... the sky is baby blue, and the just-unfurling leaves ...

Latest Articles

... the sky is baby blue, and the just-unfurling leaves ...
Page Previous 1, 2, 3 ... 422, 423, 424, 425 Next

Downsizer Forum Index -> Grow Your Own

Author

Message

gregotyn

Joined: 24 Jun 2010
Posts: 2201
Location: Llanfyllin area

Posted: Tue Apr 20, 21 10:51 am Post subject:

I haven't read through all your input since I was last able to get into the library-so I am ignoring you-oops, but I will get round to it, but, as time is limited-1 hour-I have to learn to type faster!
I think I said library only opens for 2 days a week now and for only one hour for the computers compared to normality before the lockdown; ought is better than nought!
The real work is coming on well at home and the pile of winter kindling wood is growing, and is selling even now. I have had a man come round the "estate", all 6 acres of it, to assess the logging potential as the trees I have are occupying a larger area of field than I like and to the point I cannot get underneath them to maximise the grazing for the horses. He has promised to cut all the trees down to a sensible size and shape to allow a tractor to get underneath and allow grazing to keep it under control. We will see! His daughter gets the grazing for free for 2 years for 2 horses. It, he says, is a good deal for him and his daughter, win-win. I don't know what the law is regarding tree felling but I have one very big ash tree which with a nor westerly wind would fall over 2 buildings and also brushing the house.
We have had no frosts here recently that I know of-getting up late doesn't help-but all seems to be growing quickly now. I am looking forward to setting up a new veg patch. I had one a few years ago, but it too is covered in self set trees all tall and straight with the plan to convert them into horse jump poles. Looks like I need to get out of bed earlier if I am to take on another project; I'll sleep on it!

I have had both my jabs for covid and no after-effects. I was taken to the centre for the jab and was most impressed with the efficiency of the set up. Problem was I had to pay £40 for the transport-twice for the 2 trips as I didn't want to take my motor in case there was any after effects, and driving on a main N/S Welsh main road in the dark is not my idea of fun. I have probably said that I have bought a big pickup, 3 yo very tidy and comfortable. this has 2 purposes, I can't hoard as I did in the old van as the back is open and there is very little space in the bit behind to passenger and driver's seats.

I am glad Mr Jam Lord is doing well I had a couple of stents a few years ago and those, combined with stopping smoking. has given me a new lease of life. It was explained to me that if hadn't stopped I wouldn't have made another year.
Good to speak to you all I will come back when they allow me to!

Mistress Rose

Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 15967

Posted: Wed Apr 21, 21 7:33 am Post subject:

Gregotyn, you may need a felling licence if you are taking trees down completely, but if you are just 'lopping and topping' you won't. This includes full pollarding. If you fell, you are allowed up to 5cu m of main stem in any calendar quarter of which no more than 2 cu m can be sold. Trees under 8 cm 1.3m from the ground are except, 10cm if thinning and 15cm if coppicing. It might be an idea to get your Forestry Commission man to come along and see what you plan and he can advise you, as it might be a bit different in Wales.

We are still doing the odd log load, but are mainly into charcoal season with a vengeance now. We have shipped 50 bags already this week, and have an order for another 20, which is still in the kiln. At least it is warmer doing the work early morning and late evening now, and it was really warm in the sun yesterday during the main part of the day.

gregotyn

Joined: 24 Jun 2010
Posts: 2201
Location: Llanfyllin area

Posted: Thu May 13, 21 9:18 am Post subject:

Well it is a new rigmarole to login, but I have made it with the help of the librarians. They have reduced the time that I can go on pooters to 1 1/2 hours. It is called "a council". So at some point I will have to have a phone line put in the house and stick things up to the council-although have the council lowered the rates for my house as a result of me not having to be on the computer for less time-or is that to cover inflation?

I know about the felling license for felling but I am only wanting to be able to go back to where I was with the grazing I had for horses before the trees expanded to where they are now. I do have some very good specimens of oak trees which are sagging so well I can reach some of the branches by hand and these are reducing my annual hay crop by about 15%-money! I have ash trees growing like weeds and wonder if they are allowing them to be felled ad lib? I have removed some as they were starting to grow over my house.

The weather has improved recently, but today it is raining. What I don't understand is how many people are still lighting fires. I have been selling kindling like hot cakes, all out of pallets which are clean wood, but would have been burned on sites or landfill. Their kindling use is better than landfill, or being burned on a site.

I am not surprised you are selling charcoal, MR, as the season for outside parties has started, but not today, raining hard now.

I will be back in a few days time if allowed, but must go check the emails.

Mistress Rose

Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 15967

Posted: Fri May 14, 21 7:23 am Post subject:

You will still need a felling licence if you are cutting them to ground level Gregotyn. If you are just pruning the oak branches you won't need a licence. Look up, or get someone to look up the Forestry Commission Wales officer for your area, and have a chat to him about what you need to do. I have found the individual officers very helpful, and he may come out and advise you if there are a reasonable number of trees involved.

The last couple of weeks we have been back to log sacks, but the charcoal is still selling. People may be using your kindling for lighting barbecues or 'fire pits' which seems to be another way of warming the great outdoors. Better than wasting gas, but still doesn't seem much point to me, but then I don't do barbecues very much either.

gregotyn

Joined: 24 Jun 2010
Posts: 2201
Location: Llanfyllin area

Posted: Fri May 28, 21 1:35 pm Post subject:
This is the first day I could get back in since I last Spoke And now I have to go . Made the emails I had to do but now no time to talk to you all hope is going well under the conditions we are all in Looking forward to when in opens up again.

Mistress Rose

Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 15967

Posted: Sat May 29, 21 3:25 pm Post subject:
I have finally managed to get some sock wool for your socks Gregotyn. It is black, but I don't think they had enough, so may end up being parti coloured with brown and or dark green. Hope that is all right.

gregotyn

Joined: 24 Jun 2010
Posts: 2201
Location: Llanfyllin area

Posted: Tue Jun 01, 21 1:25 pm Post subject:

MR. any colour is good for me. I just like home knitted socks they don't wear out anything like the ones bought from the shops-unless anyone has a specialist shop for socks?, but I wouldn't know where to start to look! The only time I wear "other" socks is for weddings and funerals.

I have trouble getting onto the net here in the library now; when all was going ok it was automatic, now I loose a lot of time remembering how to do it. And they have reduced the time!

I am in a big kindling chop up to save the problems that I have had in previous years. One day a week I go to my last place of employment and fill up with whatever pallets they have available and I go on Saturday mornings to my previous place of employment to top up. I now chop and get them in the store, as fast as, to save me having to chop when it gets cold. I am up to 200 nets already-bearing in mind they are small nets not the larger ones. Basically these are meant for "lols" for whom chopping wood would be almost impossible, and it is why the price is low.

Enough of me I hope you are all well in your neck of the world. Here they have hit first cut silage with gusto. Our local 1000 cow herd has grass carted for silage from about 40 miles away, on normal tractors and silage trailers. If I were in that situation I would be having the largest tipping trailers I could get-but I am not. I won't be making hay this year either, as the folks who made the hay last year and the year before never paid for the standing grass crop, so no more!

I have also started on my new year resolve to clear up the house and throw away a lot of the rubbish that "will come in", as use for some of my rubbish is just not there. It is time I was able to ask folks to come and stay, but they wouldn't make it up the stairs, and down stairs is basically a corridor to my 2 staircases, both of which act as a large bookcase.

I hope to be in later in the week, but, who knows?

Mistress Rose

Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 15967

Posted: Wed Jun 02, 21 7:12 am Post subject:

Glad all is well Gregotyn. After a slow May on the charcoal front, things seem to be picking up. We have another kiln coming, hopefully later this week, but that has slowed us down as we want them to see our present kiln empty, and we really needed to do another firing, so we will just have to decide. Good to get a store of kindling ready, and it does sound as if your house needs a bit of clearing.

gregotyn

Joined: 24 Jun 2010
Posts: 2201
Location: Llanfyllin area

Posted: Fri Jun 04, 21 2:24 pm Post subject:

Well I am out of practise for computing or the pooters are upset as I am now on my 3rd attempt to get into the forum. We are now on a system where we can only go for an hour and an extra half hour if we must! But- there are 7 machines and only 2 occupied. Originally I was given 2 hours morning and afternoon if I wanted to come in!; well that is not news as I said before, but annoying especially as I have been told to have patience. If the librarian was limited to my times she would be as annoyed as I am, we have been reduced to 90 mins, from 120 mins. I will have to get a typewriter and speed up at home and see if I can get my hands to change shape from short fingers and fat palms to long slim fingers and slightly less width on the palms, which explains my lack of ability to lamb ewes, I may start to keep sheep again!

I have a medical problem, as I am getting light headed, so it looks as though I may becoming diabetic again-too much sugar and carbohydrates, which I have been before and obviously relapsed .

Got to go times up
I hope all of you are well and "things" going according to plan. business wise

Mistress Rose

Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 15967

Posted: Sat Jun 05, 21 7:45 am Post subject:
Look after yourself and be good about eating the right things. Our new kiln arrived yesterday, so now have two retorts so hopefully extra charcoal.

gregotyn

Joined: 24 Jun 2010
Posts: 2201
Location: Llanfyllin area

Posted: Tue Jun 08, 21 2:06 pm Post subject:

I am still out of remembering how to login to the pooter, but here we are again, I made it somehow. I hope all are well. Can I ask why people are still buying kindling, are they stockpiling now whilst the weather is good and before I put the price up, or are they taking pity on me working in this heat? My logic tells me there is no pity.

I am off to the doctors again on Friday to get my diabetes check at 12pm. I have however lost the continuous "head in the clouds" feeling today and felt ok, but I will still be going there for the confirmation that I am not a type 2 diabetic. It, the heady stuff, has reduced to very little now and I am feeling well-been shopping and done a few bits at home without the worry of falling over. The recipients of my will will be upset, as they have big mortgages, but there we are! The annoying thing is that "my doctor's" is the H.Q. for the group practise, but it is the HQ. for 6 different premises and the one which does diabetes is the furthest away, 15miles from my home.

I don't remember if I told you I have changed the motor and bought a big pickup I just need the rear cover to use in the winter to keep the wood dry. I am told they are about £1000 new. Lovely to drive and comfortable, but heavy on juice-in the 20's mpg. Noticeable is that all the local farmers now wave in case I am one of their "mates"

Talking of firewood I am about to embark on supplying logs as well as kindling and persuade a friend to operate my log splitter. I have felled about 6 small ash trees, which are growing at home at twice the speed of light or so it seems. The splitter is an electric one and slow, but easy on my arms compared to the axe I currently have. I hope a friend will come along and feed the stuff in and throw the split logs into the nets/bags; for a fee he will I think. We have both decided we need to get out more, are both old and have delusions as to what we can achieve.

We should be getting into BBQ. weather soon, MR, but making the stuff is beyond me with all I have to do time wise. See you all next time they will allow me back.

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 46210
Location: yes

Posted: Tue Jun 08, 21 2:18 pm Post subject:
hi there glad you are ok, same here are folk using the kindling for lighting the bbq and/or for the top hat on a pumpkin type patio heater things?

Mistress Rose

Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 15967

Posted: Wed Jun 09, 21 7:43 am Post subject:

I suspect they are using the kindling as Dpack says; for barbecues and 'fire pits'. I think they are using our logs for fire pits. We were out firing the kiln again yesterday and will have to have another firing this week. We have the new kiln set up properly now, but the automation hasn't yet arrived, so we will have to either run it manually, or move it from the old one for this firing. When we have it for both, we intend to run both together so only one session, but a bit hectic on the stoking front to start with.

Look after yourself. Glad you are feeling better anyway. Good thing to find out why it happened if you can.

gregotyn

Joined: 24 Jun 2010
Posts: 2201
Location: Llanfyllin area

Posted: Fri Jun 25, 21 1:45 pm Post subject:

Dpack I hope my kindling is for lighting fires and not for the bbq. I have plenty of short stuff to do bbq lighting; but thankyou, here comes another enterprise-BBQ starter packs! we will see. I guess bbq wood needs to be a mix of soft wood and hard wood, a) to get it alight and b, to keep it going-slowly?
I must admit finishing "proper" work, and "doing" at home is good and I am "on things" I should have done in the past and am now starting to catch up; well that is the theory; I miss the salary but not the getting up at 04.30am! The plus is the kindling is flying off the block quite well. I have also made contact with 2 new companies who give their wooden crates and boxes away and I can go anytime; although most is outside it can go under my drying shed for as much as it needs. I have enough dry wood for this season anyway, but keep adding! I have had requests for other things for gardens-bespoke planters for specific sites, which will start this year if I can-a local pub wants a few and a restaurant also, where, it is likely to get "nicked" and so may become an annual event! If I am going to start making things I will have to clean out another shed which is lockable as I am sited right on the roadside.

To the doctor "saga"-I went as instructed and the test for diabetes was negative, but my light headedness has not disappeared. Off to the doctors to get appointment and see what else they want to do to me, to find out the problem. It doesn't bother me much as I can still do as I want to, but it would be good to do it without losing balance, I use a stick to go on "walkies" up the fields-guess it would be better to use the tractor!
See you all when I am allowed, regards to everyone!

Mistress Rose

Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 15967

Posted: Sat Jun 26, 21 8:48 am Post subject:

Of course if that was British charcoal....(for those old enough to remember a parody of the Navy Lark), they wouldn't need much in the way of kindling to light it. Using imported charcoal I think most people use lighter fluid, which is mainly paraffin as far as I can smell. The 'instant lighting' is similarly doused in paraffin.

Some people have taken to having 'fire pits' in their garden, so they heat the great outdoors while sitting outside. I suspect that is what they need the kindling for mainly. Judging by the log sacks we are still selling, that is the main use at the moment.

I am still working on your socks Gregotyn. Just hope they fit when they arrive.

We are still making charcoal, I have made a couple of besom heads, and husband and son have been milling western red cedar to made another raised bad for us and a compost bin for son.

	Downsizer Forum Index -> Grow Your Own	All times are GMT Page Previous 1, 2, 3 ... 422, 423, 424, 425 Next
Page 423 of 425

View Latest Posts