"Isn't it nice to think that tomorrow is a new day with no mistakes in it."

greenbee

Stinky had a walk. I read for a bit. And have put up the wire for the blackberry and fig. I need to look at my list of jobs and decide what's next. Possibly reading a bit more…

beanielou

More reading is always good.

greenbee

I'm reading 'Raising Hare' by Chloe Dalton, which is a lovely summer read.

I've also gone through one of the three piles of half-dead strawberry plants and shoved most in the garden waste, but replanted some under the fruit bushes. There are two more piles and two buckets to go. This year maybe I should attempt to pot up my runners instead of letting them run wild…

I also shoved some orgro round the fruit bushes and rhubarb, and have put the cleaning cloths on a hygiene wash (which is finished, so after I've had coffee I'll go and hang them out).

Stinky's favourite bed is still stinky after having been washed and tumble dried, so I think I'll have to find another one. It's a too-small-for-him fluffy doughnut bed that doesn't come apart for washing, so only just fits in the machine, hence not washing properly. He has a bigger one in my office, but the base is very thin so he doesn't like it so much.

teapot2

I really enjoyed 'Raising Hare', a very tender and moving book full of interest and history as well as the complications around how to care for a tiny leveret.

KajiKita

Could you put something like a couple of pieces of cardboard or a folded yoga mat under the dog bed in the office for Stinky’s comfort, just to pad and insulate from the floor a bit more?

KK

greenbee

It's a lovely book @teapot2 - one of those books that makes me think I should somehow be able to do more about the state of the natural world (so I'm watching Secret Gardens on iplayer).

@KajiKita - Stinky is a labrador. He's bred for cold and uncomfortable. However, he has expressed a clear preference for the stinky doughnut bed - as soon as I put it down he got in it so I can't steal it again… so I need to do some shopping. The one in my office is fine - it doesn't stop him coming in there to join me.

greenbee

Have batch cooked three lots of veg for meals this week - one lot with some YS sausages I'd forgotten about, one lot with paneer, and one lot with halloumi (slightly different combination of veg/pulses in each. One portion of the sausage one eaten this evening. There's some salad stuff left, and plenty of eggs, so hoping I won't need to shop until Stinky needs more BNS and bananas.

There was some oat milk and cows milk left from visitors yesterday (most of it went home with my mum) so small amounts have been frozen with the 'juice' from cooking BNS last week for extra snacks for Stinky (he has a treat ball that takes frozen stuff too). Three lick mats filled and frozen with random bits, so have enough to last until the weekend (plenty of kongs). I'm picking up more venison tomorrow, so need to move some flooring in the workshop and turn on the bigger chest freezer as despite defrosting more pulses and stewed apple, I don't think I can fit two more into the freezer once they're chopped up and portioned based on individual preferences… Mind you, I might take out some more pulses (just used a whole lot in the batch cooking) and tidy the kitchen freezer to see what I can squeeze in there) - it'll put off the need to start up the other freezer for about a week!

I have to admit, I'm struggling to keep up with the washing up/keeping the kitchen tidy without the DW. I can see it would be easy to give up on cooking properly.

Watching Secret Gardens means I now want a pond, less grass and more flowers, swift boxes, bat boxes, swallow nests and house martin nests… I think the planting and pond need to happen before there is any point in the bird boxes/nests.

greenbee

Builders are back, and once again I've raised the question of a project plan. Which once again seems to extend as far as next week…

Cooler today, and rumours of rain later, but I'll open the greenhouse before I go out (meeting my mum for a walk and to pick up muntjac for the quadrupeds). I've moved some flooring in the workshop and started up the big freezer as there's definitely not room for two more lots of venison in the indoor one. Plus it also means I'm prepared for when we have to start emptying the utility room… which hopefully will be sometime next week.

Need to reschedule a vet appointment as it clashes with a dentist appointment, and also try to organise the person who wants to take my garage doors away.

KajiKita

I suspect the builders don't really know what you mean by a project plan …

I would be tempted to make them ENORMOUS mugs of coffee, make them sit down somewhere and then facilitate a session with post it notes and a huge sheet of paper and gradually empty their heads. Then use that sheet of paper for a once a week check in (as that's their normal time frame for 'thinking ahead').

I've done it with Mr KK (albeit not quite that blatantly) as he mumbles and moans about a lack of planning where he works, but actually he also doesn't really think far enough ahead either … For me though it was non-negotiable when we redid our sole bathroom, to minimise the out-of-use time. Mr KK was very proud of himself for 'how quickly it got done' and how few days we had to shower / wash elsewhere … The structured questions I asked to lead his thinking, and planning of sparky and plumber, getting materials on site, booking time off work for him etc., didn't seem to register at all … 🙄😉🤣

KK

greenbee

I can have a sensible conversation with one of them, but only if the other one isn't around… And I don't do making coffee/tea/snacks as I'm trying to get on with my own work and don't want them thinking that because I work from home they have a tea-lady.

I've been through several times what I think the stages are, but I'm going to write it up and send a whatsapp later today as I should have confirmation today of a few other bits. But so far all they can tell me is what they are doing next week. Some weeks they're only coming one or two days. I have told them that a. the plumbers have said they need around 3 weeks notice, and b. I usually book the electricians around 6 weeks ahead or more - so no, there is no date when they are next coming back, as I don't know when they need to come back (and TBH my conversation with the electricians was along the lines of 'we can do the rest of it when the builders have finished').

So tonight I'll make a list and send it over asking whether I've missed anything, how long it will take them to do the various bits, so I can book the other trades in. Because I've just asked when the door will go in (having been under pressure to get it chosen/ordered) only to be told that it'll be 'sometime next week' - I can't book the locksmith in on that basis, so have said I need a date so I can book the locksmith…

Apparently I'll get a bill (from them, not including the bricklayer, who will be billing me separately) for the first month later today. Which means, I assume, that they're only doing one day this week. I know they probably have other jobs on, but for a small job it has dragged on. However, the brickwork should all be done next week, and the door in, and hopefully the floor at least to where the plumber needs it. Date for the garden door would be nice, and hopefully the conversation with the plumber this afternoon will mean we have a date for the floor going down and the heat pump going in…