What Preps are you doing this week? Part 10

[steptoe]

I will say the wind must have been strong because i found a few silver birch branchs down at the bottom of the garden and the rope holding the eucalpytus branchs snapped so between the snow and the wind and also a bucket from by the back door was 30 ft down the garden .

I can also say foxes do not investigate chicken coups , a mate in our village had 24 chickens and a cockrel well one night the fox got in thye found 22 of the 24 just killed or injured beyon survival .

[jansman]

I will say the wind must have been strong because i found a few silver birch branchs down at the bottom of the garden and the rope holding the eucalpytus branchs snapped so between the snow and the wind and also a bucket from by the back door was 30 ft down the garden .

I can also say foxes do not investigate chicken coups , a mate in our village had 24 chickens and a cockrel well one night the fox got in thye found 22 of the 24 just killed or injured beyon survival .

The only ‘investigation’ was when I shot a fox that had killed all but one. Local copper knocked on my door and told me to be less obvious next time!

[Frnc]

Bit late, but I just ordered these bad boys
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/325564027099

They do mitts and gloves as well.

I already have a Sealskinz winter hat, and windproof skull cap (to go under my helmet). Both are good. The hat is very warm, windproof, waterproof I thin, has a wired peak and ear flaps that can go up, and it folds up small enough to go in a pocket. The skull cap it too warm above about 9°C so I think of it as my winter cap, although tey describe it as "all weather". At 9° I switch to a TrailHeads cap or a thinner summer cap and maybe an ear-warmer headband. In summer I use a thin cap that doesn't go over my ears. Keeps the sun off and soaks up sweat. Or no cap and a sweatband.

[jennyjj01]

Got to get me some of that good 5h1t

In the words of Catherine Tate's character 'Nan' "What a load of old 5h1t!"
I'm chuffed to bits with today's bargain: Half a dozen huge heavy bags of well rotted horse muck. All bagged up and loaded into my car for £5 the lot. I have free fresh stuff available. Might not bother with that.

More 5h1t Different Day!
This time a little drive into the countryside to pick up....
15 Girly Sized Bags of FRESH Horse Muck. That was as much as I dared put in the car: Free!!!!!!
PLUS. I now have a standing arrangement with a local cafe to set aside all of their green waste and coffee grounds.
Those plus the builder bag sized load of leaves to be scooped up just across the road. My compost heap is going to win awards
Mr JJ instructed to get to work with those pallets

[GillyBee]

I was a bit basic with my pallet compost heap on the allotment It was 4 matching pallets help together at the corners with 2 long cable ties at each corner. No real DIY necessary but it worked OK. I just cut & replaced the cable ties as needed.

[jennyjj01]

I was a bit basic with my pallet compost heap on the allotment It was 4 matching pallets help together at the corners with 2 long cable ties at each corner. No real DIY necessary but it worked OK. I just cut & replaced the cable ties as needed.

Most of our pallets are oddies and they get busted up before coming home. We do have some strange plywood pallets. Unsure how well they would weather. Probably not.
Poor hubby has to straighten up and reuse a few nails

[jennyjj01]

More 5h1t Different Day!
This time a little drive into the countryside to pick up....
15 Girly Sized Bags of FRESH Horse Muck.Those plus the builder bag sized load of leaves to be scooped up just across the road.
Mr JJ instructed to get to work with those pallets

f

Was out today on Retail Therapy. But managed to spend just an hour 'mining' on the pavement. They were oak leaves, which fell last year and formed an inch and half thick layer which has sat patiently waiting and decomposing. Scraped up a car bootful, now decanted to the lottment.

I'm thinking they could do with shredding, so I'll be 'sperimenting with spreading them out and mowing them, OR firing up the generator so I can attack them with the strimmer in a barrel or builders bag. I think the mower might make too much mess, but might be faster.

Silly quandary. The best place for me to build my heap is really close to neighbouring houses. Hmmm I could become unpopular.

Mr JJ let me down with the pallets

[jansman]

More 5h1t Different Day!
This time a little drive into the countryside to pick up....
15 Girly Sized Bags of FRESH Horse Muck.Those plus the builder bag sized load of leaves to be scooped up just across the road.
Mr JJ instructed to get to work with those pallets

f

Was out today on Retail Therapy. But managed to spend just an hour 'mining' on the pavement. They were oak leaves, which fell last year and formed an inch and half thick layer which has sat patiently waiting and decomposing. Scraped up a car bootful, now decanted to the lottment.

I'm thinking they could do with shredding, so I'll be 'sperimenting with spreading them out and mowing them, OR firing up the generator so I can attack them with the strimmer in a barrel or builders bag. I think the mower might make too much mess, but might be faster.

Silly quandary. The best place for me to build my heap is really close to neighbouring houses. Hmmm I could become unpopular.

Mr JJ let me down with the pallets

I wouldn’t worry about ‘pallet composting bins’. In my garden ,yes, I have tidy looking plastic ones. I used to have an acre of ground at the South of the village . I kept goats there,as well as poly tunnels and growing areas. I just made ‘piles’ with compostable stuff. No pratting about,work had to be cut as far as possible.

Regarding your allotment; look after it ,and keep it tidy of course - indeed you have to. But cut the work. Vegetable growing is good,but like anything else to ‘profit’ from,you have to be ruthless with energy expenditure.Your energy.

[Frnc]

Did a long bike ride yesterday. Did a bit I'd never done before. Got to some steps which were ok, then went steep, and slippery wood. This was a bad idea! It was a bit scary. There was quite a few, must have been 30 steps. Each one I had to hold the rail, lower my bike with one hand, kick the front wheel so it turned and acted as a bit of a brake, make sure the bike was reasonably stable, step down, make sure my foot was reasonably stable, three points of contact (one foot, one hand, and the bike), then move my other foot. Good job no one else was there. Never again will I attempt anything like that. I should have turned around at the start. But I was careful.
The reason for the steps is you're dropping from a road to a disused railway, now a path. I should have thought of that. Should have known there'd be a big drop. But I know at the start it's flat, presumably was a level crossing.
This is prepping, fitness, navigation, bugout vehicle and route testing.

[jennyjj01]

More 5h1t Different Day!
This time a little drive into the countryside to pick up....
15 Girly Sized Bags of FRESH Horse Muck.Those plus the builder bag sized load of leaves to be scooped up just across the road.
Mr JJ instructed to get to work with those pallets

f

Was out today on Retail Therapy. But managed to spend just an hour 'mining' on the pavement. They were oak leaves, which fell last year and formed an inch and half thick layer which has sat patiently waiting and decomposing. Scraped up a car bootful, now decanted to the lottment.

I'm thinking they could do with shredding, so I'll be 'sperimenting with spreading them out and mowing them, OR firing up the generator so I can attack them with the strimmer in a barrel or builders bag. I think the mower might make too much mess, but might be faster.

Silly quandary. The best place for me to build my heap is really close to neighbouring houses. Hmmm I could become unpopular.

Mr JJ let me down with the pallets

I wouldn’t worry about ‘pallet composting bins’. In my garden ,yes, I have tidy looking plastic ones.
Regarding your allotment; look after it ,and keep it tidy of course - indeed you have to. But cut the work. Vegetable growing is good,but like anything else to ‘profit’ from,you have to be ruthless with energy expenditure.Your energy.

Excellent points Jansman. You've seen how tight I'm being with expenditure on this venture, so you're spot on in recommending efficiency. The pallet heap is to be super simple, maybe just 3 sides. It's only complicated by the fact we already busted up our pallets. Will probably blag 3 more whole ones. My plot swap saved me a heck of a lot of weeding work and I fess I've used a bit of weed killer. Got some ready for sowing now. So give me the heads up