growling cat.....

he's a talker.
Casper expressing his displeasure at not being allowed outside.
an older cat, 14,  only recently re-homed with me,  he's not going to be getting out till mid June. he has to  settle with the house and bond with me first.

 he's very playful, but pointing the camera at him...

makes him leave and hide somewhere.. he likes under the bed.

Sunday Garden

 the box is being removed, so took some pictures before that was out.. I've already removed a considerable spread of its overgrown branches. likely some will sprout from the remaining roots.

 the tree

 twisted hazel.. and strangely the greenhouse has solid sides...

 minus a veggy bed in the foreground.. allowed to grow over.. and only one cold frame

 constrained by trying to save the azalea behind and the bricks at the front

 I resorted to cutting the roots as I found them with secatuers

 and its out

 massive spider in the greenhouse

dug out.. put back in ... see if we can grow legs and christmas baubles..

2019. and here we go again...........

 

todays picture of ''the tree'' , quite some difference in height. it was planted around 2005.

2008, Tansy attempts to climb it but there's not a lot to hold onto. she would love it now. sadly she passed away a couple of years ago.
for just now I am back living in my flat. the garden is good though overgrown and the soil has no ''life'' and needs attention.
time will see what happens.

Don't Shoot the Zebra Pony

carry on gardening...

 photos sent to me by the letting agents , as the tenants have now left the property. they have, thankfully, left the garden very tidy.

 three veg plots look ok and ready to be used... there used to be another veg plot in front of the post.. and there were two coldframes.. so some changes here and there.

the trampoline will likely be gone by the time I get into it, the shrubs are a bit overgrown. and the tree looks huge now.. it'll be lovely with its leaves on.
I have access from the end of March. inside will need carpets cleaned or replaced, the walls a lick of paint... well that's all they'll get.. lol... and outside will be a project for cutting back and reassessing whats there.. stuff might come up.. likely a lot of the smaller plants have gone. there may be surprises !!
its difficult to think of plans as it might get sold quickly.. it might not.. so I'll just do 'what and when' as I have time for it.
there are notifications popping up about changes to blogger.. to do with google... and widgets and platforms and links.. none of which I understand.. so I've no idea what to expect. I hope the whole thing doesn't dissapear into the ether....

wow, just wow.

how amazing. so talented

Fire Truck Into Tiny Home - this is lovely

FOR SALE

the garden ( see the blog!! lol) and flat/aprtment  will be going up for sale at the end of March this year.
Lennoxtown. postcode G66 7EH if you want to google the area
two good sized bedrooms, living room, kitchen, bathroom. upstairs flat with own front door.
yet to be valued officially.
sometimes word of mouth can make a sale, you never know.

treeless.. back to tree'd.. back to treeless today.

a second hand Barefoot saddle, picked up today. I've had a short ride with it..
things don't change much for me over time.. lol. Quince is barefoot, I rode her in this headcollar today but usually use a bridle with a bit.
herself looking good for a wet muddy winters day.

Repsoting old post...... to go out riding ... from November 12th 2010

''Abbey wears a treeless saddle by Barefoot and a Parelli Hackamore which is just made of rope. and she has no shoes on, I would consider boots if we did a lot of work but as its usually just round fields or in the soft schooling area then they are not needed.''

hang onto this thought from nine years ago... new post coming.. lol

*Earth’s Axis Has Shifted!* And The Sky Has Changed.

The Vectra B

three electrical sensors later..... and this 'future classic' is running perfectly again.
its a shame they make things so complicated. it all runs on sensors, rather that cables and leads... not even got a throttle cable !! who knew ? not me.. lol

5 Tips to Keep Your Garden Pond Clean, guest post by Katie Michaels

5 Tips to Keep Your Garden Pond Clean

Having a garden pond is an exciting new venture for many but when the water starts to turn green and you can’t see a thing, it’s not a good sight for you and it’s definitely not good news for your fish so how exactly do you keep your garden pond clean?

There are several things to consider when it comes to keeping the pond water clean and avoiding it turning into a green and smelly swamp, from the plants you add to the pond, through to how much you are feeding your fish.

With so many elements affecting your pond water it can feel overwhelming but here are five key things you need to think about if you want to maintain a clean garden pond and a pleasant healthy environment for your fish to live in:

1.       Don’t have too many fish

While it might be tempting to fill your pond with beautiful colourful fish you need to make sure you don’t over fill the pond. Fish produce waste products which pollute the water and they also breed, so if you have too many fish your pond will very quickly become an unpleasant environment.

Keep an eye on your fish population and if they do breed you might be able to sell the young to fish stockists to help keep the population under control. Alternatively make sure all your fish are the same sex to avoid any growth in the population.

The other factor when it comes to fish is removing sick or dead fish from the pond as quickly as possible so that you don’t end up with a polluted pond that way either. It’s best to check your fish weekly for signs of any problems.

2.       Don’t feed the fish too much

This is one of the most common problems with new fish owners – the temptation to continuously feed fish when they don’t need it. Fish will only eat what they need so any unwanted food will just fall to the bottom of your pond.

Waste food will then start to rot, polluting the water and causing problems in your pond so don’t over feed, and always remove any leftover food which the fish don’t eat, straight away, otherwise your pond water quality will go downhill rapidly.

3.       Don’t smother your pond with too many plants

Water plants take in oxygen so make sure you don’t allow your pond to become over grown as the plants will end up causing oxygen levels to drop in the water. Too many plants will also result in a lack of light and sun in the pond due to the coverage of the leaves, which again can have a negative impact.

Make sure you regularly trim back plants and clear fallen leaves and dead plants from the water to help keep the quality high. Avoid plants which have a tendency to grow across the water surface and cover it.

4.       Make sure your water pump and filters are working properly

Managing and maintaining your pond equipment is key to keeping it clean. The water pump for your pond is the key to making sure your water is being circulated regularly so you need to make sure it is well maintained and fully functioning at all times. It’s important to have a pump which is big enough for the size of pond you have otherwise it won’t cope.

You should check your pump regularly to make sure it is not clogged with debris and to make sure all the parts are working effectively – if you notice any wear and tear make sure you replace the parts straight away to keep it running well.

You should also make sure your filter system is the right size for your particular pond and make sure it is working effectively. Change and clean your filters regularly to ensure they don’t get clogged with debris and dirt.

5.       Always clear debris from the pond surface

Ponds tend to attract all kinds of debris from dead leaves falling from nearby trees, to rubbish items blown in on the wind or even dropped by birds so always make sure you clear debris daily from your pond surface, before it has a chance to sink to the bottom and start to rot and pollute your water.

If you can, use netting to cover the pond to help catch any falling debris so that it never reaches the water in the first place – this will go a long way to helping to keep your garden pond clean and your water sparkling and healthy for all your fish.

These five tips will go a long way to ensuring that your pond remains a clean environment for all the family to enjoy all year round and by following simple regular maintenance outlined here, you should never be left with any huge pond cleaning issues. 

guest post by Katie Michaels

interesting post to read

https://www.vox.com/2015/7/16/8961799/housekeeper-job-clients

I cleaned. I have to say I never snooped, not interested.
but I'm totally with the 'not bigger than you can clean yourself' . that would be 40 minutes worth. so its small for me.
and as I'm of mostly 'no fixed abode', thats still a dream

Pooping in a Car, Van or RV: Review of Thetford Porta-Potti

shadow horse

shadow horse , shadow trees. loving the winter sun.
first ride of this year today.

Bella plays

wee dog at the farm playing with a hoop toy. frosty chilly day

car update

I did manage to sell the little Corsa the first weekend in December. very glad about that.. this Vectra is 17 yrs old .. its now developed a slight fuel problem and bunny hops as you drive... eeeek... coming up to Christmas week means there's no chance of getting it fixed till early January.
it was really bad on Sunday though I managed to get it to the farm and call out the AA rescue service who changed the spark plugs, its better but not cured. its also been to a local garage but no time to get it fixed. 
''luckily'' (??) I have driven old bangers most of my life so babying the car past a bit of bunnyhopping is almost second nature.. I know people who call out the rescue services for less... haha...

found a good blog to read

THE SMALL THINGS: The Making of Mistakes: ‘Make mistakes,’ is one of my war cries. Embrace your mistakes, cherish your mistakes, lean in to your mistakes, because it is only...

I'm not a salesperson

to update on ''car overload'' .. https://clairesgarden.blogspot.com/2018/09/car-overload.html

I am still a two car owner. I advertised the larger one and only got two offers to swap it for equally large , expensive to run, other cars.. now if I have to keep a big car at least I know whats been fixed and what hasn't on this one.
the smaller car was advertised and drew a phone call, a text message or an email .. approximately every five minutes for a week. even at 3am..... two people did look at it when I offered to take the car to them... but never called back after ''thinking about it'' and lots of other people engage in furious messaging sessions.. never actually call to talk. arrange to look at it and DONT' TURN UP.

I have removed advert . I'll put it back up later this week and specify to view on Saturday morning only.....