It’s near enough November and the cosmos (we assume they’re cosmos but we can’t remember where they came from as we didn’t sow any cosmos seed unless they were part of a beebomb or a wild flower mix) is throwing out some beautiful flowers and there’s a few buds still left to open. Let’s hope the cold weather and frosts holds off.
Talking of weather, we’ve had a good few inches (feet even?) of rain over the last few weeks so the pond is near enough full to the brim (above). Who would have thought it looking at the pond at the start of this year below (before we relined it here).
And just to let you know This is a Music Show 138 is up on the cloud…
When we first moved in we didn’t really know that much about composting and stuck everything into the classic wooden compost bin like large twigs, sticks and evergreen prunings. No wonder years later they still hadn’t rotted down. We filled that wooden bin right up and also had a pile of cuttings and prunings that we piled up at the bottom of the garden and covered with a tarpaulin (below) for some strange reason.
We considered either burying it, having a monster of a bombfire (the neighbours would have loved that and so would’ve the fire brigade) or paying someone to take it away or hire a skip. None of those ideas were followed up as we had a brainwave: Why not get one of those brown refuse bins and fill it to the brim and within weeks the stuff will soon disappear. I mean they now cost £80 a year from the council but imagine how much it would cost if you had to get a skip or pay someone with a van to take it up the dump?
Now that brown bin has been a godsend with material that we can’t stick in the compost bin and every week we love filling it to the brim. We cut our branches as small as possible (except any Pyracantha as that’s a killer to break down), we jump up and down on the contents and also leave the top open and leave it in the sun so it can dry out and then load it with more.
Got any good tips on how to put the most in your weekly brown bin without having that lid open when the garden refuse people come and collect it? Do send them as we’ll use them don’t you worry!
This post was written with the latest This is a music show (137) on in the background. There’s some great stuff as per (including this lovely Jamaican Ballad above from Joe White and Chuck backed by Baba Brooks and His Recording Band) so if you love music via shortwave radio you’ll love TIAMS! Big up Daz Man for posting up the show and to Your Host for doing it.
We had some strange old weather today, all was looking bright until about 3pm when it pelted it down and then at about 4pm the sun came out again and we got the Garlic and Shallots in the raised bed. We’ve tried to make it pest proof after all of the shenanigans this weekend too. The metal protection was the shelving from one of those mini greenhouses we had years ago.
The beds have had the added benefit of the soil improver a few weeks ago and we’ll add some compost to the top of them as well sometime this week. Fingers crossed the Shallots do well next year. We didn’t have a bad year with the Garlic but we’ve love to know the secret to getting more out of them. Anyone out there know any good tips for getting decent Garlic in raised beds? Any ideas appreciated!
And news just in is that This is a music show 135 is up on the cloud. Cheers Dazman for posting this up! This week’s show includes Ernest Freeman, a tribute to Richard H Kirk, a steel band cover of The Beatles and some great Reggae as always. So if you love decent music and also love the medium of shortwave radio listen to the below.
And talking of radio shows, tune to The Rhythm Doctor’s Waiting Room on IDA Radio (Tallinn) tomorrow morning at 8am UK time for 3 hours of the best tunes across lots of genres. Link to the live link here tommorow morning and you want to choose the Tallinn station. Here’s last week’s show by the way. Radio is still the way forward!
If you love trains tune into CTRN on Sunday 19th September 2021 (repeated on the 26th September) at 2300 UTC/midnight UK time on 9395 kHz in the 31 Metre band via WRMI. Expect rail related tunes, station announcements and a whole lot more.
It also features a mix from One Deck Pete called “Off the rails” featuring tracks by Instantly Distant: Samples, Foley and Field Recordings, The Lamplighters, Commodore 98, Dennis Brown and Dub Syndicate.
So put on your best station master’s uniform, shine your whistle and tune in on Sunday evening. If you’ve no shortwave radio try this online shortwave defined radio here at no later than 30 seconds before the train is meant to leave as the doors will be closed for passenger safety. Tickets please!
A big shout to Stevyn Iron Feather Journal‘s Towne Club Records collection of remixes and alternate versions of Pink Floyd’s Alan’s Psychedelic Breakfast which are all up in their glory here. It features a remix (below) by our very own Madtone called Pete’s Ambient Breakfast.
This tune later formed the basis of Jazz’min & Madtone‘s Earth Citizen which was featured on Echo Chamber – Around The World In Dub Vol 9 & 10 by Dan Dada Records a set well worth downloading here and it’s all for FREE as are all of the Around The World in Dub series are.
Stevyn has informed us that they are still seeking remixes, dubs, edits, extended, cover versions, mashups, etc. of this song done in any genre or styles. There’s no rules so give it your all and send him your creations. If you like a good read of all things on a different tip have a butchers at Iron Feather Journal here.
There won’t be many words in this post just mainly pictures from the garden earlier. The first (below) is the result of the random throwing around of seed when receiving them from ebay (This is possibly from a wild flower mix). With the flowers we very rarely mark out seed drills and stick down plant labels, it’s straight out of the bag and onto the bed.
And the second is a rather strange and wonderful freshly picked tomato. It seems a shame to eat it!
And the third is the super tall Sunfower looking down on us ready to flower. This one next to the garage is nearly 10 foot. Bonkers.
And on in the background whilst we were writing this post was this week’s Rhythm Doctor’s Waiting Room on IDA Radio Tallinn (every Monday from 8-11 UK time and archived here). There’s lots of musical goodness on the show as udsual and at the start some works from one Vladimir Tarasov teased in and out of other downtempo gear. A idea “stick it on the stereo” midweek summer evening listen.
Big thanks to our good friend across the pond Justin Patrick Moore for sending us this picture of a volunteer (plants that self seed) zuchinni (aka courgette) that has come up on the compost heap. They thrive in rich soil so a compost heap is ideal. To say the plant is going mad is an understatement!
We only got one plant that we got from a new seed supplier we found out about this year and it’s really suprised us as it’s so large. We only sowed two, one got eaten by slugs and snails and this one has gone barmy, taking over the garden path. Only a couple of fruits so far and one of them was one of those forgotten ones which grew to a fair old size!
Looking at Justin’s site here we were reminded of this tune below and a great episode of Wireless Nights (Megahertz) from a while ago available to download here. An interesting listen if you like all that shortwave radio business! Cheers Justin!
This Sunday 22nd August 2021 is a transmission called The Return to KMRT broadcast on WRMI (also home to the excellent This is a music show) at 2300 utc (12 midnight UK time) on 9395 in the 31 metre band. If you haven’t a radio of a shortwave type you can always try a online SDR here at the allotted time.
Talking of supermarkets the original KMRT broadcast from earlier this year is up on the KMTS mixcloud site featuring at 28 minutes in a mix from One Deck Pete called “Buy one get one free”. Tracks from Tyler Newman, Allen Ginsberg, Anima Universalis, Japanese Sound Portrait, Beatz for Food, Lullatone, Cantoma and Z Lovecraft. Tune in and grab yourself a bargain!
This Sunday evening the 15th August 2021 at 2300 UTC (Midnight UK time) is a transmission from WSFR (Radio Swiss Family Robinson) via WMRI on 9395 kHz. Expect an hour of island related tunes and also a mix from One Deck Pete called “All washed up”. The mix includes tracks by Le Emjaén, Kingbastard, WES WAX, Scientist and islandman. After the transmission the show will be posted up here.
Tune in and be surrounded by water!
Weeds up to me knees 