Journal Friday 3rd October 2025

Afternoon again. Window fitting is still in progress. Given that for a chunk of this morning, there were no downstairs windows in at all, just the gaping holes that once contained them, I’ve taken myself off upstairs and honestly I’m amazed by how warm it is up here. Granted I did forget to turn off the heating until not so long ago, but I’ve done it now, and the difference, given the windows are just sealed in with expanding foam and there are still gaps here and there is nuts.

I’m guessing that the downstairs windows are not far off being in situ now, because there’s some upstairs activity going on, and I’m hiding in our bedroom trying to keep out of the way, I might have to move again soon.

While taking off the bathroom shutters we found another little family of bats. They too have been moved to one of our outbuildings with the others from yesterday, and the vast majority had flown away when we checked last night, there was just one remaining. We’ll keep an eye on things and hopefully they’ll all fly off and make themselves a nest somewhere in there. Tempted to buy a couple of bat boxes to help out the little guys. We could see them out feeding at dusk, so apart from waking them up, I hope they’re not too traumatised.

Meanwhile, I’m trying to busy myself with planning how to fill some gaps in the garden for next year. It’s always fun pulling together a Farmer Gracy wish-list. I’m falling more into prairie style planting for the hot summers we keep having, so more drought resistant plants, lots of grasses and plenty of pollinators to keep the bees happy. I want to get to a point where the ground is entirely covered in the main beds. It’s better for water retention, but also weed suppression, so I’m trying to look at what gaps we have and what would be best to fill them. I planted some perennials this year that are not near to maturity yet, so I need to take into consideration how big they’ll get over the next couple of years. It’s keeping me out of mischief.

I also have a bed that I put aside last year (my old dahlia bed) which I’m hoping to plant garlic in this month. Makes sense to plant something that grows well here, and that we use a lot of, before I can fix the proper veg patch which is going to take a lot of work still.

This bed will need mulching well, it’s currently covered with membrane. I have 5 or 6 bags of leaf mould from last year that might do the trick.

Next job is to find some suitable garlic. I’ll find the catalogue.

Will keep you updated on window and bat watch over the coming days. You might even get some pictures if you’re good.

TTFN,

V x

“Create a featured image for a blog post about bat conservation during home renovation. The main subject should be a cozy bedroom with a window being fitted, featuring a small family of bats in a nearby outbuilding, symbolizing their safe relocation. The scene should have warm, inviting light to reflect the comfort of the home and a tranquil outdoor evening atmosphere with dusk lighting. Incorporate elements of a garden with prairie-style plants visible through the window, emphasizing the importance of biodiversity. The image should be high resolution, highly detailed, and in sharp focus to capture the caring effort towards bat conservation”.