Posts that Didn't Happen: March 2026

The month didn't start well, after the Idiot Abroad (aka Trump) started a war in the Middle East, and sent oil prices rocketing - unfortunately our oil tank was by then rather low, so the rayburn promptly went off!  

Then we managed to break the oil monitor when changing its battery (needing to keep an eye on how low the tank actually was) which had to be replaced too :(

In the garden, we decided to have a go ourselves at reining in the yew tree, which had bushed out quite a lot on the side near the house.  It wasn't an entirely successful exercise, as we couldn't get to one top branch, and another branch nearly took out Martin and wooden arch!

Still - it's better than it was - although we now have a huge pile of yew tree branches to deal with.

Early in the month I also headed across country to visit the folks for a couple of days, help out with medical appointments, and take Mum to visit an old friend.  

Stayed with my sister and brother-in-law (who's very into his Lego), and amused myself by hiding a small Lego knight mini-figure in his Home Alone display piece - will he ever notice??

Home to 'fluttering' noises in the rayburn flue.  We assumed there was a bird in there, and ended up partially deconstructing as much of it as we could in the hope that it would find its way 'down'.

Eventually all went quiet, so it either found its way 'up' or expired in the flue - hopefully the former!

In other news . . .  continued with a consultancy project; bought new smartwatches (mine now tracks my swimming lengths, so no excuse for losing count!); indulged in more Lego (adding the Viking Village to last month's Medieval Town Square); and Martin fitted a new inverter to the campervan (replacing a very noisy model we returned for a refund).

The end of the month saw us back across country for a 63rd Wedding Anniversary family party.

Had a lovely celebration weekend with extended family - also took Mum a Wade 'Treasure Trail' set I found online (like the one she remembers her Mum having).

The last day of the month saw us back home, where a shopping trip to town saw our newly MOT'd (if rather old) car, bashed up while parked in a local car park - starting a whole new saga . . .

Garden Projects: Front Lawns

We've been pondering plans for the garden this year - a lot of the work we did to build things like the fruit cage, raised beds, and the small veg plot took place over ten year's ago, and the wooden elements of those structures are now rotting away.  

We've also got a lot of lawn, much of which we don't 'use' for anything, such that it just sits there waiting to be mowed . . .   and an old oil tank that's been sitting round the back of the garage waiting to be disposed of since 2019.

So, project no. 1 - repurpose the oil tank - out with the saw, et voila, the base for a pond (with a bit of scrubbing and a liner) to go in the main section of the front lawn, and hopefully provide a home for frogs etc. next Spring.

And, project no. 2 - scarify the small section of front lawn, plant the cherry tree that has been languishing neglected in a pot for longer than we care to remember, and seed it with wildflowers, and transplanted primroses, cowslips etc.  

It all looks a bit bare at the moment, but hopefully we'll get something of a 'meadow' in due course - one less patch of lawn to mow, and good for the butterflies and bees!

Well, it's a start - there's still a lot of oil tank left - and lots more to do in the rest of the garden.  Pond updates to follow :) 

. . . That End's Well

Having finally got through the last of the oil - time to say goodbye to the old oil tank, and hello to the new one (being delivered here over the front hedge).








Next job was to remove the old tank - awkward and heavy - and upgrade the base for the new tank, which is bigger, awkwarder and heavier!



And, a few hours later - one new oil tank, just awaiting the oil . . .









Oil delivery arrived today, and our heating man was back to connect everything up, run the oil through, and test it was all working.


Feeling a bit chilly out, so we may leave the rayburn on for a few days!

Oil's (Not) Well . . .

It appears that time may be up for our oil tank - it's been looking a tad on the faded side, and while checking the oil level recently I noticed some small surface cracks beginning to show on one end.

Having taken professional advice, a new oil tank is in order - we were about to replenish the oil, so it's just a case now of waiting for the levels to go down further.  Watch this space!