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... the sky is baby blue, and the just-unfurling leaves ...
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Mistress Rose



Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 15539

PostPosted: Sun Feb 09, 20 9:20 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

If you have overhead power cables, it won't take too much to break the line; a junction box that gets wet for instance. Hope you have power again now. I am glad to say that we have underground feed, so don't have too much trouble except when they are building new houses and muck things up with new connections.

You seem to be making progress on the Hall, Cassandra. You did well doubling your income for the market. Not sure how your teenagers group will go down with the more 'conservative' members of the society, but teaching traditional crafts should be acceptable to all, and a very good thing to do too, before they are lost.

Storm Clara has hit us, so has been quite windy all night and is very gusty. Luckily south westerly to westerly, so from the normal direction. Everywhere with trees locally has been shut, and we have strongly urged people to stay out of the woods.

Yesterday was a lovely day, and we had our volunteer group clearing brash from under the pylon line. The lads who work some of the coppice were also there cutting, so a good productive day in the sun. Breeze, but not much until later in the afternoon when husband and I left. The volunteers and son left at lunch time as always. Son was a bit achy as he missed the top step on his tractor on Friday, and slipped the rest, so bit bruised at the moment.

gregotyn



Joined: 24 Jun 2010
Posts: 2201
Location: Llanfyllin area
PostPosted: Tue Feb 11, 20 2:34 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

The storm hit but, thank goodness, with nothing damaged for me on the immediate premises, though I haven't been up the fields to see if next years firewood has been demolished or not. There was a lot of water about, but not enough to stop all traffic anywhere, you just had to know the road and proceed accordingly. I don't know how most people tackle flooded roads, but I tend to go slowly in low gear and high revs; works for me or I have been lucky. I normally go to a local pub for a "carvery" for my Sunday lunch got there only to find his cellar is flooded and he is not happy-no food and no drink-my only decent meal and pint each week-and watch the football or rugby on the television, I had then to go back to the village where I got my papers earlier in the day-past my house-and buy something to cook at home! I did see a huge lake develop on 2 fields one each side of the up-stream of the bridge as the water queued to get under the bridge, quite civilised I thought, no apparent rush! I then went to the little town again and all the water on the roads had gone as if nothing had happened. We have had a couple of snowfalls, but insufficient to cause trouble as the "gritters" had been out before me at 4.30.

I am heading for retirement soon. I have hit the point where I need to go, but will hang in there till my boss boy pays me what he owes me. Not sure how fast one turns money, but my guess in agricultural spare parts of old tractors it would be a maximum of 5 years to double the cash. It is a thing that has been going with my cash for about 15 years, so £5000 x 2 x 2 x 2 is worth having-about 40k by my reckoning. an amount that would have paid my mortgage off 5 years sooner!

You seem to be on top of The Hall, Cassandra, well done. I am impressed with you getting a youngsters 'club' going There are many places where youth clubs just don't happen as in my day when there were a lot of them and they had all sorts going for them trips out and quizzes, as well as football, netball, snooker and general sports amongst the club members and rival clubs; a good idea to bring the various youth groups in too. Anyone who can get a set of groups together to meet in the hall for a quiz for example, would be really good.

The electricity was fixed in the time limit they put on it, I was impressed.

dpack



Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 45377
Location: yes
PostPosted: Tue Feb 11, 20 11:12 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

ex youth clubber ,ex youth worker says get the kids to feel they own it as much as the elders

it is ace if they take over in a while, that is what organizing stuff now is about.

much of the hall problem stuff is local arsewig nonsense and a resource +community that needs that resource.

take no ####, network, build it for the next generation and have fun.

ps is there anyone among the school age community that could get their demographic interested in their community space?

with the wisdom of age and the enthusiasm of youth many things are possible

Mistress Rose



Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 15539

PostPosted: Wed Feb 12, 20 8:51 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Glad you didn't have any damage at home, but sad for both the landlord and the people he usually serves. At least you were able to get a meal even if you had to cook it yourself.

I decided to do the shopping yesterday as the wind was westerly and it was very cold, so working in the log store on the 70 log sacks we now have on order would have been very uncomfortable, so log sacks are todays job. Luckily the wind has now dropped, but I think I might be wearing a hat, which is very unusual for me.

I have finally finished the rug I have been making, so next job, after putting all the bits away, is to try to get the worst bits off a fleece I have had for a couple of years and spin that. No idea what to make with it; will have to see how coarse it is.

cassandra



Joined: 27 Mar 2013
Posts: 1733
Location: Tasmania Australia
PostPosted: Thu Feb 13, 20 7:56 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Today was spent sorting out paperwork and bills - the Hall electricity bill has been going to the wrong address for years, and the owner of the house is getting tired of having to return it to us, and the former Treasurer has never bothered to get it changed. It was beyond me to get it changed because i didn't have the password. I do now (and have promptly changed it), so was able to contact them, plead confusion and get our late payment fee wiped, change the address, get them to come change us to a more favourable tariff (free of charge) and generally be helpful.

I also had the electrician in to provide a quote for our grant application. He was the person the President had told me quoted once before, but he swears he has never set foot in the place. This is a good thing as I have satisfied my obligation to follow the President's instructions, while ensuring I have a nice young lad who used his initiative and has familiarity with the newfangled options on lighting, all of which we will be deploying.

And finally I sorted out the Insurance - we now have Indemnity, Public Liability and a bill of just over $1000. Of that, Council will reimburse $300, so between that and our weekend profits, we have sufficient in the account for the April bills (and we have a raffle runninig at present). Phew!

In between times I have been popping into our new premises and helping with cleaning, set up and holding the other end of things. The added bonus of this has been hot chicken for lunch for the last two days, as well as Fudge!!

Tomorrow I will give it a miss as I have raffle tickets to sell. And the weekend is Saturday Spinning wheel Spa, and Sunday Kempton Festival Spinning Display.

Gregotyn, unless you have that in writing the best you can hope for is the capital plus reasonable interest I suspect, but your solicitor should be able to sort it out. Sounds like a good idea to leave that toxic workplace so you can concentrate on doing the things you want to do (and perhaps finally get to visit me here in the Antipodes).

DPack, it's absolutely stock standard committee nonsense. Usually I just walk away, but as the Hall is only two doors up the road it's a slightly higher priority. If I can make the progress I want to do, the committee will each have an off-sider who will be mentored into the committee business - perhaps even given a subcommittee to run under supervision. The kids in question are gender diverse - the proposer's son wore a dress to school all his first year and only revealed his gender this term (apparently without too much rubbish, but it's only a matter of time). Her other child is indeterminate, and there are others in far less sympathetic families,
. The intention is to provide them with a support group/safe place to foregather. The School bus stop is outside the Hall so not too hard to get there. The son of the Public Officer is also gay, so I am hoping I can rope him in (as someone half way between our age and the youngsters), as a bit of a helper on that front as well. But that's all for the business plan and fortunately not my responsibility just now haha.

Mistress Rose



Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 15539

PostPosted: Thu Feb 13, 20 8:23 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

You have been busy Cassandra, and making a lot of progress by the sounds of it, which is always satisfying. For a small community, there seem to be a number of young people with indeterminate sex. It must be even harder for them than in a city. I hope your spinning goes well and you enjoy yourself.

Yesterday was a log bagging day. With some sporadic help from husband and son, we did 40 bags, 30 of which will be shipped out today. Only another 30 to go, but as they are to be delivered in 2 lots, there are at least 10 to be done today, although doing the rest will be useful as they can go any time then. The weather was pretty good yesterday, which helped a lot, even though I was working under cover. There was a bit of wind, and that made it rather cold, but a lot less than Tuesday. It is supposed to have gone round to the south now, so it will be hitting the side rather than the end, so hopefully a bit warmer.

gregotyn



Joined: 24 Jun 2010
Posts: 2201
Location: Llanfyllin area
PostPosted: Thu Feb 13, 20 2:39 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

My bosses have been a bit less of a nuisance today for some reason and I have kept my head down, rather snowed under with work and trying to fit "stuff" into a smaller space than is there, as we have a demo this evening of Amazone agricultural machines, which I wouldn't attend anyway. I am just a number cruncher and put away man. I don't do selling! In the next breath someone has to book the deliveries in and put them away and it may as well be me.

You seem to have this hall sussed, Cassandra, you will be getting invites to speak on how to get things done. I am impressed that you want to help the youngsters there. The town hall, where I used to live was a civic centre and did lots of things, classical music concerts, but never had anything for children to participate in; my school hired the place for speech day and prize giving, for half a day, at the end of the school year, but there was never things like a party time of informal "stuff". To get the children interested in going there is so good just for informality between themselves and should give them some good inter-personal development.

On my way home I have seen a wonderful patch of snowdrops in a sheltered wooded area along side a stream, so we must have had a longish warmer spell to bring them on so soon-I just haven't noticed any real warmth in the weather yet, must be getting old!

Any way it is St. Valentine's day today, according to my computer so happy 'Valentines' to all the girls on here.

Mistress Rose



Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 15539

PostPosted: Fri Feb 14, 20 7:40 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Happy Valentines Day to you too Gregotyn. We have had some snowdrops for a while here, but I am sure some of the later ones are still to come. Our burgenia in the front garden has also been in flower, but all the flowers are still well under the leaves, as usual at this time of year. It was certainly cold enough in the woods yesterday.

Glad the bosses are behaving better; long may it last.

Managed to get another 10 log sacks filled yesterday and delivered a total of 30. Husband and I did 20 and son did another 10. The remaining 20 go out today and then another 20 to make early next week.

gregotyn



Joined: 24 Jun 2010
Posts: 2201
Location: Llanfyllin area
PostPosted: Fri Feb 14, 20 2:31 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

How strange it is St. Valentines day today according to this computer as opposed to the computer at work which is a day ahead of itself! So happy Valentines Day today to all my girls! I hope all your menfolk appreciate you all!

All being well I will be out of work for the summer for good. Basically I have had enough of the boys at work and their antics, though the prime mover is away, as I think his wife, who is expecting twins, is unwell; awful that she is not well and I am benefitting from his absence! Our antagonism started when he shouted me to go to him, I dropped tools and ran, thinking he was in trouble, only to find he was too lazy to come and ask me politely to help him. My plan is to go in time for the "spring work", chain harrowing and rolling in particular, and start to do something about my house maintenance, gutters and the like, get some fencing done and trim a lot of trees in that order! I will have to rein my spending in a lot!

Wet here today so will be concentrating on wood cutting.
On Saturday-4pm-I will be going to a farm at the top of the hill opposite to me to see my 2 friends who chop wood the efficient way-by using a machine to cut logs to length and them split them to kindling in one operation. The lads feed the trunk in and the machine chops and splits. Sounds too good to be true! I am hoping they will be good enough to buy and sell to the shop I deal with, but I doubt it. He has already inspected my customer and says they don't get them as good as mine are presented-all in line in the net-theirs' fall in as they go and the net closed when they think it is full! But they sell 600 nets at a time to several outlets so they are doing something right.

Mistress Rose



Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 15539

PostPosted: Sat Feb 15, 20 9:34 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

I assumed you were wishing us Happy Valentine's Day in advance, because of course Cassandra got there before we did, being something like 12 hours ahead of us. Your computer at work has gone slightly wrong, but perhaps it is set to remind people to get cards/flowers/chocolates the day before.

You are probably better off getting some kindling from your friends and bagging it yourself before selling on if you can make enough profit to cover the bags and work. As for retiring, go when you want and not to serve their convenience as it doesn't sound as if you owe them any particular loyalty.

The wind has picked up here, but so far the rain hasn't started. We could really do without either, as everything is soaked and we have already lost a large branch off a beech tree and a silver birch tree. Sadly, on being felled properly it scored a direct hit on a barbed wire fence, so another job to do mending that once the tree is moved.

gregotyn



Joined: 24 Jun 2010
Posts: 2201
Location: Llanfyllin area
PostPosted: Sat Feb 15, 20 10:58 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Thank you, MR., I knew you would get me out of the hole I had dug! In fact the company computer said St Valentines Day was the day before, ie. Thursday which stuck with me all day. At New Holland Tractors we know we are ahead of, and in, the field! In spite of me having an MF 35x at home!
Regarding kindling from the 'mates'; if it has the same quality as mine then OK. Hand chopped is effectively selecting the best of all sticks; machine doesn't have so much control. I had experience with machine done a few years back when a friend did some for me, the speed was good, but they had to be longer to accommodate the cutter and they come out all shapes and sizes-only the length is constant there were so many "slithers" and knot lumps I was surprised they sold! Also they were longer than mine at 6 and 3/8ths inches so didn't stack in the sales holding rack 2 high!
I am a bit too fussy, perhaps, but dry wood well presented is all to me. No complaints up to now and indeed compliments. I don't buy the bags, they are supplied by the shop-I order and he pays-we had them from the people you recommended, MR, very efficient too. I can't remember the name, but the negotiations are on file in the 'pooter, but it may be wise to get it written down somewhere too-I am getting low, to the point it could become the point in life where do I want to carry on?
The only reason for wanting to go to these 2 lads is that I am running out too quickly of wood! My customer blamed me saying I had let him down when I got very low. I couldn't understand it, but then we reached the conclusion that the other shop who supplied in the town had closed down, and I was doing the lot! I knew I had a reduced social life to try to keep up with demand!
I may just buy from them as their bags are bigger than mine and sort the quality at home. I will know all I need to know I hope by 5 pm today. A long time ago I used to employ a chap to chop for me! I wish he was with me now!

Mistress Rose



Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 15539

PostPosted: Sun Feb 16, 20 9:19 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

On the whole, I think people are more interested in whether the kindling will start the fire than whether it is pretty, although I hope to be able to sell our Sussex pimps partly as ornamental. I will try to have another go at them, but at the moment I am rather busy with log sacks and coppice.

The weather here was awful yesterday, so we stayed in. I managed to wash some fleece and did some household jobs, so a moderately productive day. The fleece seems more matted than I hoped, but I can't open it right out as that is an outdoor job, so am just pulling bits off at the moment, which isn't very satisfactory, but all I can do. Hoping to be able to start spinning it this evening.

gregotyn



Joined: 24 Jun 2010
Posts: 2201
Location: Llanfyllin area
PostPosted: Tue Feb 18, 20 2:24 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

We have had some bad weather too and raining hard now, with strong winds.
I am hoping that the kindling will be acceptable from the lads I know. I went to see their set up on Saturday pm and it is good-but scattered about the farmyard. They would like to sell me one if their kindling machines and have done with it, but I prefer to take my sawn wood to their set up and pay them accordingly. We did the volume test to see how much kindling goes into one of their nets, which falls in random fashion into their net, and is removed when full, against how much goes into one of my nets; and my "placed" wood versus their random wood works out exactly the same. So this is a starter and as a way of saving my arm, which is getting painful when I have to chop so much. I used never to have any problem as I had most of the work done in the summer, as this year; but, we forgot to account for the other kindling supplier in the town shutting down and letting the shop to a lady to use for a ladies clothes shop! I had my customary 500 in stock and carried on chopping when I felt like it-oops! Where I used to deliver in 10's it is now in 3's and 4's. It has registered my brain into developing "chopping and netting" in one operation, saving time.
So it is all down to the 2 chaps whether they are prepared to allow me to use their machine and I will buy their nets and test the market with a cheaper, but bigger net, (a bit of psychology), as I am getting down my nets. This could work out quite well-crossing fingers!!

I am off now to continue with my need for kindling to go to the shop, but I am also cutting some wood I prepared to go to a friend's place at 6 and 3/8ths inches to the now required length of 6inches to go to the new "chopper". All go, but I feel as though it has gone! I guess it will settle down soon, well hopefully. I am working on retirement from work too. This will give me a bit of housework time, and a lot more wood sourcing.

Mistress Rose



Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 15539

PostPosted: Wed Feb 19, 20 8:15 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Hope it works out sourcing from the lads as it will save you some effort. Just make sure you don't lose out on the deal.

I had a home day yesterday as I had to wait in for a parcel. It was some steps and other bits for sons tractor, including a bracket which is very important, but he had awful trouble finding one. Still, he now has the bracket, so they can get on with bolting some bits back together. Husband has completed the new wiring loom, and they are now connecting that back in between working on log loads. I am also hoping for another load of bagging logs as we potentially have orders for another 60 or only which 20 have been actually ordered. I have made those, but want to have the others available as and when.

gregotyn



Joined: 24 Jun 2010
Posts: 2201
Location: Llanfyllin area
PostPosted: Fri Feb 21, 20 2:39 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

I have had another panic with the firewood; I have a dewalt crosscut saw which has decided to stop sliding across the top beam to cut the wood to length last night. So I think I will be offering the job to the friends if their quality reaches that needed by the shop. I will go and help them if possible or just buy from them-failing that I will give it to them. My man has no storage, and they are used to delivering lots of 600 nets at a time. I take 4 out with me to work and top the shelf up every time I go. So I may have to order a few hundred at once to keep me going-if they can do that for me. Apart from that I want to give up going to work, but will need something to take its place, or I would just rest in bed doing Sudoku! I will be fixing the saw regardless, as I use it for home projects too, but there is a big panic on now! I am going to see them today if they are in, -now!

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