2024 - 4 Months of doing something different

Yes. 


FYI, I’d kill for a decent Chinese

I ddn't know where to put this thought so I'll stick it on here. I always cook my own food and eat it. I don't dine out and never get take aways
Yesterday I went to my Daughters and they were having Chinese takeaway in the house. Without asking me she put some on a plate for me which was nice of her.

It sounds daft,but it felt so strange and wrong, not havng cooked it myself? I smiled sweetly and obligingly ate it, but didn't like to say that it just felt 'wrong'!

Have I become an auld fuddy duddy?

I agree with SC - its a big Yes from me. 

Fuddy duddy it is then!

Walked through a wood I am thinking of buying today. I say 'walked' I should have said 'scrambled'. Kato and I kept getting tangled in brambles trying to find the boundary fences? There are a couple of clearings but it is very overgrown and the top half is at a steep slope. I really don't know whether I am up to the work involved in taming it? If managed correctly it could keep me in firewood for the forsesble future but I couldn't let Kato run free when I was using brushcutters and chainsaws and it would be wrong to leave him cooped up in the motorhome! I need to get my thinking cap on and do some serious thinking!

This week’s something new. Today I’m attending to make a skep (traditional beehive). I’ve been watching YouTube tutorials and collecting materials over the last few days. Unfortunately I can’t get my hands on any thatchers straw , I can only get the bailed shorter stuff used for animal bedding. And I’m using brambles to tie it all together. That’s quite traditional. Trying to find long thin stems is proving tricky. I’m about a 3rd of the way through. It’s going to be a pointier than I’d liked, but it seems quite strong so far. Apparently you should be able to stand on it without it collapsing when it’s finished. Not sure I’m going to try that! If it doesn’t look too bad when it’s finished. It’ll be one of Bobs Christmas presents.

Finished it. Does it look anything like a skep? For someone who doesn’t know what they’re doing, I’m quite happy with it. The bees will have the final say (one day), as too if it’s any good or not.     
Hopefully Bob will like it.

Fuddy duddy it is then!

Walked through a wood I am thinking of buying today. I say 'walked' I should have said 'scrambled'. Kato and I kept getting tangled in brambles trying to find the boundary fences? There are a couple of clearings but it is very overgrown and the top half is at a steep slope. I really don't know whether I am up to the work involved in taming it? If managed correctly it could keep me in firewood for the forsesble future but I couldn't let Kato run free when I was using brushcutters and chainsaws and it would be wrong to leave him cooped up in the motorhome! I need to get my thinking cap on and do some serious thinking!

Was there anywhere to park up for the night? Neighbours? Was it a larger wood that had been subdivided? Public footpaths? Water source?

This week’s something new. Today I’m attending to make a skep (traditional beehive). I’ve been watching YouTube tutorials and collecting materials over the last few days. Unfortunately I can’t get my hands on any thatchers straw , I can only get the bailed shorter stuff used for animal bedding. And I’m using brambles to tie it all together. That’s quite traditional. Trying to find long thin stems is proving tricky. I’m about a 3rd of the way through. It’s going to be a pointier than I’d liked, but it seems quite strong so far. Apparently you should be able to stand on it without it collapsing when it’s finished. Not sure I’m going to try that! If it doesn’t look too bad when it’s finished. It’ll be one of Bobs Christmas presents.

Finished it. Does it look anything like a skep? For someone who doesn’t know what they’re doing, I’m quite happy with it. The bees will have the final say (one day), as too if it’s any good or not. 
Hopefully Bob will like it.

It looks like a skep to me!! Its beautiful. You may get a wild colony taking up residence if you're lucky.

A work of art SC, I hope the bees will like their new home. P says you are a true artist and is very appreciative.

Bobs bound to like it and hopefully some Bees will come along and make it their home.

Fuddy duddy it is then!

Walked through a wood I am thinking of buying today. I say 'walked' I should have said 'scrambled'. Kato and I kept getting tangled in brambles trying to find the boundary fences? There are a couple of clearings but it is very overgrown and the top half is at a steep slope. I really don't know whether I am up to the work involved in taming it? If managed correctly it could keep me in firewood for the forsesble future but I couldn't let Kato run free when I was using brushcutters and chainsaws and it would be wrong to leave him cooped up in the motorhome! I need to get my thinking cap on and do some serious thinking!

Was there anywhere to park up for the night? Neighbours? Was it a larger wood that had been subdivided? Public footpaths? Water source?

There was a parking spot but it was next to a minor road and a streetlamp.(Only seen one car on this road in the couple of hours I was there)I could see some houses from the parkup but there was an option for a parkup deeper into the wood which would have been more secluded but take a good bit of work to facilitate.There was a public footpath on the plans but it was oergrown and impossibl to navigate without a lot of cutting back. No water source but a boggy clearing that would make a good pond. It was a wood between two roads, a major road and a minor road but thre was a bit of noise from the major road. The only way I new where the footpath must have been at one time was a style in a fence, but no path to it? I have decided to give it a miss, but will still keep looking. The advantage it had was that it was only  8 miles from where I live.

At 8 miles, you could walk there.