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DesperateDan posted:RIP Hicks, 2011-2019 I'm so sorry. He was a most excellent catte. /salute
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Feb 17, 2019 20:47
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DesperateDan posted:Must sadly report Hicks has died- he got worse over the last few days, then late last night had a seizure so I took him to the emergency vets around 2am for the only kind option left. He went out without discomfort, purring away loudly while being fussed and thanked. Oh, no! I'm so sorry.
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Feb 17, 2019 21:04
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DesperateDan posted:Must sadly report Hicks has died- he got worse over the last few days, then late last night had a seizure so I took him to the emergency vets around 2am for the only kind option left. He went out without discomfort, purring away loudly while being fussed and thanked. That's a good way for poor Hicks to go, he's held on for a good time. You've given him an awesome life, may he steal many pizzas in kitty-heaven!
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Feb 17, 2019 23:35
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Poor Hicks. RIP. A great cat.
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Feb 18, 2019 18:01
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So sorry Dan. Rest in peace, ginger lad.
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Feb 18, 2019 18:37
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Very sorry for your loss. May good memories of Hicks console you in your sadness.
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Feb 18, 2019 21:06
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Thankyou all for your very kind comments- I'm very glad to have been there for him in his last moments just as he was always there for me. This is the last pic I took of him, about a day before he passed- he was very interested in some ham the boy was eating. the show must go on   Made myself come do the things that needed to be thung.     The birds had been very hungry. As I went round with the re-up, I got to watch a crow and a buzzard battle- it was fierce.   The main task was clearing a space for hicks to go and digging a grave, of which I didn't take pics. He isnt buried yet, but I think I'm about ready for him now- two beloved family dogs are under the same tree, its a good spot.  Also went round and took some cuttings from some currant bushes- got about a dozen or so gooseberry cuttings from home as well.   Skipped my traditional beer and had some coffee on my break instead   Then I hosed off home, where I'm catching up on that beer, and planning out buying some plants.
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Feb 19, 2019 18:25
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RIP Hicks. I'm sorry 
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Feb 20, 2019 00:21
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Lady Demelza posted:RIP Hicks. I'm sorry Thanks, and thanks once again to you all for your kind and thoughtful comments the grave details     Hicks was buried today on the acres with his favourite toy, my son's school attendance medal and a few coins for the ferryman if needed.     Fed the birds a bit afterwards, they are getting used to me and hence I can provide pictures where birds appear larger than a pixel    Here's a bit of prep from home- these are some currant cuttings. Got some grape vines and lavender I need put a similar chop to.   Back soon, got something to build, and something to help build it with.
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Feb 22, 2019 21:15
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We lost our cat to kidney failure in December. We did everything we could but it was over in just a few weeks. Being able to root for Hicks as he continued to beat the odds felt pretty good  RIP, good catte
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Feb 23, 2019 06:01
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Discussion Quorum posted:We lost our cat to kidney failure in December. We did everything we could but it was over in just a few weeks. Being able to root for Hicks as he continued to beat the odds felt pretty good Sorry for your loss, and thankyou- managed to fit a lot of cuddles into those few months smack my ditch up     I hate being busy and wish I could just have this place as a full time job- But shops don't take acorns and berries in payment. Not unless you run really, really fast. And I'm too old for that poo poo now.   Lots of stuff is just about to bloom, and I'm hoping a cold snap doesn't come along and gently caress them over.    It was just gonna be a bird feeding   but I did a few bits like tidy up the lavender just a bit- I found a ladybird and a few spiders lurking deep within so abandoned serious trimming efforts to ensure them a home  Looked at some burrows  Was a little concerned for this buzzy friend but they were just having a little rest and soon flew on   Have I talked about this jacket much yet? It's loving awesome for keeping me warm and dry, holds a lot of useful poo poo and you can keep a beer upright in the pockets. The ministry of defence actually got their poo poo together on this one.     I tried calling it a day but I then complained at myself that another thing should be done to justify the trip so I grabbed a shovel, cleared a drain out by my entrance and extended it a few metres.  There were many worms and grubs so I piled up the soil with branches and dead leaves to give them a new home.   Then I had to go have other adventures (or else). With any luck I should have a full day next week to build a thing and plant a thing and pee on a thing, and theres some stuff happening in the home garden too.
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Mar 2, 2019 17:03
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What types of planting can be done in this season?
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Mar 2, 2019 22:33
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xcheopis posted:What types of planting can be done in this season? For now I only feel safe doing hardier stuff till the chances of a late freeze goes down- I'm planning on putting in a box hedge plant and a spindle tree in the acres next week, then probably start chitting my seed potatoes and start some collected/purchased seeds off indoors at home- I need to inventory what I have and research when it needs to start. Here's a few bits I have ready and waiting to get in the ground, hopefully before may- 2 grape 2 olive 2 fig Quince Cherry plum Kiwi Hazel Lots of strawbs 3 blueberry 4 gooseberry 3 ???berry (lost track what type they are) 8 primrose (can't eat em but bugs love em) Lavender (its toxic so im not gonna eat much) Raspberry Box hedge Spindle Aiming to buy and plant- 3 or 4 more fruit tree saplings Shitloads of evergreen cover plants Some other gooseberry/berry varieties And hopefully some cuttings will work out and I will have a shitload more baby plants at home to raise
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Mar 3, 2019 13:39
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Pretty busy right now and the time that could be a small post today is instead gonna be a bunch of elder tree cuttings sorted- hoping to update properly at the weekend as there's things underway and growing again 
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Mar 14, 2019 18:22
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Thanks, I really enjoy your work and appreciate the regular updates.
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Mar 15, 2019 20:21
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DesperateDan posted:Lavender (its toxic so im not gonna eat much) ..oh crap.  Seriously though, lavender has a lot of uses as an herb. I put a tiny amount of dried lavender bud in my earl grey sometimes, and apparently the greens can be used like rosemary, although I've never tried it. Lavender ice cream and lavender lemonade are pretty dope too. I was going to post something about how I'm really into floral things so your mileage may vary, then I remembered I'm a bee so
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Mar 16, 2019 04:33
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Yeah a friend of mine makes lavender biscuits and they're delicious. I also have several buddleia bushes in my garden (who doesn't, given space, time and a moment looking in the wrong direction?) and found that if you make syrup from them it tastes and looks precisely like honey. Apparently nobody's really done any tests on whether it's safe for human consumption, though, so 
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Mar 17, 2019 22:15
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Bees on Wheat posted:Seriously though, lavender has a lot of uses as an herb. I put a tiny amount of dried lavender bud in my earl grey sometimes, and apparently the greens can be used like rosemary, although I've never tried it. Lavender ice cream and lavender lemonade are pretty dope too. A bit is fine as flavouring and you won't notice anything, it's more if you tried to eat it like lettuce then it all goes badly I mean it doesn't even taste like lettuce xcheopis posted:Thanks, I really enjoy your work and appreciate the regular updates. Thanks I wish it could be more often, it's a pleasure to show some people what im doing down there Endie posted:Yeah a friend of mine makes lavender biscuits and they're delicious. My mother in law has that growing in the garden so will try and snag some when I go pet the chickens and commit some other crimes in that area later this week Back once again for the renegade master D4 damager, power to the people Back once again for the renegade master D4 damager, with the ill behavior This update so chonky I'm doing it in 2 parts, so get the kettle on, and smoke'm if you got em. Created under the influence of some wonderful mixing from jayda g, consume at your own risk. Part One- Shovel or Spade, I still ain't gettin paid  Been putting this poo poo off too long, time to get a handle on it  New to me and with plenty of life, 3x 4Ah makita batteries, because a dear old friend and goon loves me and just scored himself a sack of fancy 5Ah ones. Bliss.  Gotta kill the rivet. Looks tough, but the bastard is vulnerable.  Punch a hole shaped mark on the rivet    Oil, drill till it squeaks, repeat.  Till its busted up good on that side.   Then a few taps with a punch later...  It pings out in a very satisfactory manner, leaving me with a very holey hole.   Test fit, examine, mark, trim, repeat   About done maybe  Within a few thou, time for woodstain   My drill case came with a built in rivet trimming holder type of device thingy. Always wondered what that hole was for. Very clever them folk at makita, glad I didn't have to buy one.  I had to drill the shovel out again for a metric sized rivet (old one was 2/200ths of a hogshead) and then drill carefully though with the handle jammed in place, hoping I hit the corresponding shovel hole on the opposite side, freehand. Nailed it, first time. Didn't get pics of any of that, but here's me using a paracord scrap to coat the wood on the inside with linseed oil to stop damp getting in that way  Using an anvil made myself from timber scraps and a block of steel (seems to have manifested itself in my toolbox at some point), a 1930-40's era stubby hammer (ironically in bad need of a new handle) and a lot of curse words I beat the everloving poo poo out of the rivet  Not quite finished, as I want to varnish the handle and give the shovel a wire wheel and oil, but done enough for function and to show off a bit  Alright, enough of that, fire up the quattro  Spindle tree, Box hedge, Lavender, Primrose and 80 litres of soil. All carried in over mud, ditches, puddles and muddy puddles in ditches.  Been windy (that or the badgers rioting again), and rainy- note the filling pond.   Fed the birds.   Looked at the fleurs.   Uncovered my grape vines- one is fine, the other is probably dead  The little ditch by my path is working well   But other areas are flooding up a bit, and the old drainage has nowhere to drain to, letting me plan out some more back breaking labour.   Everything is budding up nicely, apart from the aforesaid dead lookin' grape vine, and a plum and a cherry tree sapling from last year- was fairly sure they were dead anyway, but checked the roots on this visit and they were goners. Sad, but it leaves 2 prepared slots for some more fruit tree saplings   And that brought to a close that visit, I had hoped to get plants in the ground but with the ground warming up a little it's letting the water flow through easier and without the big plan's drainage efforts it's hampering things a bit.
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Mar 18, 2019 18:03
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Similar to most sequels, this will follow largely the same format as the previous effort Part Two- Clone Boogaloo  More Primroses Cheap, but they came in teeny pots and were already rootbound heavily But that can be fixed  I was thinking that the bottom left one was 2 plants in 1 pot and I could split em for a free plant, but both colours are coming from the same rootsystem and I'm too scared to try splitting the rootball yet   Cat interlude- Poundstretcher cat led me right to the bird feed after a greeting, an attentive and wonderful shopcat   The newspaper wrap was meant to prevent early roots on my seed potatoes here, not much luck but got em out to chit a bit anyway. Chitting seed potatoes is a deep and involved process that mainly involves leaving them somewhere with light a few days before planting to let photosynthesis happen. 2 Varieties, one from spuds I loved last year and the others are purchased maris pipers, will be put in big tubs on my lovely patio to grow because digging the fuckers out of the ground is ludicrous poo poo. Oh I might build a kind of tower of potato kind of thing the wife wanted to try too. Got a good few more seed potatoes left, going to try and hold off on them a bit and have a tub or two finish later, maybe chuck some out at the field too.   Onions and garlic going strong  Time to inventory some seeds I collected last year, figure out what I should be doing with them.  Some seeds need a process called cold scarification for a month or two at least, so I bundled them up with the silica gel which I "didn't eat" and tossed em in the back of the fridge. Wish I had known that a few months ago, but I should still have time in the year to give em a good shot, and learn a valuable lesson for next time.  Tomato seeds- both the same variety but processed in two different ways- the darker ones were left in tomatoes that were then left to rot down a bit first in water. The benefit of me picking through rank nasty rear end rotten tomato sludge is the seeds that go through this process will (apparently) remain viable longer and germinate more reliably than their brothers and sisters that just got spurged onto kitchen roll and left to dry. Loved the tomatoes, so I'm hoping to keep them going, and will keep some seeds back from each type to experiment with next year regards virility.     Bread Interlude- this is from today, I'm eating my sandwich as I post and this bread I made is loving awesome, make your own staff of life today, don't delay!    Took cuttings of lavender and some redcurrant here, and some more cuttings of gooseberry and a blackcurrant aren't pictured but are sat in jars on the kitchen windowsill regardless   A yellowcurrant that ran wild also got clipped up a week or two ago, and the cuts look ready for soil. Or maybe they don't, I'm still a newb and just going for it.  Gooseberry, but these cuts might have been a bit too weedy- you need a store of energy, which generally means a thicker bit of stem. Lessons learnt etc  These were just parts of other clippings and will probably die, but they get a chance at glory and science anyway   I sift together some compost with some sand, because I read cuttings like that stuff.  And now it's another thing taking up room in the kitchen. The 4 sticks in one pot are 4 bits of offcut currant stem that were running wild with roots and I wanted to give them a shot too, despite not showing buds. Lets see what happens.   I mentioned the elder previously, and here it is- a few different cuts from different bits of the tree in my garden- some branches I cut off it last year and dumped in a pile in the corner put out shoots too, so I just went direct to pot with this.   I can't remember if I mentioned my new boots having a leak on each side, and I paid for boots marketed as waterproof so thats bullshit - I emailed magnum and a customer service rep tried to gently caress me off, I tried the shop that sold me them and they went to bat for me and sorted me out a refund if I returned them. A delay left me bootless, and hence incapable of field for about a week The new new ones weren't sold as waterproof but have kept my feet perfectly dry standing up to my ankles in water, and are very comfy and grippy and they also have the wonderful composite footplate and toecap to keep me safe. The insoles are like magic- I have long feet but they arent too wide or deep whereas the boots always are, the insoles make my feet hit more of the boot in terms of contact area and stop it moving around at all- pain free boot wear-in.     You can make guesses on what this is gonna be, tbc in a future episode  Well here we are again then  Apple gettin it's grow on. Seems to like the photons coming in from top left there.  Not sure what this is yet, other than pretty and a probable tree of sorts   Brought the lad  And we brought a few bits, one of them essential to easy forest living  I nearly fell in a ditch getting this bee pic    Pretty all round really  Lots of deer tracks, these notable for being on a very steep slope- looks like it skidded a bit  We mainly did path clearance to the north and I forgot to get many pics of that, but he chopped some logs down to size too.  We checked the bird feeders- all of them pecked at but only one significantly, which makes me wonder if they work one of them more than the others, and why.    The old marmalade and lemon curd stuff we brought down is quite expired but I figured some bugs wouldn't mind it, so we scooped it out with a stick and then covered it over in more sticks. Gonna think on better methods for future jars, think badgers might dig it up- future episodes will know.   We both had missions as well as path cutting and bug feeding, I selected a blackthorn of good and reasonable devotions of a vertical nature and with great care chopped it down. I had to have a bit of this genus surgically removed from my arm under anaesthesia once, and wouldn't like a repeat.   The blackthorn was for tool handles- I have a few things like a stubby hammer in the previous post that need a new handle, and the oak that I selected and laid down without research would be alright but the acids in the oak would attack metal over time and cause issues. Luckily, blackthorn makes great tool handles, and I'm gonna take and season a few more sections like this as and when I find them.  The boy wanted to check on his bug hotel, which sadly had been blown down, but we lofted it unto the sky then strapped the fecker down with zip ties   It was a good day to explore the northern parts of the field, which are downhill and quite wet, and it let me get further ideas on ditches and drainage and such, and develop the big plan  On the way home, I got hungry. I'm eating less meat in general, as well as less fast food, but I would like to inform the thread, that when I get a burger I. Ain't. loving. Around.  Pictured: some of what should be today's task, but between the kitchen, laundry, procrastination and writing all this poo poo for you goons, it's been slow going, and the boss is unhappy  There will be more. I hold in mine sight a strange trowel. A case of many wonders too. Piles of wood grow, and develop strange new geometries. Who can tell, what will be revealed next? 
DesperateDan fucked around with this message at 18:17 on Mar 18, 2019 |
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Mar 18, 2019 18:05
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Nice updates! Spring getting its groove on means a ton of work for you. Is box blight much of a problem around your area? It's really hard to grow box here in London without it picking up spores. Which is a shame because it's one of my favourite plants - my granny had a little box maze/rose garden so it brings back fond memories of her.
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Mar 18, 2019 20:00
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Great update, as ever good work.
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Mar 18, 2019 22:41
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I'm gonna guess the little wooden thing is a trap door for you underground secret bunker and that is the big plan.
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Mar 19, 2019 10:21
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Or a picture frame
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Mar 19, 2019 10:41
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Went yesterday and got some poo poo done as well as homefront projects, at the acres again monday and will do an update afterwards- right now I need to go do more potting and weeding and sprouting etcMaugrim posted:Nice updates! Spring getting its groove on means a ton of work for you. Thanks, it's gonna be a busy few months I wasn't really aware of it, so it's something to look for and plan around- part of the big plan is an evergreen box around the place. Seems a lot can be done with postioning and pruning though spookygonk posted:Great update, as ever good work. Thanks Miftan posted:I'm gonna guess the little wooden thing is a trap door for you underground secret bunker and that is the big plan. Maugrim posted:Or a picture frame Good guesses, but not quite
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Mar 23, 2019 13:13
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Glad to see that it is spring somewhere. Great update!
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Mar 26, 2019 02:53
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Chair In A Basket posted:Glad to see that it is spring somewhere. Great update! Thanks!- If you liked that, you might not hate this! witty title more like lovely title amirite  Can't remember if this old codger was posted before, but they woke up recently from hibernation and are now menacing anything leafy and green once more. Oh, and on waking up from a few months sleep, these things can piss out several times their entire body volume.  And the chooks are still producing the best eggs I ever ate  I can fit more in. I will have to fit more in the future.  1 Olive, 2 Fig, 3 Gooseberry, 50 litres soil, other crap too, like dehumidifier crystals and seed stock.  Health and safety department always watching over me.    Oh well, time to earn my keep. First, make the holes   Watch the worms a bit on a break and apologise for the disturbance, then plant the plants.   Wait, not like that    Better    The big lavender did not want to come out due to being so rootbound so I had to take drastic and violent action wi’ spade that I certainly did not enjoy due to how heavy that ratfuck bastard was to carry.  So that's a box hedge and a spindle tree planted up nicely, and a lavender and a primrose in kind of mounds of earth, ready to be dug at by various digging bastards. I used bonemeal so the chances of diggery buggery might be even higher than normal  Once more, one or two feeders in particular emptied first- I'm going to number them and keep them in the same place awhile, and see if there's any logic to things- I don’t think it’s the same physical feeder or location each time, but I’m a scientist damnit and I want my data.  Back on the homefront, there were some new purchases to pot  Which needed it badly  2 raspberry, 2 rose and a grape vine will all be useful, though I held off on about a dozen other bushes because I want some fruit trees too, and my budget is oh god the bank is calling again   Spuds. There's a method to this. It’s madness.   You put a few inches of compost in a container, then you put seed spuds in  Then some more soil on top   And some more spuds. Cover with more soil, wait patiently. They will push through, and once the plants are a few inches above soil all that's needed is to water/feed them, and remove any weeds. Harvest will be as hard as waiting for the plants to die off, then emptying out the buckets and collecting spuds- for the early variety I have it will be about 80 days, the main crop will be about 110. I still have a few containers/bags for spuds left, and that's not just my laziness- staggering out the planting means staggering out the harvests too.  They like some company though, and music. On this day in particular, beethovens 7th. I get a bit weepy around the second movement, because it’s my fave.  This birdhouse of tolerance and respect was painted by my daughter years ago then lost/forgotten, but found once more she wants it put up, but first I need to do a few bits   Door didn't look very big so I keyholed it a bit    And added a perchy mcdowel  Better, but not complete. It also got 2 bits of space age mylar reflective insulation material hotglued in the inside roof but I forgot to add pics to imgur and I feel lazy as poo poo today. Looks spangly, will try and show it in the next update   Then I got to making some mysterious parts  Prepping some mysterious holes  And installing some more parts to the wooden mystery. If you can’t figure it yet, I’m pretty sure the next stage on this will help, but that’s for another time  This thing is a weed slasher. It slashes weeds, but won't do it well, or for long without some preventative maintenance  The edge was poo poo- It shouldn't be sharp, but be rounded off like a butterknife, as it came it had many burrs and thick areas of paint, and that won’t do.  The handle needed some oiling too, as it was bare wood- soaked up several applications of linseed oil.  And I thought it looked better without the sticker too. Now it's ready for some work.   Inspected a box of super cheap flower seeds, and separated off some of the chonkier ones- planted them "properly" and I'm going to experiement with the rest of it- I always just used to throw some of it around the acres and hope, this year I’m going to try taking care of some first then transplanting.  On the road again  Oh, look who it is  So moody sometimes  Fucker actually meowing at me to go faster by this point   And then after the offerings of food, they just stare at me and I love it  1 Hazel, 1 Raspberry, 1 Gooseberry, 5 Strawberry all delivered with a smile  Saw lots of these pretty fellows        Spring is in mid springing sound. Broing? Whang?  I went out through the brush to my scots pine  Was hoping to scrounge up some seeds from pinecones, but I'm way too late and they are actually earwig hotels now  But in a few months I suspect these things will be new pinecones rather than just looking like petrified dogshits- and I need me more evergreen for the big plan  Organised my bag before I left. A quick rummage for snacks later and I might as well not have bothered at all. Bag needs some sewing work too, as do about half my work clothes.  18x7=126 bricks, still all present and correct.  And with some sizing up, I now know that the footprint of my new bbq/rocket stove/insult to bricklayers/burger factory is going to be about 50x60cm, require 11 bricks for a full course, and probably be about 11 or 12 courses tall. Next up for this is re-clearing the area I want it in and laying down a foundation- I want this ready before the start of summer.   Not as much work on this trip, but much planning  And here's where I'm at today, varnishing a few wood bits, drinking coffee and shitposting on the internets- hope it was enjoyable, will be back down there soon.
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Mar 26, 2019 16:00
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two trees and a cadaver  Cat more patient today to watch from afar then approach for a treat when I was done unloading. No pictures because eeeeewwww but I found a dead badger and felt I should investigate the scene to make sure it was a natural death. Seems so- an elderly one, no wounds, drag marks from a nearby set. Debated covering it over with soil but have left it for now.  1 Cherry, 1 Plum, 2 Heather, 1 Spindle, 1 Box Hedge, 50 Litres of soil.    Pulled out the old and dead heather and replaced it with far healthier stuff (alive and everything) and some rocks to try and keep badgers away.  Saw a jay and some blackbirds on the balls today, they were far too shy for phone pics though. I could have shown you my tits, but it's not special if I do it all the time  One day I will find a good source of the extra fiery ones, till then this hearty brew will do alright        Then the fruit trees went in, with all the trimmings, they went in the same spots as the two that died due to drought last year- hopefully having them in a few months earlier will assist, and the weedproof mat/stone combo should help too.         Real pretty down there today, and quite warm.  Ran out of stone and soil, so took a wander then went home for a showerbeer, perhaps this years first needed one.
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Mar 29, 2019 21:29
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Glad you're back up to full speed after the cat scratch fever and everything. Good choice of beverage too. Funny about the badger - I found a dead fox in my (small) garden earlier this week when I went out to plant my potatoes - no visible signs of illness, excessive age or injury, just stretched out stiff next to the compost heap. I dunno if it got poisoned and/or someone found it in the playing field out back and chucked it over the fence or what. Anyway I gave it a decent burial near the grave of our crippled old rescue cat Boo. RIP. E: also (reading a post I missed) weed slashers are great fun. Didn't know they weren't supposed to be sharp though! What's the reasoning there? Maugrim fucked around with this message at 22:49 on Mar 29, 2019 |
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Mar 29, 2019 22:43
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What's with that fancy black handled shovel you got there? Looks all weird-like.
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Mar 30, 2019 00:36
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I've got a fall gold too, in autumn. Can't wait to see if it fruits this year or if it's too young. The tayberry and white currant I got early last year are just going for it so high hopes for them. Can definitely recommend tayberry if you want a spiky hedge to keep people out. I swear it's worse than brambles.
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Mar 30, 2019 10:39
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Maugrim posted:Glad you're back up to full speed after the cat scratch fever and everything. Good choice of beverage too. Ta, I think I'm getting there Weed slashers get most of the cutting power from being a big hunk of metal being swung at speed- it doesn't make much difference whether it's "sharp" or not provided there is a basic edge. If you sharpen it lots it becomes vulnerable to the edge chipping/bending on stones/hardwood, and also becomes a sharp tool that needs care. Miftan posted:What's with that fancy black handled shovel you got there? Looks all weird-like. It's a spade A shovel has a flat attacking edge, and is flat in profile, intended for precision edges or heavy duty digging. A spade has a curved or angled attacking edge, and the profile has a scoop shape to it and is more general purpose Pedantry aside, it loving rules- the length is such that its at shoulder height before I dig in even at my 6"6' in boots and the shape gives me good leverage and keeps it out of the way of my body. cakesmith handyman posted:I've got a fall gold too, in autumn. Can't wait to see if it fruits this year or if it's too young. The tayberry and white currant I got early last year are just going for it so high hopes for them. Can definitely recommend tayberry if you want a spiky hedge to keep people out. I swear it's worse than brambles. Will keep an eye out for some, I really liked the tayberries I got to eat- from what I have seen with currants it can take awhile for the roots to get properly set in but then they go wild heavily soiled  You wanna bring goods in  You gotta bribe customs  150 litres soil, bag of slate chips (yum), 4 strawberry, 2 blueberry, 1 discount heather, 1 discount plum tree. I need to improve the pathways in a bit with some steps, as walking up and down steep muddy ditch bits carrying the above was hell.       Spring is definitely getting underway   Gonna keep the feeders in the same positions and we can see what ones get eaten first- all filled again to the brim after pics.    Well that's the heather in. Bit rootbound but I have hopes. There's some lavender that needs rescuing just behind it  And then behind that are some more of the wild primroses, which are a bit buried by tree and will be rescued in the future.    Plum tree all up and ready to rock, wasn't planning on it but I have spaces and couldn't resist this bargain.  My new lavender got hit hard. I repaired it and it will live, but ugh if I got cows again I'm eatin burger  I suspect deer or fox after the sweet sweet ground up bonemeal though, deer poop abound.  Bovril sandwiches, beef pepperami. Beefy.    It was slightly chilly to be sat outside in just a t shirt so the caravan made for a cosy break  Checked on cass  She was sleepy still so I'm letting her be, but soon as she moves on I'm moving these logs- till then its a very vague and poo poo excuse not to clean the caravan much.     Evergreen tree thingy called wilma, spindle and a box hedge  All within spitting distance of each other near the border and the evil outsiders   Lots of bug activity  Need to process more stone at home and bring it up to my depot, gonna need it.   The weather was being turbo british, sun one minute, drizzle the next  5 in the ground in a day is good, gonna have to step it up a bit though ------Home front------  Buckets  Dakka dakka dakka  More spuds   Doing some trays outside with this seed mix to then field transplant- same stuff I picked some seeds out specially, they are doing okay.  Most of these belong at the field, spuds should be on the patio but the patio needs clearing  And clearing the patio of invasive elder tree has been a real pain    Prepped the last of my seed spuds, and cut up 2 baking spuds that started sprouting in the cupboard, because more is good    Finally got a few seeds underway- tomato and chilli, need to get underway with some others but it's been a bit of a poo poo week and things got delayed a bit.  Some of the currant cuttings are doing great, the gooseberries not so much- think I selected ones that were too thin. Oh well- always next year.       This thing just needs a few more things before it gets attached to another thing and put by the thing, over by the thing in the field. There, it will do at least 2 things More soon!
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Apr 5, 2019 13:52
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Awesome update. Is the mystery box part of the big mystery project or is it a separate mystery?
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Apr 5, 2019 16:44
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Miftan posted:Awesome update. Is the mystery box part of the big mystery project or is it a separate mystery? The mystery box is the mystery box until it's up and no longer a mystery, but gently caress secrecy on the rest anymore- The bigger mystery project has been superceded, divided into little bits and the big plan which I will now expose delicately like a discrete flash of my ankles at a potential suitor- having them written out a bit might also help my planning more. Little bits- - camera mount points near/on bird feeders to get birb videos to put up. Status: waiting on some poo poo on the boat from china, old cameras prepped, old phone prepped. - improved caravan 12V electrical access/use, ventilation fans, increased battery capacity. Status: various 12V attachments ready for field test, beefy 12V fan being encased, "leisure" battery picked out for when I'm not spending funds on plants and soil. - sticking an old dashcam on the brushcutter for videos. Status: parts, china, boat, and I probably need another sd card for it - trail/hunting camera. Was gonna use the dashcam and invent one but the commercial ones looked better. Status: keeping an eye out for a good deal. - doing a youtube video channel. Status: wtf is this video editing poo poo gently caress this is hard drat the big plan - Lounge - complete a table and the second chair, move them and the bench around the pond slightly and into a more sheltered area with the existing chair and bench. Make sheltered area more sheltered. Status: chair and table parts ready and waiting for stain and build, area needs some more clearance and I'm looking at sinking some posts and using fence panels or pallet wood as windbreaks. - Kitchen - complete bbq as planned, construct firewood storage, construct small table for prep, construct table for small gas cooker. Status: ready to start bbq foundation, pallets ready for firewood stowage and big cage will also be used, need legs for tables. - Garden - Transport and plant all the stuff out of my garden at home, pick up cheap plants. Clone stuff and grow stuff at home for planting next year. Status: this has been the bulk of the last few updates due to the season/weather, and I think that's going okay - Terraforming new worlds - Dig lots of drainage all leading downhill to a bigger pond. Dig bigger pond. Dig out existing pond more. Clear out a section of land to the north for more plants/a basic allotment style plot. Design and implement irrigation for said plot. Dig experimental quarry for purposes of clay harvesting. Status: want to cry about amount of digging ahead. Section of land picked and awaiting good cutting conditions. - Defence - Plant a series of evergreen plants in two main formations- a ring around the home area, then a line along the roadside borders. Build a series of bunkers. Status: a few plants in, need to buy more and clone more. Need to research underground construction methods. That's a lot of words, so I had best get on with some poo poo instead of flapping my fingers on't phone. My basic goal is to have the bbq done and most of the plants in before the end of may, and hopefully a video or two as well. Some parts of the above are literally going to take years. Like I said, I had best get on
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Apr 6, 2019 10:12
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We're coming up to your Fort when brexit finally goes through in 2069 for shelter.
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Apr 6, 2019 11:19
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Miftan posted:We're coming up to your Fort when brexit finally goes through in 2069 for shelter. Quoted for truth. I will bring cakes.
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Apr 6, 2019 12:29
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If you are coming to what will hopefully by then be the thirty third county of the republic  chucky arla , you best bring some drat good cakesif you can find me
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Apr 7, 2019 11:16
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Oh I'll find you, listen for the sound of someone shouting "loving cows!", Then narrow in by bribing the local cats. You like coffee and walnut cake right?
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Apr 7, 2019 12:49
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Been rained off the last 2 days as the child labour force is home from school, but if this happens a third day they can just get a bit wet and deal with it cakesmith handyman posted:Oh I'll find you, listen for the sound of someone shouting "loving cows!", Then narrow in by bribing the local cats. This would probably work over time, but your party would suffer significant attrition due to squirrel if you weren't very careful cakesmith handyman posted:You like coffee and walnut cake right? This however would not work at all for me, I can respect the likes of others but that's a hard no from me there DesperateDan fucked around with this message at 08:55 on Apr 8, 2019 |
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Apr 8, 2019 08:53
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DesperateDan posted:Been rained off the last 2 days as the child labour force is home from school, but if this happens a third day they can just get a bit wet and deal with it After advice from the union reps we delayed another day, resulting in rain check, pain cheque       Good day for it  Brought in some needed supplies, stone, tools and 2 strawberry, 2 ???currants     The bees were just loving the blossoms  Lavender hosed over again, repaired again.*eyebrow twitches wildly*   We got stuck in  They needed it  3 gooseberry, 1 grape vine  All up to mkIII bush emplacement standards   Nurse, restrain the specimen! We must operate!   It got quite puzzling and there were many trial configurations   The pallets were all oddsized too, and some needed bracing a bit, but it got done with an experts touch  Hurrah!  It can store more pallets and some firewood, once I can be bothered to move the logs over. The cage will be used for some bulky logs, probably rig a roof for it.  Constant and easy access to noodles is in the union contract here, and it's excellent for morale- as was finding and drinking some pre-ban irnbru.       It was a long day- the kids worked on their own projects too- my daughter is working on a patch of woodland for intensive wildlife conservation purposes and my son, well he wanted to keep digging a hole deeper than the ones we did for plants so he's digging a big ol' hole somewhere useful for future drainage ------Home Front------    Yesterday, the seeds looked like this and I figured I was good to wait  Today I wake up to a jungle  Did some surgery to separate them out  Patients seem to be doing well  Been working on some cuttings too- think they were starved of light too much so they are now outdoors- just a few survivors would make it worthwhile, and I have learned in the process    Been at the breadmaking too- maybe one day I can source most of the ingredients from the acres. More soon! DesperateDan fucked around with this message at 13:24 on Apr 11, 2019 |
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Apr 11, 2019 13:21
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That poor lavender...
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Apr 13, 2019 16:29
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