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Jam Lady
Joined: 28 Dec 2006
Posts: 2507
Location: New Jersey, USA
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Mistress Rose
Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 15600
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 Posted: Sun Jan 28, 18 8:59 am Post subject: |
 
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Thank you Jam Lady, very interesting. I am rather less familiar with some of those plants than you are, but do know some, like the cacao and have heard of saw palmetto. Remember seeing a picture of cacao pods in my geography book when I was a child; in black and white of course.
The apricots sound lovely Cassandra, but the temperature doesn't. Keep cool and relax in doors, and hope it cools down soon. Glad things sorted with the dog trials.
Gregotyn, as you say, the important thing is to make things legal and end up with somewhere to live and being looked after. Hope you find someone to sort it for you. You may find there is an alternative way of arranging things that results in the same thing but gives solicitors less of a headache.
We managed to do a bit of work yesterday before the rain started again. Managed to tightly bundle the rest of the birch, except for one bundle that needs going through and the very wood stuff taking out, and put away in the dark. We then filled some more log sacks and delivered them, so something useful done. It was really wet and horrible through the afternoon and evening, so we stayed home in the dry. |
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cassandra
Joined: 27 Mar 2013
Posts: 1733
Location: Tasmania Australia
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| Posted: Mon Jan 29, 18 3:41 am Post subject: |
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Yep - way too hot for this little black duck - 20 overnight and this morning has been overcast, muggy and hot. It's still rather warmer and muggier than I like and the fan is well and truly earning its keep.
It is of course bringing on more apricots, and plums which are equally prolific - might get out that book you kindly sent me some years back Gregotyn, and contemplate various wines. I have the kit, so I might as well use it!
Rain has fallen sporadically but I was rather hoping the cool change would come in with a bang - you know, strong winds, lightning, thunder, deluges of rain?
But no. And I have to go clean the bank this evening - at least they have air conditioning. I am hoping it is a little cooler tomorrow as last night in the bedroom it was 30 at bedtime and had only dropped to 27 overnight!
Some minor spinning has been achieved but otherwise, not much at all. |
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Mistress Rose
Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 15600
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gregotyn
Joined: 24 Jun 2010
Posts: 2201
Location: Llanfyllin area
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| Posted: Tue Jan 30, 18 2:30 pm Post subject: |
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How good to be able to pick apricots, absolutely my favourite jam. I buy the low sugar version and have that or low sugar blackcurrant, for breakfast. But in those temperatures I would be pleased to get it done early am! Is the songs of praise you were listening to from Wales or do you have a Llangwnnadl in Tasmania? A fine Welsh name.
I hope you don't get too much heavy rain till you have your apricot harvest well and truly in store, Cassandra.
Firewood is hot on my list for next winter, I want to get it felled and logged before the weather gets too hot to want to work physically-an age thing-and to get them netted and at the market earlier this year. I will take orders for Christmas. But I want to know what is wanted well ahead in case I need to buy any in.
I think if I was putting in solar panels, Jam Lady, then I would be going for electricity, as that costs money and you are at the mercy of the supply company, who seem to charge ad lib, but hot water is something I can't control in the UK, as I don't have my own private domestic water supply. But I could heat the water with my own electricity. Solar was part of the original plan, but now I am too old to be climbing on the roof, and too mean to want to pay someone else to do the job for me!
The weather has gone overcast now so it looks as though it is going to rain. We started the day here with a sharp frost, and the roads were not done till I got a few miles down the road, so with the trailer on the back I "trod" quite carefully. |
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Jam Lady
Joined: 28 Dec 2006
Posts: 2507
Location: New Jersey, USA
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Mistress Rose
Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 15600
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| Posted: Wed Jan 31, 18 8:11 am Post subject: |
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We have a pylon line to the south of us, and the roof sides are north and south, so as the shadow passed over the southern roof, it would cut out the solar cells. Shame, as it is a good sized roof. We keep saying we will go for solar water heating, but can't see it happening now as we have too much else going on. I would also like a wood burning cooker, but again, too much else going on to do the preparatory work for it.
The weather was lovely yesterday, and I managed to cut some more birch than fill more log sacks. We now have the minimum we need for this week, but somehow I still have 50 outstanding. Top up orders for 3 places that we have delivered at least some to to keep them going.
It rained again during the night, and we are expecting showers today. Husband and son got some timber in and today they are delivering some firewood and the log sacks. Think they want to put another load on the truck as well so they can deliver tomorrow. I am hoping that at some point they will get the birch in that I cut and get a couple of trees fully down that I cut yesterday but got involved with each other and a holly bush. We have some good sized holly in the woods, and it always seems to be where we want to drop a tree. I had to haul one tree out of it yesterday so that I could get the tops, and had to last week as well. Perhaps it has an attraction for other trees when they come down.  |
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Jam Lady
Joined: 28 Dec 2006
Posts: 2507
Location: New Jersey, USA
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Mistress Rose
Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 15600
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Jam Lady
Joined: 28 Dec 2006
Posts: 2507
Location: New Jersey, USA
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gregotyn
Joined: 24 Jun 2010
Posts: 2201
Location: Llanfyllin area
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| Posted: Thu Feb 01, 18 2:45 pm Post subject: |
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Nothing much to report from this end, weather slightly better today, and a little rain as I went out this morning, but ok. (I guess telling you will change it, for the worse!).
I wouldn't have thought that a pylon would make a huge difference to the solar panels sun reception, as it should be intermittent, rather than a black out, but you should know best MR! Obviously less impact when the sun is highest in the sky in summer, and greater impact in the winter when you need more electricity.
I am surprised, Jam Lady, that the generating utility would have so much authority to be able to dictate what you have to do, and how if you get your electricity from solar they would expect you to disconnect your own generator, that is going too far by any authority.
Just started to rain, and I have to get hoe to saw wood, and have a van full to take in as well, I should have gone home first when it was dry and come here later, and so could have unloaded the wood in the dry and sawn it later that it is raining, never mind tomorrow it will be done. I have the whole week end ahead of me and I have some backup stocks of kindling. Out of interest what name do you give to the wood you use to start a fire? Here we call it kindling or sticks or firewood or I have heard, morning sticks!
I have just carried 2 heavy parcels for the librarian, and the rain has stopped, a so bonus as it will be more pleasant to carry wood into the woodshed if it keeps dry.
Not much else to report, but thinking of retiring soon and have a trip round the world before I settle down to more wood chopping. Don't hold your breath though folks, as it has been threatened before and not come off-some thing that had to be done turned up so I did that instead and didn't think about the rest of mankind missing me, (as if they would!!). |
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Jam Lady
Joined: 28 Dec 2006
Posts: 2507
Location: New Jersey, USA
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Mistress Rose
Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 15600
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| Posted: Fri Feb 02, 18 7:44 am Post subject: |
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I know Hugh and Carolyn slightly; they are active in the National Coppice Federation (NCFed), and we were involved in the setting up. We haven't been active in the running, but attended several meetings when things were being discussed. One of our other coppice group members has taken over since then, and now she has to give up as our representative, having done her full stint, another younger member is taking over from her. It involves travelling some distance to meetings, or using Skype, as well as doing quite a lot for the NCFed, and I am afraid we have neither the time nor energy to manage that. Hope you found the article informative anyway Jam Lady.
I spent more time cutting birch yesterday, as husband and son were busy with log loads and hadn't cut me any more wood for log sacks. I managed to get the two trees I cut down Tuesday down far enough to take the tops, then cut another one and trimmed that. I bundled up the twigs I had cut earlier in the week, but left all the new lot to be bundled. If I can get some help, I can make larger bundles, but working on my own, I can only easily manage enough for one besom head per bundle. I wasn't that worried as I have to carry them at least down the hill, and took one back with me all the way to the yard, leaving the others to be picked up later in the truck.
Husband tried to turn on the dishwasher yesterday evening, but it has decided to go wrong. Seems to be the pump or the controls, so he is going to have to take the pump out to see if there is something lodged in it or if it needs a new one. At least that is possible, whereas if it is the controls, it may not be possible to mend it easily. Always remember electronics is out to get you! |
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gregotyn
Joined: 24 Jun 2010
Posts: 2201
Location: Llanfyllin area
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| Posted: Fri Feb 02, 18 2:39 pm Post subject: |
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Yes I now see how the generating board and utility work, basically they are out to get you however you try to be 'off grid' as they say here in the UK. Thank you Jam Lady.
You are right, MR., that anything which has an on/off switch has the option not to work, even when switched on. Its refusal to 'go' when asked is linked entirely with the urgency you need 'it' to work-the greater the need the less likely 'it' is to do as asked, they call it a bit like me at work-not really! There are some days when I come home and leave a bit for the morning, and it always works that they need what you left for tomorrow-today, but omitted to tell me.
You seem to be cutting a lot of birch this year. Has the market increased compared to other years? I seem to remember you starting to make brooms only a few years back.
You are right about electronics, they will take over the world in a few years, before we know it; like to see them sweep the leaves with a besom!! Grass mowers are automated-we have sold quite a few over the last 5 years-double figures-is it only a stones throw away from leaf sweeping? I hope the dish washer gets better and it turns out to be cheap and easy to do. |
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Mistress Rose
Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 15600
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| Posted: Sat Feb 03, 18 8:04 am Post subject: |
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I haven't really cut too much birch yet; it is just that I am working completely on my own, so it takes so much longer as I am doing the tree cutting by hand too. If son comes up and cuts them with the chainsaw, then helps me bundle, it is so much faster. As I have taken over making the besoms, we always try to have a few in stock, so they tend to sell; you know if you have it, to sell, it sells, if you haven't, it doesn't. Husband only tends to make them when he feels like it, which isn't often, and son doesn't really make them at all, although he went on the course. I have just watched others making them and had a 1 hour crash course from a good besom maker, but one of out other coppice craftsmen is reasonable impressed with mine, although I am rather slow.
Now the in-feed belt to the firewood processor is dying too. Husband and son managed to get some firewood cut yesterday, but I had to warn the recipients that it might not happen and we would let them know if we couldn't manage it. Belt held up, but they have ordered a new one, and hope it will be here early next week, as we are still getting firewood orders coming in gently. |
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