Off this week catching up with my jobs

Hi
I have been off work this week catching up with jobs around the house and workshop.
The garden is water logged from all the rain as soon as the water company banned hose pipes it has rain most days since.
So I have not been able to do any gardening and as its cold and frosty some mornings I will wait before I set any plants out.

I went down the Ponds on Saturday its clay ground the water just stood on the parts that were low and the water level is back to the normal winter heights and the dyke's are full it makes a change as the environment agency normally let the water out to sea as soon as it rains.

I have been putting together a woodworking bench this week I have painted it and altered the base so I can have a shelf under it to put boxes under out of the way.

Barbara took the dogs out this morning as it was fine but I have been taking them down the river and its me who has to wash whisper when we get back he is covered in mud Toffee has been in the river swimming but whisper hates water he keeps well clear.

I heard my first cuckoo yesterday morning He is late this year normally March / April.

Green Woodworking day Sunday 26th February 2012

The LS.S.S.C Green wood working day at Spalding Common Community Hall.
A friend and I ran a Green wood working day for the Lincolnshire Smallholders and Self sufficiency Club.
After arranging the Hall and Cutting wood for making spoons and turning on the bodger's lathe.

We  had a good day

Shave horse made from 2x4 traditional wood which came first the shave horse or the Lathe.

.

 Chris one of the members giving the lathe a go being watched by another member.

The lathe and the shave horse belong to Paul Simple and reasonably cheap compared to a new record lathe.

 Shave horse easy to move on our car trailer the lathe had to be taken down 4 bolts really easy.

I gave a talk on the steam juicer and dehydrator and how I preserve food and make wine.

winter on a Saturday in February 2012

Freezing fog and snow after  last nights temperature was down to -16 at Holbeach that is only 20

miles away but near to the sea bank.

This was the view of one of the local roads when I was taking toffee for a walk.

 The football field below is looking like a called off match to me the dugout was covered with cob Web's that showed up with the frost.

 This is the first time Whisper has seen the snow he loves it he must be 11 months old now but you cant let him off the lead as he puts his nose down and just runs so he has to go on a training lead.
He pulls on the lead so you have to be ready as he pulls you over if you don't watch out.

                                                                        He love the snow

                        A spaniel through and through just bounds about all the time

Winter has arrived

We had 100mm to 150mm of snow on Sunday good job I picked up my new 4x4 on Saturday the old one was wrote off by Barbara on some black ice 3weeks ago.

The new one is not brand new but 5 years old its probably the best motor for me as the dog cage fits in the back OK.

I went to my first auto jumble at Newark show ground the other week in a hire care and picked up a few bits so I can clean up my old collection of woodworking tools I just keep picking up.

There is a boat jumble this weekend on Sunday the 12th February I have never been to one but if the weathers that bad I have Some rollers for a lawn mower to make out of elm.

sorry no photos I will have a look to see if I have any of whisper hes playing up at the moment but he is a Springer Spaniel.

I hope to keep the blog up to date more often i think loosing blue put me back a bit but life goes on.

We are looking at having a Fenland Wood Turners blog so watch this space.

Harrogate Woodworking show Sunday 20th November 2011

Hi
This Sunday the fenland wood turners are running a bus to the woodworking show at Harrogate in Yorkshire.
so I will be at the show spending money on tools instead of Car Boots (these are small indoor ones now not as good).

The fenland wood turners meeting on 30th November is competition night (Big Platters).remember the last Wednesday of the month.

I will try to remember to take my camera and report back later.
This is just a quick one catch up later.

Photovoltaic panel system

We have just had 16 Photovoltaic panels fitted  and hope this will bring the cost of our electric bills down
The system is a 4 kilowatt hour 2kwh facing east and 2 facing south with 2 inverters.
It has been running for 7 days and has generated 94Kwh and as its the first week I think that's not bad at all.
We have a water system and we have never kept a record of  what it saves but I will keep an eye on the electric I will keep a record of weekly units and will keep you up to date.

i have no photos as yet but will take some to morrow.

I hope to do more on the blog now just to keep you up to date Whisper the pup is doing OK Barbara takes him training once a week and i train him on Fridays when I am off work.

We have had loads of apples on the plot this year and I have just done a talk at the lady bird club about 20miles away about food for free (foraging for wild food).
I have another one next week at the WI near to home.

Springfields June 2011

Here are some of the exhibits on the Fenland wood turners stand at the Springfield's exhibition center in Spalding

The three on the top shelf from left to right 1st in the beginners middle was 1st in the intermediate and right is 1st in the experienced turns category.

a wide choice of items were shown by members including a child's chair.

below is my work of art by the way it did not get 1st prize but I did come 2nd but with no prize.

not bad for an amature

The competition table with some of the entries