Out of bed early ish (ok 07.40 – not particularly early) this morning as I was scheduled to be called by BBC Lincolnshire to appear on the breakfast show. This time talking about broadband provision to families during lockdown – it’s in the news. The last time I was on it was talking about staycation and the prospects for Anne’s Vans this year. I did that lying in bed but figured I really needed to be sat up at least for this morning so came downstairs.
The beast from the east is still stroking the country with its icy fingers. Not much snowfall really. Just a light dusting every night to keep things fresh. It was minus 4 (feels like minus 7) this morning. Musst take a photo of the thermometer in the greenhouse. The online monitoring has a bug so doesn’t go below zero. This is fixable but needs Tom Bird to dive into it as it is his code. It’s a question of time time time innit. Don’t think the data is lost so should be fine.
I quite like the fact that the video streaming and temperature monitoring continues whether anyone is looking or not. Not many people do look. Really they only go there when I promote it – a new post for example, perhaps with a link from Facebook. I’m ok with this, for now. Good art is not good just because lots of people look at it. Interesting to consider that the video streaming moments really are just moments in time. They are being recorded but only for a couple of weeks or so and then discarded and the recordings are not available to the public anyway. I did a timelapse of last year’s season if anyone wants to see it. It’s in the footer https://www.trefsgreenhouse.com/
A day of getting some admin done ahead of me.
PS managed to name drop Beyond The Woods in my BBC piece 🙂
I have been cultivating a beard of sorts, plus flowing locks. Just breaking free from a lifetime of haircut conformity. Trying to move on from the clean cut image to something with a bit more of an edge. Fits well with my taste in shirts and jackets , running festivals and vintage campervan rental businesses. Someone who looks the laid back hippy part but can speak the business lingo 😉 I was quite pleased this time last year when walking on Santa Cruz pier when a guy walked up to me, shook my hand firmly and says “nice threads man, nice threads”. I was wearing one of my floral linen jackets.
Beards are clearly well suited to the locked down life. Where all around is an icy wasteland they are essential for survival. Speaking of icy wastelands popped into the allotments just now. Nobody there. A sunny and therefore quite pleasant day but you could sense that the place at night with the cold wind blowing would be somewhere you would not want to dwell.
The shed is the log cabin that shelters me from the rigours of the beast from the East. A surreal place really. Picture the explorer in the frozen wilderness of the North crossing a ridge to look down on a valley below and he sees a cabin with smoke coming out of the chimney. An unexpected but welcome sight in a place that he thought was being explored by man for the first time.
It takes him a while to get down to the cabin but as he approaches he sees a brightly lit interior with a guy sat at a desk typing away. They are both surprised by the encounter but he is welcomed in and offered a warming tipple. There is no food in the cabin as the kitchen is in the house 30m away. After spending some time chatting the explorer thanks his host and sets off back on his journey. He has maps to prepare, unexplored territories to survey and beaver hides to gather.
That evening after the sun has gone down he huddles close up to his campfire, heats up some of his remaining supplies and prepares for an uncomfortable night ahead of him. The next morning he has gone. His footsteps are gradually obscured by fresh snowfall and he plays no further part in this story.
On the covid front I’m guessing we might hit the initial target for inoculations by the end of today. Probs won’t hear about it until tomorrow. The numbers seem to get released at roughly the time the daily covid update is presented at number ten, or wherever it is. Matt Hancock seems to find it convenient to use his downstairs loo for this sort of thing. At least that’s what it looks like sometimes. Probs the only place he can get a bit of peace and quiet for his press briefings.
The sun is now past its zenith. The land outside is beginning the cooling process in preparation for a night of killing. Any weakened being caught out in the open is fair game. Let is not be you my friends. My series of meetings are over for the day. Time to unwind.
Tomorrow is an early start for me. 8am. Did you know that such a time existed? I don’t buy the “I spent thirty years setting into the office for a 7.30 am start” stance. Take control of your life or others will control it for you. Playing some 70s rock anthems in the shed. Spotify playlist. Also we are celebrating tonight. It’s a private thing. Quiet celebration about something that has made us happy. Might tell you one day.
There comes a certain point in the day where I switch the shed into evening mode.The mood lighting and the outside lights (those explorers still need to be able to find me) come on together with the Cold Beer sign (good investment). Today I have the BBC news on with subtitles. I want to listen to music not news. It is never good news although they do sometimes try and finish with a short feelgood item. It’s as if they know that they have just spent half an hour telling you stuff that is likely to make you miserable and feel guilty about it.