Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Hands up
Finished phase 1a of pond refurbishment today, just before hands gave out. Dug out about six barrow loads of yellow clay flavoured with black gunk from the bottom of the old pond. Sticky gear which I had to cut off the fork, making it a slow job. I can see how it might have been made into bricks down the road, down Kiln Road in fact, presently the site for our local Mr S.. Easily lost the six barrow loads on top of the chippings from the willow tree that was chopped down next door last year. It will be interesting to see how long it takes for lumps (say irregular five inch cubes) of yellow clay to start to break down and harbour some plant life. Not visible from house and not obtrusive from the path to the compost bin at the bottom of the garden, so not a problem.
During this proceeding, three newts made into the new tubs. Not sure where they came from or whether getting into the tubs was really a very bright idea. Fished one out. Sat on the edge a bit comatose for a bit, then got lost in the rocks somewhere. Then what looked like the pupae of some large fly or beetle made it to the bottom of a tub. No idea how it got there. Dropped by a bird? And last but not least a frog, liberally painted with liquid yellow clay, hopped across the clay and hunkered down under the rim of the centre tub. Maybe he will survive if the warm weather continues.
Planted tasteful line of limestone rocks along the northern perimeter of the new pond area, separating it from the existing beds containing heather, ornamental grasses and bulbs. Then dug out the front of the compost bin and used the resulting four barrowloads of well rotted, dark brown compost to cover the yellow clay, bringing the compost to the edge of the old pond area. Should look well when FIL has planted it up. Now we leave it for a few weeks to see how much it sinks. If necessary, get a bit of topsoil from a garden centre to top it up. The idea is that the soil comes up to just underneath the rims of the three tubs, but not to re-use the stones which used to encircle the old pond. Apart from the bother, I think it would look a bit fussy around three black tubs. But we will see. There may, it is just possible, be other views.
Franklin had a good nose around the new tubs. Let's hope he doesn't fall in one dark night. He would probably be able to get out but he might be a bit cold until next door woke up and let him in to dry out.
We learn on the way that pyramidal white candles do not rot down. Some signs of rodent gnawing but none of rotting. Chopped the thing up and chucked it back into the compost for a second go.
And we learn from the DT that the late partner of a leading Blair Babe has been caught with his nose in the trough and has been sentenced to a spell in an Italian jail. A spell, it seems, he will be able to wriggle out of. The Italians must be really chuffed to have a close relative of the BBB (Blair-Brown bunch. Vide supra) on the block, having had it up to their oxters with the BBB droning on and on at international gatherings about how good law and order is in the good old UK and how awful it is in wopland. Nice to have the boot on the other foot for once.
Also that good old Stella R, late custodian of a very private part of government, no doubt with a very fat pension, continues to bang on. And of all people, she, according to the DT, is warning the great British public that their establishment is turning the country into a police state. She might be right, but a bit rum coming from her. I would be a bit cheesed off if I was the Home Secretary. On the other hand, a bit of fresh air in private parts of government might be no bad thing, and who better than the former custodian to knock a few holes in the levee (aka dyke)?
But the most interesting snippet from yesterday was from the rather engaging autobiography of a Duke of Bedford, snapped up in a charity shop somewhere. Apart from the standard of care in his family when he was a child being well up to today's standard of child abuse, well worth a visit from the social services, I learn that an ancestor of his pioneered the cultivation of colza, in or around the New Bedford river. This, as is well known, being a relative of the cauliflower, the seeds of which were pressed to yeild a popular lamp oil in the 17th century. No doubt, one of the foundations of the family fortune. And the word might come in very handy in Scrabble. Wow the inmates of your local day centre with it on the triple word!
During this proceeding, three newts made into the new tubs. Not sure where they came from or whether getting into the tubs was really a very bright idea. Fished one out. Sat on the edge a bit comatose for a bit, then got lost in the rocks somewhere. Then what looked like the pupae of some large fly or beetle made it to the bottom of a tub. No idea how it got there. Dropped by a bird? And last but not least a frog, liberally painted with liquid yellow clay, hopped across the clay and hunkered down under the rim of the centre tub. Maybe he will survive if the warm weather continues.
Planted tasteful line of limestone rocks along the northern perimeter of the new pond area, separating it from the existing beds containing heather, ornamental grasses and bulbs. Then dug out the front of the compost bin and used the resulting four barrowloads of well rotted, dark brown compost to cover the yellow clay, bringing the compost to the edge of the old pond area. Should look well when FIL has planted it up. Now we leave it for a few weeks to see how much it sinks. If necessary, get a bit of topsoil from a garden centre to top it up. The idea is that the soil comes up to just underneath the rims of the three tubs, but not to re-use the stones which used to encircle the old pond. Apart from the bother, I think it would look a bit fussy around three black tubs. But we will see. There may, it is just possible, be other views.
Franklin had a good nose around the new tubs. Let's hope he doesn't fall in one dark night. He would probably be able to get out but he might be a bit cold until next door woke up and let him in to dry out.
We learn on the way that pyramidal white candles do not rot down. Some signs of rodent gnawing but none of rotting. Chopped the thing up and chucked it back into the compost for a second go.
And we learn from the DT that the late partner of a leading Blair Babe has been caught with his nose in the trough and has been sentenced to a spell in an Italian jail. A spell, it seems, he will be able to wriggle out of. The Italians must be really chuffed to have a close relative of the BBB (Blair-Brown bunch. Vide supra) on the block, having had it up to their oxters with the BBB droning on and on at international gatherings about how good law and order is in the good old UK and how awful it is in wopland. Nice to have the boot on the other foot for once.
Also that good old Stella R, late custodian of a very private part of government, no doubt with a very fat pension, continues to bang on. And of all people, she, according to the DT, is warning the great British public that their establishment is turning the country into a police state. She might be right, but a bit rum coming from her. I would be a bit cheesed off if I was the Home Secretary. On the other hand, a bit of fresh air in private parts of government might be no bad thing, and who better than the former custodian to knock a few holes in the levee (aka dyke)?
But the most interesting snippet from yesterday was from the rather engaging autobiography of a Duke of Bedford, snapped up in a charity shop somewhere. Apart from the standard of care in his family when he was a child being well up to today's standard of child abuse, well worth a visit from the social services, I learn that an ancestor of his pioneered the cultivation of colza, in or around the New Bedford river. This, as is well known, being a relative of the cauliflower, the seeds of which were pressed to yeild a popular lamp oil in the 17th century. No doubt, one of the foundations of the family fortune. And the word might come in very handy in Scrabble. Wow the inmates of your local day centre with it on the triple word!
# posted by Jim @ 9:26 AM 
