Well, That Was Spring

It is back to the word study for at least a week looking at the weather forecast...

Still, I did get a load done. Unfortunately no photos - camera battery need recharging yesterday and weather not conducive today... Changed my mind and braved the 20+ mph winds...

Friday and it was clearing the top/middle of the long bank and other bits I had missed/ignored in previous forays. Doing my mountain goat impersonation as I clamber nimbly up and down - well, clinging on for dear life and praying I don't slip - as I try to gather the dried out moss and leaves from hidden caches underneath the shrubs. A good hour or so removing same from between the stems of the sedums, although this was at ground level. The mahonias give me a lot of pleasure when they are about the only thing flowering through winter but the fallen leaves in spring take great delight in pricking me at every opportunity.

I finished the day taking out all my aggression on pruning the LB buddleia. All my reservations over pruning the fruit bushes and roses disappear when it comes to the buddleia. Even fighting my way around the back of a berberis to get to the front-left and a mahonia to get to the front-right did not deter me in my hatchet job. There were only a couple of overgrown branches in the middle I just could not get the loppers to. Luckily Paul had wandered out so I got him to complete the job. It is now half the plant it used to be...

Saturday and I had promised myself a 'fun' day starting to plant up the LB extension. But I needed to clear the buddleia debris from the massacre first. Then I found an area missed at the back of the flowering currant. And then I thought I really should attempt the get the nettles out from under one of the brooms as this is the best opportunity I will get - ground relatively soft, nettles not too large and other plants not in the way yet.

So, an hour and a half later and time for a coffee/ciggie break as I gather my thoughts for the new planting.

First in a rhodondendron that was brought up in a pot from Sandhurst. It has never flowered up here but still looks quite healthy. I hope it survives the trauma and blossoms, so to speak. Next two more rhodos that I bought from Aldi two years ago and had never made it to the high bank. And then a dwarf rhodo bought last year from Edrom nursery. Next a twig from my cousin Maureen which will hopefully become a hibiscus. And another twig which is showing signs of breaking into life - my daphne from Lamberton nursery. Finally in the far end corner the Kilmarnock willow from Morrisons that was also living in a large pot. I was having trouble digging a hole large enough for it and had almost given up when I realised that the bottom two inches of the plant was actually polysterene chips from the drainage. After I carefully untangled the roots it fitted perfectly. I was also going to give my contorted hazel a new home but the sky had clouded over so I headed back indoors.

Half an hour or so later and the sun was back out and so was I. But I got sidetracked. The top couple of feet (width-wise) of the LB extension from the new wall had never been weeded/destoned etc and has been used as a footpath for the duration of the building work. Not only that but in places the ground level is too low and the breeze blocks are showing. Luckily further back it is too high so I am hoping it will work out.

So I started, getting just over a metre done of LB12 - I have decided to designate the LB extension LB8-LB12, each section corresponding to a section of new wall. However I really need to sort out the last section (LB8) before I can do the top. LB8 has been weed-killered but nothing else yet. Several rocks are piled up at the top waiting to be moved into position as footholds. I may need Paul to help when the time comes - some of the rocks are very large...

Spring Cleaning the Garden

I have been making the most of the good weather.

Tuesday saw me out clearing the crud and autumn debris LB5-7. The three different pulmonarias from Edrom nursery that I split and planted last autumn were discovered to be alive and well after I cleared all the leaf-litter. Also the half a dozen that I got from dividing my own large one have pulled through and are flowering - just had to remove a lot of dead leaves to get to the healthy new ones. I have also noticed lots of little pulmonaria seedlings growing in the trellis bed. Hmm - I guess they will be a staple of the long bank extension...

There was a short break early afternoon - Jean had invited us over to walk the dogs with hers. We had pre-muzzled them and Poncho had his harness on - but we needn't have bothered. See another dog around here or at the park and Poncho goes haywire...but at Jean's nothing...perfect little angel.

Yesterday I pruned the fruit bushes. It took all day. This is because it also involved lopping a dead conifer, a stand of something else that I have no idea what it was but I didn't want, and quite a few branches of another unknown tree/shrub that was fighting for space with my overgrown redcurrant bush. I could then get around the back of the currants. Now that I can see where the stems are coming from there is only one bush that I am not sure of - red or black? I am guessing red...

I was quite vicious with the blackcurrants - a lot of branches growing horizontally through the gooseberry bushes were cut right out as I could see a lot of well-behaved vertical growth further back. A couple had rooted where they were touching the ground and I have cut them off as new plants. Need to find somewhere to plant them. 

Got scratched all over my hands and ankles pruning the gooseberry bushes. Vicious blighters. Discovered another couple at the back that were previously hidden by the blackcurrants.  Also found a small self-layered gooseberry plant which I rehomed today. Must be up to about twenty now...

Today I pruned the rose bushes. Well, I removed the dead wood and where I could see a bud cut back to it - but several of the bushes are still quite tall as I couldn't see any buds low down on the stems. I am not cut out for pruning - excuse the pun. It breaks my heart chopping off very healthy looking growth when I am not convinced anything new will take its place. I dug out two dead bushes and planted two new ones from Aldi's. I then did a tidy up and weeding of the fruit bush area and pulled out yet more brambles.

Tired but happy. And tomorrow is another (gardening) day :)

Theobalds Park

I was away at the weekend at Theobalds Park, Cheshunt for a tourney. 

It was originally billed as the top 32 invitational event but ended up as a 16 player round robin. You just can't please some folk. Last year there was a lot of debate re the UK Master being only the top 16 and could it be expanded or a second division of the next 16 be added. So Amy and John organise a tournament along those lines and they did not support it. Their loss - I think our small but select band thoroughly enjoyed ourselves - good venue, very good food and good company.

I got the train down on Friday as Allan had been dithering over whether or not to go and I decided to book the train before all the cheap tickets went. I also lucked out on the extra nights at the venue - I got a £10 room rate on a special promotion for the Friday and Sunday nights as there was no way I could get home on the Sunday with the event finishing around 5 p.m.

I thought I was the only one staying Friday night but my phone rang - Amy and John were there and were going out to eat and did I want to join them. We had a nice meal in a local pub.

The scrabble was variable. As top seed I played everyone in order, starting at the lowest rated and at the end of day 1 was 7-1, and third overnight I think. Kevin McMahon, who had come over from Ireland was undefeated and Ed Martin was ahead of me on spread. I played two new players to me - Calum Edwards and Howard Wilde who are quickly rising through the ranks. Sunday and the wheels fell off a bit. I needed to win 10 out of 15 to preserve my rating so had given myself extra pressure of needing to win my last two games. Luckily for me Phil Robertshaw missed a 9-x and careful play at the end saw me through. A cagy game against Kevin and I reached my target of 10. My rating even went up a point as I was dropping a poorer result. I have 36 games in hand before I start dropping my UK Open points...

Well done to Ed on winning with an impressive total of 12 wins and to Kevin who came second with 11.

On Sunday evening Amy, John and I went out for a Chinese. This was a real treat for me. Yes, there is a Chinese in Duns that we have been to once but it felt more like a shop window and we were assailed by a schoolgirl doing work experience telling us her (very short and not very interesting) life history...

John dropped me off at the station after our cheapo Tesco breakfast. I waited till 9.30 to get the train into KingsX as I had an off-peak ticket. I had the perfect seat on the train home - just in from the baggage rack, forward-facing window and table. First time ever. And then the 'lady of a certain age' opposite tried to get me to change seats with her. But I don't travel well backwards so I'd rather not thankyou. 'Nor do I ' she responded. And then for good measure added '...as you may find out'. I still was not budging and as the train was not full she moved...

Extension Part 33

Well, where do I start.

Allan, Mark and Norman (previously known as A.N.Other) were here on Monday continuing with the paving. They were rapidly getting to the point where they could do no more until the utility room and wall around the path up there had been plastered.

What do you call it when you have your builders, plasterers and joiners on site at the same time? Answer: A miracle. It was rush-hour here on Tuesday!

Not only that but David and helper were also here to fit the railings and gates. It took them the whole day, and I think they look absolutely stunning. They have transformed the look of the whole garden area/walls.


Alan and Mark have started laying the copes underneath/around the railings/posts. The top of the steps up to the veggie patch and the base of the oil tank platform have been paved.



The plasterers started on the utility room and the inside garden walls. They were back today and have started applying the K-rend. It looks very dark at the moment but should become paler when it dries out to match better with the sun room. There is a small area just above the window that does seem to be more the colour we chose.

The utility room and lounge-sun room doors have been fitted. We have picked the required skirting boards - sticking with the same style as the lounge. The ceiling has been finished.

Wally was here yesterday doing all things electrical. We now have power sockets.

The roofers were here yesterday/today fitting the cherry on top of the sun room. Rather them than me - it was pretty cold and windy. I have to admit that I was expecting it to be flush rather than a lollipop.

We collected a few more tile samples from Pearsons and also had a trip to Gala this afternoon to look at some more.

I have also been doing my Blue Peter utility room interior design. Scaled drawing of the room and paper cut outs of freezer, washing machine, laundry pulley and sink unit. We have already determined that it will be better to have an upright freezer rather than a chest freezer and have gone for the smallest sink/drainer in the catalogue. One base unit under the sink, worktop continuing from sink to the wall and one wall unit above the so far unknown sized boiler that we are assuming will fit in its allotted space. So far no units on the other side of the room. We may just put up shelving. I have started making a list of things that should live in there, but Paul doesn't see the need for any more cupboards. Washing powder etc can live under the sink, dog food tins can live in the wall unit. I would still quite like a broom cupboard...

DIY Disaster

Freecycle latest:

Offered Wood Duns

hi does any1 want bits and pieces ov wood couple ov good mdf bits rest scrap maybe cheap firewood pick up asap or will have to dump it thanx 

Now this perked up my interest, not because I want any bits of wood but the innovative use of the word 'ov'. Scrabble has long been missing a two letter word containing a V...

And then I read the next message from the above offeree and it just made me laugh...

wanted wooden rabbit hutch duns

hi tried to build 1 but failed does any 1 have an outdoor wooden hutch that they no longer use has to be ok condition as cant fix it up thanx so much

Extension Part 32

The sandstone paving was delivered on Monday morning.

On Thursday Alan, Mark and A.N.Other started on the patio. We were called out to say if we were happy with the proposed layout before it was set in concrete - or cement to be more accurate. Mainly grey with an occasional yellow just to break it up. Looked good to us.

Work continued on Friday on the paving around the back. Just hope the levels are correct and it meets in the middle :)

David phoned to let us know the railings and posts have been (re-)treated and are back with him to finish off.

When I called in on Penny earlier in the week she was determined to try to track down Scott the tiler for me. He was found working on a house just off the main square. The recession has not hit his workload and he is unlikely to be able to fit us in the near future, but he recommended the tiler from Opus at Swinton. However, I got some advice from him re tiles/skirting boards and he told us that Pearsons is now doing tiles - ask for Kevin and say Scott sent us.

We went down there on Friday. Pearsons also appears to be thriving - just opened a new shop area and still in a bit of disarray. Kevin cleared a load of stuff to get to the tile samples - I think they are still waiting for a lot more to come in. We picked a couple of maybes and then another four from the catalogues - Kevin phoned the company and hopefully samples will arrive next week. We declined the marble tiles at just under £120 per square metre - I have done a rough estimate and reckon about 30 square metres for the sunroom and corridor...

J(io)B(b)INGS

I did my first full pass of the 8-letter ????INGS yesterday. All 742 of them from memory. Okay - I missed about 4 but not bad. Taken me just over three weeks. I will re-test myself at the weekend.

Quiz: What are the four ????INGS words that are not valid without the S?

In the meanwhile it has been announced that the WYSC will follow on from the Causeway challenge in JB with another tournament for us oldies running alongside it. Another 25 games on top of the WSC (number of games 24 in past years but it could well be increased this time - we hope) and 45 games in the Causeway challenge. This may be too much of a good thing...

Other Progress Reports

Diet

Five weeks gone on the diet and half a stone lost. An 'off' day today - we have invited Penny round for Sunday lunch.

Garden

It was sunny yesterday when we took the dogs out at lunchtime. So I decided to make a start at weeding the far end of long bank extension, being the only part of the garden that was not in shade. Sod's law - the clouds came over even as I was getting my trowel out of the shed. I persevered for a couple of hours before deciding enough was enough, my fingers beginning to lose all feeling.

Scrabble

Still battling with INGS. Double consonants mastered first. Then CVVCINGS. Now working my way through the rest, doing one or two new letters a day. Got up to ???PINGS yesterday. 

It is hard work and involves many mnemonics and stupid phrases . Making these up can be really difficult - they need to be memorable, unambiguous and relate clearly to what is being learnt. It is also beneficial if the trigger word is the first alphabetically but I haven't always managed that.

??GGINGS involves many references to bras and breasts. I was quite pleased with ??SSINGS: Passing Gas - CH4? Smells Terribly Bad, which gives PASSINGS, GASSINGS, CISSINGS, HISSINGS, SOSSINGS, TOSSINGS and BUSSINGS.

Whilst this has been going on I have not been adding the next probability 7/8s to my cardbox or bringing more forward once I have cleared it...although I have added a few more suffixes - ITIC and ITIS over the last couple of days.

Extension Part 31

So the ceiling looks great. Other than the joiners ran out of wood on the eighth octant...only needed four more bits but we are still waiting. We are also still waiting for the bobble on the top of the roof to be completed.

Alan came round on Wednesday to discuss the paving. We are in agreement over 2:1 grey/yellow mix of the sandstone. Paul mentioned that it might be a good idea if the pipes into the utility room were sorted before the plasterers started in there.

So on Thursday Norman (plumber - Alan's brother) came and we now have water pipes via our fitted wardrobe down to the utility room.

Plasterers have been here on Thursday and Friday plastering the corridor area from the house to the sunroom and the utility room.

The underfloor heating has been ordered.

David phoned to let us know that the railings were made and had been taken to be powder-coated/painted. The posts have been sand-blasted ready to be re-treated. He will then need to paint the fancy insert panels, and hopefully they will be ready sometime late next week.

Our next job will be to select the units we want in the utility room. And try to get hold of Scott (the very elusive tiler) to discuss the floors.

We keep getting told there isn't much else to do but it doesn't seem like it to me...

Losing Interest in the Banking System?

I have been waiting for two cheques to arrive - one from the FSCS for the Icesave account and one from Friends Provident for a 10-year drip feed 'long term always done better than interest rates in the past'. Well, let me say it would have been better off under my mattress! And they have the gall to try to get me to keep drip feeding more money into their coffers...

In the meanwhile, waiting for these to arrive I had started in motion a Halifax regular saver and sent off for a Coventry BS fixed rate bond. We had also decided to each open a Barclays regular saver.

So Monday afternoon we planned a quick trip into Duns to get the Halifax one activated and then on to Berwick for Barclays.

Into Duns armed with bank statement and passport to verify my identification at the BoS to activate the Halifax account. Yes, I would be able to pay in cash for my February payment. So trot over the road to RBoS and take out a large amount of cash. I hand half of it over. But there is a problem - account won't take the money. Another lady helps out - doing an electronic identity check and that works fine. But the account still has a stop on it. They were very helpful - gave me a receipt for the money and would phone me if they still had problems. Oh - and are you happy with your other bank?

So off to Berwick. We did a couple of other chores and then into the bank. 

No - we couldn't just open an account. We needed to make an appointment with one of their account advisors. It would be at least half an hour each. No free appointments for that day. Okay - Friday is best for us as we need to come back into Berwick then anyway. I guess it will be a little like the Time-Share no-obligation but can we get you to switch all your other accounts to us too. Pleeeeeease.

It had occurred to me that the problem with the Halifax account may have been that I also needed a websaver account, and although one had been created it was moneyless. So we went back to Duns. No - they didn't think that was the problem. After a couple more tries they decided to phone their computer help desk, who managed to lift the stop and Hey! Presto! money has gone in.

Paul now wanted me to go back in to RBoS and put the rest of the money back in as it would no longer be needed for the Barclays account - his funds would have cleared by the time if/when we get that sorted, but I refused on the grounds that I would be too embarrassed...

Anyway, the cheque from FSCS arrived yesterday. Back into Duns and payed in along with the excess cash. Asked if I had plans for the money - Yes, thankyou...

But too late for the Coventry BS bond - no longer available when I looked on the web. So FirstSave is now getting it...

And at last the FP cheque arrived today, only two weeks after the policy expired. Another trip into Duns this afternoon.

Snowdrops Are Us

Townmouse may have beaten me to the first snowdrop of the year but I have volume :)

Spurred on by another mild day on Thursday I was back out in the garden, this time clearing the high bank. Three hours later and the snowdrops are no longer hidden by the autumn debris.

The snowdrops in LB1 have clumped up well. They look particularly beautiful next to the pink winter heather.

Also spotted the first crocuses in flower in LB2. Spring is just around the corner. You can almost hear the bulbs bursting through the ground.

The winter aconites that David gave me have survived despite my neglecting them for over a year. I hope they like their home at the back of the sheds and increase.

The last time I looked at the weather forecast Tuesday looks like the next 'gardening weather' day.

Coming up next: prune the fruit bushes, divide/transplant snowdrops from the bottom of the drive to LB4 and the trellis bed bank. Another nine years, allowing for the extension of the long bank, before I have snowdrops all the way along it...

Viva la Vole

So yesterday Poncho seemed very interested in the large empty pot by the birdtable - ears up, face stuck in it. When we looked there was a vole trapped inside it, along with a rather mangled dead one. (I have cropped the photo to remove most of the gore). I had noticed over the last couple of days one of Margaret's cat climbing on our bird table. Note to self - move it away from pots. Possibly this vole had done a daring leap to perceived 'freedom', the other one not having been so lucky...

Now, although we don't particularly want voles (our lawn and garden are covered in vole-holes) and Paul is planning on putting traps down it did seem a little cruel to leave it there to starve to death. It also seemed a little unsporting to put a trap in there - a bit like shooting the overfed dumb pheasants around Manderston. So we let it go...

Extension Part 30

Alan and Mark were here at the start of the week before last despite the snow, fixing the roof. I got summoned to take my camera out so that Alan could take a photograph of the offending area for my blog :)

We eventually made a decision on the copes for the walls after getting pricing for the stone ones and the man-made concrete ones that matched the sunroom. As the stone ones looked too big and we weren't sure how the concrete ones - which looked the perfect size - would weather we reverted back to the sandstone that was in the original quote. It wasn't worth spending a lot more money on either of the other two options when neither was exactly what we wanted.

Alan and Mark were back round on Tuesday with the grey sandstone - I got called to quality control which ones met my criteria of grey :)

We had noticed some paint had flaked off of one of the posts for the railings and had mentioned this to David. Now we noticed that most of them seemed to be having this problem. This meant that Mark could only do the coping for the part of the wall around the railing-less patio area

On Thursday a man came from the company that had done the powder coating/painting and removed them. He was very apologetic Paul said. It seems that some water had got between the layers. Luckily this problem showed up sooner rather than later...

The joiners were back this week and have been busy. They have now broken through into the house from both the utility room and sunroom. Jen has been a little upset by the bangs but Poncho has hardly batted an eyelid.

The last couple of days they have been cladding? the ceiling with wooden strips. Unfortunately I cannot get in there to photograph it as it is now all locked up. The photo of the doorway through to the back of the sitting room was taken from outside the glass corridor peering through...

We have also been making decisions on doors and door handles. Alan will be back sometime next week to discuss the paving for the patio/paths etc. It was quite scary when he calculated the area that needs to be done. But could have been worse - the original plans had an even bigger patio area.

Scrabble Travel

The announcement of the WSC came through this week. 26th - 29th November in JB. Two days off and then the Causeway Challenge... a veritable Scrabblefest. Started planning - maybe fly to KL and spend a few days there to get over the jetlag before going on to JB.

Paul sorted out my King's Cup schedule today. I had emailed Gerry re staying with him yesterday but had had no reply. He was online today and said 'Great - stay as long as you like but I may be going to the Penang Open'. So a little rearrangement and flights booked. I am now going a few days earlier - a couple of days at Gerry's, then off to Penang, and then back to Gerry's for the King's Cup.

A Week In The Life...

As I sit here writing this entry the builders are break through our wall from the utility room...

Thursday it snowed. Four inches in the morning. Paul cancelled his bridge in the evening. I was a little worried about getting to Edinburgh on the Saturday but no more fell and it started to melt the following day. Luckily the temperature went up so we were not faced with ice.

So the weekend was the Scottish Masters. A journalist from Scotland on Sunday was with us the whole of Saturday. Also a photographer for most of the morning. He got us all to pose with our names on our racks amongst other things. I imagine a page of mugshots may be in the offing.

Well, on to the scrabble. What can I say. Better than last year but for me still a bit of a disaster. Third with a 7-4 record. Of my losses I made one major error and one game was unwinnable. Back to the drawing board. I have decided to make a small effort on ING(S) although it is an almost impossible task. Not risking (JEERING)S against Wilma cost me the game - I thought at the time I could still win not risking it even if she did. That proved to be untrue, losing by 4 points. Against Allan I had played FRORE. It was clear that he did not know that it took an N as he played GNOW elsewhere when it would have scored 44 on the opening. I was hanging on to my N waiting to pounce. Coming up to the endgame with 7 in the bag I played ENVIES to take a 50+ lead. A good pickup should see me home even if he bonused. I didn't get it and lost by 5. Anyway, congratulations to Allan who went on to win with only one loss.

The river broke its banks on Monday but was still quite a way off its heights of last September.

I got out into the garden for the first time this year yesterday - temperature in double figures - luxury. Just tidying up. Completed the raised bed at the top of the drive, the trellis bed, half the long bank and the area at the bottom of the drive so we can now see the snowdrops there. Hands are tingling from the occasional nettle, nails ripped and legs are stiffening up. Played bridge in the evening so a little behind with my cardbox today.

Extension update will follow...

Cardbox 36152

So my target of the top 16500 7s and 8s was hit today. That is over 50% of all 7 allowable letter words (32909). Still a fair way off the 50% mark for 8s though - 40161 of those. My current thoughts are that I will have a break when I get to 20000 of both.

I had a sort of day off yesterday, in as much as I only kept the box cleared. I was playing bridge in both the afternoon and evening with varying degrees of success.

I will not add much more in over the next few days leading up to the Scottish Masters. Maybe a few random odds and sods that come up as I am clearing the box. These tend to be variations of words that are already in - I am finding that this is helping to reinforce them in my memory. 

Extension Part 29

No go on Monday and Tuesday, which was no surprise given the weather, but the plasterers were back on Wednesday and working in the sun room.

The sample of pebble-dashed render that I had spotted at the weekend was for the utility room. It was not what I had expected. On Thursday they brought some other samples which were different colours and more what I had imagined. We had a look at a couple and picked a colour that matched well with the stone. We have asked for an estimate of the costs of the two different types.

A problem has occurred with the utility room - there is a damp area where it is attached to the outside wall. This is very noticeable from the outside. The plasterers are on hold until this is sorted. Alan came round on Friday with some sample copes for the walls and we got him to look at it. The problem is that where the house was joined to the old barn there is essentially a flat roof, and with all the snow/rain we have had there is water lying. This has then drained down the wall and seeped through the wall of the utility room. There is no problem inside the house as the existing walls are so thick. I always wanted to 'tidy' up that area but it would be very expensive - scaffolding/removing/re-laying tiles. We have been given another option of having some sort of lining laid at a fraction of the cost and this is what we are going with.

Thomas was also here first thing Friday morning and we now have a door frame in the utility room.

My laundry pulley arrived on Monday :)

Cardbox 35739

Today marked a major milestone in my cardbox study. 

I now have more questions in box 10 than any other - 13989 to 13978 in box 9.

I guess next major milestone will be when I have more in there than in all the others in total. 

Will be a moving mark though as I am back to adding new words every day. 

Should hit the top 16500 7s and 8s before the Scottish Masters in just over a week's time.

And Then the Sun Came Out

It is snowing again now...

Extension Part 28

Well, after the great progress at the start of the year last week was a bit of a disappointment.

We were woken up early on Tuesday with a lot of loud bangs and at one point a noise that sounded like a stone being cut. And then it went quiet again. By the time we took the dogs out there was no-one there but a trailer was abandoned on site. Just before it got dark we heard people out there, presumably checking the state of play and retrieving the trailer.

The plasterer was supposed to start on Wednesday. 

On Friday there was more activity. I had been over at Allan's continuing our latest match. It was just past two when I returned home and I met Paul just after the bridge as he was setting off for a long weekend of playing bridge at Falkirk. We stopped and he told me the plasterer was here. I could hear a lot of banging when I got in. On checking progress yesterday there are metal strips along the edges of the plasterboard on five of the eight columns, and sacks of plaster/plaster adhesive in the middle of the sunroom.

I still have not got my laundry pulley. Fired off email to customer support yesterday enquiring about its status. No reply as yet...