IN & OUT DECEMBER 2020

 

Yes - the next house renovation project was begun in December. This is the company that I chose to do the work for me, as it was another of those projects that was beyond my abilities. A good choice - they did Liz's roof and a week or so before Christmas managed to fit my task into 3 days.

The task being to replace the soffits, fascias, gutters and downpipes on my property. Excuse the photos being a bit blurry - my new camera is horrible, but it was also only just daylight.

That is a shot of the back of the house and below is one of the back downpipe. 

 

The next shot is the old yukky pipes and gutters - possibly the originals from 1953!

Next up, a shot of the front of the house with the downpipe not yet replaced, but with brand new 'white bits'.

Then, a shot of the top - close up...

My final shot of the year shows the veg I brought home fro the allotment plot for Christmas. Leek, brussels sprouts and one carrot that I was saving to pull at the end of the season.

IN & OUT MID OCTOBER TO NOVEMBER 2020

 

Here you can see the completed part of the Eastern wall - the first wall to be completed by the workman.

You can see where he has and has not finished in the second picture - although the whole wall has now been finished - as has the Western wall.

Here are my recent purchases for the allotment plot. The seeds will go in next year, but the onions have already been planted. In fact, fall has fallen - the plot is cleared of tomato and corn, being cleared of sprawly things - squash - pumpkin-zucchini - and garlic, broad bean, shallot and onion have been planted. It will soon be time to harvest the leeks and brusssels sprouts - but first my mid-October haul.

Here is my mid November haul

To see how the allotment plot looked at the end of the month, watch THIS video...

Here are some of the green things I cropped this month. As you can see below, the area is prepared ready to lay the mypex and build the strawberry planters.

 

 

Alas, the weather has stopped this task progressing, although Liz and I did dismantle and rebuild the weed bin, but we have as yet to paint the shed or dig the spring patches ready for garlic and other early planting crops.

IN & OUT more October 2020

 

The day after we relined the pond, I filled it up some more and rearranged the rocks and pavers a little.

That brings us to the end of the pond project and start of the next. The rain and more water filled the pond up over the next few days - and after adding more mud and a clump of pond weed that Liz gave me, the pond is done.

Next, the house was due to be repointed in the midst of the month - so the next week I spent taking down the mini greenhouse, ripping ivy off the walls, and so forth.

Out front, I had plants to cut back and dead ivy to rip off....

The side wall had to have weeds cut back and the old door yanked up to the plastic shed side.

One of the next two external projects I have to do is replacing that shabby side porch/bike alley.

The scaffolding went up.....2 days before the workman arrived.

There was not much room to get into the back yard - I have to squeeze thru to feed the birds or carry laundry or attend the poly tunnel or pond....but at least I could get into the back yard. The other door up front was not openable...so there was no way into the front from the back.

You can see the other project next on our list - along with the side porch - the gutters and downpipes, fascia and soffits all need replacing. These two projects I hope will be completed by the close of 2021.

IN & OUT EARLY OCTOBER 2020

 

The new month commenced and the first planned activity was relining the frog pond. Above is a shot taken before we began, for Liz helped me do the task.

My first task was to rescue as much pond water as I could, and the waterlily plant, and any pond snails. Liz had given me a half dozen or so snails....but I found they had multiplied by a zillion - well.... there were at least 2 dozen now.

We then had to dig out some of the mud after removing all the water. I had of course to return some for my frogs to hibernate in and for the pond lily...but the rest was placed about the back yard.

I therefore saved a couple tubs of this mud as well as the water, etc

We then cut back the bushes around the edge of the pond.

Coffee and cake break, saw the pavers and rocks piled up to one side, ready to put back once the underlay then liner were laid.

The liners laid, we returned the water, snails, silt, pond lily, and then put pavers and rocks around the edge. I then topped it up as much as I could with tap water. Though I could not fill it too much at this stage as less than half must be tapped in due to chlorine.

So there was our pond after our hard days work.

IN & OUT more AUGUST 2020

 

To begin today, a shot of the front of the house - with purpley mauve stuff - a drooping berry plant and the clematis both fitting in their shades with the front door.

More crops - those tomatoes and corn keep on producing! Before you think that vegetables and plants are all this blog is about - a small DIY project hopped up on me.

It became necessary to replace the hook on the pantry door from which I hang the tea towel and hand towel. Liz and I shopped recently in Dunhelm, and I had  purchased an anchor shaped double hook along with a few other items and it became time to fix it on the pantry door.

The old hook had to be removed first of course. It was a fairly simple job - unscrew the old and screw in the new.

There you go - all done and ready for use in just ten minutes.

This year I decided to save the bean seed to dry and cook with in winter. This is most of the years drying beans - as I did eat some fresh and freeze one bag.

And to finish the post and month off, another selection of August crops. It was a great year for cabbage and corn - and tomatoes ad zucchini.

IN & OUT AUGUST continued 2020

 

Here are the August crops. As you can see, my kitchen floor is in use - with apples, lentils, garlic, onions, etc drying out ready to store.

 

 

And here comes another bunch of crops.

I hasten to inform that the plums are not from a new tree I have planted, but from a neighbor who offered them to Liz and I if we picked them for her.

Just like the floor, the windowsill in the kitchen is occupied with crops in preparation mode.

This is something you have not seen much of from me - a Mexican star bulb. If you remember, Liz gave me a few bulbs a while ago - well they all shot out leaves - and now this one is flowering!

Here you can see it in situ. Above and below show it in the border, the latter offering one of the second flowerings of the lychnis in addition.

Finally for today, the same again from a different angle - this time showing the cyclamen and nasturtium as well.

IN & OUT August 2020

 

Multiple crops are laid out drying on the floor in the kitchen this month. Here you can see the lentils, spuds, onion, garlic and mooli. I have been busy in the kitchen using the crops - here we see a use for garlic onion zucchini and tomato that were home grown - in a home made vegan lasagne.

Taking a look at this kettle - I have no idea how old it was. My father had owned it before I inherited it, so I knew it was at least 11 years old. I was sure that it was starting to leak, though, so it was time for a new one.

At first, I thought I had been messy filling it - or filled it too full...but when I was extra careful and it still leaked - as in the photo below depicting when I dried it, slightly filled it and boiled it, and that there was sill a small leakage - I knew I needed a new kettle.

Liz agreed, so on my next visit to Sainsburys I hunted down all kettles under £100 that were not made in China. This is the one I selected. I am quite pleased with it so far.

That was not my only in-home purchase this month. I decided to buy an iron and board again. I had not owned one or needed one since moving back to England in 2009, or used the one I had owned when living in Australia that much since my son stopped wearing a school uniform in 1999. However, I now have a linen tunic as uniform for the care agency I work for so thought it about time to invest.

I successfully found a great ironing board - made in the UK rather than China too! I was not so pleased with the iron, as they ONLY had Chinese products, and I prefer NOT to buy 'made in China' items. You can also see the fat balls and a door hook I bought - and a couple of books Liz picked up for our stash, along with a jar of chutney I was given.

To end today's update, another picture of the kitchen to poly tunnel stretch. It shows the nasturtiums that I brought home from the allotment plot have taken as i had hoped. I want them to intermingle with the hedgerow behind the plants on the border so I have less of them down the plot and more space for veg.