Cheery's country living adventure

themadvix

Oh that would be brilliant to have them planted for you! I can see why the excitement might distract from the scything though. Hope you don’t get too badly bitten today.

the_cross_rabbit

Have you tried Avon’s so kind range? I used it up in Scotland and didn’t get bitten and usually bitey things see me as a m’d drive through.
CRx

themadvix

Apparently it’s recommended by the army for insect repelling!

Cheery_Daff

Yes I have heard of that CR, thanks for the reminder! I think I might even have some somewhere from previous years! Did dig out some actual insect repellant yesterday too so I'm not too afflicted today thank goodness...

rtandon27

The av0n lotion does indeed work against little bitey things - about a 3 year shelf life though before it's repellent properties disappear!  I can remember being across the pond in my youth & being slathered with the stuff by my grandma as I'd break out into hives with the stronger bug spray!

Karmacat

I've heard of the Avon product too ... it smells really nice.

The Woodland Trust link is really exciting, Cheery!  It may well also tie in with that new announcement about aiming for "wildlife corridors", though thats a bit new.  Got to be good though.

Cheery_Daff

Afternoon all

Raining here, has been since early afternoon. Mr Cheery's friend is here and they are out in the purpose-built garden shelter (which is proving EXCELLENT for all these outdoor visitors), but I got a bit chilly, and they got quite into a detailed discussion about something which is more their thing than mine, so I used it as a nice excuse to come back inside for a while

So. Yesterday's visitor was cheery, and the weather was ok so we stayed outside, and then I was so exhausted last night I was pretty much asleep by 10. This morning I had a nice video chat with a pal, then met another friend at the ice cream parlour for cake and ice cream I was half planning a bit of gardening but really don't fancy it in this incessant rain. (hang on, I'm being summoned...)

walkers60

Hello to everyone
I really enjoy reading about your country living adventures and was very interested in the mention of Avon's so kind range.  Please can I ask does the lotion or cream with insect repellent properties have a special name.  I have seen the spray advertised but think I would prefer a cream or lotion.
Thanks for your help.
Walkers 

rtandon27

Hello Walkers - across the pond this lotion is the one everyone uses - looking on the UK site I can only see the spray dry oil available. - my understanding is that the active ingredient is citronella, so only the product with the blue label has this, not the pink one. - hope this helps!

Cheery_Daff

Hi walkers 😊 nice to see you and glad you're enjoying my ramblings I was about to confess ignorance of everything other than the Avon name, but I see RT has helpfully jumped in with more info than I have myself - thanks RT!

I see I got distracted the other day - meant to come back in but forgot, sorry! No idea what I was going to say...

Thursday's visitor stayed til late, and after a couple of blissful hours by myself while they chatted, all three of us ended up in the outdoor shelter with a fire in the firepit (outside the shelter...) til after midnight. So utterly lovely, with the rain pattering on the tarp roof and the mist rolling around in the valley so the lights of the village in the distance drifted in and out of view. It was quite otherworldly (not helped by the cider 😂 ). Gosh it was nice. 

Yesterday was nice too - an early morning bike ride on the trail again, then sitting outside the cafe with Mr Cheery and a book, then an afternoon in the garden, mostly digging a hole through the hardcore to accommodate my giant IBC water tank. Not burying the whole thing (!) but in order to get the top low enough to collect water from the greenhouse it had to be dug down a couple of inches, and then a hole dug to put the watering can under the tap... 😂 Possibly not my wisest purchase - and even more annoyingly the farmer turned up this morning and said "I wish you'd asked - I've got three just lying around!" 🙄😮😂 Hey ho - mine is black so won't form algae inside and there's no point worrying now, what's done is done...

I made another attempt at the hay field with the scythe, and concluded that it needs peening... (did I already say this??) I've never peened it, in fact I was only dimly aware of peening, which apparently needs to be done after every 8 hours or so of scything (I've had mine for over 2 years now...). (Peening is the act of making the cutting edge thinner, and thus easier to use and sharpen, if you're as ignorant as me). I've ordered a peening jig, a little contraption which will help me bash the sharp edge down to make it sharper more easily than using a hammer and anvil (!) Always something new to learn (and buy, and do...) 😂

Yesterday I was SO tired I could barely keep my eyes open. I've not been that tired for a long time. I lay back with my head propped on a watering can while digging the giant hole and nodded off for a few minutes. Then I fell asleep on the sofa at 8.30, and finally ended up in bed at half 9, and slept right through til half 6 this morning 😮 

Feeling more human today! Slimming World video meeting this morning (am I a bad person to prefer the video meetings to real life?? They only take 40 minutes instead of well over an hour, and don't involve me driving a 20 mile round trip first thing on a Saturday morning...). 

Decided to have an indoor day today, needing a rest after lots of visitors, scything, digging, cycling etc (and it's been raining too...). Wrote a couple of letters, wrapped a parcel for the friend and had a little trip to the post office, where I nearly fell over to be charged over £5 for 8 apples 😮😮😮 I'm all for supporting local shops, but these apples are not even local or organic or anything, just a good 5 miles from the nearest other source of apples I suppose... had a similar experience of paying £3.50 for grapes in the village shop recently - something we won't be doing again in a hurry...

Since then I've had a happy afternoon alternating reading with some much-needed cleaning, dusting, hoovering etc - amazing how filthy the indoors gets when you spend most of your days outdoors... It's by no means pristine now (!) but at least living room and bathroom are properly clean, temporary kitchen is as clean as it gets, and my study is pretty clean and tidy too, and all the washing up is done.

Was contemplating a bike ride... but on reflection I think making some healthy tea is probably a better idea. Perhaps a curry of some kind? Got some peppers, maybe I'll roast them and have in a lentil curry...

Ooh, and in some financial news, my PIN number arrived today (and of course I looked at it and remembered it instantly - of COURSE that's what it was!! 😂 ). Great news as it stops me having to use the MB account to pay for stuff, that was all getting a bit confusing. 

Right, food...