Cheery's country living adventure

Karmacat

Cheery, what a list!  I'm bowled over and collapsed with RT with a coffee and some sweeties   hope you catch up on your sleep first though.

**waves at Lula** yep, I'm still haunting mse  

Cheery_Daff

Ha, don't be too in awe of my list - first of all, it's a list for an entire fortnight, during which I have literally no other plans except what's on that list And secondly, I am well known for making overambitious lists and not getting everything done!

I did get SOME things done yesterday though, which was quite an achievement given that I slept really badly (for me!) the night before and was worn out. I went on a quest to get woodchips for the chicken run - tried to buy online, but everyone uses pallet delivery, and there is no way they'll get a lorry down here. Tried three agricultural supply shops, before trying the tree surgeon I left a message with last week, and SUCCESS! He thought his wife had emailed me a price (which she hadn't) and that I was ignoring him. 

So glad I rang again - he's coming on Monday and bringing me a landrover full of woodchips He said he was happy to just tip off what I needed, but I could have the whole lot for the same price if I wanted (£100, delivered) - it's a waste product for him and he's happy to have somewhere to put it, and get a bit of an income from it. I'll wait and see what we get of course, but if we DO get the full landrover worth, it'll fill the chicken run (including extension), plus the path round the veg patch, plus plenty left over for mulch, possibly round some of the new trees. And I MAY end up with another load for more of the new trees, we'll see. 

Anyway, so success, and the farmers market was open to my surprise, so I had a quick wander round there and bought a few gifts. Quick pop round some of the town shops too, although it's a pretty little market town and was getting a  bit crowded for my liking, so I came home. 

Cleared all the hay out of the chicken run, cleaned out the chicken house, topped up all food and water, and we gave them a second dust bath (a big plant pot) to use as they were being VERY impatient queuing for one One poor lady would be in it, enjoying her ablutions, with another chicken perched on the edge, pecking her on the head occasionally to get her to hurry up So they've got two now, and we're thinking of acquiring an actual human bath for them to use as a communal dust bath once we've got the extension finished. 

Got a few more cards posted yesterday too. And about 8.30 we were contemplating today's activities, and realised the supermarket was open til midnight, so we went last night instead of this morning, which was MUCH better as there was hardly anyone in there. 

Off on a little excursion to stretch our legs this morning (just a takeaway cuppa and a walk along the river in a slightly-further-away-than-the-most-local town) and then back to chicken run duties. 

MUST sort out the banks I've not been using the YNAB app at all and they'll be in a right old mess I imagine Hey ho. 

Right, best go and wake Mr Cheery up ready for our excursion! 

Cheery_Daff

Hmm, well so much for today's plans - Mr Cheery isn't very well (no, not the virus, an ongoing health complaint, he's been the docs this week and has medication). We were going to nip out but instead he's in bed

I've taken the opportunity to tidy up. He's been either poorly or building chicken run extension all week, and I've been rushed off my feet, so things have been rather slovenly for a while So I've done a week's worth of dishes , cleaned the kitchen, including cupboard doors, bin, microwave etc, and cleaned the bathroom, including putting on some washing, and spending well over half an hour unblocking the sink, which was barely draining at all

Gosh it was disgusting had to unscrew the u bend and all the pipes I could get at, I'll spare you the details, but it was GRIM. Still, it's done now and everything is sparkly and clean. Dusted the living room and ran the Hoover round too.

Just sat down with tea and a piece of Christmas cake, which I do feel like I have very much deserved! 

Going to make the chickens some porridge in a bit (only not done is so far as it involved cleaning the old stuff out their bowls and there was no clean sink to do it in!) And it's not raining, so I really should get outside... and I want to wrap some presents ready to post in the morning. And and and...

Also remembered that I forgot to get cash out for the woodchip man at the supermarket last night, which wouldn't have been a problem if we'd popped out today, but now is going to require a special trip. Might combine it with a nip into my favourite bookshop for a couple of gifts...

Karmacat

Wow Cheery, you've done a lot!  Sorry that part of it is because Mr Cheery isn't well though, I hope he'll rest properly now.  As for the woodchip, take it!  Do you have somewhere under cover you can store it?  Even if you don't, I'd go ahead - you sound like you have real problems with the width of your lovely little lane for delivery vehicles.  

And words fail me in my admiration for undoing the U bend and getting it sparkly.  Good grief!

South_coast

I'm impressed you have enough crockery to be able to leave the dishes for that long 😀! I only have 3 dinner plates, which does force my hand somewhat 🤣!

Cheery_Daff

Ha SC, oddly enough we have loads of some things, but barely any of other things. And several weeks ago we got sick of the washing up piling up, so HID everything other than one bowl, plate, spoon etc each Some of it has sneaked out, but (look away if you're squeamish) mostly we've just been using the same  plates again with out washing, oh dear!! So there wasn't actually that MUCH washing up, but it was all rather grim

I confess KC I'd been waiting for the plug hole to magically unblock itself... Part of it is the stupid design - it's got such a tiny hole to drain down that the water never flows particularly quickly, so grime does rather build up. We'd been ignoring it draining really slowly for weeks... so it needed doing, and clearly nobody else was going to do it...

We'll definitely be taking all the woodchip he'll give us! Fortunately we have space for him to just dump it in a giant pile I could cover it, but in reality by the time I've covered the chicken run and the veg bed paths I'm not sure there'l be much left! If I get another load I'll try to get him to take it to the tree field and I can just distribute a bit at a time from there.

Chicken porridge delivered and we sat with them for half an hour which was nice. I do love it when they come and perch on your knee and close their little eyes

Bought some lovely rye bread at the farmers market yesterday, so just having some of that with a couple of fried eggs for lunch - tasty!

Cheery_Daff

Evening all, and happy solstice! I've mostly had a nice day Lit a candle while I was eating breakfast, and wondered why I don't do that more often, it was lovely

Went for a walk at sunrise, but couldn't see the sun through the foggy gloom Woodchips delivered - SO much woodchip!! Put a couple of wheelbarrows full into the chicken run, and they LOVED it. Took some parcels to the post office, and then had a wander round the bookshop, bought some presents for me (oops...) and other people, then had a takeaway cuppa and mince pie in the car

Back home, and I had a couple of hours to myself while Mr Cheery nipped out - watched the end of a film I started yesterday, took the chickens bedtime treats, tidied up a bit, had some more Christmas cake, and then an online counselling session. 

Now I've just run a bath, and am very much looking forward to lying in it and contemplating the days getting longer

Plan for tomorrow...
* clear study for chimney sweep! Completely forgot they were coming til 10 mins ago! They're putting a cowl on too, which is great, because it means I can reclaim the washing up bowl, which has been sat in the grate collecting rainwater for several weeks now

* nip out for final presents for Mr Cheery

* shift more woodchip

* do a bit of batch cooking for the freezer

* hmm, might need to defrost the freezer again - one shelf has completely iced over Also need to investigate a new seal. Yawn.

*record new Christmas message for friend - I've left a filler one but it would be nice for both of us to do a proper one before they get it

* also just remembered I've not hung yesterday's washing up yet... which will also involve putting the dry stuff away off the airer.

* NEED to do something with the utility room/offshot/entrance (we never did decide what to call it usually it's the offshot, but occasionally we confuse that with the lean-to, which is actually an outbuilding ) It's entirely full of wellies, recycling, tools, chicken treats etc etc and is getting quite difficult to navigate 

That's it I think! Sounds like quite enough for me!

rtandon27

Happy Solstice Cheery!  We watched the sunset on utoob and had a our solstice eve dinner last night.  Sunrise was well after my work start-time this morning, so missed watching the sunrise.  I'm well happy that the days will be lengthening, reminds me that spring is not far around the corner

Cheery_Daff

Crikey, you must have started pretty early, wasn't sunrise 8.20? Hope you don't have too many early starts like that! 

Glad you got to watch on youtube though, how lovely

Karmacat

Happy Solstice!  What a wonderful point - we'll be just starting to notice the difference by this time next week