I got started fairly early this morning as I had an enormous pile of not-waste from the veg shop, I'd say at least 200kg. I finished unloading the 600 litre 'compostumbler' and immediately started refilling, with alternating layers of woodchips and shredded hedge with dead lettuces, courgettes, carrots, hundreds of apples and pears, and other veg and fruit, all chopped to help them rot quicker. I managed to completely fill the compostumbler in one go, it should go like a bomb! Well, like a hot compost heap actually...
I took a break for an hour to watch Countryfile and have an early lunch, but didn't come back in to listen to Gardeners' Question Time, I think Gill recorded it. I can always listen to it on the web, the 'listen again' service is very good.
I spent all of the afternoon in the garden, and dug out a finished sit n wait heap too, turning it into a neighbouring bay made with pallets. This first turn after a long 'sit n wait' is enough to finish the process, the next time I visit this material, it will be rotted down enough to riddle and use. I remember making this heap, it was at Easter as I recognise some of the bones, from three Xmas turkeys which had been in a shop freezer until then, and given to me for recycling as they were out of date. I've never composted turkeys before, only smaller roadkill birds like ducks, crows and songbirds. But they rotted well in the hot heap conditions, leaving only the larger bones until now, which will be mostly gone by next spring when I'll have the compost ready for use.
The boys spent quite a bit of the day in their pyjamas doing their homework... my 10 year old doing 2 A4 sheets on gases, including a piece on farts! My 8 year old had to prepare a book review so he justabout read a whole book in one day, I think it was 'Attack of the Killer Tomatoes' or something like that. So because of good behaviour, I made up a 'one log bonfire' for them, on the lawn (well, in the lawn, as you cut out and remove a chunk of turf to put the split log into). We had this after 6pm, whilst neighbours were letting off their fireworks. We had 2 packets of sparklers, one log and two thin-wood fruit trays as tinder for our frugal but wonderful mini outdoor fire. Much better than a big wasteful bonfire! Less smoke too, as the shape of the split log helps it burn cleanly.
During the evening a baby hedgehog visited us and was snuffling round in the undergrowth, very cute. Didn't seem to mind the fire, it came within a couple of metres of it.
A late night doing my paid blog, a second on white poppies, as there was a comment about them from last week's offering.
Showing posts with label 'One Log Bonfire'. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 'One Log Bonfire'. Show all posts
My little boy's birthday, I got a lie-in and woke when he came in to open his presents which he was very happy with. I had to go to town before lunch as my chain broke on the way back from the model shop yesterday ( I accelerated too hard and a link streched and nearly broke, then the chain kept jumping, so I knew I'd done something silly). So off to Cycle Heaven, then a pick-up of compostables and visit to the building society.
Played with the kids during the afternoon, and planned the weekend. Decided the train times weren't conducive to go to the Northern Green Gathering, sad but there you go. But we are going to go to 'Buzzing' tomorrow at St Nicks, a poetry and pictures performance about insects, by my friend Anneliese Emmans Dean, see http://www.thebigbuzz.biz/
Put up the tent in the garden as the boys wanted to have a mini festival here. Also set up a 'single log bonfire' which is a very dry log split lengthways and set upright in a hole in the lawn. The splits are filled with resinous wood and twigs, paper, candle-ends, and lit. It needs some management but burns well, and if the top is level, can even be used as a place to cook with a pan set on top. Gill made pizza dough and a birthday cake whilst I was doing this, and we all ate together at 6pm, with fresh blackberries with the cake.
At teatime, my little 'birthday boy' spoke to my parents on the phone, but his small voice was difficult for my Dad to hear or understand and the old man couldn't tell who it was until I took the phone off the little one and spoke to my dad and explained who it was. After they'd chatted successfully, I had a chat and my Dad told me that he was exploring getting an electric car called a G Whizz, he's already got a Toyota Prius, a hybrid petrol/electric. Then he asked me if I could clear my front garden of logs so when they next visit, they could park their car there. All other visitors put their car on the verge between the road and the pavement, or on the shared driveway, or round the corner on Lilac Avenue. So I said no, I couldn't remove my logs, which is how this house is heated and how we cook and get bathwater, as I wouldn't know where to put them and it would take ages. He put the phone down on me! A few minutes later, my ma phoned and told me that I'd been very rude to Daddy, 'after all they'd done for me' and that I'd be the loser. Then she slammed the phone down on me. This was so upsetting, as I've been getting on a lot better with them recently, and I didn't consider my response rude, just honest. I wonder if they'd want to park their car on the front garden if it were a veg patch? Why do they not respect my logging area? And why all this shit over a bloody car? Parking on the verge isn't such a problem is it? Never mind, our relationship has never been that good, and I don't care if they don't want to see me again. What I do care about is the Grandparent / Grandchild relationship, I hope that isn't damaged by our problems.
Gill and the boys slept in the tent, leaving me a long time to write and chat to my lovely friend in the US of A, who's planning to visit me in October, it's very exciting as we haven't spent much time together since I was a teenager... we have had an 18 year gap in our relationship, but she's been in my thoughts nearly every day all that time. Gill understands that K is very special to me, and doesn't mind my chatting so much, as she can see that it makes me happy... unless we have a misunderstanding, which is unfortunately easy on Googletalk, as there's only words no facial expressions or voice. Should get Skype really, but would need to upgrade to broadband for that, probably.
Bath late, first one since BGG!
Played with the kids during the afternoon, and planned the weekend. Decided the train times weren't conducive to go to the Northern Green Gathering, sad but there you go. But we are going to go to 'Buzzing' tomorrow at St Nicks, a poetry and pictures performance about insects, by my friend Anneliese Emmans Dean, see http://www.thebigbuzz.biz/
Put up the tent in the garden as the boys wanted to have a mini festival here. Also set up a 'single log bonfire' which is a very dry log split lengthways and set upright in a hole in the lawn. The splits are filled with resinous wood and twigs, paper, candle-ends, and lit. It needs some management but burns well, and if the top is level, can even be used as a place to cook with a pan set on top. Gill made pizza dough and a birthday cake whilst I was doing this, and we all ate together at 6pm, with fresh blackberries with the cake.
At teatime, my little 'birthday boy' spoke to my parents on the phone, but his small voice was difficult for my Dad to hear or understand and the old man couldn't tell who it was until I took the phone off the little one and spoke to my dad and explained who it was. After they'd chatted successfully, I had a chat and my Dad told me that he was exploring getting an electric car called a G Whizz, he's already got a Toyota Prius, a hybrid petrol/electric. Then he asked me if I could clear my front garden of logs so when they next visit, they could park their car there. All other visitors put their car on the verge between the road and the pavement, or on the shared driveway, or round the corner on Lilac Avenue. So I said no, I couldn't remove my logs, which is how this house is heated and how we cook and get bathwater, as I wouldn't know where to put them and it would take ages. He put the phone down on me! A few minutes later, my ma phoned and told me that I'd been very rude to Daddy, 'after all they'd done for me' and that I'd be the loser. Then she slammed the phone down on me. This was so upsetting, as I've been getting on a lot better with them recently, and I didn't consider my response rude, just honest. I wonder if they'd want to park their car on the front garden if it were a veg patch? Why do they not respect my logging area? And why all this shit over a bloody car? Parking on the verge isn't such a problem is it? Never mind, our relationship has never been that good, and I don't care if they don't want to see me again. What I do care about is the Grandparent / Grandchild relationship, I hope that isn't damaged by our problems.
Gill and the boys slept in the tent, leaving me a long time to write and chat to my lovely friend in the US of A, who's planning to visit me in October, it's very exciting as we haven't spent much time together since I was a teenager... we have had an 18 year gap in our relationship, but she's been in my thoughts nearly every day all that time. Gill understands that K is very special to me, and doesn't mind my chatting so much, as she can see that it makes me happy... unless we have a misunderstanding, which is unfortunately easy on Googletalk, as there's only words no facial expressions or voice. Should get Skype really, but would need to upgrade to broadband for that, probably.
Bath late, first one since BGG!
