I have come into the Utility room the past two mornings to find 4 or 5 Wasps trying to get out of the shut window. Opening the window involves standing on a chair, climbing onto the counter opening the window, and then in reverse a few moments later. Not very safe . . . The bottom of the wall above the window aperture (where two pipes go across) has never been covered over, hence the wasps can come down. So I had to ask neighbour Ed if he could come and box it in for me, which he did very efficiently with wood, sealed round with cob (he has been making a new shed with cob floor and walls. He loves working with clay.) I am now baking him a nice crusty loaf, as he said he would prefer that to cake. Nothing simpler - bring ingredients to dough in bread mixer, then chuck into oven. Yummy.
Pippi has been keeping me company on the sofa, as though cooler, still hot for cats in fur coats. I am desperate NOT to touch the horse fly bites on my back as they are driving me crazy. It had a blardy good meal from me, that's for certain! A female one as they can't breed without blood . . . human blood or horse, it matters not!
The Valley of Ravens has been finished and sent on to my friend Gay, who will devour it as quickly as I did, I am sure. My friend Pam had never read any of Barbara Erskine's books, so I sent her home with Lady of Hay and the Dream Weavers. My good deed for the day. I am reading The Plague Maiden by Kate Ellis now,
Podcasts this week - part 1 of A Murderous Affair: Death at Mayerling, will do part 2 today. Part of a Dark Wales Tours podcast about the Haunting of Plas Mawr - not very impressed. Something from In Our Time - that made a lasting impression, clearly! I was trying to get part 2 of Mayerling on the way back from the Fair on Saturday but it hadn't loaded.
Now trying to get baked on jam off the bottom of my maslin pan. Apparently baking soda and water, simmered for 10 mins, does the trick . . . and indeed it has.
I rem reading Lady of Hay and being horrified by the cruelty. I do enjoy Kate Ellis series. Do you read Rhys Dylan's crime procedurals? The one story line seems to be in your area of Wales. I always love books w local to me [you] settings....
ReplyDeletedon't know what cob is or how he fixed your window! We need a pic. Your breadmaking has me seriously considering a breadmaker this winter--tho I do not need the carb calories, I guess.
Horrible about the insect bites! I can nevr not scratch, so allegic, even to tiny gnat bites. Would a deep coolish bath w oatmeal soak or epsom salts help?
Dear Pippi. The bench looks cool if not cofy.
It was brutal then, that's for sure. de Braose was not the sort of chap you would want in your social circle . . .
DeleteAh, cob is basically clay which is mixed with straw and you can make a house wall from it - rather like an adobe one I think. It hardens and dries and is very warm. He daubed the plank with it, and into the corners where there were big gaps where the wasps could get in, so it's sealed tightly now. I will try and get a picture but the reflection against the window glass is against me. I will see if I can put my make up mirror beneath it . . .
A good breadmaker is worth having, because you control what goes into your food. You can slice the cooked bread and freeze it and just have a slice now and then. I make crusty in-the-oven loaves which are delicious - too delicious!! Not sure if Epsom Salts or oatmeal would help these bites. First off anything hot sends them bananas (a bag of frozen peas is wonderful though). The horse fly injects you with something to stop the blood coagulating so they can lap it up. This produces your body to create a huge dump of histamine to the bite. An antihistamine helps to a degree, and I've just read that Sudocrem will help, so off to put some of that on.
Pippi is the queen of cool . . .
No, I thought a cool or tepid soak bath that would draw out the ''poison''. No need to do a pic if it's hard, was just trying to imagine the room space.
DeleteRoom space I can do . . . Will take a photo later.
DeleteI have to stand on the base of the sink cupboard to be able to reach the window handle to open it. My itchy bites have subsided a lot with the help of E45 Itch Relief Gel which I keep in the fridge. Miss Sheva is under our bed having got in as I'd opened it to put bed linen away. We've done a tip run to get rid of tatty bookcase and a printer which spat ink out everywhere. I found copies of Katherine Wenworth and Katherine's Marriage by D E Stevenson, so thought I would read them for old times sake, wonder if they will be very stuck in their time. Xx
ReplyDeleteI must seek some of that out, although I found that a suggestion that Sudocrem helps and I can verify it does. Bites instantly stopped itching and the Sudocrem lessens chance of infection. Of course, these bites are around shoulder area of back and difficult to reach. Two new lesser bites from yesterday, when I wore a skirt again (don't ask where the 2nd one is!!) Enjoy your refound books.
Deleteugh horse bite flies here really hurt. Sounds like Ed is a great neighbour and hope you got rid of those wasps, have a nice week.
ReplyDeleteEd is a very kind and considerate neighbour. Wasps are now back in their chosen space. As they never return, and it is very nearly the end of the waspy season, hopefully I don't have to put up with them too long. Horse fly bites are the only ones I am NEVER tempted to scratch!
DeleteI’ve never listened to any pod casts, not something floated by boat. My wife has been bitten by something in the garden and the are sending her mad allI had were some mozzy bights
ReplyDeleteThere are all sorts of categories - I use Spotify. I love to learn something new every day.
DeleteSorry your wife got bitten. I shan't miss them when they aren't about! I find After Bite helps but not so much for horse fly bites.
Black and white 'tuxedo cats' are always elegant. Lovely Pippi! I am battling wasps [although I prefer the term 'hornets'] at the hummingbird feeders and at the top of the back porch posts, too near my clothes line. Ants also slurping in the hummers' sugar syrup--I rush the empty feeders to the kitchen sink, turning on the hot tap to drown the ants; a few always crawl onto my hands, Aarrgh! Are these insects of any beneficial use?
ReplyDeleteShe must have been cool in the night as she snuggled up close to me in bed. (Well I was in bed, she was on it. Hornets here are half the length of your thumb and stocky. They make wasps look pathetic by comparison. I don't mind the wasps at roof height, but NOT in the house, thank you.
DeleteSorry you are having other hangers on enjoying your hummingbird feeders, though who can blame them? I think ants and horse flies have been put here just to annoy us . . .
You are so fortunate in your neighbour, Ed...what a good, kind soul, it makes me heart glad to hear that people still help each other. I remember getting a horse-fly stuck inside my riding boot as a child, I had bites all up and down my leg..it was horrible. My mum plastered me in calamine lotion but I don't know that it helped. Pippi looks like a grown-up cat now! xo ~ melanie
ReplyDeleteHe's a good chap. Well brought up and considerate and helpful. He gives me cucumbers and courgettes too, organically grown by him.
DeleteOuch to the horse fly in your boot. I was staying at Salisbury Racecourse for Pony Club camp one year. Several of us in the dorms there. Turns out they had bed bugs and my legs were bitten to pieces. I had to turn out in my rubber riding boots and full riding kit every day to instruct. It was about 30 deg. and I was having 3 cold showers a day and trying not to rip my legs to bits, so I can sympathise.
Pippi properly grown up and a Proper Hunter too.
One benefit of moving to the village - very few flies, no water so no mozzies, just wasps and they prefer the fruit in the garden so mainly keep out of the house.
ReplyDeleteI've got birds at my orchard fruit (apples). Not very happy as I was hoping to have plenty to eat myself. Wish I had your few flies, there have been plenty this summer.
DeleteThat sounds like a very good bartering of skills. A loaf for a boxing in session, I know Alan would be thrilled with that for a swap. We have both decided that we will be investing in a bread maker once we move into the bungalow, I want to get away from all the additives that are in bread. Like you I will probably let the machine do all the work and then remove the dough to form into various shapes.
ReplyDeleteI am so glad that I seem to be away from horse fly territory at the moment. My arms used to be a horrible mess of bites in the Summer. Sudocrem does indeed help the itching, I used to share a pot with Suky every Summer ... she needed it for her Pug wrinkles when they got hot and sweaty.
I certainly got value for money, even including a pot of home made jam in the bartering. I can recommend a bread maker. Mine is a Panasonic and they are really good.
DeleteThe Sudocrem stopped the itching almost instantly. I was amazed (and relieved).
Thanks for room pics. Your home is so beautiful and textural, tho I do hope the wasps are blocked out now.
ReplyDeleteI have forgotten sice when you moved, How old is the main portion of your house?
Sad to see green lush Wales so brown. I hope the harvest was early and successful.
We gathered berries like that on the field edges where I lived when I was very small. My mom made lovely pies or jam.
Wasps now staying inside the wall cavity. This house is around 1800 I think. Originally there was a much older house, "the old mansion", and this was the stables and carriage house for it. Then the "old mansion" was demolished and is, I believe, under what I call the Bank. The grooms lived up aboe the stables here and we have a double glazed "door to nowhere" which connected with a wooden bridge to the garden outside, where the grooms would enter the house as no staircase downstairs.
ReplyDeleteWales will be lush and green again once we get some decent rain. Glad I brought back your blackberry picking memories.