Went to Browns to order the new part for the tractor, costly mistake - £205 + VAT.
Rained all morning.
Showing posts with label English Wine. Show all posts
Showing posts with label English Wine. Show all posts
Tuesday, 1 June 2010
May 31st, 2010
Kids away, nice day so Steph and I went bud rubbing. This is physically the most demanding job in the vineyard year, It involves bending/squatting down to remove all the lower buds and growth from each vine. 5000, squat thrusts - can my thighs take it? We started at the east end with the longest rows and managed 6 rows in total, ~600 vines.
May 30th, 2010
We are rostered to do lunch at the sailing club today. Made a Bolognase as the special and enjoyed the Laser racing.
Decided to go up to the vineyard to make a kerb at the entrance. I drove the tractor up to the vineyard and Steph picked me up so we could get the Landrover. I left the tractor by the gate on the hill.
Horror upon horror - when we returned 20mins later the hand break had slipped and the tractor had rolled down the hill into a tree. The front wheels were pointing in different directions and the Steering leaver is broken. Too stressed to take a picture. We managed to jack up the front of the tractor, straighten the wheels and Steph reversed it to the top of the hill. I had to steer the offside wheel by hand. I was absolutely devastated. My No1 Industrial accident fear involves handbreakes and gates, luckily no one was hurt and I am sure that the tractor can be fixed - its just gonna cost...
Funnily enough the same thing happened to George in exactly the same position a few years ago. Th tractor hit the same spot on the same tree - spooky!
www.chafor.co.uk
info@chafor.co.uk
Decided to go up to the vineyard to make a kerb at the entrance. I drove the tractor up to the vineyard and Steph picked me up so we could get the Landrover. I left the tractor by the gate on the hill.
Horror upon horror - when we returned 20mins later the hand break had slipped and the tractor had rolled down the hill into a tree. The front wheels were pointing in different directions and the Steering leaver is broken. Too stressed to take a picture. We managed to jack up the front of the tractor, straighten the wheels and Steph reversed it to the top of the hill. I had to steer the offside wheel by hand. I was absolutely devastated. My No1 Industrial accident fear involves handbreakes and gates, luckily no one was hurt and I am sure that the tractor can be fixed - its just gonna cost...
Funnily enough the same thing happened to George in exactly the same position a few years ago. Th tractor hit the same spot on the same tree - spooky!
www.chafor.co.uk
info@chafor.co.uk
May 28th, 2010
School inset day. Took the kids to the park to play, but managed to start reassembling the trailer. The new Suspension/axle units look fantastic and for the first time the wheels are straight.
www.chafor.co.uk
info@chafor.co.uk
www.chafor.co.uk
info@chafor.co.uk
May 27th, 2010
Weeded the veg patch. Again not a job that I like, but one that is well worth it and I always feel a lot better for doing it.
Welded the Cement mixer toplink back together. I hope it is strong enough. Spent 2-3 hours trying to attach the drum of the cement mixer to its frame. Should have done this as soon as I brought it home last year. Rust as ever is the problem. Eventually managed it, but would not like to disassemble it again. The new top link works - yet to fill with a heavy mix.
May 26th, 2010
Sprayed broad beans as they are showing damage from "pea and bean weevil". Rain over night.
Noticed that the grass seed that I planted weeks ago is doing best in the crack caused by the dry weather.
Did a modification to the cultivator today. Using large hinges welded to the back frame I was able to attach some spring tines that will act as a rake and leveler. The hope is that it will turn over any weeks pulled out by the large tines and level the ground. We will see..
May 25th, 2010
A job I dread - earthing up potatoes. It must be done and today is the day to do it. Nearly 300m in total. All I can say is job done and I am absolutely Kna****ed. It will be worth it when I make my first batch of lovely crispy chips in a few months time.
May 24th 2010
I know that I have lots of other jobs to do, but so many involve the trailer so I decided to take it apart to get at the suspension/axle units. It was so hot that the metal tools were too hot to pick up after 20 mins in the sun. It was easier than I expected to remove the units, but it still took most of the morning. Ordered the parts from Bustings at Bicester
Contractors came to mow the grass for silage.
Lost 2-1 at football.
May 21st, 2010
Bent the toplink for the Cement mixer. It needs grinding and re welding.
Good job that I have been practicing my welding!
Did some mowing, first pass through the rows that I intend to manage by cutting the weeds on a regular basis.
Clive did a thorough service on the landrover and replaced a Universal Joint that had siezed up.
Hot again today.
http://www.chafor.co.uk/
info@chafor.co.uk
May 20th, 2010
Moving all equipment to a new area behind the game cover. It will be better hidden. It is a long job - much longer than you would think as there is lots of tinkering, in and out of the tractor, tractor repositioning greasing etc. I am much better at it now than 6 months ago, but still along way to go. It is also a very dangerous job as the implements are heavy - very heavy in the case of the post basher and the 3pt linkage will not stop if a finger, hand, arm or any part of the body is in the way... I am so paranoid about the post basher falling over that I use wires to tie it to a large fencing post.
Bent the suspension units on the trailer - they have been on their way out all winter.
http://www.chafor.co.uk/
info@chafor.co.uk
Bent the suspension units on the trailer - they have been on their way out all winter.
http://www.chafor.co.uk/
info@chafor.co.uk
May 15th, 2010
Nipped to Birmingham to buy some picnic tables. Got back about 3ish to play cricket. 2 run out and 4-14. Won easy vs Preston Capes
Friday, 14 May 2010
May 11th, 2010
Disaster, Disaster, Disaster
We have been frosted. ~80% of the vines have frost damage.
Spoke with John the Agronomist and he has reassured me that the plants should be OK and they will produce secondary buds. Heart beating. It looks like the damage is restricted to the growth in the tubes. I guess that the cold air sunk and could not escape. They look like they have been in a freezer over night. if you roll the leaves between your fingers they turn to dust.
To take my mind off the doom I re set the tines on the cultivator to give a more open even pattern.
www.chafor.co.uk
May 10th, 2010
We had another frost this morning.
It must be doing some damage....
Continued with track. While we waited for a load of stone Eddy did some more ditching and dug a test pit by the vineyard. I wanted to see what we had below ground.
It was dug just to the east of the vineyard in the area that we intend to plant next year.
The profile of the soil is
Top soil, Hoggin, Clay and Chalk, Hoggin, Pure Sand
Some big pieces of flint and limestone. And no water to a depth of several meters.
We also finished the patio area under the Ash tree.
May 7th, 2010
Carried on with the track
Eddy and I made a french drain at the top of the track near the gate to catch any water running down the hill and from the road.
All going well until the young tractor driver sent to move all the spoil got the tractor and full trailer stuck up to its axle. Pictures say it all!
It took 2hrs to get it out using the 360. Made quite a mess.
By the end of the day we were nearly finished. Eddy back on Monday.
Sunday, 9 May 2010
May 5th, 2010
Eddy arrived with a big 13 tonne JCB 360. The plan is to spend 1/2 day digging out and then 1 day building the track. I spoke with Ardley quarry and have a lorry on return for about 100 tonnes of white limestone.
Before starting work on the track we decided to clean the ditch out that runs along side it. This also involved removing two trees that fell in years ago. One was an enormous willow. As you can see it was no mach for the JCB. The tree was literally ripped out the ground by the powerful arm.
Guess what - we are behind schedule. Stone starts arriving at 8am tomorrow and we have only dug out a small section though I am pleased as in the long run cleaning out the ditches will be beneficial to the drainage and I would not want to do it on a new track.
Went to pick Andrew up from Beavers. Finmere were playing Hinton in the Hedges in the evening league with 9 men. Rushed home to get my kit. got back in time to bat, went in no 10, faced 2 balls and 2 not out. Had 2 overs 2-7, game abandoned due to bad light.
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