Apple canes and local plant centre

I have given the apple tree a major prune.  It was a nice shape until last spring and then it sent dozens of thin runners vertically upwards on all the branches.  I have got it back to a reasonable shape and size, which led to two nice side effects:

• I got to use my ultra-powerful electric garden shredder.  It is a fantastic thing even if I can barely lift it (33 kg) and it uses too much power (2.2 kW) for my generator.  All the thin bits of tree gut chopped up and used as mulch at home on the new flower beds.
• I managed to create a bunch of decent apple canes which I can use for my peas, dahlias, whatever next spring.

Apple canes ready for Spring 2015

Also, I enjoyed a visit to the new-ish local garden centre (Löwer).  We were there for a tour from Hrn Löwer where he explained to us all the latest technology used in designing, building and operating his business in Roßdorf.  And we got a little plant to take home at the end.

Plenty of primulas

Nearly finished for winter

Beds ready for frost

The last parts of the beds have now been dug over ready for winter.  Just the dahlias and leeks are left.  And a couple of winter hard herbs.

Herb still in flower

Just in front of the leeks one last flower is on the lavender.

Currant bushes

The currant bushes are also pruned but I still have to chop up the branches.  Maybe in the new mulching machine.  Next weekend I might prune the apple tree.

Cow in allotment

It was probably a cow.  But maybe a pony (http://www.echo-online.de/region/darmstadt-dieburg/muehltal/Entlaufene-Ponys-halten-Polizei-auf-Trab;art1293,5517172#).

There are deep prints about 12 cm across scattered around the lawn and vegetable patch and most of my pile of grass cuttings has disappeared.  A steaming pale brown pile of shit was also in evidence about one cow length from the grass cutting pile ...

Lucky for me that the cow (or whatever it was) that it didn't squash anything.

I am pretty sure I can't blame the voles this time.

Results from EHS SHow

Here's how the prizes went from the show:

Best Root Veg - Richard 

Best Other Veg - Peter 

Best Fruit - Self

Most Attractive Bunch of Flowers - Richard 

Most Unusual / Funniest Shaped Fruit/Veg - John 

Best Junior Exhibit - Myla 

Best Home Made Produce - Sam 

EHS Special Prize (Sun flowers) - Richard 

Helernus Award for Biggest Specimen - Richard 

Best In Show - Peter

And for the first time this year we had the “rode lantaarn prijs” for the most pathetic entry in the EHS Special Prize class.  This was won by Sam for her completely rubbish sunflower.

Thanks to our friends who let us move the show inside out of the lashing rain.

EHS Summer Show 2014 this Sunday

Redacted flyer

It's that time of year again - and this year there is so much to play for.  I have my eye on one or two categories, and the Best in Show prize is definitely worth grabbing.

See you on Sunday.  Don't forget the picnic.

Spot the plasterer

This morning the plasterers were out in force, trying to get things done before their summer break.

Can you spot all five of them?

Getting plastered - hopefully

The final preparations have been made before the exterior plastering can start.  The scaffolding is up, the windows are covered with plastic sheets (it gets pretty stuffy at night) and there is a huge plaster hopper in the drive.

Also, a second high power outlet has been installed in the cellar.  Before I had a bright red 16 amp connection point (why?).  Now I have an additional chunkier looking 32 amp outlet too!

The plasterers should be finished by the end of July - they are off on their holidays then.

Assembly characteristics of cows (and possibly horses)

All cows in prime number groups or alone

After adjusting the moving the cucumbers up on to their new growing frame (our old shoe rack) and taking another crop from the peas, I drove home from the allotment past some cows.  Last week there were horses running about in the field next door.  After watching both I have come up with an observation:

when cows are milling about in a field, if they are not alone, they form in to groups with a prime number of members. It seems to work with horses too. Did you ever see 4 cows in a group in a field?

Die Trauerweide musste weg - demise of a huge weeping willow

After the chunk fell off the tree, it looked pretty bad.  The tree surveyors came on Monday and immediately decided it had to go.  The inside was rotten and a big storm would have knocked it down in any random direction.  Apart from our house being right next door, the other options were all pretty lousy (streets, cars, people, bikes, et c.) with just a narrow wedge of field to aim for.

The roads around were closed on Monday afternoon.  The police were ther along with a colourful assortment of experts, interested parties and hangers-on.  It was an exciting event in the end, albeit a bit sad.

Remainder of willow before felling

No more willow after felling

Only after the tree (around 35 m tall) was down could we see (and smell) inside the trunk.  Then you could really tell that the tree had not been well.

New view to Wilhelm-Leuschner-Straße

I hope we can arrange something suitable to fill in the gap.  Discussions are ongoing.  Appointment at the Town Hall this morning.  Fingers crossed.

Willow tree collapsed and basalt sculpture

On Sunday at 10:10, after a night of heavy rain, a big chunk of the weeping willow next to our house fell off.

Broken branch from Wilhelm Leuchner Strasse

Broken trunk below - rotten trunk above

The experts will take a look this week, but I expect a large part will have to be removed.  What a shame, it was a great tree.

Meanwhile in the field across the road, we strolled up to the basalt statue at the edge of the woods.

It is a remarkable place ... very quiet and with lovely views.

Across the fields 

First pea crop

The first load of peas have been collected.  And eaten.

Peas

It looks like there will shed loads more to come, which is no bad thing.

I also had the first of the physalis; it was on the greener side of orange (sort of vanilla yellow) but it tasted pretty good.

Chickens and peas

Good news from the allotments ... the neighbours have got a few chickens in the corner of their plot. Although they have forgotten the names assigned to the chickens by their daughter, they are giving them plenty of TLC.  I love the clucking and crowing in the background.

Chicken (without specific name)

The pea harvest will be a triumph this year.  There was around 90% germination and no pest damage. Fingers crossed for a corresponding crop.

Peas just after planting and germination

Two rows of peas

The pods still need to thicken a bit

I was lucky enough to catch a few minutes in the tiny courtyard garden of the Landmark Hotel in Guangzhou.
It was a lovely quiet corner away from the city rush.

Courtyard garden at the Landmark Hotel in Guangzhou

On the down-side, the dahlias were a complete wash-out, the competition sunflowers all failed to germinate, only one cosmos survived the slug-fest and the chilis look dismal.  At least the apple looks set to produce plenty of apples this year.

And we have harvested loads of white currants (and some red currants), so we are all set for jam making now.

Kraftanlage für Roßdorf ... noch ein Bild

Die Windräder brauchen wir vielleicht doch nicht.

Hier ein Blick ins Dorf mit einer Wasserkraftanlage installiert.  Die Rodung ist sowieso erledigt ... na dann, los geht's.  Die Baugenehmigung kriegen wir bestimmt später hin.

Wasserkraftanlage Roßdorf - keine Sorge, es ist nur eine Fotomontage (danke Papi, toll gemacht)

Kraftanlage auf dem Tannenkopf

I have been keeping a careful eye on the plans to deploy wind turbines on the Tannenkopf (in the forest at the edge of Roßdorf).

To help keep things in perspective and inspired by what has already been presented to the public, I have carefully prepared a few helpful impressions of what the Tannenkopf could look like ---

• Giant Nuclear Power Plant

The sky is a lovely blue and the steam is blowing away to Dieburg 

• Nuclear Fusion Reactor

Just one space based fusion reactor could supply enough power

• Giant Dog Powered Tread-Mill

We would just need to find a really big dog and then wire up the wheel to the grid

• Magical Alien Power Source

With a little help from our extra-terrestrial friends this could provide plenty of clean cheap power

• View of Tannenkopf from Tuvalu

A view of the Tannekopf power plant from Tuvalu

I look forward to seeing what is in place by the end of 2014.

T + 12 days

Nearly two weeks after the move and there are signs of things getting finished off here and there.

We have unpacked and returned 80% of the house moving boxes.  The tricky ones are saved to last and mainly hidden in the cellar.

Yesterday the handrails for the stairs were fitted so the stairs are basically finished now.

There is still no final front door, but this should come on Thursday next week (...).  Outside there is plenty still to be done but a lot will have to wait until April.  The risk of frost has to be gone so that the exterior plastering can be done; then the drive way and path can be laid, etc.

Today they are smashing down the little trees in the corner of the field just across the stream.  I haven't seen the results yet, but apparently it is quite dramatic.

Just after the removal men had left

T - 2 days ...

As of end of Tuesday (12. Feb) we have:

• some kitchen
• no front door
• no car port
• no driveway
• no front path

There is (as was promised) plenty of activity on site and it is starting to look like we will be able to move in to something habitable on Saturday.


The lobby is nearly done and the kitchen seems to be about half way through.  The stairs are nearly done and the fire is working fine.  We just need some doors in the cellar, the big lights and the bits and bobs listed above.  And the door bells. And the letter box.

Acceptance review for roof (left to right: Site manager, architect, roofer)

Kitchen taking shape

Staircase with steel baluster plates attached (pending hand rails)

Preparation work for front path - pavement and boundary markers removed!

Inner court and stone wall looking down from roof

T - 8 days ...

As of end of Thursday (6. Feb) we have:

• no kitchen
• no front door
• no satellite dish
• no car port
• no driveway
• no front path 

but the sliding doors are done now and the contract has been placed for the driveway, front path, etc.

We still need doors in the cellar and a few other things, but there is progress.  Today the joiners are working on the cloakroom.

Fire place being commissioned yesterday

T - 10 days ...

At the end of Wednesday (5. Feb) we have:

• no kitchen (except the island, which is lined up like a sideboard in two pieces)
• 3 sliding doors still missing on the ground floor and all doors in the cellar are also missing
• no front door
• no satellite dish
• no car port
• no driveway
• no front path

but we do now have:

• the library
• our dressing room
• many window sills
• rack mounted and cabled patch panel

Tomorrow is the official first lighting of the fire, with the architect, fire place builder, us, mulled wine and brownies.

Looking north along the library

East side of library

Rack with patch-panel mounted at the top and router still boxed below

T - 2 weeks ...

Since last week there has been some progress.  Going in to Monday morning (3. Feb) we have:

• no kitchen
• some library
• three doors
• no front door
• no satellite dish
• no patch panel (but we do have a smart rack for the patch panel to sit in)
• no car port
• no driveway
• no front path

...

Also, after a bit of team work for the last few days, we have completed laying the laminate floor in the cellar (3 rooms, hallway and under the stairs; around 85 qm).  No skirting boards, but still it looks pretty good.

Inside the entrance way the joiners have stored stuff where they need to build later

Guest bathroom with Great Wall of Roßdorf through the window

Front steps have been installed - 1 * 1500 kg and 1 * 500 kg

One of the main bathrooms; toilet seat left up, of course

Laminate floor being prepared on new laminate floor in table-tennis room

T - 3 weeks ...

For those of you who enjoy a good panic, we will move in a little under 3 weeks and have:
no kitchen
no library
no doors
no dressing room
no front door
no satellite dish
no patch panel
no car port
no driveway
no front path
...

But the skirting boards are nearly finished upstairs, so we can relax on that front.

T - 5 weeks and counting

We are moving in on 15 February, which is not far away.

Right now we have lovely oak floors on the ground and first floor of the house.

Oak parquet/parkett floor looking from the dining room into the living room

The craftsman laying them worked on his own across the winter break and has done a great job.  The colours don't look very nice on the web ... sorry about that.

We still don't have any bathroom furniture, a kitchen, any doors, a dressing room, any shelves, a front door, etc. but the house was busy today when I popped down.  I will check again tomorrow and see how the tiler, metal worker and fine plasterer are getting on.

We chose the wood for the terrace and balcony today - Siberian larch, which is, according to the source of all wisdom and lies, ideal for velodromes and mine props.