Tuesday 13th December 11

Well quite a good day, with a fairly leisurely start, a bit of work outside and then, after lunch, a cycle out along Tadcaster Road in the wind to see Edwina, and her garage conversion... now her living room!  Her garden, too, is looking a bit different, with a new raised bed, paths with slate chippings, a decking area with a pond, and a conservatory on the back of the house.

We had a coffee and a good chat and catch-up. I didn't stay long as the weather was looking like getting worse.  I flew home with the wind behind me, going over Millennium Bridge and through the Barracks to pick up some logs.  I chopped up the sticks delivered yesterday evening by my gardener friend, using loppers, and stacking them in wooden fruit trays.

I then watched a bit of a cycling video with my son, and Gill came in with our younger son, and we had a happy harmonious evening.  I sorted out yet more pears for drying, and enjoyed a programme on Leonado da Vinci.

Wednesday 30th March 11

I got up early as I was due to cycle into school with our youngest, and was ready for 8.30 with his bike waiting out at the front.  I waited for well over half an hour and he didn't get himself ready... eventually Gill told me to go on to  Edwina's without him, as he wasn't well enough to go to school.  This all put me in a grumpy mood.  When I was young I went to school whatever I was feeling like... I had to be REALLY ill to miss school.

I had strapped my wrecking bar to my bike frame, and checked with Edwina that the garage was open for me.  I got to hers at what I thought was 9.40, but I hadn't altered my phone time so in reality it was 10.40.

Anyway, I got busy and started demolishing the little wall which Edwina wanted out, it was a tough job, and I interspersed this with pulling out weeds and chopping up brambles into the new compost bin, which is in a temporary place.  This work cheered me up, as the weather was nice and I enjoyed the work, despite it being difficult.

Edwina was in but not feeling well, so I worked solidly for 3 hours, finishing at what I thought was 12.40.  I was due to meet Richard at David's flat at 2pm, so I had a bit of a slow lunch in town, and went to David's at what I thought was 1.45... but I realised much later that my phone didn't automatically change last weekend, so I was late to this meeting.  Linda, David's friend and cleaner, was there to meet me and to sort out times that we're working for David when Richard goes to France, in 2 weeks.  We've met before, at St Nicks, apparently!

And then I visited Barnitts to look at chainsaws, and then to Country Fresh, and then home.

I was feeling very achy and tired, but did another couple of hours after tea in the garden.  Gill had a bath and the water was still hot so I had a soak after her, to see if that helped my aches.  I came down at 10 and my phone went; it was Lisa saying that Liam, her son, was at York Station and was I going to meet him?  I'd been expecting him tomorrow night, not tonight!  I texted Liam with our address and said to get a taxi.

Was good to see him, and we chatted about interviews etc, as he's got an interview for a University place tomorrow.  He bedded down on the futon in the front room at about midnight, and asked to be got up at 7 tomorrow, to get a train soon after 8.

Monday 21st March 11

I had planned to go to Edwina's today with my wrecking bar to dismantle a little low wall which she wants out, and I had checked with her that it would be OK to go.  I had also agreed to deliver something to a friend, and pick up some freecycled bits and bobs.  However, first I went to put in two cheques, bought a pastie for lunch and then cycled out along the Boroughbridge Road to Edwina's.  She'd given me a key to her garage, and said it would not have the bolt across the inside.

But the bolt had been slid across and I couldn't get in.  I texted Edwina and we had a brief conversation, but she was working in Manchester and there was nothing she could do.  Her lodger had bolted the doors.

So I went to my other friend's house, delivered and picked up, and cycled back into town. 

I have been thinking about my forthcoming 'urban composting' gig at UK Aware next weekend, and what props I'll need.  I'd like to take a wormery but they're too big to take on the train.  I do have a 'desktop Bubble House wormery' but it doesn't really demonstrate the tray structure that I want to show, which is seen best in the Can Of Worms stacking wormery or the slightly bigger Worm Cafe.  So I've been wondering about using a seed sprouter. I visited several places in town, and found only one very expensive version (£17) so I gave up.  But then I had a brainwave... I went to Alligator and they had one called the sprouter, which they let me have, as a thank you for the composting help I've been giving.  I was pleased with this, despite it not having a lid which I'll have to make.  I'll also need to paint it black or at least encase it in something dark.  I collected the Alligator biodegradables and got home for 1.30pm.

Lunch was nice... I had the pastie.

I spent the entire afternoon sorting out my untidy composting area, where I had emptied a New Zealand bin into it's next-door neighbour, and then needed to dismantle it, to redo the anti-rat wire netting. I then started to refill it with a lot of accumulated gumph.  I really enjoy this work.  It doesn't provide much of an income, hardly anything for the time I spend on it, but I am preventing LOADS of biodegradable materials going to landfill, and making great compost which is available for anyone who wants it.

I did pop round to Jamie's just before it got too dark to carry on, and picked up the last 3 bags of homefire he didn't want to take down to the live-on-boats area.  There's one or two more loads of wood to pick up and then I'm done.

I did assorted jobs inside after tea (yesterday's pasta with leek/potato soup sauce on top) including stripping some electrical flex to get the copper wire out, and melting a series of larger holes in the seed sprouter to make it into a wormery.

Also getting ready for going to Bristol tomorrow for the Wipe Out Waste Awards.  I'll be on the 11 something train, getting into Bristol soon after 3, then going to Fernhill Farm and will meet Tracey Smith and Dave Hampton for the first time, and then on Wednesday, a day's activities at Lakewood.

Back on Thursday!

Tuesday 16th March 11

A tough day, but mostly good.  I had agreed with my friend Edwina that I'd go and help her with her garden project today; she said she'd be in from 11am.   I set off in good time to go and get two compost bins from a freecycling friend, who was in this instance not freecycling but selling them, as they were new just a few months ago. 

However, my journey didn't start too well.  I was cycling along Thief Lane where Newland Park Drive comes in from the left, and a car was coming along.  I could have accelerated and gone in front of the car, at some risk of pissing the driver off, so as it was the car's right of way, I coasted and waited for it to pass, then pushed hard on my pedals, in too low-a gear (I hadn't changed into an appropriate gear for starting off) and the chain slipped and I fell off.  Beware standing on pedals!  I fell onto the road, banging my knee, and my cycle helmet on the ground, and the handlebars walloped me in the stomach.  Fortunately there was no traffic that close, just a van driver who stopped and asked me if I was OK?  Well I was walking wounded; I knew I'd bloodied my knee but my abdomen felt worse, bruised.  However, I just had t continue on my merry way.

I got to Woodthorpe and rescued the compost bins and put cash through the letter box.  They went on the trailer one inside the other, and I went round to Edwina's house just 5 minutes away, and got busy in the garden.  I put one of the bins in a temporary position, on a sheet of plastic, and when the garden is done, I'll be able to transfer the bin and materials to a permanent position.   I did a lot of bramble removal, and then started digging a border, which had nettles and dandelions in, and a few daffodils which I transplanted into the lawn at one side.  The brambles were difficult to dig up, partly as several had rooted into a low wall which I'll need my wrecking bar to remove.  I worked for 4 hours, with a short lunch break. 

At 3 I went via the racecourse and a logpile to the Millennium Bridge and on to the Steiner School, to pick up our youngest.  I had a nice chat with Catherine Heinemeyer about the possibility that the Steiner School, which is a private fee paying school, might become a 'free school'.  There is a lot of support for this, but some strong dissent, people happy with the status quo, and it seems likely that the will of these people will probably prevail.

A good cycle home, and I collapsed for an hour before cycling down to see Richard.  We spent quite a bit of time together, he smashed up a pallet and I converted 3 boxes worth of compostables into 3 sacks and a carrier bag of chestnuts, which I'll try to salvage.  I collected a sack from Freshways and came home, washed up, boiled a pan of chestnuts, did emails, had tea, decided not to go out to the Steiner School AGM and had a quiet evening in.

Sunday 6th March 11

A really lovely day.... I managed to speak with my friend Edwina at last after several failed attempts, and I agreed to go and see her this morning.  I cycled towards the Millennium Bridge as she lives in Dringhouses, and then realised that this morning I'd be able to visit the Allotment shop, which is open on Sundays from 11 til 12.  To get though the kiss gate with my bike and trailer I had to uncouple them, but it only takes a minute.... Once on the allotment, I met Amanda, who was trying to carry a heavy sack plus something else, and she plonked the sack in my trailer.  But a minute later, whilst walking along, a chap with a wheelbarrow with a flat tyre passed us, and he asked me if I had a pump.  Which I did.  I had to change the fittings round, and even then it didn't fit as the valve on the wheel was pointing in a skewed direction, and the pump wouldn't fit on fully.  Amanda had by this time gone on her way, so I wasn't able to continue the conversation with her.

The shop had just opened, so I renewed my annual membership (£2) and bought 3 lots of seed potatoes for a pound a kilo, and some sweetcorn seeds, squash seeds and some onion sets, and that all came to about £7.  So I stowed them in a pannier and carried on to the Millennium Bridge, over the racecourse, turned the trailer over on a corner with some uneven ground, which damaged my new back mudguard (boo hoo) and when I'd sorted that out enough to continue, I cycled up to Edwina's house, which was easy to find as I'd memorised the map.

She has moved back from Manchester where she's been working (as a Police Officer) as her mother has died, so she's doing up the house.  The garage is going to become a living room, and she's built (or had built) a large wooden building in the garden, to house the garage stuff.  She wants to put in some shrubs, to clear some brambles and bits of concrete, and tidy up, and to possibly put in or help put in a path and some gravel.  Then she asked if I knew anyone who wanted a petrol lawnmower, so I suggested Freecycle, and over a coffee, I helped her register for that.  She had a skip outside her house, with two nice logs in it, so I asked if I could have them.  There was also a bit of copper sheet, some lead, lots of ferrous metal and various other bits, and she was happy for me to take a load to get it recycled.

She also wanted to get a compost bin or two installed, so I cycled round to a friend who is moving and has two recently installed bins that she doesn't want to take with her, and has asked if I can find a buyer.  However, my friend wasn't in, but a message later got a positive result.  I'll buy the bins, uninstall them and transport them round to Edwina's.

I cycled back over the Millennium Bridge, called in to see Richard, and picked up a box and a bag of goodies for the compost, and scuttled back home, for a late lunch.

I managed a bit of time in the garden after lunch, after Gardener's Question Time actually, and loaded up some stuff into the Compostumbler, including a roadkill duck, and found a load of worms to give to Will tomorrow to re-stock his wormery, and riddled some rich mature compost which will end up down at County Fresh.

I came in at 5 as I needed to get myself tidied up so I could get to David's for 6pm, as I was due to do my first bit of care-work for him this evening.  He lives near Stonegate so I went into town via Foss Islands Road and Monk Bar, and turned left at the Minster.  He was looking forward to going to City Screen for a coffee and a chat with Carolyn, whom he hasn't seen for a little while.  She's helping him get a care assessment.  An Austrian bloke and his two cute kids came to sit near us, which was a nice distraction.

After an hour I pushed David back to his house and he explained how he liked his meal making... soup and vegetables.  I did exactly as he had instructed and he said it was lovely.  I also washed up and tidied a bit.  I finished at 8pm, and came home.  Before having my tea, I cycled round to Jamie's to give him the money for the logs he's offered me, and a copy of 'The Curious Incident', both of which I think he was happy with.  Well, cash is always welcomed!  And a free book isn't to be sniffed at either....

I had a 'use it up' tea, the leftover linguine and veg from yesterday and the leftover couscous from the previous day.  It was a reasonable meal.

So, a good day... topped off with a celebratory 700th edition of The Sky at Night which was very entertaining.