So, that was COP-26 then. Thank you Glasgow, you were truly useless.
I have two projects looming ominously on the horizon. Both filled with promise and a tiny degree of fear.
The Secret Rhubarb Project
I have always been attracted by the old-school paraphernalia of gardening. Cold frames of heavy antique sash windows, flecked with the weathered remains of old white paint, curling and cracking and propped up against the rough reds and oranges and browns of low brick walls. Long ash-handled rakes and spades in great variety - each with its own mysterious and specific purpose. Baked earthenware pots - tiny ones for delicate seedlings, huge ones, 80cm tall and of immense weight, anchored to terra firma for forcing rhubarb.
I want to make some rhubarb forcing pots.
This means:
Digging clay from the swamp
Cleaning it
Making a kiln
Making pots
Firing pots in the kiln
I have never done any of these things before. Oh, and I plan to make the kiln for absolutely free. I am not going to spend a single euro on it. Because I like to make things interesting.
The En Suite
It’s time the loft had a toilet. This means:
Clean the connecting room
Give it a new, waterproof roof and collect the rainwater
Mend the windows
Strip the plaster, replaster
Make separating wall and door
Paint
Make a composting toilet
Install some sort of hand washing facility
I want to have some sort of indoor head by Christmas. And I’d really like rhubarb pots by Spring. So from now until then, I’ll be picking off bits of these projects and let’s see how they go.
Also, I want to get on with some writing this week, so let’s try to keep the joblist shortish, shall we?
Both water systems need some rejigging. So rejig them.
Fix Circular Saw
Final leaf rake
Last mow before Spring
Dig over plots 2 and 3
In good news, a chap from the village popped round the other day to ask if I wanted to go shopping with him today. So I shall do that. We are going to go to a shop that sells all sorts of interesting things that I can put towards the compost toilet.