Category Archives: home

The Secret Life of the Compost Heap VIIII

Blasdale Home Posted on by

It has been a while since I posted a Secret Life of the Compost Heap video. The foxes and badgers are still about, coming and going along their garden tracks to the compost heap and beyond. This video shows the compost heap from two angles and one of the tracks on the way to the rabbit warren. The camera is now set for night time shooting only. During the day we would have hours of rabbits cavorting in the grass. As it is there is much-discarded footage of Oryctolagus cuniculus on the editing room floor.

There are now many live streaming youtube channels. For those who love their Vulpes vulpes and Meles meles, take a look at this Danish channel https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQZILMyW88o During the day is the gentle sound of running water and bird song. Very relaxing!

Perhaps more exciting is the Live Feed of the Iceland Volcano Eruption near Reykjavik

Changing the Tails

Blasdale Home Posted on by

We are having some electrical work performed in the house. New lights for the kitchen, along with a flat ceiling. At the same time we decided to have our power supply increased from 80amps to 100 amps.

This involves:

  • changing the main fuse
  • Updating the distribution box, we need an extra circuit breaker, and of course, you can’t purchase circuit breakers for the 30-year-old distribution box.
  • Changing the meter tails from 16mm to 25 mm. Why are they called tails?
  • Coordinating the electrician with the builder, so we don’t have holes in the lath and plaster ceiling for too long. Actually, this should be easy, as have worked on projects together for us.

So I messaged UK Power Networks, to change the fuse. They said I would need to get my supplier to change the tails first. Contacted Bulb, and they had Siemens come over to change the tails. The ideal chap, he could stand and work on the tails at over 7 feet up, without a ladder, steps or even a light.

Now I am waiting for UK Power Networks to come over and change the fuse, they do appear to have gone rather silent.

Lockdown Birds

Blasdale Home Posted on by

Sitting at home, outside, drinking our G&Ts, you must have your camera at the ready. There is the Heron visiting our neighbours’ pond. There it is sitting looking ungainly at the top of a tree. The greenfinches, constantly fighting, and the young bird being looked after by its parents. All of this in view while you are sipping your Gin and Tonic.

Heron
Heron
Young Greenfinch
Greenfinch on the feeder
King of the castle
Greenfinch
Heron

Experimenting with the Moon

Blasdale Home Posted on by

From the 25th April to the 6th Of May I took several pictures of the moon. On the 6th of May, there was a full moon, indeed a supermoon. The May full moon is 2020’s third and final full supermoon, and it’s also the third-closest, third-biggest and third-brightest full moon of 2020. All photographs were taken on a tripod, with a 2-second delay for the shutter. The exposure time was around 1/80 of second at f16 ish