The week started off pretty rough as there were client-side problems getting me access to their secure environment, for two weeks. Finally yesterday, I did get access, which meant two days of training had to be planned and the material produced in a couple hours, which is not ideal. The training went well today, tomorrow is going to be a "wing it" session, which means make it up on the fly.
It is mentally taxing being unprepared for these types of trainings as I never know what will arise and without enough experience with the specific customer solution, there is a lot that can go wrong. As I explained to my wife today, it is like being a taxi driver dropped into the middle of a foreign city with no GPS.
What is great, is being able to come home and spend some time with my family as well as the camera. I feel pretty lucky to be able to get shots like these from my own garden.
Our daughter went back to daycare this week after over two months at home and it has taken a lot of pressure off us, my wife even had time for a full thirty minute lunch plus tea breaks. And it was even better for her, as I was at the office for the customer delivery.
It is little things like having to rush lunch or not get ten minutes to oneself that can take their toll when sitting in front of a computer having to work all day. But then there is all the other stuff that has to happen around that also.
For the last two months, every spare moment that either my wife and I have had during the day has been spent trying to organize the renovation work and there are not enough spare moments. So, we have relied on early morning starts and long days to make up the time.
We are getting there though and the bathroom is finally under way, as are the problems. Due to the builders and the plumbers not communicating, pipes will need to be moved and no one is happy - but it has to be done, otherwise the bathroom will be considerably narrower with a lower ceiling, in an already tight space. It'll work out, is my attitude. "Work out" implies working. Perhaps this is something that people forget when they sit back and wait for it to work out.
As you can see from the photos, at least the garden is working out nicely and now that we have cleaned it up significantly from when we took delivery, it is quite a nice little space. A couple of tulips survived the stomach's of the local deer, the cherry trees are starting to blossom, the plants we transplanted into a new flowerbed have taken root and there are gorgeous patches of forget-me-nots spotted around the yard. I'm interested to see what the will happen with the peonies.
And it wasn't raining, my wife wand daughter were watering the garden as it has been very warm today and is still sitting around 20 degrees Celsius, and the bite in the breeze has fallen away. Now I consider this is proper Spring weather, with only four weeks until midsummer.
Yesterday I was writing about how much I like the derelict look and search for the ugly, but I don't mind looking for the more "classical beauty" as well and I think fresh flowers definitely qualify in this area. I can see why so many people fall in love with gardening and I think that perhaps once the house renovation is settled, I will start a new hobby and spend time learning about how to grow and tend well to the space we have. I have already started designing the glass house we will build out of the old windows we are changing over.
After finishing up my "official" work for the day, now it is time for a little dinner and relaxation with my wife - likely to talk about what lighting we are going to put into the bathroom. Only about a year of renovations to go...
Hopefully you enjoyed the photos.
Taraz
[ Gen1: Hive ]
Just love the way you migrate discussion from your wife, daughter to the amazing garden. I'm guessing things are starting to straighten out after the long outage of social activities. Those are stunning shots especially the macro ones.
Thank you :)
Things are slowly starting to move again here - I think that small restaurants open in June, but i haven't been following too much.
Well no matter, spending quality time like you're doing taking pictures and being with family is priceless
Yes it is and I am enjoying this spring a lot - let's see if winter feels the same when I have to plough snow at 6 am in minus 25 temperatures :D
That doesn't sound palatable by lol but let's focus on the beauty of spring hahaha
It isn't much fun and my wife won't be able to do it - unfortunately :)
Is that a 🍑 6th from the bottom?
:D
I will ask
Good that you are getting the space in the bathroom sorted out. Leave nothing to chance with your renovations, as it will only continue to disturb you.
Nice flowers and there are some good online, hothouse courses available for you when the time comes!
I am glad that we are here mostly during the days, as then they have no excuse as to why they didn't ask something. We have made it clear that if there is any doubt, check.
The preliminary plans:
Btw, you mentioned getting a half decent circular table saw and mitre,
I was thinking something along the lines of this if I can't pick up something from a friend.
https://www.screwfix.com/p/dewalt-dws773-gb-216mm-electric-single-bevel-sliding-compound-mitre-saw-240v/9008j
Yeah, that's a great saw for joining jobs.
Can also be used for cross cutting and it delivers a nice finish.
What material are you thinking of using for the window frames of your hot house?
You will have to plan it carefully with an extractor fan and all of the other trimmings. But again, Google is a great help, as they have all of the latest plans on there!
Well, it isn't going to be too fancy and the largest it can be is 10m2 (without a permit). The windows will already be framed so we will be essentially building a wooden structure to house them. They will have to be scraped back and repainted, but will end up being pretty "rustic" - They are already 60 years old, so should last a little longer :)
Thanks for the advice on the saw, now I just need to get it - or one similar. My wife's bro-in-law might have a decent one, but haven't seen it yet. They are moving from a large house to a city apartment so are getting rid of the stuff that they won't need or is doubled up at the cottage they have.
I try my best to not buy new unless it is something that wears relatively fast. I picked up a 2 yr old push mower for 50€ and a new BBQ cooking book yesterday from the neighbour who inherited from his grandma. Not only is it cheaper to take secondhand, it is better for the environment in some small way.
I like the way you think. Second hand, or "used" is always cheaper and if one maintains any tool properly it can last for many years.Always bargains available when people scale down to smaller apartments.But also many sharks circling so you must get in quick.
Great that the windows have frames, as this will make the job so much easier. I see that they have these new permaculture systems available for hot houses and the great thing that I like is that the plant beds are raised and one doesn't have to bend over all the time.
I generally will look from friends first that I trust, as I think it is nice to trade backwards and forwards, We do this with clothes often enough, why not tools?
Yes, this is a bonus and it is also nice that we will be able to use the yard a little longer, even as the weather cools.
Ah! My friends are far away, but there's a nice little charity shop at the hospice here and I can often get some very good shirts from there. Our country is flooded with Chinese goods and they don't make my size clothing. Or shoes as I wear Extra Wide Size 11s. So it's always a battle to find clothes.
Yeah, a hot house can be a great attraction in the colder weather. Especially if you add a nice little comfortable, seating section.
You will have to start posting in homesteading tags once you become a green thumb!
Good pictures and it sounds like it's all coming together.
Hobbies are a good way to engage more with our inner-self and gardening is a good option as the family can do it together.
Yep, homesteading and prepping will be my go-tos.
It is nice when we are all out there together kicking around and @smallsteps loves making up silly games. She is also picking about 1000 dandelions a day and wants them all brought inside to keep.
Great photos. Is she through with her masters program yet?
Hey Taraz, quick question. What's the steemd.com equivalent on hive?
https://hiveblocks.com/ is the same :)
https://beeme.icu/?account=empress-eremmy is kinda like steemworld
Thanks
Yep, she graduated about a year back and has been working the last 7 or 8 months full-time.
Remember the old runner's mantra? The road goes on forever. Renovations are like that some times...
Your flower photos are really good, I can see spring vicariously through you. I love the look of your hot house plan, and really love that you will be recycling windows from the house. Win win. (I hate that phrase :)) I've always liked the smell of a hot house. The smell of growing things. You take the plants outside before they die so it never has that smell.
"You don't stop running because you get old, you get old because you stop running"
"You don't stop
runningrenovating because you get old, you get old because you stoprunningrenovating" :)Me too. Growing up we didn't have a glasshouse, we had a shadehouse - it was really nice to be in there on the very hot days as there were misting sprinklers and a breeze. Definitely not planning on too much death in there, but it is a long winter :)
I was happy to see these.
Glad you enjoyed them
I love flowers and these in your garden looks very good. Regards to your family.
Thanks mate and enjoy your evening.
Thanks so much and you too.
The pictures look so good . Can it be used for free like for posting .
They are my photos, so yeah, I can use them :)
If you mean if you can use them, I prefer not.
Oh, how I understand you. My life before quarantine was so busy that I could not see my husband for weeks, living with him in the same apartment)
Now that you see him more, is it better? :D
For most it is a good thing to spend more time together - not everyone it seems. I think there will be an increase in divorces during this period.
Oh, I have a very good way to prevent that from happening. I continue to live alone in the summer in a village near the forest and my husband comes to visit whenever I want or I come to him. Because when a man and a woman are together all the time, it really has a detrimental effect on the relationship! A husband has to spend most of his time in business, then he will appreciate the time spent with his wife!
Sounds like a plan, is that common there?
Your photography is amazing - and what a beautiful garden you have - you are truly blessed.
Thank you and yeah, I feel pretty lucky at the moment, despite other challenges :)
Keep that law of attraction going - sure looks like its working for you.
Beautiful photos! What camera did you use?
I have been using a smartphone for some macros but feel the need to buy me a camera sometime soon ...
Also I am waiting till schools are open next Monday, to take some pressure off off me - and to feel a little bit of normality again - after many many weeks at home.
Stay safe :)
An Olympus Em-1. It is about 5 years old now I think.
Day two, and my daughter got ill - but it thankfully passed very fast. maybe a food issue.
I did enjoy reading with beautiful photos of yours... But can you make a whole shots next time to see the beauty of your surroundings? I'm just wondering how looks like your house or even your backyard including your family and you... (^_^)
I limit the photos at this point, but there are plenty of photos of my family around :)
Ohhh Forget-me-not flowers! I love them 😍
Nice pictures.
Me too, they are so cute and small and close up, they look like the design wasn't finished :)
How lovely to see the garden pictures, happy to hear that deers don't fancy tulips. Nature is quite wonderful and taking time to observe the beauty of your garden while the chaos of renovations are happening must be refreshing.
Oh, they love tulips, these ones survived. There should be a couple dozen of them, we have 4 left. The neighbour lost a couple hundred :D
Oh my, these deers could be the reason to invent a new term:tulipelitis, an uncontrollable urge of Cervidae to consume tulips😂🤔 I think deers would have such a happy life in Holland lol
Oh, how I understand you. My life before quarantine was so busy that I could not see my husband for weeks, living with him in the same apartment)
Awesome click
Are these comments getting you far?
I do this, just to get 5 points
5 points?
Esteem gives 5 points on a comment
I used to get together these points
And when I have a quantity of 250 or above
I do boost on my post
Low level users used to do that to get votes on post
Ok, well these comments add very little value to anything at all, so I won't vote on them. I don't know what your 250 points are worth, but decent comment might earn you more - and in the long run, have a great deal more value to your experience. However, you do you.
Sir
If i delegate
20 Hp to your account, then
Would u please do vote on my post ?
Because your vote can make my level up at least 2 grades . .52 to 54 .
Good
Gooood.
Very nice pictures, @tarazkp.
I think in this period of social isolation, I think we could all learn - and practice - some new hobbies.
Que excelente como pasas tu día disfrutando de tu jardín ....