Journal Monday 8th September

Apologies for missing a couple of days, basically was just a bit too tired and had nothing to say of any great importance.

Having the first warm weather in ages, we’ve been getting stuck into outdoor jobs. First thing to tackle was the pile of logs and branches that still remained from having a large pine tree felled months ago. It’s either been too hot, or too wet to take the remaining branches off the logs and shred/stack them. We have 99% finished this now, we just need to rake up the remaining detritus and move it, it being halfway between mulch and something shreddable. I’ve managed to get some strimming done, and the grass is cut, with the customary screaming every time I passed through hornet alley underneath the quince tree. The ride on mower mulches and discharges rather than collecting the cuttings, so it’s a great way to chop up and help break down the fallen fruit. This should speed up its return to the earth and with it, the evil (massive) bastards food supply. My wasp traps are doing great, filled with cider and a squeeze of washing up liquid, they can’t get enough. Sadly though, the hornets are too smart for this it seems, but we have a new death spray that will shoot a jet of unpleasantness for a very long distance and with some force. I’ve despatched a fair few today thankfully. I feel like a Ghostbuster.

Craig has re-stacked the rest of last years logs in the woodshed in readiness for our wood delivery on Wednesday, national general strike permitting of course. Not holding my breath. The last few years we haven’t managed this, so you end up stacking the newer wood in front of the older wood, and because we don’t generally get through all our supply in a year, I reckon some of this stuff will be 3 years old and should burn brilliantly. We haven’t remotely needed to light anything yet though, it was 27 degrees yesterday, but it’ll come. We have enough logs for probably a month if needed, so no great rush, although theres little more satisfying than a beautifully stacked wood delivery in readiness for winter.

We have 2 pallets of wood pellets on order too for the boiler, just awaiting a date from the supplier but nothing yet. It’s a lot of stacking and shifting for an afternoon when they do come, but we only have to do it twice a year so it’s not the end of the world.

We’ve also started trying to burn out some remaining tree stumps, but I think that’ll be a gradual progress thing, we got rid of 2/3 of one yesterday so that’s a win!.

I really need to replace some batteries in the indoor fairy lights and re-string the ones around the bookshelf that I’ve gradually dislodged every time I’ve pulled out a cookery book. Beatrix is sitting up there, giving me the eye.

It’s another 5.30am start with the bulldog, now both he and the Denco are fast asleep. I decided it was too early to give him breakfast, which he protested loudly initially, but now he’s snoring away. The trouble with going out in the morning when it’s still dark, is the head torch attracts an immediate cloud of midges straight to your face. 1* would not recommend.

Told you I didn’t have much to report didn’t I.

TTFN, V x