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Post by Old Dragon (Al) on Nov 16, 2009 19:41:48 GMT 1
It will be wonderful come the spring and warmer/dryer weather. Really must get the heaters organised down there, though. I had four layers on my top half, which does make it a bit hard to work, even though two were sleeveless! The crowd that seem to meet daily in their now have started a 'pot' for things like gas, teabags, biscuits etc. I have a mountain of mugs in the sink now to wash up and take back down in the morning! I think I counted 13 of them! I'll be glad when our camp kitchen 'sink' thing arrives. Me juggling a basket of mugs through the gates, over a muddy yard and then our chicken-scratched up bark chips, and with my walking stick, is an accident waiting to happen!
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Post by Old Dragon (Al) on Nov 23, 2009 0:08:57 GMT 1
Just as the camera batteries ran out today, a very large bird landed on one of the pans on a feeding station. Despite its size, the little birds feeding higher up didn't seem too perturbed. It seems they know the difference between a vulture, a buzzard and... ...Hetty the hen! Old Hetty must have been so heavy on that side, that the feeding station developed a distinct list to one side, and especially as the ground is so wet and waterlogged at present. We are also losing one particular type of feeder - the square type that contain the insect laden suet blocks. I had been hanging those on the lower hooks, but have now moved them higher up. We suspect either a badger or fox, unless it could be a stray dog visiting during the nights? So far we have lost three of them!
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Post by Florrie on Nov 23, 2009 9:25:07 GMT 1
Hetty the hen the would have been a great photo and its still raining here
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Post by Old Dragon (Al) on Nov 23, 2009 15:00:08 GMT 1
Hetty the hen and her companions have been left in their shed today, due to the arrival of ten new companions. Hopefully, they'll soon get used to each other and their new quaters, so can be released again to range free during the daytime. I doubt Hetty will have forgotten he new trick of flying up onto the feeding pan, and I'll have another chance to get a picture. She's favouring your feeding station, too, Sue!
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Post by Florrie on Nov 24, 2009 9:41:46 GMT 1
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Post by Old Dragon (Al) on Nov 24, 2009 20:32:13 GMT 1
Actually, Hetty was never a battery hen. She is a Welsommer cross bantam, and was given to me some years ago with two of her sisters and a brother as unwanted - probably because a bantam cockeral was obviously their father and the chap wanted pure bred Welsommers.
Sadly, the fox killed her brother, and one sister died last year. She does still have her sister Peggoty around, though. It was Peggoty who brooded the three ducklings this last year, and they are already laying eggs!
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Post by Florrie on Nov 25, 2009 9:32:57 GMT 1
;D was talking about me
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Post by Old Dragon (Al) on Nov 25, 2009 11:49:52 GMT 1
Ah, right... ;D (Dunno where I got the battery bit from, then. )
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Post by Old Dragon (Al) on Nov 25, 2009 20:12:17 GMT 1
When I arrived down at LT this afternoon, there was a cheeky squirrel on the ground under the feeder by the gate. He/she spotted me when I was almost on top of him/her but quite unhurriedly, it hopped up onto the path in front of the building and went the length of that, turned and gave me a look, then disappeared around the corner. I suspect that it was after the soggy peanuts I'd tipped out of that feeder, thinking the chickens would clear them up, but they are still locked up in their shed during the days. I'd have thought the new ones would be okay by now to allow out to range, but it has been horribly wet.
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Post by Old Dragon (Al) on Nov 26, 2009 19:16:35 GMT 1
Masses of birds in evidence today on the feeders, and numerous ones needed refills of fat balls and seed. Probably the weather cauing the birds to need to fill up well, as we have had sleet, hail and rain on and off all day, and with barely a few minutes at a time without the heavens throwing something down. It's been cold, too, and the gas ran out almost as soon as the fire was lit, of course. It looks increasingly as if a new TRPD group will be formed to meet there, too. It was certainly mentioned today, and amongst the horsy group who seem to congregate in the TRPD building for teas, coffees and hot Bovril after stables. Perhaps a good name might be the 'Muck Chuckers' after it was discovered that between all, over 40 barrowloads of dung was mucked out of stables today! Because the livery stables/property where Sue, Dave and Sarah keep their ponies is likely to be repossessed soon, and they have so far been unable to find anywhere local for them to go, we have been trying to work out a solution. It may be that Dave will knock up a field shelter for the ponies, and they will over-winter at LT. Not ideal, as it means their two youngsters will have to share a stable, but better that than grazing outside in all weathers and up on the top of the mountain, or else miles away. It will be handy for me, too, having someone else around to help out with mine in emergencies etc. Oh, and I also discovered that Sue used to work as a sewing machinist, too... ;D
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Post by reclaimingrebus on Nov 26, 2009 19:42:32 GMT 1
Hopefully that will mean an influx of willing hands, Al
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Post by Old Dragon (Al) on Feb 16, 2010 22:12:03 GMT 1
The boys are on half-term holiday at the moment and Dylan's only working short time, so was off today as they had no work. He and the kids were down the bird garden digging giant holes for the trees we ordered. Where I'd suggested planting the apple tree was softer ground, so the little ones were digging there, but soon struck an obstruction - yet another huge pile of blooming tyres buried there! They have managed to get 4 out, including a huge lorry or bus one, and two more are exposed. Ethan's hole was filling up with water, so you can imagine the state of him by the time they had to leave for the day. He had me in stitches though, as I'd made tea and he came and asked if he could have a biscuit. When I said yes, he said 'Do I have to a biscuit, Nan?' I said, no, he didn't have to have one. 'In that case,' he said, 'I'll have three.' In fact, they ate a whole packet between them, and finished off a whole 2lt bottle of milk! Spotted the frying pan and sauce bottles, too, so next time expect bacon and sausage sandwiches!
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Post by Florrie on Feb 17, 2010 9:53:39 GMT 1
sounds like they had a great time
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Post by Old Dragon (Al) on Feb 17, 2010 14:17:17 GMT 1
Well, I just got an email to say the trees will be arriving mid to late morning on 24th February, and they will deliver them straight to LT. Having realised that most were 6' - 7'6", I was getting worried as to them being damaged if they had to go into my old car for the last bit of the journey from here to LT. Now all we want is some decent weather next week, and not like yesterday and today. It's raining today, but so far no more showers of hailstones down the chimney, as we had yesterday. Some were the size of frozen peas, and the hills above the village were covered in snow this morning. Loads to try to do before spring really gets underway, but I hope things will begin to take shape down at LT then. That if the chickens don't spoil our efforts.
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Post by Old Dragon (Al) on Feb 17, 2010 17:51:18 GMT 1
Coming at the same time as the above, we also have... 2 Buddleja davidii 'Black Knight'; 2 Prunus spinosa (sloes) 40/60cm and 3 Viburnum opulus 40/60cm. Those should encourage some insects and the birds will enjoy any sloes that appear, even if the kids will need to watch out for the thorns!
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Post by Old Dragon (Al) on Feb 24, 2010 19:11:39 GMT 1
Everything arrived on time, and Peter kindly did too to help with all the planting - meaning he did all the digging and barrowing of compost, while I held the trees upright in their holes. I did manage a bit more raking of the latest delivery of bark chip, and brush a load of loose hair out of Merlyn for the birds to use as nesting material, though. When we stopped for a cuppa, we saw five long-tailed tits on the feeders and also perching nearby on the newly planted bird cherry trees, so it seems they approve. Peter also ran a roll of mesh down the hedgeline and old fence between the two yards, in an attempt to keep the neighbour's chickens out of our bit, where they have been pecking at the new shoots just appearing on some of the plants. He then got a load of the hedging plants in along the fence line, including some sloes/blackthorn and gelder rose bushes. Where we'd planned to put the apple tree proved to hold a great stack of buried tyres. After the first dozen or so dug up, we decided the apple tree could go several feet further over, and where we didn't encounter any tyres. Peter will return on Saturday to dig up the rest of the tyres and about thirty more holes on the bank for the next delivery of plants and shrubs, some rhubarb crowns, and fruit bushes. We'd have had the archway up into the garden but for a missing packet of nuts for the bolts in the box containing that, although we did manage to plant the clematis that we hope will climb up that arch. We also planted a couple of very dark purple buddelias in the border adjacent to the car parking area, and a holly bush in the bottom, south eastern corner, and the purple weeping willow so that it will eventually hang over the little stream. A few more weeks and we should see some leaves starting to appear, and the garden might then begin to look like it's taking shape, although there will be an awful lot still to do.
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Post by petdesigns on Feb 24, 2010 21:43:11 GMT 1
Sounds like terribly hard work - but also as if it's going to be a really fabulous place!!
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Post by nicki on Feb 25, 2010 12:30:00 GMT 1
Oh goodness you have been busy Al!! Big thanks to Peter, he's obviously working very hard What a shame about the new shoots - I hope they quickly recover from the chicken nibbles... I thought I had my photo of Rupert and our rhubarb on here but I can't find it...it is the biggest rhubarb plant I have ever seen in my life It had obviously been here for many many years, I don't think it's had any attention other than removing about 2/3 stems for eating and tidying up the leaves in the Autumn for at least 10 years and seems to be thriving LOL {it is quite close to where the chicken house used to be so maybe benefits from that improvement to the soil LOL} I look forward to seeing more photos as things develop
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Post by Old Dragon (Al) on Feb 25, 2010 20:01:15 GMT 1
When I went down this afternoon, I thought we'd sorted the chicken problem... until Hettt and a pal came running up the bank to greet us looking for food! Argh! At lead only two instead of all 19 chickens had managed to find a way over or around the mesh. I'm hoping to have a few hours down there over the next couple of days, mark the pathways, and border areas out, so that we can start making more headway and transferring plants, as those in the place we have to clear are starting to shoot. So much to try and do before things begin to really grow or come into bloom. At least we'll have no shortage of well rotted horse manure!
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Post by Old Dragon (Al) on Feb 28, 2010 13:16:29 GMT 1
Peter and I spent most of yesterday down at LT working on the bird garden project. We planted or transplanted loads of hardy geraniums, aquilegias, a hibiscus, some forsythia, a philadelphus, and various other things from the allotment down to the bird garden today, and after poor Peter dug up a couple of dozen old tyres we'd discovered buried on the plot! There are still more, too, but they are under where a path is supposed to go, so we reckoned they could stay buried there. My job for during the week will be to lug buckets or barrow-loads of rotted manure over the the new borders and spread that around the plants. Peter seems to think that it should all spring to life by the end of March. Fingers crossed. ;D My ex has promised to dig up a clump of flag irises, so that we can transplant those into the very wet bank area near where the weeping willow has been planted, and some of the purple irises, too. I failed to move a load of daffodils from the allotment down to the BG in time, though, and those are now coming into bud in great clumps on the allotment. I'll move those after they have flowered and died back, or else do in next autumn. They need thinning out anyway. I thought they'd be nice around the three bird cherry trees. There are also quite a lot of little Welsh violet plants appearing under the bay tree at the allotment, so will transplant some of those as well, plus some of the autumn glory sedum plants. Bits of those often got broken off, so were being poked into pots or the ground all over the place, and are now sprouting up. I also need to more a bird bath and a concrete duck ( ;D ) that Sharom has given us down to the BG. We finally erected the archway into the BG yesterday, with the help of Derek, another volunteer who hopes to spend more time there and keeping an eye on the place once the weather improves, but he can only manage light tasks, due to health problems. I'm hoping that he will be able to complete a list of bird species visiting the site, though. Yesterday when he was there we saw several long-tailed tits; a couple of hedge sparrows; the resident robin; numerous starlings and a lovely thrush. The arch has a couple of clematis and a honeysuckle planted where they should grow up it. Mind you, the birds clearly thought it an extra new perching place for them. Peter discovered a buried tree stump with a forked top on too, that he's decided should be a bird perch over one of the planned borders. To me, it seems the sort of perch a sparrowhawk of kestrel would favour, and they are certainly in the vicinity! One flew across the field yesterday after some little birds that were trying to take shelter in a thick clump of hawthorns on the far side. Whatever, I'll try and get an ivy to grow up that stump, and have one in the back garden we could move there. After brushing handfuls of loose winter coat out of Merlyn, we tossed that onto the path for the birds to collect for their nests. 'Tis all go, for sure.
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