite sheltered. It's more about eating & drinking there though, nowadays, judging by the photos people take on Google.:undecided

My favourite N Devon garden is this one:
http://www.marwoodhillgarden.co.uk/

Our kids loved going there because Dr Jimmy Smart's Jack Russell would trot round with them and they adored the carp that would just stay there with their mouths open waiting to be fed. Me, I'd be seed collecting:o, but there's an interesting nursery too.


As a lad, I played on the Castle Hill estate, not where the gardens are though! A friend and I used to go to the army firing range at Shallowford and sift the sand for bullets. We'd fill our saddlebags with them, and then a school satchel or two.

Back at home, we built fires and melted the lead, pouring it into an old enamel dog bowl to make ingots. Our little scrap metal business was going well until we were apprehended by the head gamekeeper, who was scary because he wore a kilt!:eek:He told us we were stealing from the Queen and not to come back again....so we didn't, but we did sell our ingots to a scrappie. :beer: Queen never missed them.:p


The school bus would pass Castle Hill every day and I often fantasised about becoming extremely rich and owning it one day. Not sure that I'd care for the maintenance now! (This is just the bit on the end, not the main house.)

tori.k

Ive a similar background Lanhydrock was our playground ( Dad was a NT gardener) our sideline was golfballs that used to wash up down river we'd bucket them up and sell them back to the club between that and cashing in the babycham bottles had a nice little earner until my brother spilled to the other kids showing off, the back breaking daffy picking the next year had him wishing he'd kept his mouth shut.

Davesnave

DaftyDuck wrote: »

Renovation on the house has stalled.....

So has ours. Shower is in, but an emergency yesterday meant our plumber man had to leave to fix a boiler in Exeter, and despite returning to work on till 9pm, we're still without a functioning bog and basin in there. He won't be back for a while now.

Meanwhile, we've complained about the supposedly luxury units having glue on their doors, so they're being replaced 'sometime.' :undecided

I've had man flu since the party a week ago, but at least it seems to be on a trajectory to end before the wedding. Pete injured his knee and was having difficulties looking after his stock last week, so I hope that's eased too. His adult kids aren't a lot of help, despite two still living at home. He's too soft.

I'll need Pete's advice too, eventually. Typically, just after I discover the real boundaries on this place and that we own one Wych Elm, and possibly another too, the big, beautiful one seems to be dying. I thought it was late coming into leaf and looking sparse when it did, but getting up close last night, I could see it's only our side that's leafed at all; the side facing south is largely bare.:huh: I know some small trees here were knocked back hard by the late frosts; the European Nettle Tree and some Acers were back to bare branches again, but this tree's over 30' and has seen a few bad winters, so I don't think it's that. Could it be the dry summer or the beetles? :eek:

lucielle

I'm feeling a little more sociable than I was, as DD1 left on Tuesday to go to New Zealand. She's arrived safely and starts her job in 2 weeks. I'll miss her like crazy, even though she drove me up the wall. Can't believe its nearly a year since DD2 left as well.

Had problems with the boiler in the Skye house. It's all sorted and the guests were ok about it. It's a problem when you're so far away. Some friends kindly dropped some extra fuel supplies, I really hate asking for help/favours but sometimes needs must.

I've been in the throes of setting up an Amazon shop after they approached us to open one. It has taken ages to get up and running but we are selling now. I finished my part time job in February 2018, I work more hours now than I ever did! The joys of self employment I guess .

Had a nice day at Kelso races for ladies day and came home £65 up, so not a bad day. Had a night in a hotel so it felt like a proper break.

Was up at 4.30am the other day to taken all the really crap machines to a machinery sale. It went ok. I was dressed up in oil skins as it hadn't stopped raining for over 24 hours. Anyway it didn't rain and get this it was in Scotland!!!
L

lucielle

Sorry to hear about Bimble, it's one of the hardest things to do. Hugs Alfie

L

Davesnave

Sounds like a case for a maintenance contract on the Skye house boiler, lucielle. Not needed 99% of the time, but when it is.....


More drizzle, rain, and even hail here, before short, sunny interludes. Left in the pouring rain for fish & chips in Crediton last night, ate them parked in a bright, sunny field, then returned home to the same weather we'd left!

choille

Hope the boiler stays fixed. A pain when you are far away Lucielle.
You've given your kids such a good start and I'm sure you will miss them. NZ will be a wonderful place to work & live & you will have to go out & visit sometime in the future. Long way to go though but it will be an adventure.

Doesn't appear to want to stop raining here - very wet Summer so far. Doesn't seem to be putting off the NC500 roadsters. Was over in Aberdeenshire at the W/E and they were saying how quiet they are over there tourist wise. I think the NC500 is at peak level - Hope so as it's wearing. No gardening done but the shrubs are all crowding out the weeds. The new bed I created with flowers is infested but things are just running riot.
I seem to have slowed up house wise - although nearly there I seem to have boxes of 'stuff' everywhere. It's time I bit the bullet and had a real sort out instead of tinkering around the edges.

lucielle

I think she's settling in for the 2 weeks she's with her sister before she starts her job. They've already managed to bag a free flight in a helicopter, which looked amazing.

Still having issues with the boiler, think its leaking somewhere. Plumbers don't seem overly bothered. Grrr
L

choille

Lovely she's staying with her sister - that must be really comforting for you.

Plumbers can be a menace - as we well know. They can also be thin on the ground so you have to make do with the not-so-good ones but it can be costly, damaging & a PITA.

Lovely evening here after really heavy down pours earlier & also beautiful massive vibrant rainbows - whole ones. Saw two strange birds here - like thing sparrows with red chests & heads with a mohican affair.

Tried looking on the internet but haven't seen the like.