A warm welcome to all my visitors,

Thank you for taking the time to come and look at my blog, I really do appreciate it. I would love you to leave me a comment, even if it’s just to say Hi. It means I can come visit you!

All my designs are original, so copyrighted to me. If I have been inspired by someone elses work, I have named them in the post, and where able, I have provided a link.

Please feel free to use my designs for inspiration, I just ask you to credit me, and provide a link back to my blog.

Thanks, Shaz XX

Wednesday 21 April 2021

WOYWW 620 - Jungle, what Jungle ?

 Well its that time of the week again, and boy do I ache, so what have I been upto this week, well pretty much more of the same, I have been taming the wildlife garden over the weekend (not really, I have been beating the overgrown jungle into submission) and also I have been doing some more practice with the engraving and well work.

So for my desk this week, will be just that . the 



So For those curious, we have an old router , a cisco switch, a mini patch panel, a cable tester, a toner/probe, a cable map tester, continuity tester and you can also see both cameras in the shot, the overhead one and the one I address the students with when I am demoing/teaching at this desk.

So the garden

Shaz will be laughing at this because she knows what i say when it comes to gardening, the tedious side like weeding I really don't enjoy.

Does anyone enjoy weeding? is that a thing?

I digress again,  the standard joke is that "I don't do dirt"
I dislike having dirty fingernails or getting bitten by mozzies (don't see the appeal to it) don't get me wrong I am more than capable of it , I just wouldn't choose to do it as a job, or hobby, etc.


So let me remind you of what the 150ft garden looks at the bottom of it, this is the same picture as I shared last week.


Now, I work at a desk all day, I drive everywhere and the heaviest thing I lift is shopping bags, and yes I bend my knees, you only have one back.

So when I started this two weekends back, I sort of had an idea of what the outcome should be.

But!

My life!!!

Am I sore this week, the journey is one born out of  blood sweat and tears, but it is also very much a labour of love and apologies...

The latter due to some of the plants Sharon wanted to keep are just not possible. 

I did move a variegated holly bush and cut right down some climbing roses that may come back. 
But the rather large elder was far too far gone (back left of the original picture), as was a rather spindly magnolia that was more dead than alive (not really visible right in the original image picture. 



These will simply be replaced at some point, I need to draw up a plan and map stuff out, but essentially a summer house will be at the bottom and a low maintenance memorial garden in front of it.



So this weekend coming will be removing the rubbish, taking stock of the condition of the fence, and replace panels if needed, remove the ivy from it and maybe make a start on treating it then draw up a plan as I will have a blank canvas.


To give you context as to the length of the garden those steps you see next to the shed and the tarpaulin sheet protecting the cement mixer, that is roughly the midpoint, so to run power down to the summer house wont be cheap either.


The shed will of course go as the tools will go into the summer house as I will partition it off.


As for the engraving, well that is getting there too, I resorted to using a head mounted magnifier to bring me a little closer to the work piece which really helps
Oh and I get my first jab this friday lunch time, better late than never right? 
anyway...

So thats my desk and garden for this week, head over to our Julia's Stamping ground and share what you may have been working on.  


Cheeky picture of Shaz and I waiting t see Guns N' Roses




That just leaves the and finally...



16 comments:

Twiglet said...

What a garden project you have tackled there Doug. It always sounds a lot easier when you say it, to when you actually start grafting! BUT it will be a wonderful spot to create your special place. xx Jo

Mary Anne said...

Lovely to see the garden coming on! And always nice to see you here too. Might need to pass the desk photo past the Hubster for further explanation. Not today - he's annoyed with me already for making him sort out Apple TV so I can watch Ted Lasso :D
Sidetracked momentarily by a new project but determined to visit ALL today! :D
Mary Anne (1)

Lunch Lady Jan said...

Gordon enjoyed looking at your first pic! He did some soldering recently to fix a light in our bathroom cabinet, the first he’d done for ages and he really enjoyed himself! I bet you’re a great teacher, you have a way of explaining things well. Good luck with the garden, I don’t enjoy heavy work like that but I love getting my hands dirty, lol! You’re doing a grand job - also with the engraving, that’s a good skill to have.
HUgs LLJ 6 xxx

Annie said...

I spent my morning making two very special Memory bears and now have time to catch up on a few of my favourite blogs.
I’m so thrilled to see your garden progressing...it’s a wonderful way of working through your grief and it will look amazing when you’ve finished.
Hugs,
Annie x #9

Lisa-Jane said...

Had to give a wry smile at the USB! We're the same with a long garden and the thought of channeling power makes my left eye twitch. With the shed gone though it will open it all right up and be really inviting to wander down to the end. Stay safe and keep smiling, Lisa-Jane #5

Zsuzsa Karoly-Smith said...

Oh yeah, the USB thing - it's not just me then! I used to like Guns 'n Roses in my wilder years. Never saw them live though. Lovely to see another photo of Shaz! She's truly still with us through you Doug! Take care xx

Diana Taylor said...

You are doing a wonderful job on the garden and I hope you are getting a wonderful sense of satisfaction and achievement when you look back at the 'before' photo! Being married to an electronics engineer my dining room table has often looked like your first photo - I have no idea what it all means but I think I recognise some of the kit. I love the photo of you and Shaz, and love the 'and finally' too.
Have a good week and take care,
Diana x #16

Neet said...

Am sure the work in the garden will help you. What a lovely end goal you have in sight so the aches and pains will be well worth it when you sit and survey the memorial garden.
I did have a problem with the desk picture however, you talk a language I have not a clue about underneath it so it meant very little to me, sorry. I'll stick to stamping.
Hugs, Neet 7 xx

Helen said...

Just think of the end picture... it will be worth it.. it's always good to see a different desk, even if like Neet none of it makes much sense to me! Great news re the jab!! Helen #4

Sarah Brennan said...

Having been tackling a similar project over the last couple of weekends I really don't envy your garden project Doug. I am 100% with you on thee dirty nails front although paint and ink don't bother me lol. Glad to hear you are getting your jab. STay safe and happy WOYWW. Sarah #2

Felix the Crafty Cat said...

I love having a nice garden but don't enjoy the weeding and stuff, I find that the wood chip helps a bit. You take care and have a very happy creative woyww, Angela x12x

Lynn Holland said...

I’m with you on the garden project Doug, that’s what we’ve been doing. I’m not a gardener, I just like it to look nice. I fiff and faff around making interesting corners while the wandering welder does all the donkey work. After a year of doing nothing we’ve got our backsides not gear and have made a big difference in a short time. This weeks job is finishing the pond. We moved it as people came falling in it haha.
I’d be like a magpie on that desk of yours, it’s fascinating.
Have a good week.
Lynn xx 19

Shoshi said...

Love to see your techy desk, Doug, even if I don't understand half of it! It looks fascinating, and I like the mat or cover you've got on it, too. It's extremely professional and amazing. Well done with the garden. Here, it's my hubby's territory - I simply don't have the strength or balance or energy to garden any more, and my sole input is "professional advisor" (or in plain English, bossing my hubby about lol!). I potter out with my scissors to clip bits of herbs for the cooking, and I take photos, and that's about it! I used to love gardening when I had my own little mid-terrace cottage before we were married, and grew veggies, including the most super-whopping potatoes you've ever seen in your life.

It's great at this time of year, seeing all the WOYWW-ers getting out into their gardens and sharing their efforts!

The engraving is definitely coming on well. I recently invested in an illuminated head magnifier with interchangeable magnifying lenses and it's fantastic - I used it all the time for my "tiny carpets" project a few months ago - scroll back through my blog and you'll see it. Very handy.

Happy belated WOYWW,
Shoshi x #20

Shaz in Oz.CalligraphyCards said...

Dear Doug, I didn't WOYWW this week but blogged yesterday or your today still as write this. Am rrally impressed by your success thus far in taming the garden and "doing dirt". The fingernail bit is what I hate, I call myself a muddle gardener, but like my craft, just muddle through.
Yes agree the magnifyer has helped! And lovely photo too at Guns n Roses.
And pray no side affects that have heard others have with jab.
Thanks for sharing, and may God bless and keep you safe and well.
Prayer hugs, Shaz in Oz. X

{Wonderful Words of Life - Shaz in Oz}
{Calligraphy Cards - Shaz in Oz}

Susan Renshaw said...

Good luck with all that gardening!
How did the jab go?
Susan #14

Doug Brooks said...

After the jab yesterday I went straight to do some shopping figuring if I am rough for a few days at least I wont starve, this morning I ached, It could be because I spent the yesterday afternoon yesterday ripping ivy down of the fences, its weird as I felt hung over, almost like a headache without the head aching, more sort of foggy if that makes sense. So I did a full english breakfast when I dragged myself out of bed as a hublet has got to eat.
Today has been spent sat in front of the TV catching up on shows, hopefully I will be back in the garden tomorrow clearing the rubbish.

An End of an era

An end of an era

I write this with a broken heart, that only time can heal My beautiful, wonderful wifelet Shaz (Silverwolf) passed away peacefully in the ea...