Tuesday, July 21, 2009

The Pump Man Cometh, Water from Heaven..21.7.09

Water Situation

We have had the most torrential rain that I can remember today. It reminded me of the tropical rain I saw in St Lucia. Buckets of it! Even though our pump had given up again and we had no tap water, we were drowning in the stuff outside.

Sean Minogue - the pump man - arrived this teatime and said we needed a new pressure gauge and fiddled with pump and water and said we were all fixed and left. Water came out of the tap. Fine. I re-started the washing machine (which had given up mid-cycle when the water stopped) and as I was cutting Jim's hair, he noticed a funny buzzing noise. It was the washing machine - stopped again. No cold tap water. Jim went and primed the pump again and it started up straight away but now we're worried about using the dish washer or washing machine. I'll start it up in the morning and see what happens. If it's the same, I'll be on the phone to Sean again.

The builders put the first coat of plaster on our bedroom wall today and yesterday they made the first step into the sun room. It's a big one!

What a fine step it is! It will be covered with quarry tiles eventually.

Buster

Buster's side hasn't healed at all in spite of the expensive spray I obtained from the vet. He was really bothered by it tonight so I gave him some extra attention and he went to sleep:


To add insult to injury, the vet told me Buster was a bit overweight so I've cut down on his food. It's a dog's life!

ATCs

I have recently made these 2 ATCs (Artist Trading Cards). I owe Lisa from Greenbow one (she's in our ABC of ATC group) so she has first pick.

This one is simply 'Good Luck'. I should keep it!! Lisa is having the Good Luck one, she feels she needs it!! lol.

This rather pink affair is 'Sitting on Top of The World'. It is going to the Weaver of Grass, who wants to have a go at ATCs but wants to see one first!!

I also have the following two looking for a home:

Funky Fish, 4 of 5

The Cutest Cat.... He's much more 'sparkly' than the photograph shows.

Inchies

I have also made another 6 'inchies'.
The three musical ones are Christmas I suppose, but they're nice anytime I think. The green one is Irish of course.

Seth Apter's Disintegration Project http://thealteredpage.blogspot.com/ This is his blog.

Lisa asked a question about this so I have done a longer explanation for anyone who doesn't know:

Aha, The Wicker Man. Seth Apter, an artist blogger, did this project called The Disintegration Project. Over 100 of us joined and some schools too. We each had to make a bundle of anything we liked. Papers, string, wool, metal, lots of them are on his blog. We had to leave them for 3 months to weather. I hung mine from a tree. On May 7th we took them down and opened them to see the results. Trick. Then came Part 2. We have to make something out of the now soggy bundle, something new. You could use other things as well. I used the willow sticks and string extra. The things I have woven were pictures in my bundle. The one you can see is an Ibis and it's purple because it has a piece of purple crepe paper next to it in the bundle. I loved the effect. It's a close up of its head - you can see it if you enlarge it. Other bits and pieces are going to be hung around - I even had 2 green plastic fish in mine!! And a bee courtesy of Ronald MacDonald. lol. I must say I'm really enjoying it.

I took just one photo of my Stage 2 tonight. Just a glimpse!

It's coming on apace! My son Jason called it 'The Wicker Man'. The blocks of colour you can see are all woven.

Garden Produce Dinner

Yesterday we had a dinner almost entirely home grown:
Jim made a cheese topped potato, onion and tomato casserole (our potatoes), our peas and our beetroot. It was utterly delicious.

Tonight we only had carrots and potatoes from the garden as it was monsooning out there! Soon we'll have runner beans too. I just love them.

Jim is off to the Kildare Show tomorrow to report on it for the Horticulture Week UK Magazine. I hope it's a bit dryer than today, but at least a large part of it is inside.

Happy torrential Tuesday everyone.

20 comments:

Anonymous said...

Oh my, will your water problems never go away?
I hope Buster feels better when he awakes from his nap.
I love your ATC's and inchies. I see both cats and butterflies - both my favorite things!
Your dinner looks so good and healthy. I bet the peas are really sweet.
Sounds like you are making progress on the addition. Aren't you looking forward to the end result?

DK said...

oh wow, scrumptious looking dinner, most impressive!

So sorry to hear about Buster's poorly bits still :/ ...and as for the water, what a pain!

Bea said...

Good news about the step.
Bad news about the heavy rains.
Iffy news about the pump.
Good news about the "wicker man". It's coming along nicely and I need a close up of the weavings, please.
Bad news about Buster, wound and weight. sigh
Good news about Jim off and about.
Bad news is that he hasn't updated his blog and his blog reader, Bea is waiting.......tap, tap, tapping her fingers. :)Bea

BT said...

Oh Mildred, we are beginning to wonder! Buster seems a bit better now thanks. So glad you like the ATCs and Inchies, I often use butterflies. The peas are so sweet it's amazing. They are one vegetable that is so different when fresh. Oh, I can't wait to get into the extension and do some decorating and home making again.

Thanks DK. Mm, dinner was soo yummy. lol.

Bea you are funny!! I will do close ups of the Wicker Man on 1st August when I do the proper 'reveal'. Not long to go now. The one you can see is a photo of an ibis! Cut up and then woven. I will tell Jim but he's been so busy poor soul. Excuses, excuses!!

Arija said...

What I would not give for fresh shelled peas! Unfortunately they don't grow without water and one can only buy the frozen product. Sometimes I yearn for yesterdays.

Pam'sEnglishGarden said...

Your homegrown dinner looks delicious! I believe we have more rain than you this year and my crop is pathetic. But nobody said it would be easy, did they?
Happy gardening (in spite of the rain).
Pamela

BT said...

I wish I could post you some Arija, but they'd no longer be fresh by the time you got them!!

Hello Pam, last year our weather was like that and we had a poor crop. It was also cold. Terrible. Better luck next year.

Rachel Green said...

Splendid artworks :)

BT said...

Thanks Rachel. I'm up early today as Jim went to report on the show!!

Jason said...

Mmm good dinner. Don't put to much in the wicker man, you'll never fit anyone inside it!

Hope your waterworks are ok!

x

Heather said...

The weather here has been atrocious too, especially at the weekend in Somerset where our daughter and husband were taking part in a re-enactment show. In true fashion the show went on. I have never seen our little pond so full - usually in windy weather the water from the fountain gets blown onto the garden and we have to top it up all the time. Poor old Buster - hope he soon heals. I don't think he looks overweight, he looks in peak condition to me. Your 'wicker man' looks very interesting and I can't wait to see more. Great ATCs and inchies too. Hope the water pump is behaving itself.

The Weaver of Grass said...

Sorry about the rain - I don't wish to sound mean but please do not send it over here - after four inches last week I don't think I could bear it!
Sorry about Buster - he is such a lovely chap and doesn't look over weight to me.
The dinner looks scrumptious - we are now eating our own peas and potatoes - people who don't have their own garden produce do not know what they are missing.
I love your ATC's and your inchies.
I would love to join in but am not absolutely sure (you did send me an explanation) what the standard is like and whether I am good enough to join in. Could you possibly start me off by sending me one, so that I have a model to work from - I hope you don't think this is cheeky - if you do then please say so - I feel that, as bloggy friends, we can say what we think, so don't be afraid to tell me off.

Jinksy said...

A tasty plateful in more ways than one:)

Lisa at Greenbow said...

So sorry you are still having water problems. What with all the other work going on in your house I bet you are about to go crazy.

I would love to have the "good luck" cat atc. I feel I need a bit of good luck right now, and I think that cat looks so happy. I also like the last cat. It has the sweetest expression on its face. Either would be appreciated.

Poor Buster, maybe he needs a shot of those good antibiotics that your cat got for his foot.??

The Wicker Man looks like it will be fantastic when it is finished. What are you using for the colorful weaving??

BT said...

Jason, don't worry, I can always find a Leprechaun!

Heather, touch wood, the water is working today. Though I won't hold my breath it'll last! Glad you liked the post and my aTCs and inchies. I had a quick peak at your blog and thought, wow, I need a long time to look at all that lovely work, so, as Arnie says, 'I'll be back'.

Weaver my friend, thank you for comments. I agree about those who've never tasted garden produce, there's nothing like it in the world.

I emailed you about the ATCs. Silly billy, of course I'll send you some! I don't know why you worry, you are so talented in so many different directions! Even children can do them. I'm not sure if I have your snail mail address. Better email it to me in case.

Thanks Jinksy, clever commenter you!

Hi Lisa, thanks for your lovely comments. Last night it all got to me and I burst into tears. But I was soon ok again. Dust, grit, lack of water, problem?? Noooo. Lol.

Good Luck cat is yours Lisa, I will also include the 'L' as it's your turn from me for that letter. I haven't done the 'k' yet but I have done the L so it can go in with the cat. You were going to send me the owl waiting for his dinner!

Aha, The Wicker Man. Seth Apter, an artist blogger, did this project called The Disintegration Project. Over 100 of us joined and some schools too. We each had to make a bundle of anything we liked. Papers, string, wool, metal, lots of them are on his blog. We had to leave them for 3 months to weather. I hung mine from a tree. On May 7th we took them down and opened them to see the results. Trick. Then came Part 2. We have to make something out of the now soggy bundle, something new. You could use other things as well. I used the willow sticks and string extra. The things I have woven were pictures in my bundle. The one you can see is an Ibis and it's purple because it has a piece of purple crepe paper next to it in the bundle. I loved the effect. It's a close up of its head - you can see it if you enlarge it. Other bits and pieces are going to be hung around - I even had 2 green plastic fish in mine!! And a bee courtesy of Ronald MacDonald. lol. I must say I'm really enjoying it.

aims said...

Oh Gina! I go away for a couple of weeks and look what happens! Poor unwashed you ;0) and poor Buster! How on earth?

The Deenery looks fab as always. You've just made me feel extra tired looking at all the work you two have done. It's beautiful though!

Heckety said...

Golly, your water saga is worse than ours so I've stopped swearing now...I hope you get yours sorted soon. If I could post you the Hub he's have it sorted pronto (being an african, water is one of his bugbears, the one thing he fixes immediately).
Personally, if a dog is happy, healthy, and leaping all over the place I'd say stuff being over-weight. Our Bertie gets criticized but as long as he can sail over a five foot fence, hedge or wall I really don't see the problem. If he was fed less he'd be miserable and I'm not having that! Hope Buster's side gets better soon, as that's not funny. And is your Connor better now?

BT said...

Ha ha, aims, you'll have to stay home! The water saga continues. The pump man is coming again today to try something else. Personally, Jim and I think we must have a leak somewhere as it ran out last night and we hadn't used it at all. Grrrr.

Glad you're back safe and sound and I hope you're feeling ok, you know what I mean.

Heckety, thanks for your comments, I've sent you an email!

Carol said...

Water water everywhere but not a drop to drink!!

Hope you get it all sorted out soon

C x

marianne said...

Ahhh that cutest cat is sure the cutest!
Lovely ATC's and that meal looks great!