Early Risers.

[Gwiwer]

49 minutes ago, AndyB said:

I'm guessing "Arboretum" would go up a treat!

They certainly did in Australia recently

 

We burned logs in Oz.  We had several big trees on our land which we had professionally cut every couple of years.  We had the large limbs cut to log size, dried and used for fuel after a year or two.  Coal isn't available for domestic use there but log burners are very common and are the only means of heating many a home.  But you don't burn conifers because they spit very hot resin if you can ever get them to ignite.  

 

Good morning all.  Welcome to the weekend.  Another day another landslip, it seems, with the Brighton - Hove line now out of action for some time.  Given that it is cut through near-vertical walls of chalk that might cause significant problems if it has started to move.  

 

Your scribe is about to set forth to perform the Supermarket Ritual.  Following which he has to attend the garden centre in search of a hoe and, perhaps curiously, some cat food.  

 

Stay well.  Stay dry.  Enjoy events in Scotland if you are in that part of the world.  

[PhilJ W]

Morning all from Estuary-Land. Quite sunny here but the wind is blowing a hoolie. You should never burn softwood except perhaps in an open fire. The resin can stick to the chimney and subsequently catch fire. If you use the wood from fruit trees as it burns it gives off the scent of the fruit so if you burn logs from an apple tree for example you get the scent of apples. Yesterday when I had cleared the brambles I came across my nature woodpile which in the curcumstances is still in good condition, I only need to add some more logs to it. I had my loft insulation topped up when I had the drop down loft ladder installed by the same people who installed the ladder, IIRC it cost an extra £30.

[Kingzance]

I would guess that AndyB was not burning a Christmas Tree but was burning an Xmas Tree .

 

Regarding chimneys and wood stoves, our friendly sweep stresses the need to burn dry wood, to burn it hot and to occasionally use a Chemical Cleaning Log, the purpose of which is to diminish any creosote build-up and stop such deposits from sticking to the flue.

 

The tree down the road has been duly reduced to a pile of twigs and brush and a number of boughs of significant diameter which I have partly cut to "log" length so that they can dry more effectively. The clearing up I have left to son-in-law who, it transpires, was refereeing a local junior's football game this morning so left me to it. I returned home to an empty house - SWMBO did mention yesterday that her pension had been paid so I guess she is orf to do some retail therapy. We are some 10 days from a grandson's birthday (not a 21st, just a 10th) so hopefully she is thinking along those lines - but probably not! It is still very breezy here with rain forecast tonight. If visiting any unmentionable exhibitions, do enjoy them, if spending time at family events, I hope they are stress free.

 

Keep taking the tablets, I am... 

[Happy Hippo]

6 hours ago, TheQ said:

Must be related to the extremely rare great crested Newt over here,  which appears at every major development.. 

I'll let you into a little secret about Great Crested Newts.

 

My cousin, George the stunt hippo, (he trains most animal actors seen on both small and big screen) has a team of Great Crested Newts on permanent standby to go anywhere wherever there is a major building development planned.

 

These Newts, are able to reach vulnerable locations within hours of being notified of a threat.  Egress methods include parachuting into certain locations as well as the normal scuba method.  Some have even be known to travel by train.

 

All are trained in Escape and Evasion, which means although they can be seen, they are past masters (and mistresses) of not being captured. 

 

The GC Newts are closely aligned with those other element of environmental special forces, Red Squirrels and the Northern detachment of Pine Martiens.

 

There is also the Bat Squadron, although the Bats being aviators never deign to travel anywhere unless they can fly.

 

I suppose a bit like the RAF!

 

 

Edited February 22, 2020 by Happy Hippo
Pine Martin is a lone tree close to the Wrekin. Pine Marten is a mustelid!

[TheQ]

11 minutes ago, Happy Hippo said:

I'll let you into a little secret about Great Crested Newts.

 

My cousin, George the stunt hippo, (he trains most animal actors seen on both small and big screen) has a team of Great Crested Newts on permanent standby to go anywhere wherever there is a major building development planned.

 

These Newts, are able to reach vulnerable locations within hours of being notified of a threat.  Egress methods include parachuting into certain locations as well as the normal scuba method.  Some have even be known to travel by train.

 

All are trained in Escape and Evasion, which means although they can be seen, they are past masters (and mistresses) of not being captured. 

 

The GC Newts are closely aligned with those other element of environmental special forces, Red Squirrels and the Northern detachment of Pine Martiens.

 

There is also the Bat Squadron, although the Bats being aviators never deign to travel anywhere unless they can fly.

 

I suppose a bit like the RAF!

 

 
Pine Martin is a lone tree close to the Wrekin. Pine Marten  a mustelid

ago by Happy Hippo

So what's a pine martien?

[Happy Hippo]

14 minutes ago, TheQ said:

So what's a pine martien?

 

That would be Pine Marten hiding inside Pine Martin.

 

 

[Compound2632]

Wooden humour. I read it as Pine Martian.

[TheQ]

Afternoon awl, 

This morning I put the distilled water maker on,  shortly after there was a cracking sound and water everywhere.....  Once it had cooled investigation revealed the internal Stainless Steel bucket had cracked. 

That's going to be expensive.... 

 

With this constant wind and no use of the marquee,  I've  decided to use the garage, so I need power in there,  originally I was going to completely refit the electrics,  but now I'll have to do it bit by bit.  So the failed elcb has been temporarily bypassed. A replacement RCD has been ordered. Tomorrow I'll fit new lights recovered from work into the garage.

I've also decided to fit an external power socket to the garage,  this will mean a shorter  route to the marquee that also doesn't cross the drive.. 

 

SWMBO was complaining the dishwasher wasn't working....  So I cleaned the filter ( full) , removed the spray arms,  unblocked various nozzles, it should work now... 

 

Ben the sleeping collie has been walked,  I managed 2/3 of the long walk before needing a sit down,  one more stop was required before we got back.  Out of the wind it's actually quite warm out there.. It's clouding over and extreme wet is forecast tonight. 

[Happy Hippo]

1 hour ago, Compound2632 said:

Wooden humour. I read it as Pine Martian.

 

 

if you really want wooden humour...... If you look at it carefully it's plane enough to see that the 'i' has been crossed out. (There's two jokes in there: Plane as in plane tree, and plane as in the wood shaving tool.)

[The Stationmaster]

Afterrnoon al,

 

First the wood bit.  Fir tree/pine timber is recommended to be stood to season for a minimum  of 5 years according to one of my tree surgeon acquaintances.  This should give time for the resin to come out/harden off and the wood to stabilise for most effective combustion - it certainly isn't burnable at less than that judging by the various bits of fir we have cut, or had cut, and logged.  And of course new fellings of any tree etc should be cut to log length and split when it is freshly felled, for two reasons - firstly it is much easier to cut and split, and secondly it helps the seasoning process as the air can get to the inside of the split log.

 

Now to today.  duly conveyed to Princes Risborough in the ladmobile and the roads weren't too bad with only one or two floods and they were run-off from fields.  La Crepe Escape was shut and not opening until 09.so so we visited Costa Lotta Coffee instead where I procured a reasonable pot of tea and something called a bacon bap, which was actually quite will filled.  We then proceeded to the show which was not only well up to standard but due to a change to the way the space was used seemed to boast more layouts and some of better quality.  

 

As I made my way around the main hall room who should I happen across but one Chrisf of our parish.  Always a pleasure to meet and have a nice intelligent chat with Chris and he added to the pleasure by treating me to a cup of decent tea.  The lad  found us sitting, chatting, and drinking tea and remembered who Chris is so greeted him by name - definitely something for someone to be remembered by the lad!  Chris and I perambulated around various parts of the show but our initial target was the stand where Railex tickets were on sale and where we dully obtained tickets numbers 1 & 2 thus in my case maintaining my record of getting one or other of them almost every year (last year David forgot to bring any to Risex, can't be helped).  Subsequently his ladship and I got rather involved in discussion with the local preservation group and talked about their efforts with the signalbox and track layout at Princes Risborough for both the preservation aspect and the demonstration situation in the signal box.

 

One amusing little incident came when I purchased a couple of back numbers of a particular, long discontinued,  magazine and the chap selling them said what an excellent magazine it had been.   I duly agreed - and couldn't resist adding that I used to regularly write part of it!

 

Roads a good deal drier on the way home and we duly diverted for a spot of road learning for my chauffeur down the Stonor Valley which took us through the hamlet of Pishill and via two of the Assendons - goodness only knows what sense of humour someone had when those names were dreamt up.  There is now a winery between Pishill and Stonor and apart from the potentially amusing association of those names with its products it was interesting to note that a considerable nearby acreage is under freshly planted vines.  They should produce a good white on that soil but I hope they don't go in for red as a previous winery  less than a dozen miles away from there used to produce a red the bouquet of which compared fairly exactly with that of methylated sprits (and probably came pretty close to what meths tastes like - it was terrible stuff and no doubt best suited to degreasing car engines).  There have been a couple of vineyards in this general area which produced very good whites but alas in both cases their owners sold the land to realise a capital profit and the new incumbents ceased growing vines and wine making.  It will be interesting to learn how a Pishill white comes out but I bet they won't include the location in its name.

Edited February 22, 2020 by The Stationmaster

[81C]

Afternoon All

Chrisf check with your local council for loft insulation some give a grants for OAPs. 

 

https://www.centralbedfordshire.gov.uk/info/74/housing/362/keeping_warm

 

I've spent 3 hours preparing additional information to the freeholder of my flat, I've rubbed it in how filthy the bathroom and kitchen is after years of neglect by the previous owner

the new kitchen is sitting on the lounge floor I had to buy it this week to get the massive discount offer.

My Babe was at her local club last night when she left with friends they caught some #hitbag trying to steal a car police were called.

I must have been tired yesterday I feel asleep in front of the TV and woke at 3:20 and fell on the bed still dressed when I woke at 6am pain killers, a drink and put some pj's on and

climbed back in woke again at 10:30.

onwards and upwards enjoy the weekend Lazi B'stard   

[AndyB]

4 hours ago, Kingzance said:

I would guess that AndyB was not burning a Christmas Tree but was burning an Xmas Tree . 

Thank yew fir that. 

[Coombe Barton]

Went to IKEA

 

Found what I wanted

 

Came out with that and nothing else.

 

Is that a record?

[J. S. Bach]

40 minutes ago, Coombe Barton said:

Went to IKEA

Found what I wanted

Came out with that and nothing else.

Is that a record?

Hmmm, the one (or was it two) time(s) that I have been in an IKEA, I went in not looking for anything in particular and came out with nothing.

 

[PhilJ W]

Afternoon all from Estuary-Land. After doing a bit of shopping this afternoon I was going to continue with clearing the garden shed but my knees said otherwise. Instead I have spent some of the afternoon on eyelid inspection. The knees are calming down so hopefully I can go to the toy fair at Rayleigh tomorrow. Now its muggatee time, be back later.

[Ozexpatriate]

2 hours ago, The Stationmaster said:

There is now a winery between Pishill and Stonor and apart from the potentially amusing association of those names with its products it was interesting to note that a considerable nearby acreage is under freshly planted vines.  They should produce a good white on that soil but I hope they don't go in for red ...

Probably good to get that root stock growing. After a few more years of the current direction of climate change, the Thames Valley will be the new Burgundy.

 

Of course I'm kidding. Sort of. Perhaps I am not.

[TheQ]

1 hour ago, Coombe Barton said:

Went to IKEA

 

Found what I wanted

 

Came out with that and nothing else.

 

Is that a record?

Not even a meatball?

[Coombe Barton]

1 minute ago, TheQ said:

Not even a meatball?

Not even a meatball. I find them quite tasteless.

 

[Sidecar Racer]

6 hours ago, Happy Hippo said:

There is also the Bat Squadron, although the Bats being aviators never deign to travel anywhere unless they can fly.

 

 

 And then only at night .     

[jamie92208]

30 minutes ago, Coombe Barton said:

Not even a meatball. I find them quite tasteless.

 

What even a proper Swedish Meatball

 

Jamie

[Coombe Barton]

Just had a Good Life moment. That one when the Barbara (Felicity Kendal) and Jerry (Paul Eddington) were drunkenly loading dishes into the freezer instead of the dishwasher.

 

I've just tried to put a clothes wash into the dishwasher.

[AndyID]

8 hours ago, PhilJ W said:

You should never burn softwood except perhaps in an open fire.

 

We don't have a lot of choice. There's not much hardwood in these parts.

 

I wouldn't use softwood in an open fire. It tends to spit burning embers. The trick to using it is to burn it fast and hot so there is little to no smoke coming from the chimney. The sections of the chimneys outside the buildings here are heavily insulated (and bloomin' expensive) to keep the exhaust hot and prevent creosote condensing in the flue.

 

 

Edited February 22, 2020 by AndyID
missing voib

[AndyID]

1 hour ago, Ozexpatriate said:

After a few more years of the current direction of climate change, the Thames Valley will be the new Burgundy.

 

 

Or a lake.

[Andrew P]

35 minutes ago, Coombe Barton said:

Just had a Good Life moment. That one when the Barbara (Felicity Kendal) and Jerry (Paul Eddington) were drunkenly loading dishes into the freezer instead of the dishwasher.

 

I've just tried to put a clothes wash into the dishwasher.

Take more water with it John.

[Coombe Barton]

17 minutes ago, Andrew P said:

Take more water with it John.

I hadn't had anything alcoholic!