Fingers crossed

It is now submitted. The plans..., not my application to a 'mind retirement home'.
Hypocrasy! All the policies for this and that -environmental, sustainable, eco, access and future istic building regulations, most of which I do agree with. But there is a Big- HOWEVER, I have just sent in an aplication which was aprox 33 pages- then I have had to copy it 4 times at least 130 pages of wasted ink, electricity, paper etc- I am sure in this techno, electronic year2008 we live in, this is not necessary.
On the good side my local MP visited our 'gable end monument' and has pledged his support. Little words of support mean alot and I have been surprised where these have been delivered from. Thank you -
So, in the mean time , I will continue to clean bricks (1 a day is enough!) and plant my gold plated potatoes with my fingers crosed.

My Veg patch building

I knew there would be a bonus to Barn building halting...My vegetable raised beds can now be completed. I had choosen Australian hardwood, as these are a stronger wood without being treated with carcinogenic creosote.
After spending 2 hours measuring up and 'uming and ahing' (as David had left my scaled to the millimetre plan in the JCB) we began the raised beds. As I am busy humming in my work thinking distantly of my crop rotation and organic veggies, herbs and leaves...and being a Garden Godess. David is thinking about and actually making his views known to all, that he'll be glad when the seedlings are in the soil and not on the bedroom windowsill. Who tolerates who????
So, the loss of The Barns progress has earned me 'some men at work' in my patch!

wind turbines

Is n't there a saying about not being aware of what is on your door step? Well, silly me! There was me thinking about GSHP's, log burners and Solar when all along we are living in a wind tunnel! Yes the vane of my life is back, Met office forecast 'gusts' oh great! Perhaps I should consider changing my web home page to 'the Met office'.

• Geoff (our scaffolder) said today 'I would not like to be living in fear of the wind, like you poor souls' How right he is- How awful for the kids that I have had to cancel going away this Easter weekend because of the wind. On a more positive note, how lucky we are that there are some genuine, helpful people around. Extra Scaffolding is going up tomorrow, ironically on GOOD friday.
• Actually thinking about wind turbines...I would need planning permission...emmm

Winds and decisions

High winds were forecast so yesterday was spent scaffolding the 2 A frames and the East wall.
Not the most lady like of jobs...but needs must! The winds came and went and so do my ideas!

I have decided that insulation insulation insulation is the key to a warm home, so thermalite blocks and kingspan in the floor and perhaps in the south gable to bring up the uv values.

I feel that solar slates can meet our DHW demands and i am going to look at a log burner with a boiler for winter space heating and DHW.

Red sandstone window ledges I think!

The clouds are moving

As i have said earlier( i think). Goggle is great but too much info becomes very confusing...thermal stores, khw, controllers, zones, How confusing! But Mark Brinkleys site has blown away the clouds, well, for today anyway. I am now thinking 'no ground source heat pump but solar slates, Eco Cat thermal store and wood burner...' we will see. I'll probably be back to an oil fired boiler tomorrow!