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Post by Old Dragon (Al) on May 29, 2009 17:44:40 GMT 1
Whenever anyone used to mention Amsterdam, I always thought of tulips until I met a certain Irish musician who told me many a tale of his travels around the world. One related to him having married in Mexico and woken up in Amsterdam... He then found himself in Brisbane - well, I guess that was the sixties/early 70s, and when such things could happen. Day 11 doesn't appear to have seen even an increase in the amount of rubble dumped on the site, but I did notice the builders busy on a property nearing completion just around the corner from my home. Was out much of the morning for that physio session & meeting with the senior physiotherapist. Seems his opinion is that the shoulder problem is being caused by adhesions following the surgery affecting the axcillor last year. Have several exercises to do daily now, and another session next Friday. Then popped into one of the shops in town where the manager's been trying to get us some prices on the fast growing conifers we have to get to screen off the heavy plant place next to Llys Trerobert's 'Bird Garden'. His head office still haven't got back to him, but I have an idea he might do us a deal on a range of plants later in the year and for the project. Felt tempted to offer him some exchanges, and would have done so if it was his own place... My Jerusalem artichokes are growning so thickly now down the allotment, they are probably choking each other! I even have them appearing in amongst the aquilegias! Pity they aren't in season for harvesting at the moment... Made it home in time to catch the local funeral director still at work, so managed to pay him the rent for the workshop/storage facility that has been building up lately, as I can never seem to catch him there!
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Post by Old Dragon (Al) on May 31, 2009 0:04:36 GMT 1
Day 12 being a Saturday, has seen no activity by builders, but plenty of scratching around where the old building used to be by the neighbour's chickens. Sat watching them and a wagtail while Merlyn and the ponies emptied their buckets. Seems strange not to have seen a robin around down there for a while now. Lots of jackdaws and crows, but strangely not seen a magpie lately. I've also not heard a cuckoo this year yet, either. While waiting to put the bucket away, I was trying to envisage how far the car park area will extend, and how the remaining area could be landscaped. I think it will initially be a job for the chap with the mini-digger, though. The alternative would be an army armed with spades and shovels etc. At present, nettles and docks seem to be taking over. The horses have only been locked out of there a week but the grass has already grown, except for the bits they can reach through the rails. I might let them through tomorrow to enjoy the little bit of fresh growth before the machine comes in on Monday and it all gets buried or dug up.
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Post by mysticalmidnight on May 31, 2009 0:49:49 GMT 1
Can't wait to see some pictures
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Post by Old Dragon (Al) on May 31, 2009 12:48:11 GMT 1
Could get some of the lush nettles and docks, and piles of debris at the moment if I had a working camera!
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Post by Old Dragon (Al) on May 31, 2009 22:01:13 GMT 1
Day 13 and I popped in to see the chap with the digger to find out what time he needed me to unlock the gates for him... Now, you will recall that I was told he was starting on Monday... He was told 'next week' last week, but not the day, and the builders were supposed to confirm the day with him. As he didn't hear from them over the weekend, he'd lined up another job for tomorrow, so can't start down the stables until Tuesday. ;D Borrowed a digital camera to try and get some photos. Of course, its batteries were flat, so I bought some rechargeable ones, put them in the camera and... there was no initial charge in them! Have them charging now, so will try again tomorrow for some pics. (When I will likely discover this old, borrowed, camera doesn't work at all! )
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Post by Old Dragon (Al) on Jun 3, 2009 12:06:11 GMT 1
Day 14 saw no activity beyond me feeding the horses and allowing them a brief chomp on the fresh grass that has been growing in the carpark and bird garden areas. Day 15 and the builder's van had to have its brake calipers replaced - they had one side done only last week, now it was the turn of the other one to fail! Whatever, the boss put in a brief appearance after I'd been down to open up the gates and see Dai the digger chap get started. The camera decided it would work... briefly! Here's Dai topping up the tank with fuel... The camera failed to capture the shots of him actually working, but managed to record some evidence that he had been doing so... - this was where the old stables were standing, but now all that is left is that pile of old, rotten timbers and metal sheets stacked to the side. Now for a view from the carpark onto what will become the 'bird garden'... And another... You can see here why we will need those fast growing Lawsons to screen off the plant hire place just the other side of the boundary! Day 16Here's the digger arriving this morning via the neighbouring yard... The camera has, once again, ceased to work, although I did manage to get these shot of Scampi in a bit of a daze as he mooched around the carpark... As you can see, it is all a bit of a mess at present! During today, the plan is to actually dig out the footings. There was no sign of the builder while I was down there, of course, but I think Dai has a good idea of what he has to do. (At least, I hope he does!) BTW, those bags piles up around the gateway are what the builder's lads brought there and dumped... apparently they are full of hardcare to go into the footings. (To me, they look like rubble from other jobs and that they need to get rid of...
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Post by RuthE on Jun 3, 2009 14:24:32 GMT 1
Goodness, it is unrecogniseable from when I last saw it! It took me quite a while to get my bearings on those pics!!
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Post by mysticalmidnight on Jun 3, 2009 20:34:03 GMT 1
Oh wow it's amaizing and i hoe you will be including rat's at your wildlife centre
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Post by Old Dragon (Al) on Jun 3, 2009 22:41:01 GMT 1
There was a rat's nest under the boards in the feed shed when that was demolished, Dray... I think they left with a backward glance and saying... 'We'll be back...' Had some high drama down there tonight and two of the nags were let out onto the road, where one (Bronnie) was involved in a collision with a car. She was hit on the one side of her quarters, but there are no obvious injuries apart from a tiny cut on one leg. She'll be stiff in the morning, I expect. At the moment both she and Merlyn are sharing a stable. Tried just locking Bronnie in, but she was rearing up and trying to get out over the door to get back to Merlyn. Also, her adrenaline was running rather high, but she's calmed and cooled down now. I left them a little while ago scoffing hay. Spoke with the car driver on the phone and, apart from being shook up and having damage to the front wing of her car, she said she was okay, which is a relief. Thankfully, the horse insurance policy covers third party damage. I can't really get to the bottom of the facts as to how/why the horses got out of the field, but a fence post has been broken from the road side into the field, and the fencing wire was flattened to the ground there. Dyl's done a temporary repair, and that will have to be done properly in the morning. Dray, I managed to get this photo especially for you... ...and just so that he doesn't miss out, here's one of Merlyn, my old horse, after he knocked his bosh over for attention - or perhaps more feed? BTW, Day 16 eded without the actual footings being dug, as the builder didn't return to mark those out properly! Lots more earth has been moved since those photos were taken, and to level off the site for the buildings, though. There's a mountain of earth now piled up ready to extend the car park to the required dimensions for that 'turning circle'.
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Post by Old Dragon (Al) on Jun 4, 2009 11:38:52 GMT 1
Well, the chap finally turned up this morning to repair the damaged fence from last night, and the pony has only a minor cut (more like taken the hair off and just scratched the skin surface) on one hind leg - but not the one that was supposed to have been hit by the car, according to witnesses. She is a bit stiff, but eating well! She and Merlyn are still locked in a stable together for now. As that is next to the box where the neighbour's big coloured cob is, and who was only gelded recently, Merlyn sees him as a rival for Bronnie's affections, so they are pulling threatening faces and showing their teeth to each other. Men, eh? There was no sign of the builder, or him having been there to mark out the footings yet, though. Dai 'Digger' has other work on for a few days now, so I don't see much more progress happening down there for a few days. Think this is Day 17, isn't it? ;D This morning the wagtails, a robin, and a few LBJs were rooting around where the digger had been yesterday and on the spoil heaps. They seem busier than any human working activity.
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Post by mysticalmidnight on Jun 4, 2009 17:53:15 GMT 1
Hi Al thanks for the picture and Mackenzie loves your Horses/Ponies and wants your fields ;D She has asked if Bronnie is better know Day 17 Dray x
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Post by Old Dragon (Al) on Jun 4, 2009 23:10:29 GMT 1
You are welcome, Dray, and please tell Mackenzie that Bronnie's experience hasn't put her off her food. She is a little sore around her cut leg, and wasn't keen on having it bathed today, but apart from that and a little stiffness, she seems okay. I will plant something for Mackenzie in the bird garden, once able to do so, then she can say she owns a little bit of the fields. In fact, it was suggested that we offer the bird garden for sponsorship, and in 1' square plots, or specific plants/trees. The latter might be best, as some areas will have things like paving slabs and rocks or log piles on - these for the insects and slow worms to hide under. Another bit will have a small dung heap on it - again for the bugs and worms and to keep the wagtails, robins and blackbirds happy. If she would like to grow something to have planted in the bird garden, she could do that, too. (Or even get her dad to make a bird box to have sited in one of the stables or under the overhanging roof...? )
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Post by Old Dragon (Al) on Jun 6, 2009 23:59:09 GMT 1
Well, Days 18 & 19 have seen little or no action. The lad who was supposed to fix the fence had vanished by the time I returned with some lunch and a bottle of pop for him. The fence repair wasn't likely to hold up to either Merlyn or Bronnie's attentions, so both are still sharing a stable on the next door yard. I let them both out to stretch their legs around the yards whilst mucking out, and Bronnie seems none the worse for her misadventure, and judging by the way she was high-tailing it around. Fortunately, the sight of their feed buckets saw the pair shoot back into the stable afterwards. I had visions of fun and games trying to recapture them again. No sooner were they back in, that we had a thunder storm right overhead and, by the time I drove home, the road was several inches under water! On reaching home, I was just in time for a power-cut and, having left the PC on while I'd popped down to see to them, found I'd problems getting the PC to work again! I was panicking for a while, but eventually made it here. Spent much of the evening unable to do much bar sort out my fittings after Ethan's efforts to 'tidy them up' during half-term! ;D We seem to be very low on several of the most used ones to make things like collars and leads, also harnesses.
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Post by mysticalmidnight on Jun 7, 2009 0:56:17 GMT 1
Mackenzie will so pleased to hear that Bronnie is on the mend. She will also be made up with the tree idea and i bet she will also ask if we can do the tree and a couple of bird boxes as our baby blue tits that were nesting in the nest box that we put up last year flew on Friday morning and although she was still in bed she has found the whole experience of watching the parents bringing food back and forth for the past few days and listening to what sounded like a large brood chirping very enthusiastically after every morsel and also watching the parents taking food from our feeders straight to the nest, i think she's hooked Kim was fortunate enough to watch the very last one leave but could hear all the commotion of them all leaving while she was sorting the dogs pens out while awaiting for my return from walking the dogs Dray x
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Post by Old Dragon (Al) on Jun 7, 2009 12:12:54 GMT 1
Day 20 and the site is a sea of mud and puddles that came up over the ankles of my wellies. Made the mistake of feeding Merlyn and Bronnie before loosing them out of the stable to stretch their legs while I mucked out. No, they didn't wish to be caught or come in again afterwards! Managed to catch greedy Bronnie with an apple, then had to tie her up in the stable while I attempted to catch Merlyn. He was having none of that, despite having a headcollar on and being tempted by the apple! Meanwhile, Bronnie decided to stand on her hind legs while tethered. I ended up grooming her and waiting until Merlyn decided to come looking for his little pal, and I was then able to recapture him. He is a wily old devil.
The baby wrens haven't fledged yet, and I saw the robin disapearing into the ivy in the hedge with a beak of bugs, so guess those have yet to fledge, too. However, I saw a lovely adult thrush with a youngster near the entrance, and a pair of blackbirds whom, I think, had youngsters to feed hiding in the undergrowth. The wagtail was busy on the dung heap, as usual, and I am really looking forward to being able to get the feeders up around the new building to encourage the tits and finches back again. A LBJ was singing his head off on a fence post, too. Not sure what it was, but looked a bit like a hen sparrow but with quite a long, pointed beak. Could have been a warbler, perhaps? Numerous crows and jackdaws were pacing around the fields where water had been lying last night after the heavy rain, and I expect those were feeding on drowned worms.
My son now plans to properly repair the fence later today, so, with luck, I'll be able to turn Merlyn and Bronnie out again, later. Fair play to Daisy, she's shown no signs of going anywhere near the weakened area of the fence. I think she's quite enjoyed having the fields to herself, but her waistline is now a cause for concern! He saddle no longer fits, as she's become so tubby!
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Post by Old Dragon (Al) on Jun 7, 2009 14:17:50 GMT 1
Well, I'll be... I was just trying to find a pic on here and found these from the other day that, it seems, had come out after all! They had just been saved in a strange place... Dai's daughter, Tina, is operating the other machine.
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Post by Old Dragon (Al) on Jun 9, 2009 0:21:09 GMT 1
Day 21 - I saw Dai down at the site when I went to feed in the afternoon. He was wondering if the builder had marked out where he actually wanted the footings dug. The builder hadn't, of course!
Have promised to get a copy of the plans for Dai, and so that he can measure up himself, and work as per the weather allows.
Didn't someone say this job was only going to take 4 weeks? ;D
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Post by lumpyblue on Jun 9, 2009 11:55:05 GMT 1
I'll try 57 days!! But think that may be optomistic!!
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Post by Old Dragon (Al) on Jun 9, 2009 11:59:23 GMT 1
Me too, Lynda! Just had my son here asking for a key to the gate - again! Loaned him my last one as too busy right now to drop everything to unlock the gate... Praying that wasn't a mistake!
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Post by Old Dragon (Al) on Jun 10, 2009 1:11:39 GMT 1
Day 21 ended with lots of stakes and blue rope having been arranged to show where the various footings have to be dug out. I went down for a site meeting with the builder, and so that the various internal sizes of each section (or 'room', as the architect calls them) could be confirmed. Also, I was told where all the accumulating rubble would end up. ;D Tomorrow, I gather that Steve, the brickie will be having a site meeting with boss, Brian. Managed to get my only gate key back off my son, which is the good news. The bad is that when I parked the car back by the house, I didn't spot the remains of someone's headlight near the curb, ran over that and the glass sliced into one of the car's tyres! Then discovered that my spider for removing the wheels doesn't fit! The poor old Merc is now sitting on its wheel rim over the road with a ruined tyre.
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