Allotment sowing

 

It was another warm day but the sun struggled to make an appearance, as you may see in the photo taken looking across Holt Heath, the route I took riding to the allotment this morning. Once there I was greeted by a flock of black headed gulls swarming overhead, put up from the river Stour by some disturbance but I was soon settled into digging the large bed which was benefitting from the manure spread last autumn. The worms were everywhere!

I was listening to the Iliad again this morning and then to Radio 6. I did get tired though and had to change from digging to putting a protective cover over the leeks which the rabbits had already been at overnight. I was then able to focus on planting with lots of seeds going in to short rows at the start of the growing season:

peas, spinach, beetroot, leeks, carrots, onions, swede, radish, parsnip,

The ride home took me through Furze Hill and toward Holt and then the Three Cross turn but I soon headed toward Gaunts Common and Horton managing almost 10 miles at 16.12mph. Very pleased with the increased pace of late.

Now for a bit of time in the kitchen with hummus and vegetable chilli on the menu.

Sunshine spring

That's two consecutive days of lovely weather, although yesterday was overcast and chilly to start with. I wasn't able to get out until late morning yesterday but got out on the mountain bike for a ride up Devil's Hill and on to Verwood to get some gardening done at Joy's house. I stopped for a shot of the clear blue sky as I looked over to Verwood near the solar panel fields and took a shot of Joy's front garden after finishing and setting off for the ride home.

I scarified the front lawn as it is full of moss and took out piles and piles. There is a lot more to come but it is a good start and meant I could crack on with cutting the lawn before heading round the back to cut the grass there. Next it was filling the bird feeders and then on to the vegetable plot where I planted Joy's early potatoes. I got a lot done and then home to meet up with the plumber to go through the new Hive app which controls our new heating.

The heating is now scheduled via the app and can be easily adjusted and is absolutely fantastic.

I walked Maisy and walked round the goat farm too and managed a quick blast to run 1.3 miles at good pace. I also finished reading The Man Who Saw Everything by Deborah Levy which I enjoyed a great deal. Plenty of interesting reading of late.

Today I was back on the road bike for quick rides to and from the allotment. Loved riding in the warmth of another sunny day and averaged over 15mph for the first time in a while when riding an extended distance. 

On the allotment I did a little weeding before planting out some strawberries, leek seedlings and rocket. I got some m ore raking and digging done too and very pleased with how it is all going. There's another visit planned for tomorrow to finihs digging and get some seeds in.

I did the school run and walked a couple of miles round Cranborne seeing plenty of chaffinches, a couple of yellowhammers, a brown hare and other hedgerow birds. There was still time for a walk round the goat farm after making tea and getting Maria and Joseph off to dance and tennis respectively.

Certainly busy but loving the sunshine.

Burley in the motorhome

 

A lot of photos of our day out in the New Forest where we took up residence for the day in the familiar spot next to the cricket pitch, the place we claimed on several occasions during last year's lockdown. We took a picnic lunch and three grandchildren, as well as Bridie and Maria before the sleepover they were all looking forward to.

The heating wasn't required as we were out and about most of the time, exploring the woods, building a den with the kit we put together at Christmas and walking down to the toilets in Burley. It was lovely for the children to play and get dirty in the leaf litter amongst the trees. 

March walk

After so much running and cycling of late, I took to hiking instead this morning and managed 6 miles before the rain really got going and I headed for home. Alison and I started off together going down to the woods through Whitmore Lane and then out at Chapel Lane which is where Alison returned home leaving me to stick the ear buds in and strike out further afield. 

Having gone up to the village green I kept going to the crossroads and onto the entrance to Remedy Oak. I headed towards Horton at one point but not for long, my route being more towards devil's Hill and the gravel pits. The photos show Horton Tower in the distance and some of the already bigger spring lambs which seem to have become more common in the Woodlands fields in recent times. 

I listened to the British History podcast which is fast approaching the Norman conquest, followed by In Our Time on David Ricardo. A lovely way to spend a couple of hours as the rain bounced off my wet weather gear for the final couple of miles.

Kingston Lacy and the motorhome

It was nice to be able to go and collect the motorhome before our trip to Kingston Lacy as the rain was back and it was quite chilly which meant the comfort inside was more than welcome.

The two roof vents had been successfully replaced which means there is no water getting in when it rains but the electric heater is not a simple fuse and would require the whole system being replaced in all likelihood. However, the gas fire does work and it was lovely and cosy when we stopped at Kingston Lacy and had a coffee waiting for the rain to ease. The motorhome is all ready for the year ahead and it feels like it is in good nick to tackle the trips ahead.

We had collected Joy to join us on our trip out and  already had Amelia. We didn't go far in walking round the grounds, just in to the gardens to see the house entrance and to enjoy the last snowdrops. 

On the return home, the guys were finishing off the heating system, installing the new radiators around the house to ensure maximum efficiency in terms of heating and cost. It's been lovely having a warm house without all the fuss.

Just time for a quick 5km run except it was 10 min per mile so not exactly quick. On the other hand, I have been feeling tired and have run or ridden each day for weeks without a break and it took some effort to find the desire to get out again. Nearly finished listening to Slaughterhouse Five on the run.

Sturminster Marshall and beyond

 

I have had a very enjoyable morning starting with a trip in the motorhome to Sturminster Marshall which is where we bought it just over a year ago. It has gone in for repairs to the rook vents which were damaged in the Hebrides by the high winds, and for work on the heater which appears to require a new printed control board, whatever that may be.

From there I got on my bike for a 6 mile jaunt to the allotment through the back roads of East Dorset with some lovely views despite the grey skies.

The allotment is becoming a second home after the long winter during which we seldom visited. With the drier and warmer weather, it is a busy time and I got straight to work planting the early potatoes, one long row and a shorter row and they will be ready for digging in July I believe. 

I also got the tool store sorted out, neat and tidy now, it has all the seeds in too, as well as the essentials spade and fork plus strimmer and rake and hoe. 

Other work this morning included:

weeding the strawberry plants which have come over from an adjacent plot

clearing the last of the spinach and chard plants from previous year

strimming the grass

raking beds

I was back on the bike by lunchtime ready for the ride home, just under 10 miles at more than 15mph, the fastest I've been for several months and a sign that the warmer weather fitness is starting to kick in. It is just easier and more pleasant to get up to speed on the bike or in running when the sun is out, or at least the wind and rain have taken a break.

Now for the radiators to be installed. We await the workmen.

 

Green Energy Grant

It has been the day we have signed off the works and informed the firm running the scheme of completion. In fact, the installation and start up of the system isn't quite finished, as the new radiators need to be installed still so that things are as efficient as possible. However, in terms of the grant, things are done and we can now claim the voucher which pays half of the overall costs. In our case that is for £5000 which is what attracted us in the first place. Of course, that is the purpose of the scheme, to encourage people to switch to more efficient and greener forms of energy. Without it, we would still be wondering what to do and in the meantime still rely on the solid fuel option of the multi-fuel stove we've had since moving in 30 odd years ago,

There are so many advantages. No buying coal, no waiting for delivery as the coal runs short, no having to go out into the cold and rain to fill up the coal bucket, no having to empty the ashes every day, no having to work at keeping the fire lit, no having to worry about whether to light it or not, no lighting it and failing and trying again, no dust from the coal and ashes, no sweeping the hearth. Importantly, no wondering when the boiler might rust through again and mean major works in replacing the tank and so on. It is such a positive.

None of that matters compared to the knowledge that we are not polluting our environment any longer with the heating to the same degree and it is far more in keeping with our self image of being concerned about the environment with being vegan, travelling by bike as much as possible, recycling, having the allotment and so on.

It is a real pleasure to have the new system and it is worth saying again that the green energy grant scheme has worked for us. There were times when we thought we'd miss out due to delays in honouring vouchers which was putting firms off doing the work and we saw lots of stories about how little of the monies set aside for the scheme were going to be actually released. In our case, it has worked and my experience in dealing with H2 ECO who did the work and the people running the scheme has been positive throughout. Any questions have been promptly dealt with and the process has been a smooth one.

The rest of the day has been spent in the garden and sheds, cutting the grass, tidying and having a bit of a clearout ahead of trip to allotment this evening to drop off seed potatoes, leeks, strawberry plants and rocket. I will get those in tomorrow when I cycle back from dropping the motorhome off for the repairs to the heating and roof vents.

I am also recharging the battery for the grass strimmer to tidy up the allotment paths.

Allotment beds

It was a frustrating start to the day with the radiators not able to be put in but not being advised as such until 10am which meant I got off on the bike later than I'd hoped. However, it was a lovely day, once the initial cold had dissipated and therefore a pleasant ride listening to a variety of music before reaching the allotment and getting stuck in,

Today was about preparing the beds, digging and raking, along with some weeding. Very productive with accompaniment of Desert Island Discs, The Iliad and Slaughterhouse 5 before riding home to the soundtrack to Return of the King. 

You can see the various beds have been readied for planting tomorrow, other commitments allowing, and that includes the early potatoes.

I did the tea, a spaghetti bolognese with canellini beans and a separate side of aubergine and red cabbage salad.

Air Source Heat Pump

The new heating system is now in place and we have some lovely warm radiators and lots of hot water without having to rely on the fire. The actual machine itself does make some noise but it is minimal and the location, at the side of the house, means we aren't bothered by it. However, it is very cold to stand near!

The installation has been pretty straightforward and we've just got some radiators to change now so that the system runs to its best efficiency.

With the coal bunker empty, I filled it with logs which revealed four frogs underneath the pile which has been there for some time. I've left some of it in place so they were able to get under cover quickly and will be happy with the home they have alongside so many other creepy crawlies.

Got a 5 mile run done and did a bit in the garden but Alison wasn't well following her Covid jab of the previous day. 

Another plus is that the drain in Stornoway has been fixed and all thanks to a neighbour, Donald MacIver, who took the trouble to dig out the drain to reveal the blockage - solid fat as is so often the case, and then remove it.

That's another thing off the to do list.

I have been thrilled to see a couple more 5 star reviews of the book appear on Amazon. That makes 7 out of 9 reviews the full five stars with one four and the outlier, a one star review with no comment which I think was malicious. I can't believe it is bad enough for a one star review. Maybe I am wrong and it really did upset someone!

Friday and Red Nose Day

|The work on the heating continues apace and it is cold in the house as a result. However, a 5 mile run warmed me up and I'm off on the bike shortly too. Alison has had her Covid injection and is going to be taking it easy from now. 

The photo is of the wide open spaces of Cranborne during my afternoon run yesterday when I got to see the red kite again and heard the skylarks in full song.

Moors Valley

It's been a much cooler day which made the trip in the motorhome to Moors Valley a less pleasant experience than anticipated. However, that was not too much of a problem as long as you got out of the wind.

We picked Joy up and took her to the Dr for an appointment first before taking ourselves to the park and enjoying a walk by the lake, the swings and the gruffalo trail. We also enjoyed a little lunch on the van before heading home and seeing how far the heating installation is going. Looking good for a pretty speedy finish and the outside pipework to the air heating unit is now in place.

Busy Wednesday

Another busy day with the improving weather certaily helping.

I was out and about early for a run before breakfast, 5km, in the bright sun and then later in the day gave the bikes a good clean after a 7 mile up and down the woodland paths ride on my own and a further 6 miles to Verwood and back with Alison. I've already hit 100 miles on the bike for the month which is great.

The ride on my own gave me plenty of lovely views including these sheep and their newborn lambs with Horton Tower in the background of the 2nd photo. I listened to the Iliad as I went with many descriptions of men being run through with spears and arrows and hewn by mighty swords and the gods intervening on either side for their favourites.

The work on the heating means that we now have hot water but are still without heating. It will be worth it though. They are getting on well and will be finished all bar the new radiators by Friday.

We went to Joy's on the bikes and Alison got the apple trees pruned whilst I repaired the front gate, filled the bird feeders, cleaned out the pond and started scarifying the lawn.

Maisy was 16 today and she is still as keen on treats as ever. Despite being unable to climb the steps or go far on her walks, a little treat gets her rocketing along. Lovely to see her in the better weather. Maybe a little longer for her after all.

Maria has been singing and it is more songs from shows, this time Hairspray I think.

Another 5 star review for the book on Amazon. Feeling good!

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. I found myself getting really involved with the character Stephen and living his dramas and self doubts. An inspirational and true account of life in an inner city school with the pressures and conflicts as well as hopes and dreams for the future for all.