Garden – Page 14 – About Stuff

March 12, 2017March 19, 2017

First XI and the first buds of Spring

Pic of the week

The weather is turning, it is definitely starting to feel a little warmer and one gets the wonderful sense that Spring is just around the corner. The pic above is the Magnolia tree in our front garden taken today (12/3/17) – just about to flower and blossom can be seen on some other trees, the hydrangea plants leaf buds are turning into to leaves.

Yesterday I made my debut in the middle of a 1st XI game. Wasn’t meant to be – I was supposed to be running the line but Paul, who was to be the man in the middle, hurt his toe and by kick off time could barely walk, so it was my time to step up to the mark.

Really enjoyed the game, v Weston FC U18s, think I handled it well (am looking forward to getting my hands on the video so I can analyse fully my performance – I few possible fouls I may have missed at the start of the second half. Gave a pen in the first half, stonewall, good decision. It probably helped that our 1st XI ran out 9 – 0 victors in a friendly game, making it easy to officiate. Am surprised how much physically harder it was than any other games I’ve done – I had the fitness, but knew about it at the end of the game. A significant (and surprising) step up from the 2nd XI.

February 19, 2017

Half Term

Pic of the week 19/2/17

So half term has been and gone. A contradictory week full of exercise and rest, of freezing cold and warm sunshine. The need for sleep was satiated, with lovely lie ins until at least 8.00 am each day. Not sure how I’ll cope again with the 6.40 rises that start tomorrow.

And I’ve been active, doing something everyday:

Friday spinning, Saturday refereeing, Sunday playing football & swimming, Monday: run & swim, Tuesday spinning, Wednesday, a long swim (72 lengths, 1.5 miles), Thursday swim, 28 lengths (1 mile), Friday refereed at Yeovil Town U16 trial games & spinning, Saturday refereeing (OA), Sunday refereeing (U15)

In amongst all of that, on Thursday I found the time to do some tree surgery, taking a couple of high branches down from the tree by our compost bins. I was at the full reach of my ladders and used a pole to strap a hand saw to to get extra reach for the upper most branch. A bit brutal, but needed doing. Will be interesting to see the difference once we start getting some long sunny days.

Six weeks and counting ’til the next hols …

January 15, 2017

Cactus

Pic of the week 15/1/17

I bought this cactus in mid-December from IKEA.

I rather like it, and it seems to be thriving in my new room. Thought it’d be a good idea to have a pic of it now, so I can compare it in the future.

Fortunately I am better at looking after plants than I am at taking pictures.

January 2, 2017January 2, 2017

Goals, aims and targets – 2017

With 2017 up and running, its time to write down (and commit to) my goals, aims and targets for the year ahead. Looks like its going to be a physical year!

Run 300Km – a much lower target than I set myself last year, but not a target I met, completing 296 Km in 2016. Should be do-able despite the demands on my time from other physical pursuits (swimming, spinning, referee-ing and who knows what for 2017)
Run up the Tor. In the summer of 2016, when I was regularly running, I set myself this goal for 2017: to run from home to the tor, run all the way up the tor, and then run back again. This is a tough ask, particularly as I am not running as much as I did last year. Would be a real achievement to do so. If I don’t write it down, it wont happen. Think I’ll have to target the summer hols to do it, if I’m going to do it.
Swim 150Km (4,500) lengths. Toyed with putting in a higher total – I did 200Km, 6000 lengths in 2016, but don’t think I’ll be swimming as much this year as last, so have given myself a very achievable target to ensure that I do make it.
Gardening: 2016 was all about the structure of the garden, this year I hope to focus more on the planting. So this year I want to: plant raspberry canes & rhubarb, grow and eat runner beans, peas, courgette and onions and grow some sweet peas and sunflowers.
Refereeing – enter the promotion programme from Level 7 to Level 6. Promotion year runs from March to Feb so won’t be able to clinch promotion in 2017, but hopefully will be a significant way down the track.
Weight: before the Christmas excesses, I would say that my “normal” weight was 12 stone 7 (today its up around 12 stone 12). I aim to be back at 12 stone 7 within 3 weeks and establish 12 stone 6 as my “normal” weight (normal weight: allows a swing of 3 lbs each way, so range between 12 3 and 12 9 following a festival of feasting)
My maths blog: this was an aim I failed last year, and want to rectify again. Write at least twice a month on my maths blog – A Maths Teacher Writes

December 30, 2016December 30, 2016

2016 – That was the year that was

The year began with us living on a building site – although the main structure was up at the start of the year, there was still much to be done:

I would say it was the start of the Easter holidays that the build was finished – although there was still much to do. If 2015 was characterised by the build, 2016 will be remembered for re-structuring the garden. I built the deck:

I removed the side panel, took out a lot of bushes and built a shed:

I tackled the front hedge (in several goes!)

… and took down the old summerhouse:

Sophie took, and passed (and excelled) in her GCSEs

I did, and passed, my referee’s course, and “caught the bug”

Sam continued to grow. And grow. And grow.

We “did” the sitting room – I laid the floor, Becky painted & styled everything:

Taking down the stone fireplace ... — Taking down the stone fireplace …

I swam a lot, I ran a lot and I took up spinning. All this led to me being the fittest I’ve been for years, and also the leanest I’ve been for years:

And Christmas came around – fun family time, gathering of the clans before Christmas, just the four of us on the big day itself:

The Peabody Massive, December '16 — The Peabody Massive, December ’16

Despite all the turmoil in the wider world (Brexit, Trump, seemingly endless celebrate deaths) 2016 was a good year in Peabody Towers, who knows what 2017 will bring?

November 6, 2016

Early November

Sitting room is ready, just awaiting sofas

One year on! A year ago building (well, demolition) began

Pics of the week 6/11/16

Last week the clocks went back and the second half of term began, always a significant milepost in any year, marking the shift into the dark, dreary days of late autumn and winter.

But its been a busy week, hence a gallery of the week rather than just one pic. Sophie’s 17th birthday, so the L Plates are out and she’s learning to drive.

My refereeing certificate and badge from the FA arrived through the post, confirming my appointment as a fully qualified level 7 ref. I am rather proud of this achievement. (Ref-ed today: Somerton Utd U13s v Stoke Wolves. The wolves ran out as 5-2 victors)

The tree in the back garden has turned the most vibrant shade of flame red – really rather striking. To be fair, the weather has been pretty good (read: dry) although in the last few days it has turned cold – and not just a little chilly, proper, sub 10 degrees, with wind to go with it, cold.

And so as the weather turns and the nights lengthen, it’ll mean more time spent indoors, so its a good job the sitting room is finished, to await the arrival of the sofas on Friday.

And it was this week last year that it all began – the builders arrived and knocked the garage down. It was exciting, and I’m pleased we did it, but I’m glad its finished!

July 18, 2016

Graveling the garden

Saturday 16 July 2016

I graveled the patch of garden at the foot of the deck/new build. It took a bit of a hammering during the build and we decided that, for both aesthetic and maintenance reasons, we would gravel over the small patch of lawn. Its a part of the garden that we’ve found we use a lot, although it is mainly a thoroughfare between deck and seating area where the old summer house was.

First up, I sprayed the area with weedkiller to kill of what lawn had survived, and then laid down weed suppressant fabric:

I bought I “bulk bag” (aprox 800Kg) of gravel from Bradfords – with delivery came to circa £65.

It arrived at about 8.45 am and then came the task of barrowing it all from the front to the back. Reckon it took about two hours to move it all and spread it out (including time for a tea break!)

and I am pleased with the results. Looks good!

June 12, 2016

Swarm!

Pic of the week 12/6/16

Monday evening, circa 6.30pm. A beautiful summer’s evening and we were all sat out in the new space created by the removal of the summer house, kicking back and chillin’; enjoying each others company, listenting to the sounds of summer: bees buzzing, swallows swooping, bees buzzing, BEES BUZZING ….!

I looked up, and not a foot above my head was a swarm of bees! A calm (swift!) retreat to asses the situation!

Google revealed the names and numbers of some local bee keepers, one of whom kindly came over from Wookey, snipped the branch that the bees were clustered on, popped them in a wicker basket, covered them with a sheet and took them away to replenish his hives.

All rather exciting and informative.

June 5, 2016June 5, 2016