Crayfish in the Wey and bread ovens

Today I enjoyed a belated birthday present seashore foraging in Charmouth in an event run be River Cottage (Yes, I did see Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall). Now I am not going to tell you about the day apart from to say it was good and you should go, but I did learn a few useful, but almost totally unrelated things;
1. how to build a pizza oven - so maybe we can have one on Heron Wey.
2. Signal Crayfish (the American pests) are very common in the Wey around Guildford. These burrow into river banks and undermine them and also cause the loss of our native crayfish. They are however good eating - so are there any around our bit of the Wey at HW? As an experiment, if I remember, I am going to take some bacon and string and a shrimp net on Saturday and see if I catch anything. I will also need to know if a license is necessary because if there are crayfish there it would be good to catch loads and have regular crayfish feasts - for the good of the environment, you understand.

Water, water everywhere....

At last, at last we have a borehole. Cheers all round. At last, at last I have had answers to my many emails about how to put water into our pipes without the need to completely recreate the system. And it is as I thought - we can put water from the borehole into our existing pipes providing the mains water is no longer going into the same pipes - so we need to separate them.

So we have a borehole producing water. The water needs to be analysed to make sure it is both potable and palatable and the filters calibrated to deal with anything that should be removed. The pipework needs to be separated into two systems so we need to work out where to do that. The borehole needs to be connected up. As the camping season is now on us it is going to be September before we connect it just in case there is a problem but I can now say that the end is in sight for the lack of water on Herons Wey - until we build the new toilet blocks and use lots more.

Picture of the drilling rig is attached - it is difficult to photograph a borehole so this will have to do.

After the weekend away - Air and Share

Having come back from a weekend away in France, my mind returns to Guiding and particularly what I have to write for Air and Share and the Charity Commission returns. I have been thinking about Air and Share. I think it is mostly read by Leaders although I do recognise that some parents rather enjoy it too. So maybe we should make it clearly for Leaders. For example, lots of Counties (who have far less glossy ones than we do) put their awards in their publication; licenses gained, ALQs completed and that sort of thing. Also several people have bemoaned the lack of a training card - so why not publicise trainings and events?

Then - do you know what the results of the Census were?
Would you like to know what came out of the Herons Wey toilet review - or how much we have raised towards the borehole (so it is a borehole then??) and new toilet blocks (so it is several is it??).
Maybe we ought to put something in about the advisers....
It is all work in progress - what do you think?

Looking forward to a quiet weekend - away

On Friday I am going with my family to stay with my sister in her French house. Before I go I have a training course to run - joint UK/US so timed 12 noon to 8pm although with driving we are really talking 10am to 10pm as it is in Cambridge. Then I have a Commonwealth badge to test on Thursday and it is off to France on Friday. Therefore, it was important to get the agenda and noted for the County Exec ready asap to give people time to read them and think about them. Well, I did it yesterday and I feel really relieved. I am trying to be very orderly about managing my time and for the moment it seems to be working. This involves not doing things today unless it is essential but allocating tasks to a date in the future. Each day has enough activity for that day and no more - if someone wants to add something then it is deferred to the next available day unless essential in which case something else is deferred. I hope you are keeping up with this explanation! I find it particularly useful if required to make phone calls which I will avoid at all costs unless forced.

If you are reading this blog would you mind leaving a comment? Even just to say that you look at it from time to time. I know people do look at it as they tell me but I have no idea who the rest are. Also someone asked me about Twitter - I don't know about it so it worth finding out abut?

A few things ticked off the list

This is what I have done since my last message (not an exhaustive list, of course):
1 Bought sister a birthday present (Umbrella)
2 Threatened to sack the drilling man if things didn't happen; spoke to geologist to say I want the original specification and wouldn't consider anything else if it cost more; asked the surveyor to engage the trenching people, plumber and electrician. So far the borehole has started to be dug - down 5.5 metres so far apparently.
3 Phoned stepbrother re:will
4 Unwound a bit of knitting as I had dropped a stitch - and then reknitted it
5 Booked a holiday (hadn't mentioned that, had I?)
6 Ransacked Guiding cupboard for programme ideas.
7 Gone to the Gym twice this week. I've lost a Kg so far but I might have been breathing in.
8 Thought about County team restructure to get round problem of lack of Chair of Programme.
9 Put together a Queens' Guide mailing for those no longer in Guiding but living locally.
10 Read through the accounts.
11 Drawn up the County Exec agenda and written some of the notes for it.
12 Drafted a couple of pieces for Air and Share.
13 Engaged a gardener to redesignmy front garden - can't do the back as it is used a football/cricket pitched and all plants get smashed to pieces.
.... and done a bit of paid work too.

I am also reading a book by Mark Forster about time management which tells you to write a list and then put a day's worth of it to do tomorrow - only moving some to today if you have time and they merit it. It has made me super efficient.

Tonight we have Guiding Development Group. This may not be familiar to you but consists of a Commissioner, Chair of Adult Support, Chair of Marketing and Info, Treasurer and, if we had one, Chair of Programme - and me. We are looking at what we need to be focussing on as a County to be successful. The ideas came from the Strategy Day we held a month ago. Today we are going to look at things which will have a big impact but will take some planning to do. Wish us luck.

I need to tick off items in my "To do" list

I have a very long "to do" list and I have an urgent personal need to say "I have done that" and get rid of it but, at the moment, this is proving frustratingly difficult to do.

I have a pile of census papers but can't find out which bits need to be sent on and to whom
I can not get dates in the diary to get the borehole drilled
I have not found anyone to help organise the family camping weekend - and it is only admin!
I want to make sure I have taken all actions I have been allocated from the Herons Wey review but can't locate the notes
I want to find a Finance Manager for HW but have had no offers.
I need to finalise my step-father's estate and agree bequests but the other executor will not respond.
I have to buy a birthday present for my sister (for last week) but don't have time.
I need to finish knitting a jumper I started in January - but when?

The list goes on - and I find it intensely frustrating. How can I move forward? Suggestions, please.
Happy Easter

40 miles up and down mountains

I had a fabulous week last week in Turkish Cyprus walking in the mountains. We formally walked for about 40 miles but this was up and down mountains and before one of the walks we had to walk up 462 steps (not included in the final distance) and over 600 before another. That is without the walking for sightseeing purposes. However, this was graded easy/medium.....Nevertheless it is the first time my husband and I have tried anything like this and we came back with one blister between us and no sunburn (thank you factor 30). Now I shall offer to lead a walk on May 9th for our sponsored walk for Herons Wey, perhaps 7 miles. We also intend to walk more and are looking at the south Downs Way.
After one day at work I am off to camp tomorrow for two days before one more day at work and then the Easter break. What a life!