Posts that Didn't Happen: May 2026

May came and went, with work in the garden, being one of the major features of the month: planting up the greenhouse tomatoes, and courgettes in the veg plot (and earthing up the potatoes that were planted last month); starting to deconstruct the old fruit cage, and move strawberries into trays; and Martin's first hedge-cut of the year.  The iris in the kitchen courtyard 'well' also flowered - looking lovely!

Early in the month we took the new car on its first 'long trip' to visit the parents - did stop for a charge on the way, but were fully charged for the return journey and did it with 30% still in the 'tank', so happy that it will do the 250 or so miles without a stop.

The whole car saga continued to rumble on however - on a positive, we managed to sell the old car to a local garage, where it will be starting a new life as a courtesy car.  Less positively there was the question of charging the new car - and of whether we should change our electric tariff to an EV-friendly option.

Eventually agreed a price for fitting a proper charger, with us sourcing the charging unit, and the cable needed to connect it to the house supply.  With our consumer unit  on the other side of the house to the drive, we had to order nearly 30 metres (going with 'Doncaster' cable, the leading UK brand). 

[Random pic of a golden slow worm, we found on said drive one day - rescued and relocated to the compost bin!]

When the cable eventually arrived - very late - it was however a cheaper Egyptian 'substitute'.  It was still suitable for the task, and given time pressures (Martin was due to fit it round the house, with the installation date for the rest of the works only a couple of days away) we accepted it with a suitable refund for the substitution.

In the meantime, we'd been in contact with our electricity supplier, who offered us a 'trial' of their EV tariff.  It soon became apparent however that our wider set-up, with the solar panels and the battery, meant that what we gained on cheaper imports, did not make up for what we lost on our exports.  It was only on contacting them to end the 'trial', that we were told we couldn't move back to our original tariff (which was 'closed' to new customers).  Lots of toing and froing, and eventually they did move us back, although not without some billing issues, involving more stress and correspondence until it was finally sorted.

It doesn't all end there unfortunately - see next month! 

In other 'news', bottled last year's Damson Brandy, making jam with the boozy fruit - also 'birthed' a new sourdough starter.  And along the way I finished my latest Lego project - the River Steamboat.

On the campervan front - we did a bit of work decorating the back barn doors - but we really are at the 'tweaking' stage now - just need to get out and about in it!!

The end of the month saw us mid-heatwave and anticipating the arrival of an air-conditioning unit (until the order was cancelled by the supplier!).  The sunshine was lovely - the heat level less so - so it was blinds down / curtains closed as we tried to keep the house cool.

To end on a 'cute' note - here's a baby bunny chowing down on the plants in the kitchen courtyard wall (luckily I hadn't planted anything new there, so I let it enjoy its feast).

Posts that Didn't Happen - December 2022

And finally - December . . . and a somewhat busier month on all fronts!

Started with some rearrangements down the Folly - with the idea of fitting the desk into a corner and making more room around the railway table - while Martin tackled the project to 'hard-wire' in the internet connection to the garage (from where it makes its way to the Folly itself).

Took him most of that first weekend (channeling through concrete and across the lawn), but by the end of it we had fast, reliable connections in place.  Plus I got the Christmas tree up!

It was a good job the cabling got done that weekend, because the next week brought some really freezing weather, which lasted for a good ten days, and saw temperatures as low as -7 on some mornings.

We haven't really had weather this cold for years, and we were soon turning on the rayburn (despite resolutions to save oil and not use it this year) to keep us warm.

More Folly rearrangements followed, finally fixing on a new layout which works, with the desk benefitting from the light from the window, but allowing more space for moving around.  Also got some blinds fitted to the window (and door):

Noises in the bedroom cupboard (where we store all the Christmas decs), led us to think we finally had mice. Martin investigated (my hero), and managed to capture the culprit - a small (very speedy) and rather cute shrew. 

No idea how it got in there (unless it hid in a Christmas box, while they were downstairs), but it was soon released back to the wild.

And then of course there was the run up to Christmas, with a couple of meals out (one with Epic, one with former colleagues), Christmas shopping, making up our own Christmas cards, etc., etc.

Christmas Eve saw us on the road to visit family in Cambridgeshire - no cooking for me this year, the brother-in-law did the lot (except for contributing the traditional Sticky Toffee Pud!).  Lovely to all be together for Christmas!

Back to Wales for 'Second Christmas' with family here, and for a few days R&R - catching up with festive tv, eating chocolate, finally setting up the model train, etc. etc. - then it was all over for another year.

Hope yours was a good one!

Gull with a Bone

One of the upsides of lockdown for many people has been the fact that wildlife has been a lot more evident in our towns and cities.

In comparison we aren't exactly lacking in wildlife, but with less people around the local gull population has had to up its scavenging activities - not sure where this one got the bone from!

And of course there's still plenty to see in our garden:

From the mice we are feeding . . .











. . . to the squirrel we are really trying not to!

On Safari

Well maybe not quite a 'Safari', but an overland trip round the country for work and leisure, encountering a variety of (almost) wildlife along the way.

Here we have Lego beasts in Cardiff Bay . . .

. . . an upturned 'crane' near Llandrindod Wells . . . .

. . . and a 'Dirty Duck' by the river in Stratford-upon-Avon

Concluding with swans on the Nene in Cambridgeshire (they are there, you can just see the wake!):

Did actually get some work done, enjoy a few sights, and meet up with family too!