Another busy Bronllan Bank Holiday!

... but it's Wednesday.

On Sunday morning we were up and at it early as we had things to get done, plus we had been away for the whole day on Saturday at my sister's. Jon was taking a ride with Jake at 8.30am to Carmarthen to, finally, get the top soil for the veg patch. As you can see I prepared the patch with the newspaper and cardboard, with some help from the boys, for when he got back.

However you can see the two and a bit tonnes we bought was just about half as much as we needed but we have a more local contact that we will try next week for a second load.

I also cut down some bamboo to use as canes for various things.

In the afternoon Jon built the raised bed for the sweetcorn with the absolute last four railway sleepers we have salvaged from the garden. (This is after I planted the corn.)

I filled the shallow-ish Belfast sink we had set aside for the Dwarf Beans and we made the tripods for it, too.

On Monday morning we were up early as usual as Jon's dad and his wife were coming to visit so his dad could help in the garden. Jon began strimming to make the job in the tricky areas a little easier and then when they arrived they began pruning some of the larger trees. 

I planted the Dwarf Beans in the sink and I think I'll try and squeeze a few more in the veg patch in a line and not around tripods to save space.

I also planted out the sweetcorn...

and from the tree pruning I got this when I asked for a prop for my washing line - cool huh?!

Tuesday, I put the canes in the sweetcorn bed and I decided to grow the first lot of sugar snap peas in with the corn...

then I planted a new drainpipe of sugar snap peas to go in the poly house which will be planted in the veg patch later on.

Whilst watering the tomato plants this morning I found these!

Jon's dad arranged for the digger to be delivered and whilst they were waiting they had a fire to burn a lot of the pruned trees. When it arrived he wasted no time at all in getting started. You may remember that we had some very rhododendron bushes well this area looks very different now.

and the area in front of the chicken house is much clearer now, too. I had to lose the daffs but some of the bulbs may have survived. You have to sacrifice something for the sake of the other stuff at times.

It looks a bit rough around the edges right now as there is still some raking over and removal of stones to be done but it will be worth it in the end. Rome wasn't built in a day as they say.

l took these two photos in last night's early evening light. I just so totally and completely love what Jon and I have created and are creating - part of our little homestead!

At the last day of May (where did that go?) I can reveal the monthly egg yield total was

                                                                  149. 

How fab is that? By my reckoning the cost of the whole enclosure, plus the cost of the chooks, two lots of feed and the bales of straw, will have paid for itself by Christmas then we will be self-sufficient in eggs. Yay!

And one last thing, here is the side of my hair after my new do! short huh?!

Ok, it is now Wednesday 8am and I think I got everything in the right order. I have taken Jon to work early because of our hospital appointment this afternoon; he has to leave early so is making up time first thing then I will pick him up later. The Gramps will still be here to watch the boys so that is great.

I will be back.

Lou.x

Bamboo Shamboo!

Today, due to the weather people being seemingly correct, the whole family has been out in the sunshine and made the best of a glorious day . Progress is ongoing with the garden by getting rid of some of the bamboo at the bottom of the garden. Apologies but this will involve some before and after photos to try and show the effort and difference we are slowly making. The boys managed to help longer than I thought they would!

This is the before with the one bush to the right shown here...

and a shown here closest to the guest room.

These are shots of how the area looks now using said guest room as a point of reference. If you click on the picture above you should see how big the bamboo bush near to the concrete base was before it was worked on.

Then the view up towards the guest room is this..

taken from the far left bottom of the garden as you stand in front of this pile for burning. This pile includes the cuttings from two smaller bushes and we may actually borrow the wood chipper from where Jon works instead of burning it all as it will be much quicker. 

All in all I hope you get the idea, and we have around another six bushes to take down.

Whilst sitting having a snack of coke and a hot cross bun, obviously not my home made ones, we saw three Red Kites really close, but this is the only photo I could get.

We are lucky that we get to see Tornedo planes and Red Kites fly over the garden!

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Some before and after pictures.

Afternoon.

I've been to my Welsh class, gone for coffee with a friend and took a trip to the post office to get rid of a pile of things. Now, thanks to the wonders of the internet I am able to show you some before and after pictures of the house, even having lost our own, after all!

In no particular order....

the living room as we first saw it.

And this is how we enjoy the room now!

 This is our bedroom as we first saw it, very plain with no furnishings at all.


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Then, ta da!

This wardrobe was one of our bargain buys from Craft in Aber. Only £15 and the right hand side shelf has a label that say hats on it. Fab!

 

Just a couple of outside pictures to finish with, you'll be glad to hear! Jon has now completely taken down the wood structure, which I think I posted previously, that was in the middle of the garden and what a difference from this..

 ...to this.

It is wonderful to have a proper view beyond the garden and really get an idea of what we have.I hope you enjoy seeing the difference in the pictures, I do of course. I'm now off to do the veg for tea tonight.

Bye.x