It's a veritable frenzy of activity over the road today - sheets being washed, horse being fed - there is no end to the industry...... Lawn not mown however, and I refuse to consider the state of the inside of the house - not my problem.
I toddled over with the wheelbarrow to muck out, but as the horse is busy eating her dinner I simply picked up around the paddock, parked the wheelbarrow in a place it won't cause the horse problems, and left.
It was a lovely day today, but the forecast for Thursday seems to be spiralling downward at an alarming rate. I will definitely need to get the chainsaw out tomorrow to prepare - and will take a cloth bag on the dog walk to pick up kindling and lighter wood to get it started. I have three cottages to do tomorrow so I expect that will be the extent of my activity then.
Today was spent in town, but not before a surprise start to the day when a neighbour across the street turned up with two hares prepared for the pot at 7:30! A very pleasant surprise indeed! They have been cut in half so they fit into freezer bags and popped into the freezer pending the arrival of a bottle of red or three. While I was in Hobart i called into Boks factory outlet and bought a kilo of bacon offcuts - did you know they do streaky bacon? I didn't. So I now have their fridge magnet so I can call ahead and order some to be cut when next I am in town.
Dog food and a few items at the hardware were the main incentives for the trip. Both of which have now been met. At the hardware I wanted one of those coir blocks for the worm farm. Mine has been sadly neglected over the years and lives in twilight in the spare bedroom (cum toolshed). The worm population has expanded enormously, so I have filled another tray with the coir, put the food on top, and am hoping the majority of the worms will migrate into the new medium. I am assuming that if I leave it that way for a week or three, then I can removed the lowest tray, distribute its contents into the garden and any spare worms that emerge during the process will be popped into the beds where there is horse poo so they have a chance of survival. Perhaps by then I will have rebuilt the compost heaps and they can live in there.
Also acquired a full-face visor for using while whipper-snippering to protect my 'delicate complexion' lol.
Next stop was Northgate where I opted to get a new phone when I realised the 'reduction' in my phone bill would only be ten dollars a month. Better to get a new one and just re-load my apps than bother mucking about. It has much the same plan and only costs $2.00 a month more, so is affordable. It is a Samsung Mini which, unlike the one I have at present, will fit comfortably into a shirt pocket and allow me to do it up. Now all I have to do is find a cover on ebay and i am away (this evening will be spent downloading apps and games once more).
It does mean I have to play my way through numerous very simple levels of the games i have to get up to the level I am at presently, but it will fill in spare moments to do so.
Sitting here summoning the energy to go for a walk with the dogs as they have been stuck indoors all day. We will head off shortly.
Tuesday, March 31, 2015
Monday, March 30, 2015
My concern about the horse got the better of me, so I went next door yesterday afternoon and mentioned mildly that the tack had been used and perhaps they might have somewhere secure they could store it till Judy got back. 'He' smiled benignly and said he had given permission for the 13 year old to go over, tack up and just put some weight in each stirrup. He then went on to say she was very inexperienced and prone to over-estimate her capabilities. I mildly suggested that, in that instance it might have been sensible to ensure she was supervised while she did it, in case of accidents..... Only two more sleeps and she is home which will be a huge relief. This afternoon the same 13 year old decided to give the mare a bath when she got home from school. Last I saw she was damp and unrugged, with the temperature heading down to four overnight. It seems the child has suddenly remembered her responsibilities and is spending the evenings with Judy's dog, so at least Mickey has some company.
Did some whipper snippering today - going over old ground and getting into the base of the grass tussocks in an effort to make the surface suitable for mowing. At present, the toughness of the tussock bases regularly stalls the mower so the entire exercise is a lot more tiring than it should be. If I can get them reduced to a suitable height I will be able to mow some of the more even areas rather than whipper-snippering all the time. I have concluded I need a full-face helmet while i am doing it, however, as I have now copped two sharp things in the face, both of which have drawn blood - that's what you get from a more powerful tool.
I am heading to town tomorrow, so when I call into the hardware I will check out these visor things and see what I can get.
Did some whipper snippering today - going over old ground and getting into the base of the grass tussocks in an effort to make the surface suitable for mowing. At present, the toughness of the tussock bases regularly stalls the mower so the entire exercise is a lot more tiring than it should be. If I can get them reduced to a suitable height I will be able to mow some of the more even areas rather than whipper-snippering all the time. I have concluded I need a full-face helmet while i am doing it, however, as I have now copped two sharp things in the face, both of which have drawn blood - that's what you get from a more powerful tool.
I am heading to town tomorrow, so when I call into the hardware I will check out these visor things and see what I can get.
Sunday, March 29, 2015
It will be a huge relief to me when Judy gets back! Someone has been riding her horse today. Her rug is off, the brand new, never been used saddle was thrown roughly over a gate (exposed to horse nibbles, rain etc), the bridle has been hung roughly back in place with the bit covered in chaff.... Remember this is a horse that has not been ridden for over 12 months, who has suffered an injury in the past and will need very careful riding for some time before she is ready for more exciting stuff. And from the evidence it looks like a teenager has been at work. And none of the teenagers next door have the first clue how to treat a horse. And clearly they knew they should not have been doing it as they had ridden her up the road, not down the lane to the recreation ground.
I have put the saddle back on its rack and covered it with a fleecy sweater I found lying around. The door to the stall had also once again been closed, but since it seems it has been blown shut I have tied it back to the post to ensure it doesn't cause any injury or prevent the mare from entering her stall. It will be seven tonight and 20 tomorrow so the rug is not such an issue as it might have been.
Since the door had clearly been closed all night, there was no waste in the stall, but quite a bit elsewhere in the paddock, so I took the barrow around and cleaned that up, putting the results into the raised bed whose soil I am building up.
I was not able to start the chainsaw today which was annoying as I had planned to be cutting up the remainder of the woodpile that I have not yet stacked. Still it is all to one side, so the next load (due this coming week) can be delivered with out impediment.
The washing was put out early but was still not quite dry when I had to bring it in because of afternoon showers. This is mainly because it was cool, damp and overcast for most of the day. But still, most of it is done and I have some clean clothes once more.
Seb and I went for a walk this afternoon and on our way back checked if the saddle was still where it had been left (which it was) and so called in to sort that out. I left Seb to play with Micky and this time they actually engaged with each other, playing chasings, which is a good thing. Micky was stuck indoors as the door had swung shut (someone is using the washing machine to do several loads), so I popped the footscraper in the way so it would not close and leave him stuck outside in the rain.
It is a bit too warm indoors at present as I lit the fire when the day showed no sign of getting warmer, and then it did, to spite me, lol. But i am letting it burn slowly as I expect it will be needed when the sun goes down.
I have put the saddle back on its rack and covered it with a fleecy sweater I found lying around. The door to the stall had also once again been closed, but since it seems it has been blown shut I have tied it back to the post to ensure it doesn't cause any injury or prevent the mare from entering her stall. It will be seven tonight and 20 tomorrow so the rug is not such an issue as it might have been.
Since the door had clearly been closed all night, there was no waste in the stall, but quite a bit elsewhere in the paddock, so I took the barrow around and cleaned that up, putting the results into the raised bed whose soil I am building up.
I was not able to start the chainsaw today which was annoying as I had planned to be cutting up the remainder of the woodpile that I have not yet stacked. Still it is all to one side, so the next load (due this coming week) can be delivered with out impediment.
The washing was put out early but was still not quite dry when I had to bring it in because of afternoon showers. This is mainly because it was cool, damp and overcast for most of the day. But still, most of it is done and I have some clean clothes once more.
Seb and I went for a walk this afternoon and on our way back checked if the saddle was still where it had been left (which it was) and so called in to sort that out. I left Seb to play with Micky and this time they actually engaged with each other, playing chasings, which is a good thing. Micky was stuck indoors as the door had swung shut (someone is using the washing machine to do several loads), so I popped the footscraper in the way so it would not close and leave him stuck outside in the rain.
It is a bit too warm indoors at present as I lit the fire when the day showed no sign of getting warmer, and then it did, to spite me, lol. But i am letting it burn slowly as I expect it will be needed when the sun goes down.
Saturday, March 28, 2015
well I phoned her over the road last night, once i had her number and we chatted for a bit before i asked her who was looking after the animals. From there we went on and it was agreed I was perfectly OK to go about what I was doing, and it was greatly appreciated and so on and so forth, and I told her in future to just leave the animals in my care. Apparently there are three people responsible, which may be contributing to the problem, as perhaps one is assuming the other two are doing it and so forth. But I doubt it, as this morning when him next door went over there, he was at pains to secure the side gate on his way home.
When I popped over this afternoon (taking Seb with me as they have also stopped leaving their dog in with Judy's dog to keep him company during the day), the stable door was closed (thus preventing the sun's access to dry and sterilise the area), the feed bin was outside on the ground, the gate to the feed store was tied shut and various other actions had been taken that were fairly 'keep out' in their nature.
Naturally I ignored the lot, mucked out the stall, collected the poo from the ground outside as that too seems to have been neglected for several days if the dungbeetle activity levels are anything to go by, and gave her some hay. I have also found out what mix of additional feed the horse is supposed to be getting, and we agreed it would not hurt her to give her a bit extra (as long as I skip the grain, which I would have done anyway).
Tomorrow I will get the washing done at mine, take Seb over for a play (well, actually all they do is follow each other around, and Seb goes into the stall to eat horse poo at any opportunity), cut some more grass (ie find the base of another fruit tree so I have somewhere to put the next lot of stable waste), and generally catch up with myself. Since her next door now has my phone number I will expect her to call me if she wants me to do her job for her, but tomorrow I am afraid the answer will be No. If she is too lazy, then Brad can do it for himself since it is the weekend.
When I popped over this afternoon (taking Seb with me as they have also stopped leaving their dog in with Judy's dog to keep him company during the day), the stable door was closed (thus preventing the sun's access to dry and sterilise the area), the feed bin was outside on the ground, the gate to the feed store was tied shut and various other actions had been taken that were fairly 'keep out' in their nature.
Naturally I ignored the lot, mucked out the stall, collected the poo from the ground outside as that too seems to have been neglected for several days if the dungbeetle activity levels are anything to go by, and gave her some hay. I have also found out what mix of additional feed the horse is supposed to be getting, and we agreed it would not hurt her to give her a bit extra (as long as I skip the grain, which I would have done anyway).
Tomorrow I will get the washing done at mine, take Seb over for a play (well, actually all they do is follow each other around, and Seb goes into the stall to eat horse poo at any opportunity), cut some more grass (ie find the base of another fruit tree so I have somewhere to put the next lot of stable waste), and generally catch up with myself. Since her next door now has my phone number I will expect her to call me if she wants me to do her job for her, but tomorrow I am afraid the answer will be No. If she is too lazy, then Brad can do it for himself since it is the weekend.
Friday, March 27, 2015
Bit of a seriously chilly one today. I think it staggered up to 9 degrees in passing, but mainly hovered around the six degree mark - with rain. Not sure whether the sun bothered to get up today, to be frank.
The fire has been going flat out all day, with occasional hiccups due to unscheduled absences. First, a request I clean a cottage on short notice (today is not one of my days) as the request, on short notice, was all too much for her next door who seems to be finding life a bit of a struggle right now. Having once cleaned the cottage I headed home and called over the road to see to the horse.
Mucking out was, once again, a breeze, but produced a bit more than yesterday as I assume she was spending more time under a roof than she had the day before. The hay net was out on the ground as the hook it was hung on seems to have fallen out of the wall - I will fix that tomorrow when it is warmer. The water bucket was as bone dry as a bucket can get when it is raining constantly, so I tracked down the hose and filled it back up again, gave the horse some more hay (she has been stealing it from under the door of the shed it is stored in), and came away wondering how to get in touch with her owner. Eventually I called next door and asked if they had her number and am assured that once they have checked with her, they will give it to me. Fair enough. I would not want them giving my number away with gay abandon.
Was just settling down when the phone rang and it was my friend who was passing through town on her way home from Devonport. So we met up at the Pancake Parlour and I had a big hot chocolate with a cinnamon scroll which may tide me over to dinner time (I am famished!).
Threw another log on the fire, and now the dogs and I are planning to spend the rest of the evening indoors apart from emergency loo trips.
The fire has been going flat out all day, with occasional hiccups due to unscheduled absences. First, a request I clean a cottage on short notice (today is not one of my days) as the request, on short notice, was all too much for her next door who seems to be finding life a bit of a struggle right now. Having once cleaned the cottage I headed home and called over the road to see to the horse.
Mucking out was, once again, a breeze, but produced a bit more than yesterday as I assume she was spending more time under a roof than she had the day before. The hay net was out on the ground as the hook it was hung on seems to have fallen out of the wall - I will fix that tomorrow when it is warmer. The water bucket was as bone dry as a bucket can get when it is raining constantly, so I tracked down the hose and filled it back up again, gave the horse some more hay (she has been stealing it from under the door of the shed it is stored in), and came away wondering how to get in touch with her owner. Eventually I called next door and asked if they had her number and am assured that once they have checked with her, they will give it to me. Fair enough. I would not want them giving my number away with gay abandon.
Was just settling down when the phone rang and it was my friend who was passing through town on her way home from Devonport. So we met up at the Pancake Parlour and I had a big hot chocolate with a cinnamon scroll which may tide me over to dinner time (I am famished!).
Threw another log on the fire, and now the dogs and I are planning to spend the rest of the evening indoors apart from emergency loo trips.
Thursday, March 26, 2015
This morning dawned dark and drear with rain falling in quantities (well, 12 mm in all). As a consequence i overslept by quite a bit, and barely had time to walk the dogs, feed myself and get in to clean the two cottages I thought I had to deal with. It was only as I was putting out the envelope for incoming guests that I realised that the cottage with its curtains drawn, and no key in the box, was in fact the one tonight's guests were checking into. So I headed to the Roxy for some sustenance to keep me going and some toilet paper (as we had run out of that in two of the cottages) and set to work once more.
The incoming guests had phoned ahead requesting an early check in but had been told not to bother turning up before 2 as it would not be ready for them. Good thing too as the outgoing guests had left a bombsite. Unfortunately the incoming guests felt they were entitled to check in (even though checkin is not until two) and turned up at about quarter to the hour, telling me they were checking in.
I politely explained that as I was still cleaning the cottage (I was standing in front of a pile of soiled linen that had yet to be bagged), I would appreciate it if they returned at two, as previously advised. They then asked how they were to check in. I explained that i had left an envelope with instructions at 'reception'. They said they had that, but the key was not there. I explained that this was because the cottage was not ready for occupation, as I was still cleaning it...... They went off looking most disgruntled so I let the boss know in case of repercussions.
Having finally cleaned the cottage I then went to Roberts' for a bale of hay, since with all the rain, all thought of cutting any off my place was completely out of the question. Got home with it, and took the barrow (and my pitchfork, which I find easier to use than the specially designed pooper scooper Judy has) over the road, and mucked out the stall. I have to wonder just how long it had been since it was last done as yesterday I collected two heaped barrow-loads, and today's was less than a barrow. Spread an extra bale of straw around (I have found the stash!), then took the load back to my place, put it around the tree I had cleared around last time i was slashing, and then took the bale of lucerne hay back over the road.
I had suspected the horse was hungry as she was muscling in on me to access the straw as I spread it around. She was given two sandwiches of hay in the hay net and then I headed home to my lot.
Despite the overcast and rain, it is not as cold indoors as one would expect. Nevertheless I have the fire going at a low burn, and am enjoying listening to the rain on the roof once more.
The incoming guests had phoned ahead requesting an early check in but had been told not to bother turning up before 2 as it would not be ready for them. Good thing too as the outgoing guests had left a bombsite. Unfortunately the incoming guests felt they were entitled to check in (even though checkin is not until two) and turned up at about quarter to the hour, telling me they were checking in.
I politely explained that as I was still cleaning the cottage (I was standing in front of a pile of soiled linen that had yet to be bagged), I would appreciate it if they returned at two, as previously advised. They then asked how they were to check in. I explained that i had left an envelope with instructions at 'reception'. They said they had that, but the key was not there. I explained that this was because the cottage was not ready for occupation, as I was still cleaning it...... They went off looking most disgruntled so I let the boss know in case of repercussions.
Having finally cleaned the cottage I then went to Roberts' for a bale of hay, since with all the rain, all thought of cutting any off my place was completely out of the question. Got home with it, and took the barrow (and my pitchfork, which I find easier to use than the specially designed pooper scooper Judy has) over the road, and mucked out the stall. I have to wonder just how long it had been since it was last done as yesterday I collected two heaped barrow-loads, and today's was less than a barrow. Spread an extra bale of straw around (I have found the stash!), then took the load back to my place, put it around the tree I had cleared around last time i was slashing, and then took the bale of lucerne hay back over the road.
I had suspected the horse was hungry as she was muscling in on me to access the straw as I spread it around. She was given two sandwiches of hay in the hay net and then I headed home to my lot.
Despite the overcast and rain, it is not as cold indoors as one would expect. Nevertheless I have the fire going at a low burn, and am enjoying listening to the rain on the roof once more.
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