Gill spent most of the day doing her first stint at the Steiner School.
I had limited contact with the boys, who were very happy to spend a couple of hours, once breakfasted, on their computers. I wrote a letter which has been outstanding for a long while.
After lunch, the boys helped me put the tent up in the garden, to check it was all there, before I go to the Little Green Gathering tomorrow and need the tent. The last use it got was when our youngest went camping with the school, and they put it away so I needed to check it was all there. They'd not separated the inner tent from the flysheet, so it was more difficult to put it up... but we managed. I separated the two and folded them so that when I put it up it should be really easy for one person to do.
I did a bit more preparation before the St Nicks and York Rotters Garden Party at 5pm. I wasn't really in the mood for the garden party as I've such a lot to do, but I did have a few nice chats and I enjoyed it. The food was nice, and I had a chat with an illustrator who does a wide range of art work, who had only just started volunteering at St Nicks. Her last job was a shop front! Also, a City of York Councillor came with a nice young Doctor from Egypt called Amma, and I gave him a brief tour. The Councillor and I had an interesting chat about another newly elected Councillor, which was interesting!
At about 7.30 I cycled off to town as I'd agreed to attend the Green Drinks. I spent some time by myself, sorting out my bum bag, and then Kit came, and another chap who's name I've forgotten, and then Tomas and Eleanor, and Melanie. Enjoyed their company.
Cycled home via Freshways... 3 sacks for me there. Put some down the garden when I got in and then came inside to collapse.
Showing posts with label putting up the tent. Show all posts
Showing posts with label putting up the tent. Show all posts
Thursday, 14 July 2011
Friday, 3 June 2011
Thursday 2nd June 11
Such a busy day! I had postponed the visit to Brunswick Organic Nursery from yesterday and I also had to deliver the 'hard copy' press releases for the World Naked Bike Ride which the Press and Radio hadn't responded to after they were sent by email.on the 27th May.
So that was my first trip out. I set out with the two press releases and then returned 3 minutes later as I'd forgotten the fliers. I then bombed down to Gillygate to the Radio York building and gave in the press release and discussed how best to publicise the event through the radio. From here I popped round to Millers Yard and Dylan was happy to have the fliers. Then a swift walk through the centre of town to the Press office. I had a look through the paper which had just been published; they hadn't responded to our press release but had printed the letter I sent in a couple of days ago. Then I had a chat with Dan, a reporter, who took the press release and fliers and said he'd try to get something in on Saturday.
From here I shot off down Fulford Road, over Millennium Bridge and out to Bishopthorpe. I was pleased to meet friends at Brunswick, including Adam, and gave out a few fliers for the WNBR. I found a good selection of squash plants and one or two other things, including some Marigolds for Gill, by request.
Then home, for a late lunch and a bit of a sit down and then off again to see if I could get a better quality 'Micro SD' card for my little camera. I saw a YouTube video of a 'before and after' with the Micro SD which came with the camera (jerky, not the best quality) and then after a SanDisk SD card replaced it. Much better, a smoother film. I cycled to Staples and they had a replacement 8GB card for £18... but not from SanDisk, but Lexar, which they said was a good quality product. I wanted the 8GB one as that's what the camera came with... I could have got a SanDisk 2GB or 4GB for considerably less... but I bought the £18 version, and was told that if the quality was not what I wanted, I could bring it back. I put it in the camera and did a test film on the way home.
At 6 I cycled out again, to a Freecycler who had offered some Basil seedlings. I offered to swap them for a bean or two, so took two toilet-roll grown Pea Beans over to her.
After tea, which was linguine with home grown spinach, we put up the new tent. We bought this last year and hadn't tested it, so it was a group exercise to erect it. So, team effort and one hour later, we had the 4-person tent up, only just enough space, but much excitement from the boys. They wanted to sleep in it with their friend who's spent much of the day with us.
So that was my first trip out. I set out with the two press releases and then returned 3 minutes later as I'd forgotten the fliers. I then bombed down to Gillygate to the Radio York building and gave in the press release and discussed how best to publicise the event through the radio. From here I popped round to Millers Yard and Dylan was happy to have the fliers. Then a swift walk through the centre of town to the Press office. I had a look through the paper which had just been published; they hadn't responded to our press release but had printed the letter I sent in a couple of days ago. Then I had a chat with Dan, a reporter, who took the press release and fliers and said he'd try to get something in on Saturday.
From here I shot off down Fulford Road, over Millennium Bridge and out to Bishopthorpe. I was pleased to meet friends at Brunswick, including Adam, and gave out a few fliers for the WNBR. I found a good selection of squash plants and one or two other things, including some Marigolds for Gill, by request.
Then home, for a late lunch and a bit of a sit down and then off again to see if I could get a better quality 'Micro SD' card for my little camera. I saw a YouTube video of a 'before and after' with the Micro SD which came with the camera (jerky, not the best quality) and then after a SanDisk SD card replaced it. Much better, a smoother film. I cycled to Staples and they had a replacement 8GB card for £18... but not from SanDisk, but Lexar, which they said was a good quality product. I wanted the 8GB one as that's what the camera came with... I could have got a SanDisk 2GB or 4GB for considerably less... but I bought the £18 version, and was told that if the quality was not what I wanted, I could bring it back. I put it in the camera and did a test film on the way home.
At 6 I cycled out again, to a Freecycler who had offered some Basil seedlings. I offered to swap them for a bean or two, so took two toilet-roll grown Pea Beans over to her.
After tea, which was linguine with home grown spinach, we put up the new tent. We bought this last year and hadn't tested it, so it was a group exercise to erect it. So, team effort and one hour later, we had the 4-person tent up, only just enough space, but much excitement from the boys. They wanted to sleep in it with their friend who's spent much of the day with us.
So Gill and I got it ready for them to spend the night there, and by 11.45pm, all was quiet there... apart from the duck in the next garden quacking intermittently.
Monday, 20 July 2009
Monday 20th July 09
A lie-in... lovely. Got up at 10.30 and didn't do much til about midday.
Then I persuaded the boys to come and help me put the tent up, which was quite easy as it is very similar to the previous design I had... except this seems better designed actually. We had a bit of time trying to suss out where to hang some daft pocket things and our nearly 12 year old worked it out.
After lunch Gill and the boys went to the dentist and I completed the York Green Festival insurance documents and sent them to two of my colleagues to check. I really hate Microsoft Office 07, which I have on a trial. It's too complicated, I couldn't work out how to 'save as' and had to just save, then go into my documents folder and alter the name from there. What a faff.
Anyway, they will be on their way tonight or tomorrow.
I made a nutloaf with some old bread, yesterday's rice and a couple of leeks minus their tough flower stalk, grated carrot, a couple of tomatoes, plus some 'bush basil' which is doing really well in the conservatory. This is what I'll grow in the future, it tastes lovely and is easier to grow than the big leafed varieties. This is the first year I've grown it. Oh, I lined the baking dish with slices of a courgette, perhaps our third or fourth this year.
After tea I took the tent down 'all in one' so that when we put it up again we don't have to bother putting the internal compartment in again. Also popped down to Freshways and picked up 2 sacks of assorted unwanted material... including a load of coconuts which don't compost well, but do burn well! There were also a large number of fresh red dates, some with damage and dark-coloured bad bits, but the majority seemed quite acceptable. I wondered how to use these? Fresh they are a bit astringent, but if I blanch them and dry them, they might be useful in something. I might ask Raj how he uses fresh dates.
A busy evening dealing with the York Green Festival insurance documentation, and then trying to sort out how to deal with the compostables which will be generated at the Big Green Gathering... the farmer/festival has been granted 'an exemption' and is allowed to compost on site, but he wants to use the composted material. When I last composted on site, in 2006, there were too many sticks in the pile (which I'd built with several aeration layers using sticks, branches, twigs, cardboard and straw) for him to use it. This year we are going to use Bokashi EM which will mean we don't need to initially aerate it as much... just have it drained. There is another keen composter going to the Gathering, called Chris, and he'll be there from the Thursday before, so he'll be involved in the pre-build.
Last thing at night, I blanched the dates and this got rid of the astringent properties and they tasted sweet, and will be lovely dried.
Then I persuaded the boys to come and help me put the tent up, which was quite easy as it is very similar to the previous design I had... except this seems better designed actually. We had a bit of time trying to suss out where to hang some daft pocket things and our nearly 12 year old worked it out.
After lunch Gill and the boys went to the dentist and I completed the York Green Festival insurance documents and sent them to two of my colleagues to check. I really hate Microsoft Office 07, which I have on a trial. It's too complicated, I couldn't work out how to 'save as' and had to just save, then go into my documents folder and alter the name from there. What a faff.
Anyway, they will be on their way tonight or tomorrow.
I made a nutloaf with some old bread, yesterday's rice and a couple of leeks minus their tough flower stalk, grated carrot, a couple of tomatoes, plus some 'bush basil' which is doing really well in the conservatory. This is what I'll grow in the future, it tastes lovely and is easier to grow than the big leafed varieties. This is the first year I've grown it. Oh, I lined the baking dish with slices of a courgette, perhaps our third or fourth this year.
After tea I took the tent down 'all in one' so that when we put it up again we don't have to bother putting the internal compartment in again. Also popped down to Freshways and picked up 2 sacks of assorted unwanted material... including a load of coconuts which don't compost well, but do burn well! There were also a large number of fresh red dates, some with damage and dark-coloured bad bits, but the majority seemed quite acceptable. I wondered how to use these? Fresh they are a bit astringent, but if I blanch them and dry them, they might be useful in something. I might ask Raj how he uses fresh dates.
A busy evening dealing with the York Green Festival insurance documentation, and then trying to sort out how to deal with the compostables which will be generated at the Big Green Gathering... the farmer/festival has been granted 'an exemption' and is allowed to compost on site, but he wants to use the composted material. When I last composted on site, in 2006, there were too many sticks in the pile (which I'd built with several aeration layers using sticks, branches, twigs, cardboard and straw) for him to use it. This year we are going to use Bokashi EM which will mean we don't need to initially aerate it as much... just have it drained. There is another keen composter going to the Gathering, called Chris, and he'll be there from the Thursday before, so he'll be involved in the pre-build.
Last thing at night, I blanched the dates and this got rid of the astringent properties and they tasted sweet, and will be lovely dried.
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