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DesperateDan
Dec 10, 2005

Where's my cow?

Is that my cow?

No it isn't, but it still tramples my bloody lavender.

spookygonk posted:

That's good food.

Congrats on the positive results.

It was :)

And thanks, it certainly seems that...


I'm not dead yet





What's up my droogs

https://i.imgur.com/gaLBHRk.gifv

Birbs



Cattes



Squizzel



Guess whos got two thumbs, severe fatigue and forgot to charge the camera and wipe the card



Apples from trees I planted. Good feeling.



Lots of flattened grass areas- hope it's just deer and not loving cows again



nice.


https://i.imgur.com/ZnXJQ2h.gifv

Still getting plenty of tomatoes at home



This friend is slacking off

https://i.imgur.com/f7JoBch.gifv


These lasses were definitely not



But it didn't stop leon here



Goji berry plants have nice flowers. More soon!

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DesperateDan
Dec 10, 2005

Where's my cow?

Is that my cow?

No it isn't, but it still tramples my bloody lavender.
Oh hey I finally got this youtube thing set up with a few videos compiled from stuff I already posted here, will be adding more and better bird feeding videos hopefully soon when I remember to bring the appropriate equipment

Miftan
Mar 31, 2012

Terry knows what he can do with his bloody chocolate orange...

Love this thread :five:

DesperateDan
Dec 10, 2005

Where's my cow?

Is that my cow?

No it isn't, but it still tramples my bloody lavender.

Miftan posted:

Love this thread :five:

:unsmith:

I wish I had the ability to be posting more but I'm getting the crap kicked out of me still and right now I nap more often than most cats

But today was


skolstrejk för klimatet version whatever

https://i.imgur.com/uR65K8L.gifv


And we pay special attention to that in the climate change militia so we came down to check on things.



I had been hoping to swing by a local protest but being ill and such turned it into a nope but here's some fellow buzzy protesters anyway

https://i.imgur.com/6I4UbO0.gifv


But we put some strikes into climate regardless


https://i.imgur.com/r1w7SVA.gifv

And then we found Patrick (I wanted to call him Mr Froggley despite them being a toad but got overruled) here and chilled with him a bit

https://i.imgur.com/qW7MDEr.gifv
https://i.imgur.com/7oPBuW5.gifv


We took apart the busted chair a bit too. Had hoped to plant some stuff, but the ground is still too tough for easy digging. A bunch of the screws were cheap and already rusted out/snapped, will need to bring an iron crow 'pon my return.



We also got just under 40 minutes of decent quality video of the birds having a good old feed and will throw that up when I manage not to gently caress up the export/conversion process





At home there are still many tomatoes and with another sunny week hopefully a bunch more will finish up.



More soon!

Miftan
Mar 31, 2012

Terry knows what he can do with his bloody chocolate orange...

Please don't feel pressured to post, your health is obviously the first priority.

Patrick is a cutie. :3:

xcheopis
Jul 23, 2003


Miftan posted:

Please don't feel pressured to post, your health is obviously the first priority.

Patrick is a cutie. :3:

Yeah, dude, take care of yourself first. I'm sorry you're still not doing well.

DesperateDan
Dec 10, 2005

Where's my cow?

Is that my cow?

No it isn't, but it still tramples my bloody lavender.
Thanks goons :)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h8UlC7ZrIto

Don't worry though- I'm taking care and being cared for and even if I wasn't the pain and lack of energy simply means I couldn't push it. Stocked up for a few low energy projects at home to occupy myself with to keep myself from getting withdrawal symptoms- right now I'm about to get to grip with some totally hot studs

xcheopis
Jul 23, 2003


DesperateDan posted:

...right now I'm about to get to grip with some totally hot studs

Oh, dang, son!

DesperateDan
Dec 10, 2005

Where's my cow?

Is that my cow?

No it isn't, but it still tramples my bloody lavender.

xcheopis posted:

Oh, dang, son!

https://i.imgur.com/fp2zQ4G.gifv

:blush:



Enjoying doing some very slow, sensual woodwork in a very amateur fashion and will update on that when I have some actual progress, I'm hoping to get down to the acres before the hurricane wrecks my poo poo up a bit for the rounds and another bird video (I'm working on less wind/road noise).

DesperateDan
Dec 10, 2005

Where's my cow?

Is that my cow?

No it isn't, but it still tramples my bloody lavender.
42 days



Well the bloods came back inconclusive again so I got referred yesterday to the tropical flavoured medicine department and it's a 43 day wait now to see what happens next. On the few days I have felt well enough to do acres stuff either weather or work has gotten in the way, but I have a few chances in the next week or two to visit and do the rounds/take a video.



The tomatoes are right at the end of season, and the snails have moved in hard- maybe some chemical change in the tomatoes as they struggle to ripen. They eat the tomatoes and foxes and bird eat them- I have a portion or two left then it's back to shop bought for me :(



I have been picking up plants and supplies here and there- going to enlist the kids to pot these heather, lavender and assorted evergreens for me at the weekend.



Woodworking kinda suits me right now when I'm not asleep or too sore to move, taking it really slow and enjoying it.



Bought in some tools like this thingy that lets me mark wood accurately, and good measurements are key to what I'm trying to do



Which is learn to use some basic wood joints to carry weight and form a structure rather than just screw everything together and hope for the best



So I cut away a few bits with a saw



Then chisel away the bits I don't want



Knots and hidden bits of sap turn up to make things interesting



Which makes purchases like this coping saw justifiable. It's ability to turn the blade round sure helped me cope



And eventually parts are made



And my efforts slowly get neater



I have now completed the above twice- they are the legs and lower brace



And now I'm working on learning to do some basic dovetail joints for the seat part- I hosed up the first attempt but I just got some stuff to help me with the angles and such and with woodwork one of the great things is gently caress ups are cheap :unsmith:



Still working through the potato harvest, and I finally did patatas bravas with my own tomatoes, garlic, onion and potatoes- it tasted far better than it looks. More at some unknown point in the future!

spookygonk
Apr 3, 2005
Does not give a damn

Always good to read through your posts (now I have the theme from The Good Life in my head) :five:

xcheopis
Jul 23, 2003


I am sorry you are still not well. Chronic pain suuucks and feeling unwell all the drat time does, too.

Woodworking is one of the skills I wish I had acquired, having been a failure at any type of needlework. Are you going to learn to do the fancy curlicues and such?

Miftan
Mar 31, 2012

Terry knows what he can do with his bloody chocolate orange...

Seeing new posts in this thread always works my wood. :hawaaaafap:

DesperateDan
Dec 10, 2005

Where's my cow?

Is that my cow?

No it isn't, but it still tramples my bloody lavender.

spookygonk posted:

Always good to read through your posts (now I have the theme from The Good Life in my head) :five:

It's very much like the good life

-In that episode of the young ones where they rip it off :)

xcheopis posted:

I am sorry you are still not well. Chronic pain suuucks and feeling unwell all the drat time does, too.

Woodworking is one of the skills I wish I had acquired, having been a failure at any type of needlework. Are you going to learn to do the fancy curlicues and such?

Thanks- It sucks but at least I live in a time and place where such things can be analysed and treated even if the process is a bit slow

You should give woodwork a go if you can- never too late. I'm not looking to learn anything fancy, just functional right now, but once I have a nice bench and porch to sit on, then I can practice my whittling I guess :)

Miftan posted:

Seeing new posts in this thread always works my wood. :hawaaaafap:

I find that a precise nailing or, with adequate preparation, a good hard screwing really raises my spirits



improper dancing




Nice day for it

https://i.imgur.com/JwRwxpm.gifv

Guess I should get that airbag light checked though



The bees are a little sleepier but still busy




So most of my time was spent wandering but I took about two hours worth of birdfeeding video, including wedging the tripod into a tree and ziptying it in place for safety



We will do our best little cheap microphone that's hopefully better for sound than the phone mic



The videos will be a few days because my video editing pc is also the family tv and that currently looks like this now thanks to the boy and a bottle of sarsons malt vinegar.










It's mushrooms all round at the moment- I should have grabbed some for spore printing but just wandered around taking photos instead



I think a mouse made this but I didn't want to disturb so didn't enquire further. Good luck little creature!



Gotta maintain hydration with regular rest breaks


https://i.imgur.com/vZ4ywPp.gifv

I wanted to eat some grapes when I saw them at a distance but I changed my mind. Go at em wasps!



Rosehips coming through nice



Sloes need picking, need to bring child labourers in



Deer stripped me of my health, my dignity (lol) and also the lower branches on this fruit tree and I will be avenged



Pond starting to fill but drainage ditch still dry

https://i.imgur.com/KgEno9U.gifv



Really enjoyed being down there :) more at some point in the future I guess

DesperateDan fucked around with this message at 18:11 on Oct 18, 2019

Doctor_Fruitbat
Jun 2, 2013


Aw, those grapes somehow manage to make the wasps kind of adorable. :kimchi:

DesperateDan
Dec 10, 2005

Where's my cow?

Is that my cow?

No it isn't, but it still tramples my bloody lavender.
So the good news is my GP chased me up an appointment in 2 weeks, the bad news is that loving microphone screwed 2 hours of recordings with a constant loud tapping noise :( gonna see if I can salvage a timelapse out of it while I fix/replace. Worked fine for the test run :argh:


Doctor_Fruitbat posted:

Aw, those grapes somehow manage to make the wasps kind of adorable. :kimchi:

They were really placid seeming and devoted to their task which is what let me film them closely without me running shambling away and screaming mumbling

At least I got to figure out what colour grapes that vine will produce :unsmith:

EVG
Dec 17, 2005

If I Saw It, Here's How It Happened.
Pick those green tomatoes if you don't think they'll ripen, and use them in recipes that call for tomatillos.

BLARGHLE
Oct 2, 2013

But I want something good
to die for
To make it beautiful to live.
Yams Fan

DesperateDan posted:

It's very much like the good life

-In that episode of the young ones where they rip it off :)


Thanks- It sucks but at least I live in a time and place where such things can be analysed and treated even if the process is a bit slow

You should give woodwork a go if you can- never too late. I'm not looking to learn anything fancy, just functional right now, but once I have a nice bench and porch to sit on, then I can practice my whittling I guess :)


I find that a precise nailing or, with adequate preparation, a good hard screwing really raises my spirits



improper dancing




Nice day for it

https://i.imgur.com/JwRwxpm.gifv

Guess I should get that airbag light checked though



The bees are a little sleepier but still busy




So most of my time was spent wandering but I took about two hours worth of birdfeeding video, including wedging the tripod into a tree and ziptying it in place for safety



We will do our best little cheap microphone that's hopefully better for sound than the phone mic



The videos will be a few days because my video editing pc is also the family tv and that currently looks like this now thanks to the boy and a bottle of sarsons malt vinegar.










It's mushrooms all round at the moment- I should have grabbed some for spore printing but just wandered around taking photos instead



I think a mouse made this but I didn't want to disturb so didn't enquire further. Good luck little creature!



Gotta maintain hydration with regular rest breaks


https://i.imgur.com/vZ4ywPp.gifv

I wanted to eat some grapes when I saw them at a distance but I changed my mind. Go at em wasps!



Rosehips coming through nice



Sloes need picking, need to bring child labourers in



Deer stripped me of my health, my dignity (lol) and also the lower branches on this fruit tree and I will be avenged



Pond starting to fill but drainage ditch still dry

https://i.imgur.com/KgEno9U.gifv



Really enjoyed being down there :) more at some point in the future I guess

I don't know if you're trying to go all organic or not, but there are plenty of ways to keep those stripey fucks away- from spraying everything with peppermint oil to pyrethins and associated compounds. Just make sure you know where all of their nest inlets are before you make any moves, or you'll end up covered in stings like I was a couple of months ago. Even if the nests aren't on the property you tend, there are traps to help keep them away from your goodies. Death to wasps, and death to all those who would harbor them!

DesperateDan
Dec 10, 2005

Where's my cow?

Is that my cow?

No it isn't, but it still tramples my bloody lavender.

EVG posted:

Pick those green tomatoes if you don't think they'll ripen, and use them in recipes that call for tomatillos.

Between the birds and the snails the last time I looked there were very few left untouched- they can have them this year :)

BLARGHLE posted:

I don't know if you're trying to go all organic or not, but there are plenty of ways to keep those stripey fucks away- from spraying everything with peppermint oil to pyrethins and associated compounds. Just make sure you know where all of their nest inlets are before you make any moves, or you'll end up covered in stings like I was a couple of months ago. Even if the nests aren't on the property you tend, there are traps to help keep them away from your goodies. Death to wasps, and death to all those who would harbor them!

It's only really a thing because I wasn't there for a month so the grapes were left ripe and ready on the vine too long- even while I'm cautious of wasps they serve an important part of things down there so I'm not doing a drat thing about them unless a nest is in a place that will stop work or enjoyment of the place

And in that case, I have petrol, a lighter and eyebrows that have seen hades already

DesperateDan
Dec 10, 2005

Where's my cow?

Is that my cow?

No it isn't, but it still tramples my bloody lavender.
heathers, the musical



So I went in the garden today, and seen as I did a thing you might as well look at it. 8 lavender, 6 heather, 4 spiky evergreen and one non spiky evergreen potted up



Oh and 2 onions and 2 spuds found lurking in the fridge and the back of a cupboard got planted on a purely experimental basis of "I want to see what happens"



Something has been digging up my spring onions and my remaining carrots have disappeared



There's figs growing in from over the back alleyway and I keep meaning to get a cutting or nine sorted



And on a final note just a picture of one of my happy places. If you have a trade card you get coffee and sometimes theres donuts. Coming up soon, either knife sharpening with bonus new characters, or potentially more woodwork but mainly I'm planning on another nap. More soon!

DesperateDan fucked around with this message at 18:50 on Oct 22, 2019

DesperateDan
Dec 10, 2005

Where's my cow?

Is that my cow?

No it isn't, but it still tramples my bloody lavender.
bows and not yet bowsaws



So it was the climate strike day again so the militia rolled two deep into the vale

https://i.imgur.com/atqJbrH.gifv

And our first task was setting up for some good footage of birdfeeding with an external microphone (complete with a wind noise reduction bit of fluff ziptied round the mic)- this time without horrid feedback issues



We did a bit of archery, wherein my eldest child stole my heavy bow and refused to go back to the kids sized one



Because the kids sized one didn't do this to the logs




We did the rounds and found we were too late for most of the sloes, many have already split wide and gone weird, but a token most of a bottlesworth were picked and we have some frozen to use too



A few late raspberries were still there (less a few I ate) with evidence of others taken by birds/other and that's good cause they will then poop seeds round the local area for me



And many other fungi were hanging around and many other interesting changes starting around the place but I felt sore and we had other tasks at hand still so we bailed soon after, hereby checking myself before wrecking myself.

https://i.imgur.com/Sqllb4K.gifv

Currently working on a 53 minute bird video featuring actual, factual songbirds but because it's in 4k processing is going slow, sore as hell but very glad to have gotten out- more soon

Miftan
Mar 31, 2012

Terry knows what he can do with his bloody chocolate orange...

DesperateDan posted:

bows and not yet bowsaws



That's one nice looking shroom.

DesperateDan
Dec 10, 2005

Where's my cow?

Is that my cow?

No it isn't, but it still tramples my bloody lavender.
https://youtu.be/l93zAnf0K5Y

The raw footage birdfeeding video is up and in 4k, takes about 15 or 20 minutes before there's much happening- I think after I get a few of these done I will make an all bird all the time compilation for the impatient


Miftan posted:

That's one nice looking shroom.

I think it's a darkening brittlegill, which while given a funky name is edible but apparently not tasty

DesperateDan
Dec 10, 2005

Where's my cow?

Is that my cow?

No it isn't, but it still tramples my bloody lavender.
maintenance access



I'm still where I was in terms of getting the everloving piss beaten out of me, but I haven't keeled over or turned yellow yet and I finally see the head honcho on monday.



If the weather holds up I'm going to visit tomorrow but the forecast is looking really loving british on us right now



Even the car is in better shape than me, just about

https://i.imgur.com/NYARmwa.gifv

Enjoy some unintended pocket footage, and hopefully theres more soon, even if it's pictures of a dying tomatotriffid and a roll call of plants that aren't dead yet

xcheopis
Jul 23, 2003


I do so hope you are able to get effective treatment. Chronic illness really loving sucks.

spookygonk
Apr 3, 2005
Does not give a damn


Meant to say, that is properly water logged.

DesperateDan
Dec 10, 2005

Where's my cow?

Is that my cow?

No it isn't, but it still tramples my bloody lavender.

xcheopis posted:

I do so hope you are able to get effective treatment. Chronic illness really loving sucks.

Ditto, and thanks :unsmith:

spookygonk posted:

Meant to say, that is properly water logged.

:imunfunny:

(Why the gently caress didn't I think of that bad dad pun)



the bearer



The specialist doctor says it might not be lyme, could be anything from a wide host of various rare nasties, cfs/fibro or my body having a prolonged reaction to rare nasties. No diagnosis yet, 3 more months of various tests and see what happens with the frank warning that it might not be a thing that goes away very quickly. Or at all. gently caress.



And these book sale things seemingly present in every loving waiting room never have anything worthwhile to read either



The tomato triffid is truly and finally dead, and in the kitchen I'm mouldering up some toms that didn't get eaten for production of some seedstock.



And my onions are even more dug up. I could put chilli powder down, but that would both be effort, and I'm out of cheap crap so it would have to be the import shop stuff that is so strong it probably counts as chemical weapons as far as international law is concerned taste the painbow



Child labour force five did me a solid and dragged all the surviving plants from the patio and as far as I can tell the only fatalities from neglect are a grape vine, rhubarb and a rose bush. Failing to protect and produce rhubarb, as a scion of yorkshire and wakefield in particular is a harsh and shameful blow, but theres always next year.



Which is surprising, given the amount of invasive plants trying to kill off my lovelies.



So every now and then I wander out on deck and rip some unwanted plants out of pots- this raspberry and blueberry were saved today. More soon.

cakesmith handyman
Jul 22, 2007

Pip-Pip old chap! Last one in is a rotten egg what what.

Oh man you have my greatest sympathy, little worse than not knowing what's going wrong.

DesperateDan
Dec 10, 2005

Where's my cow?

Is that my cow?

No it isn't, but it still tramples my bloody lavender.

cakesmith handyman posted:

Oh man you have my greatest sympathy, little worse than not knowing what's going wrong.

It sucks, but the optimist in me points out I have an ever growing list of poo poo that isn't currently wrong with me


check compressor/relay/thermostat then just sigh and reach for your wallet



I come here and they stab me and then tell me I'm still not dead yet, it's a great service though I still haven't gotten either a sticker or a lollipop



https://i.imgur.com/WweaNGs.gifv

So I came out here where the blood loss is less predictable



And saw that the cats are okay



And left tribute



I recorded about 2 more hours of bird feeder footage but forgot to take any pics of the setup other than ziptying a deadcatted microphone to a tree


https://i.imgur.com/M9IA9Q2.gifv

While that was happening I fried and then ate potatoes while sat under some trees which was nice



There is a pond again rather than a muddy trench




I attempted some footage of other stuff like me doing the rounds but I hosed up the time lapse settings/camera position and it was like a horrific fast blur of bushes but I learnt stuff for next time.



https://i.imgur.com/ER22tEA.gifv

At home I got some cheap jazz apples so have been experimenting with desserts/confections while harvesting more seeds



Then I made a burger. Today was meant to be sharpening knives/woodwork but unfortunately life stuff happened and my time is now going to be spent troubleshooting a broken fridge/freezer, sink and toilet, probably in reverse order of priority. More soon!

DesperateDan
Dec 10, 2005

Where's my cow?

Is that my cow?

No it isn't, but it still tramples my bloody lavender.
oh well

It ain't lyme. For currently unknown reasons my immune system is beating the poo poo out of my liver and triggering the other symptoms, my diagnosis is autoimmune hepatitis (confirmed) and chronic fatigue syndrome/fibromyalgia (probable, not really a testable thing).

Survival rates are pretty good but the fact I'm looking at survival rates at all is a bit of a downer.

Probably have another birdfeeder vid up in a day or two, turns out uploading a hundred gig of 4k video takes some time. More soon.

Toughy
Nov 29, 2004

KAVODEL! KAVODEL!

So sorry, but at least with a diagnosis the getting better part is soon to follow!!

MAKE NO BABBYS
Jan 28, 2010

DesperateDan posted:

I love you all and your comments and encouragement help give me an extra push towards getting a bit more poo poo done and posted up on here :unsmith:


getting a bit more poo poo done and posted up on here



Was close enough on various other errands to drag myself down the extra bit to check the status of the fruit






It's definitely fruity much like it's bearded caretaker tbqh



I dragged in water and wood and stone and fire the fire burns inside us all comrades

https://i.imgur.com/sn29Upz.gifv

Checked in on some of the nearby hives so we remain super friendly

https://i.imgur.com/1n09dJc.gifv


The water seems a lot more precious the more carrying is involved. The spray thing takes a bit long but it works and barely leaks so it's on the team

https://i.imgur.com/ETjjRdt.gifv

These ants appear to be harvesting sap from this cherry tree (which might be a plum I dunno) but provided they don't harm it much I ain't gonna bug em

https://i.imgur.com/sWzqemb.gifv

And the caravan continues to be a hive of activity for the harvestmen, seen here giving the bums rush to a spider

https://i.imgur.com/T1HZymE.gifv
https://i.imgur.com/a6LXOtO.gifv
https://i.imgur.com/JgIotZ3.gifv

Lots of insect activity




When the watering was done I had to bail but my way out was blocked by arseholes parking over the gate so while waiting for their boss to ring them and explain the merits of blocking several farm entrances at once with a company van I took a wander off and found the ww2 AA site- now really just a collection of concrete blocks and a few bits of brickwork

https://i.imgur.com/swFQGX7.gifv
https://i.imgur.com/FeaF1nA.gifv

And then I stalked squirrels on the way out, just without the rifle this time- next time that might be different but I love them all the same



Homefront is overgrown due to fatigue stuff



But I have managed enough to keep the tomatoes happy and the other bits fed with stinky chickenshit and regular blasts of water



So then I needed to fix my mild coolant leak- I was losing some out of the old loose kühlerverschlussdeckel.



Nice easy job to do with the boy, now a quick refill of the coolant then to do a quick examine of the engine bay...
What's that son? She's dripping coolant on the floor?



Ah. Oh. poo poo.



Well, that's now tomorrow's adventure, I'm clocking off and loving off for some strawberries and cream and probably a belt of scotch because why the gently caress not

More soon!

I’m a bit behind but I also enjoy this thread very much and I appreciate that you’re open about your struggles. I’ve run bars and worked in restaurants for a long time and one of the things I’m trying to change is being open with one another.

Apologies for my ignorance but I had to google what an AA site was and I find that fascinating. I understand if you don’t want to disclose where you’re at, but is it a place that there are many of those? Are there interesting stories from locals?

Miftan
Mar 31, 2012

Terry knows what he can do with his bloody chocolate orange...

DesperateDan posted:

oh well

It ain't lyme. For currently unknown reasons my immune system is beating the poo poo out of my liver and triggering the other symptoms, my diagnosis is autoimmune hepatitis (confirmed) and chronic fatigue syndrome/fibromyalgia (probable, not really a testable thing).

Survival rates are pretty good but the fact I'm looking at survival rates at all is a bit of a downer.

Probably have another birdfeeder vid up in a day or two, turns out uploading a hundred gig of 4k video takes some time. More soon.

At least you've got a diagnosis. Not knowing was always much, much harder for me. Hopefully now that you've got one it'll be easier to get proper treatment. Always enjoy this thread and your contributions in the UKMT!

DesperateDan
Dec 10, 2005

Where's my cow?

Is that my cow?

No it isn't, but it still tramples my bloody lavender.

Toughy posted:

So sorry, but at least with a diagnosis the getting better part is soon to follow!!

Miftan posted:

At least you've got a diagnosis. Not knowing was always much, much harder for me. Hopefully now that you've got one it'll be easier to get proper treatment. Always enjoy this thread and your contributions in the UKMT!

Thanks, and aye- I can now learn about my opponent(s) further, there's medication options and other people's experiences to learn from :)



MAKE NO BABBYS posted:

I’m a bit behind but I also enjoy this thread very much and I appreciate that you’re open about your struggles. I’ve run bars and worked in restaurants for a long time and one of the things I’m trying to change is being open with one another.

thanks- people enjoying this has always been great motivation in doing this whole thing. Full disclosure though, I wish I was as open irl, it's always been easier to be me behind an internet pseudonym, but I'm working on it :)

MAKE NO BABBYS posted:

Apologies for my ignorance but I had to google what an AA site was and I find that fascinating. I understand if you don’t want to disclose where you’re at, but is it a place that there are many of those? Are there interesting stories from locals?

Never apologise to me for ignorance on stuff, it's how things are learned and you sent me down a goddamn rabbit hole with this one-


local historical post

The AA gun site was a satellite station of a much larger complex about 5 miles away, and probably had 2 3.7 inch/94mm heavy AA guns intended to defend both local industry/military installations and the approaches to london, they could strike up to the altitudes airliners fly at now. Were there many around? loving metric-poo poo tonnes of them (it's the SI unit of archaeological density). The whole south east of england was fortified heavily as part of a series of multiple defensive lines of pillboxes, tank traps, mortar emplacements and trenches etc intended to fight a much feared invasion of nazis.

And there was other stuff locally too- the army had what was essentially a pigeon farm nearby for raising messenger pigeons, and the home guard had various positions along a communications route that ran down pretty much next to the north/south run of the acres.

But the main thing from this era of interest to me is confirming what I knew only as local rumour- there was a special operations executive bunker in the adjoining woods- intended for agents to hide in if there were a nazi invasion. These auxiliary units were intended to hide out for the actual invasion, wait awhile and then raise hell in the rear lines by blowing poo poo up and knocking off as many nazi officers as possible.

It's just a kind of mark/dip on the ground now, removed by the council some time before the seventies (there was a panic because some kids had died in one that collapsed on them, many known locations were eliminated), as was another one about ten miles away, but a third has seemingly been lost to the ages entirely despite a lot of people searching the general area over the decades- the official records are vague as gently caress, and the locations were known to only a few.

Going back further, through medieval times the woods were a known route for smugglers and a hide out for poachers/rebels till much of the ancient oak woodland got turned into various parts of the royal navy, or in other cases was used to make high grade charcoal for gunpowder. Tree experts note that some small areas of local woods seem to have been untouched, and numbers of rare species appreciate that.

None of the above comes close to doxing me, but I have to be super careful and vague on the next bit because the wrong words combined with the right searches would.

Romans lived all round the local area as there's good arable land and defensible places, and when they left around 400AD other people didn't leave those buildings and farms empty- then were very popular for the same reasons during the viking era. Looking back at satellite imagery at the earliest available point in the late 90s when most of the acreage was very recently wheat field and grazing land and I can see outlines that match with records of archaeological finds I have dragged up over the last few days of research-

I'm looking at metal detectors :)


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ivxa6iRY3cs

Oh, and this video finally processed in nice resolution- I took it at the wrong time because around lunch is bird sleepytime- hoping for a morning or twilight film next time, and once I figure out some more video editing skills I'm going to work on a vid with nothing but birbs- I just like the raw footage as background- especially when I'm sat here with nowt to do other than try and rest.

More soon!

DesperateDan
Dec 10, 2005

Where's my cow?

Is that my cow?

No it isn't, but it still tramples my bloody lavender.
the militia roams again



What up



Strike day, so I had help dragging this stuff in



We assembled a thing for the birds to do bird things with in ways only understood to birds



I ripped the package open in an impetuous fashion with my bare hands and so didn't really appreciate finding all these moth larvae in here in such an intimate and squishy way and neither did they



We also set up for bird video



With a very impatient robin




We got some trees in the ground, an olive and a hazel. Might have to give the olive a winter coat.



Deer beds, probably roe by the size of them

We were gonna do 2 or 3 more- the soil is a nice consistency for digging right now but the militia member was having a very literal case of cold feet so we bailed out to go buy new wellies that will allow for extra sock layers always look after feet



It was nice to do tree planting again, there's really something unique to setting a sapling in the ground and wondering how well it will grow and getting the scent of good earth



the contents of my car boot say "more soon"

Miftan
Mar 31, 2012

Terry knows what he can do with his bloody chocolate orange...


Don't doxx me.

DesperateDan
Dec 10, 2005

Where's my cow?

Is that my cow?

No it isn't, but it still tramples my bloody lavender.

Miftan posted:

Don't doxx me.

Your all year round high energy posting can't be disguised :colbert:


what a load of balls II: my, what big boxes of balls you have



So I had aimed to be out earlier but this isn't too bad of a start under the circumstances




Nice and bright out



Frosty though, the first proper frost I have seen this winter, enough to make me glad of the big coat and a hat and some layers



So many balls to handle- I got quite flustered trying to stuff them all in, but I got a firm grip on matters and thrust them into compliance, secured in some really tight packages to keep them safe



I moved the feeders around a bit to give two nice locations for filming

https://i.imgur.com/IfEFSE5.gifv
https://i.imgur.com/N2OsqGL.gifv

I got good footage today from both feeder sets- heres a teaser while I process/upload the videos- quite possibly the wildest bird on ball action yet filmed on the acres.

https://i.imgur.com/To7R4Se.gifv

While that was happening I went off and sat and cooked then ate potato produce and thought about nice wooden cabins



It took ages because the low temps meant the butane was barely creeping out of the can (something that propane, and propane accessories would help with), but the effect of hot food on the body is fantastic



Really enjoyed just being sat with a good book (shock doctrine by naomi klein) and a series of nice hot coffees under a tree while the cameras rollled in the south field for a few hours. Had wanted to plant another tree but the ground was too frozen up.



More soon I guess :)

endlessmonotony
Nov 4, 2009

by Fritz the Horse
Just as a FYI, the videos are causing the earlier problem with broken loading something fierce. Might want to upload them to youtube and link them.

DesperateDan
Dec 10, 2005

Where's my cow?

Is that my cow?

No it isn't, but it still tramples my bloody lavender.

endlessmonotony posted:

Just as a FYI, the videos are causing the earlier problem with broken loading something fierce. Might want to upload them to youtube and link them.

Well that just simply just won't do, its utterly unacceptable, without excuse and I apologise unreservedly and humbly submit the following in terms of restitution

Also imgur sucks

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d_d4uTlnPIA

Which hopefully is in 4k resolution and features birds

The longer vids have use of tripods and microphones, it was just nice to be up close and have them still chowing down on the balls so brazenly

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DesperateDan
Dec 10, 2005

Where's my cow?

Is that my cow?

No it isn't, but it still tramples my bloody lavender.
oh, grate



Here we go again



I'm up early and doing this because I figured after a week the feeders would be empty and the thought of hungry cold birds was very sad and indeed they were nearly empty and these birds were holding out for a hero 'til the morning light



Filmed the feeders again from some new angles and think I got some great stuff, starting to process it now



A definite pond again



I found the fireplace grate on the street where I live where it was appropriated for recycling



And a test fit shows this should fit grate once the other bits are cleaned out



Sat on the north field and relaxed a bit, or rather I was preoccupied with staying warm and then shovelling fried spuds and hot coffee down me. Thinking about making a small den of sorts down here for shelter for one while cooking/lurking/eating because the wind chill effect was sharp today.



Windy but nice. More soon!

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