mastodon 4.7.2Scottish dry stone waller. I have worked with and loved stone for 40+ years. Now volunteer at Nenthead Mines Conservation Society. Working on surface structures and underground.
Pets are 2 rabbits, 2 cats.
Now 'retired' and living in Harwood, Upper Teesdale.
I got back to the job this morning to find both my A-frames that I use to guide the shape of the wall scattered about the hillside. One was right down at the foot of the bank.
First thought was "kids!" Then I saw this lot. They have that 'who, me?' innocent look that means they're guilty as hell. #SheepOfMastodon #Farming
Some of you have said you like to see my progress on this challenging wall.
I feel like I'm getting nowhere at times but I am meeting the existing wall at the top now. Once it's all up to the correct height I can put on the cope stones. Until then it's a bit uneven on top.
I have started having to visit a pile of boulders about 50m away, breaking them for infill. Farmer came and took away another dead ewe, so I mentioned how tight the amount of stone is. Getting extra up to here is tricky.
How it started and how it's going. I let the farmer know that his cattle had a habit of chewing on bits of wood in the pile behind the byre. The wood is old, much of it soaked in creosote and full of nails and other bits of metal. Not the best diet for a cow.
It may be coincidence but Cal turned up first thing and moved them along and into a field across the road. It may be that they're just being moved to new pasture.
Saw a largish bird through the window so went outside. Three Short Eared owls flying over the house and garden. Maybe a pair and a juvenile? It's dusk so difficult to make out.
One of them had a good close hover and look at the end of the Catio, which got the cats inside excited.
Finally. Almost. Close enough. #TinyBalancingSheep
Happy easter from Mopsy, who is looking a bit grumpy and may get on the lawn before it rains which will make her happy. #rabbit #EasterBunny
Behold the vast empty wastes of the Tesco car park. It's why I park here, when in Catterick Garrison. To have space to get in and open doors easily.
Except this one that works at Domino's Pizza and is so frail he can't walk the extra 6ft. Eat some pizza!
I'm just back from my first visit to Holwick to do bird surveys for the RSPB. Glorious day for it.
There were many wading birds, saw all the target species, including black grouse. The real highlight was a pair of Ring Ouzel among the rocks of Holwick Scar. #Birds #NPennines #Teesdale
Spring Gentian flowers, rare in the UK but locally abundant on this slope in Harwood, Upper Teesdale. They are also to be seen on the better known Widdybank Fell near Cow Green reservoir, where they grow near a public footpath.
Part of the Teesdale Assemblage, a group of rare species for which Upper Teesdale is famous. #Flora #Bloomscrolling
Yesterday I was at Beck Foot farm down the road from my house. In the foreground there are the remains of concrete pillars that once supported an aerial ropeway.
It ran several miles from the top of the hill, left of one of the houses in the distance, then behind me to the road at Langdon Beck. It carried Baryte from Cow Green mine.
It all looks peaceful now, with curlew and Lapwing calling but long ago was populated and industrial, with at least three large lead and other mineral mines.
"that rabbit can't be comfy out there behind the bins."
"zzzzzzzz"
#Caturday
I'm still monitoring the Lapwing breeding in the field across the road. Except they're not all across the road now.
One family has crossed the road into the field beside the house. Really difficult to see them among the rushes but I could see 3 quite large chicks. Two Lapwing chasing a pheasant out of the area.
Also 3 large chicks in front of the house. 2 smaller chicks (were 4) further in the field. I count 8 chicks in total today, may be more, difficult to count them now. #Birds
"When planting out rabbits in the spring, choose a sunny spot in the border and water sparingly."
You've read that in a Monty Don voice, haven't you? #rabbit #PetsOfMastodon
Saturday night musings while not watching TV and also thinking about climate. Eve and I really want a house of our own, we rent from a very large rural estate that likes long term tenants.
It's cool up here, in both senses of the word! Eve likes Shropshire, Wales, somewhere south. I think we ought to stay at altitude (currently 1400ft, maybe go down a little) around this area.
What do you all think would be best place in UK to be? #Climate
Alston Young Archaeologists Club visited the Sandford Barrows site by the A66 near Warcop. This is managed by Oxford Cotswolds Archaeology as part of the A66 widening project.
There are 3 barrows here, with this one being studied before it is all lost under a new dual carriageway. We were shown a piece of 'Peterborough ware' pottery that was found, along with a piece of polished axe material originally from Langdale, found on site. #Cumbria #Archaeology
Eve was at her monthly textile group in Alston so I headed to Nenthead Mines to kill a couple of hours. I met up with other volunteers and we went into Rampgill level for a wander, as I had not been in there.
After a few hundred yards we came to the brewery shaft which is 328ft deep. Then carried on into Scaleburn level, through water up to halfway up wellies. Some parts had to be accessed on hands and knees because of previous roof fall. #mining #Cumbria #NPennines
Late night musings on my trip into Rampgill mine on Sunday. This old Whimsy, about a mile underground, looks like a prop from a 70's Sci-fi movie, If you squint.
Don't look into any strange lumps laid out on the floor.
#Alien
I'm pleased to say that I've been appointed a volunteer 'Champion' for the stretch of the Pennine Way between Cauldron Snout and High Cup Nick.
This is a 15.9km section and rises to 568m asl at highest point. I've to walk the route several times a year, noting any repairs needed to gates, stiles, other infrastructure.
I've to go out with North Pennines National Landscape staff to learn what to look out for on a first visit, then on my own. I already do work with them, looking forward to it!
Photo from Monday, I've rebuilt most of this. Interesting day yesterday, met a couple who moved to Nenthead recently.
They've cut down a beech tree and some conifer and are looking to trade the wood. I've agreed to do some dry stone walling and to try to teach the husband some of the skills.
Further, they've got a lead mine level on their land, which they knew very little about. It looks like it's possible to go in and explore it.
The boundary wall between my neighbour, Marshes Gill, and the open fell is in a poor state. There are several areas of damage similar to this.
It's not pretty but what I've done might save it from collapse for a while. I even managed to replace a throughstone without knocking out the other side.
It's like playing Jenga with stones but in reverse.
Before and after.
Instant Karma in Hexham. Customer in front of me in Tesco left his card in the reader.
As I ran through the car park to catch him, a lady in the queue handed my wife a tesco discount voucher for £8.
Around midnight last night there was a dusting of snow. It's gone this morning of course.
This morning, I watched a female Lapwing approach to within 2 metres of the kitchen window at the back of the house. It poked in the soil and gobbled up a large worm.
The land here gets nothing in the way of pesticides and only cattle manure for fertiliser, nothing artificial. You don't have to dig deep to find a multitude of invertebrates. #Teesdale #SemiAlpine
Went to a really interesting talk at the Nook cafe at Epiacum roman fort last night. A small business in Appleby run by an artist makes pigment and paint from local minerals, among other things.
Mark Hilsden of the Colour Makers House was the speaker and pigment maker. Great speaker, interesting subject, he was well received by the small audience. He also offers courses in pigment and paint making. I plan to book a half or full day to learn more.
In line with many councils, Durham brought in a new recycling policy this week, including not needing a separate container for glass, it all goes in the blue bin.
However, buried in the small print of an online notice about this, the council said they would remove any containers used for glass recycling if left out with glass in.
That was a very strong plastic box, great for storage of anything, not a Durham Council box. Same happened to many people. We didn't know and want our box back!
@withaveeay@mastodon.scot is everything tied down up there? Fairly normal north pennines wind and rain here. #StormDave