Quick catch up, before I completely forget what's happened...
The noise from next door finally ended on Thursday - but, typically, the bit where the pavement has been dropped is now a trip-hazard and will need attention at some point. More bloody noise...
Friday... pretty sure I didn't manage much as the last two weeks I've averaged four hours sleep a night and am completely glaikit...
Sat Ken was working (something to do with the local elections) but it was an absolutely beautiful morning, so Kai and I walked along the Brislington Brook (as far as we could, anyway) then up past St Luke's to the top of Victory Park, where I have never been. It's gorgeous there, and of course I forgot my camera... next time... The walk length was just right for a sunny stroll, and the hill just steep enough to provide a bit of exercise without completely wearing us out. Will go again (with camera) soon.
Usual Sunday. And we planted my ramsons in the newly dug bed between the hazels- doing well!
Bank Holiday Monday: K&K walked out towards Stockwood, again along the brook: both enjoyed it.
The rest of the week I've been:
1 - researching. The provisions of the Criminal Damage Act 1971 are most revealing...
2 - reconsidering the wall. Given it would cost between £6K and £10K, and possibly cause problems later, we've decided to go for a hedge instead (Kai's response? "All the yeses!") Wildlife hedge, a mix of mostly native, mostly evergreen plants. It'll mean more work - I'll need to spray and lay weed-suppressant fabric along the line of the fence, and put in a hefty root barrier all the way along, and leave enough room behind it for me to get in and prune - but it will be worth it. And it shouldn't cost more than £1.5K in total.
Which will leave me plenty of cash to get one of these (6'3" by 10'5") and have it professionally installed on a 3" deep concrete base. I'm planning to put a raised bed along the sunward side, and dig a larger bed for my sweetcorn beside that. Then the veg bed will be planted up with tall grasses and native flowers, and left to the butterflies and bees.
It's going to be beautiful.
Can't make a start until the autumn though, which gives me plenty of time to decide what we want and how we're going to plant. I need a trip to Almondsbury Garden Centre: they have very knowledgable advisors and an entire section devoted to wildlife-friendly trees and shrubs.
3 - checking out the possibility of taking Kai to Edinburgh for a holiday once his exams have finished. Probably flying up there and maybe getting the train back, as the journey is amazing, but it depends on costs. Maybe stay at the uni halls of residence (they rent them out over the summer), explore the city, and Kai wants to see mountains. I know there's a very scenic train route - I've travelled it myself - which winds between mountains and alongside a loch, but can't remember the details so will need to do a little more research.
More on that as it happens!
Nearly finished the IMDb ep guides for NightWalker, which I've been doing while Masterchef has been taking up the middle part of most evening. (Finals tonight then we get back to normal.)
And that's about it for now. Ken's talking about getting out and about this weekend...
Labels: Almondsbury Garden Centre, busyness, days out, garden, holidays
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Joules *Dances with Haddock* Taylor
pontificated this at 12:50 pm
2 Comments:
I trust the pavement drop has been done by the Council? If not, then I think it's illegal...
Anyway, you've been busy! Far busier than I have (I'm enjoying myself far too much...)
The drive and dropped pavement were already there when we bought the house: the extra work that's been done has left a gap close to the wall that's a trip-hazard. It's probably illegal, and I assume he's liable for it.
[g] I've spent a couple of hours this am sorting out the Edinburgh trip. It's all do-able, as long as Kai is feeling OK. He's got a nasty bug (again) atm, but overall, even with the post-transplant fatigue, the trend is upwards. I think we'll have to go for it and try to make sure he's as healthy as possible for when we get there!
Glad you're enjoying your leisure! You deserve it.