Cheery's country living adventure

greenbee

This just popped up in my FB feed. https://www.edfenergy.com/for-home/energy-efficiency/hybrid-air-source-heat-pump? Probably something we should both look into! Although I think the picture's a bit aspirational. I don't know anyone who'd put the air source heat pump in that position on a wisteria-covered red brick cottage 

I've finished tying in all my climbers and giving them a prune (and started the third bag of garden waste, so I'm trying to be good and rest on the sofa. Cutting the long grass and weeding the drive are on tomorrow's list. Not completing either of them, but trying to at least make an impact. 

themadvix

Sorry if this is a daft question Cheery, but what's a rain garden?

Cheery_Daff

Ooh greenbee, that does indeed look interesting! I hadn't realised there was a possibility for a hybrid system - seems rather less drastic than ditching LPG altogether. Hmm. I'm wondering whether anyone will even come out to do an EPC while we're in the middle of everlasting building work, but I guess there's only one was to find that out.... I might give them a ring - asking questions won't do any harm will it? Exciting times.

In other exciting news, I've just discovered work is closed on Tuesday... I only thought to look because ElmoR said work had added an extra day onto the bank holiday, and mine often does that too... just checked and they have! But somehow it hadn't made it into my diary...

Now, I have two options at this point. Do I 
(a) work on Tuesday as planned and take a free day off at another point in September, and have a blissful day of work-based plotting and scheming while legitimately not replying to any emails
(b) don't bother going back til Wednesday

Hmm, genuinely torn. Might check the weather forecast. Mind you I'm feeling quite physically exhausted right now and maybe a day of office work rather than digging is exactly what I need!

themadvix

From what we've read, you'd definitely need a hybrid, especially with air-source, as unless you have underfloor heating (which you won't in your old house), it won't get warm enough to radiate heat from the radiators. But it would reduce your LPG costs, that's for sure. 

There's loads of people qualified to do an EPC - I can't imagine you need one from the scheme, as they should all be the same? The man who took our house photos also did the floorplan and EPC - it really didn't seem difficult (he checked age of boiler, whether we had LED lightbulbs, the depth of the double glazing, loft insulation (suspect you may fall down there?!). But if we'd wanted one separately there was a long list of people qualified in the area who could do it. HTH.

Cheery_Daff

Thanks Vix, that's a good point actually - our photographer gave us an EPC for the old house too. The loft itself is actually pretty well insulated! It's just the floor between the kitchen and upstairs that isn't right now But they might not have a section on the form for that!

Went out to shut the chickens in, and the older farmer was round checking the cows so ended up nattering for an hour Proper hungry now!

Cheery_Daff

Oops, sorry Vix, missed your rain garden question! 

A rain garden is essentially an area of garden that can absorb extra water when necessary, but that doesn't function as a permanent pond. They're starting to build them in some towns now, where lots of areas have been paved over and there's a fair bit of run off and flooding. Here's a link from the RHS

https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?PID=1009

and here's an example from the Environment Agency

https://environmentagency.blog.gov.uk/2015/09/09/how-to-create-a-rain-garden/

Needless to say mine won't be half so picturesque Mine is more about trying to divert some of the water out of the field, and off the driveway (although I think it's going to be impossible to wholly divert from the drive sadly given the location). I might shift my willow into there as well, so it'll probably end up less 'genteel rain garden' and more 'scraggy bog' but that's fine

Cheery_Daff

Hmm, well unsurprisingly today has NOT been quite as productive as yesterday... 

11.45-1pm - lunch and food prep
* make lunch (aubergine and tofu thing)
* prepare pizza base for tea
* washing up

1-5 - outside!
* clear table and assorted junk from round the chicken run
* start digging hole for 'rain garden' (might be curtailed depending on chicken interference - chickens and pick axes don't really mix)
* find big bit of stone drain pipe to go under wall
* dig up and replant rowan and sloe bushes out of rain garden area
* plant out hazel that's been sat in a pot for yonks
* cut some more hay
* turn the hay that I turned yesterday again, see if I can dry it out (and if I can, bale it before it starts raining again)
* put some more soggy hay onto windbreak area
* bring washing in
* poo pick chicken house

5-7.30 - transition to evening
* put chickens in run, and later to bed
* make pizza for tea! Yay! 
* washing up
* hoover living room and kitchen
* hoover study
* empty container of rainwater out of fireplace... 
* tidy study a bit in preparation for going back to work on Tuesday

7.30 - Evening
* see if I can print off two previously-made blog books (already printed them once to give to my mother but it was years ago - are they still stored in the software?)
* investigate how to turn next blog into book (I switched platforms, and the new platform wasn't supported by the previous software so need a different option)
 * get at least a couple of battens attached to the kitchen ceiling 

Ok, well that's not brilliant but not quite as bad as I thought, especially as I've physically felt as if I was about 85 today... Let's see about a more realistic list for tomorrow shall we??

Cheery_Daff

Monday (last day off work!)

7.30-9.30 - first thing
* chickens out
* one strip of scything
* check if grass needs turning

9.30-12 - morning pottering
* possible cafe trip with Mr Cheery (last day off commiserations)
* possible supermarket trip (or I might go later on my own)
* poo pick chicken house

12-1 - lunch
* make lunch (and enough for leftovers for tomorrow)
* eat lunch... 
* washing up

1-5 - outside pottering
* move sloe bush
* plant out hazel
* hay onto windbreak area
* turn hay if weather is dry enough
* bring washing and blankets in when dry
* remove pan of water from grate in study
* fill kindling bucket and coal scuttle ready for a fire if necessary

5-8 - transition to evening
* chickens in
* make and eat tea (make enough for tomorrow too)
* washing up
* hoover living room, kitchen and bathroom
* quick tidy and hoover of study
* lay out clothes and breakfast for tomorrow

I know there are a lot of things on there... and none of them are DIY... but it does feel reasonably manageable... Going to take it physically quite easy though so if I can't be doing with the digging or scything then they'll be ignored... 

missymoo81

You’re doing so well with your lists Cheery! Still haven’t done mine! Really should do! Mmm seeing HM pizza on your list makes me want to make some! 

Karmacat

I'm admiring the moving of plants - I planted a thyme in completely the wrong place - downslope, so it gets soggy bottoms - its definitely alive, but it sort of hasn't moved ... it needs to join the rest, and that would clear another patch for a raised bed.