Sunday, June 30, 2013

The Hermitage Blog



An utterly delightful blog by Rima Staines, vagabond, storyteller, musician, and painter, weaving together the seen and unseen, the past and the present, the magical and mundane.  I am beyond beguiled.



In her own words:

Rima Staines is an artist using paint, wood, word, music, animation, clock-making, puppetry & story to attempt to build a gate through the hedge that grows along the boundary between this world & that. Her gate-building has been a lifelong pursuit, & she hopes to have perhaps propped aside even one spiked loop of bramble (leaving a chink just big enough for a mud-kneeling, trusting eye to glimpse the beauty there beyond), before she goes through herself.
Etsy site here.


Monday, June 24, 2013

Pasture report

Grass is getting tall again.  Lush on the parts where it hasn´t been completely torn up, then compacted by various vehicles.


And I´m wondering if I shouldn´t sow something on the abused, compacted half of the pasture - mustard or daikon or maybe just a clover pasture mix to give some competition to the docks and break up the soil.  Or wait until fall.



Dandelions?  The foliage didn´t seem right.



The Viper's bugloss propagated, as I was warned.  Last year there was one plant, covered in bees so I left it, this year there were fifty. I bought a sickle at a local hardware store and chopped down all the ones in flower, as well as quite a few thistles, leaving anything that looked like grass.  Also got smacked in the face with a stinging nettle for my trouble.  Felt like a proper peasant.

Found some new hedge roses.

Rosa canina?  Gallica?  Oak & Rose - good pub name.

This one is struggling to get to the light between an apple tree and the hedge.  Lovely scent.




And this one is just tiny and growing next to the electrical pole.




The ruts made by the machinery to clean up the vegetation two years ago are still making it hazardous to wander around the property.  I had hoped that the freeze thaw cycle might reduce them at least a little, but no luck.  You can actually see them from the Google earth view.  So now I´m wondering if I can choose two and fill in with clean spoil and gravel from the house, of which there is plenty.  I´d like to leave access for a small tractor, should we ever need to use one.

Wednesday, June 19, 2013

House Update


Work is progressing, slowly, on the electrical, plumbing and wall preparation.  It is interesting to see a different way of putting together a house.  Chipping away at the just constructed walls, running the flexible electrical and water pipes under cement are all new to me.


Next is installation of the septic tank and some drainage, and then back to repointing the walls.  Exterior window and door installation is supposed to begin.  Two guys were chipping away at old mortar when we left.


We are starting to experience scheduling fatigue, since it seems as though nothing can get done until something else is completed. Time, energy, money and patience are all waning.  Walls are to be sandblasted (wince) and then repointed.  We´d like to do the interior pointing, but the floors can´t go in until after it´s finished and we can´t start moving stuff until the floors are in, etc.  We´re in discussions with the builder over a plywood subfloor that would at least allow s to work on a flat surface.

 
Once again becoming a jungle.  More on the garden to come. 

Friday, June 14, 2013

Ortigueira Celtic Fest 2013

Once again, Ortigueira will be hosting their annual Celtic Music Festival July 11-14.

Acts include:

Kan (Ireland)
Escola de gaitas de Ortigueira (Galicia)
Bagad Glazik Kemper (Brittany)
Banda Crebinsky (Galicia)
Harmonica Creams (Japan)


Harmonica Creams were something of a revelation last year.



Kan



 Banda Crebinsky (not feeling the Celtic here, more like slightly demented klezmer- ch)



Bagad Glazik Kemper


Thursday, June 6, 2013

Dogs and Cats and Angst

A whole new perspective.  My dear friend T shared this on facebook and I laughed - a lot.


And, of course, the cats are even sadder.


Monday, June 3, 2013

Tweed Ride Madrid 2013 - June 9



The Tweed Run was invented in the 90´s and enthusiastically adopted by urban hipsters everywhere in the last few years.  The objective is a leisurely cycle outing whilst dressed in period appropriate clothing - namely plus fours.  Any pastime that eschews lycra is OK in my book.



This event combines all things awesome - vintage clothing, retro bikes, and conviviality so it´s easy to see why they´re popular.  In London entries are limited to 500 and they hold an auction.

And I finally found out about something in advance.  That never happens.


So FYI - The third annual Tweed Ride Madrid is scheduled for June 9. There´s a ride, picnic, photo op, swing dance demo and mustache contest planned.


Saturday, June 1, 2013

Gather ye Rosebuds

It´s that time of year again in the rose garden across from the gas station.