Nothing to Farm

Author: Nothing to Farm

’26 – February – A Calm on the Farm
February was quieter than it looked from the outside, which, after the chaos of the last few months, was exactly what we needed. While the start of the year has been relatively quiet in the yard, personal lives have been rather busy. I’ve been finding it difficult to find the time to write, and frankly, with the way the weather has been, there hasn’t been much to write about. I’ve also had a couple of non-farm projects that have been absorbing a lot of time. So here is the plan: general farm updates will be monthly, with a few series on more specific topics. That should give me a little more opportunity to craft something a little more interesting, rather than scrambling for something to write about every week!

Things not covered this month;
- Failed attempts at installing a gate to the bottom yard.
- Ongoing issues with my elbow after the fall in the ice.
- The rapidly growing motorbike collection.
So Much Weather

February has seen an uncharacteristic calm on the farm. This isn’t just because it’s off-season, but simply because it has been so hard to get anything done with so much weather.

When we bought the farm, none of the searches suggested we had bought a lake. In fact, for the first half-year since we moved in, there was no evidence of a lake at all. However, after what seems like four continuous months of rain, there definitely seems to be a lake!

The Farm Lakes

Maybe I should get a kayak out?

We’re predominantly on sand around here, and while in a geographical valley, the house and buildings are all a few meters above the low point. So imagine our surprise when not only does the patio look more like a swimming pool, it has been like this for more than four weeks!

Not a swimming pool I would want to wade in!

The water seems to be defying gravity and staying firmly in the highest parts of the farm, and not running away as you might expect. Although the lake in the orchard appears to be where the septic tank drainage field should be. I say should, because with that much water on top, it’s no surprise that three of the apple trees died.

Diverting the Villages Pond.

The main field always becomes a bit soggy when the rain comes. There are even some OS maps that show the lower section of the field as having a pond. Throughout February, this has probably been a fair observation. However, the amount of water has had some help from the local road network.

Lovely that someone has decided to top up the water on the field for us!

The main road past the farm is quite a bit higher than the field itself. Remember, I mentioned the farm sits in a geographical valley, and the road follows this natural dip in the landscape. Predictably, at the low point, the road has a drain. However, because so much silt runs into it, flooding of the road is a regular occurrence. Some kind soul has taken it upon themselves to dig through the embankment and drain all the water, soil, and general road grime off into our field. We’ll come back to this in a later update, but it’s a gift that’s going to keep on giving!

Husbandry

The cats are pretty much fully grown and creating chaos for the local wildlife. The pigs have a sedentary lifestyle, eat, sleep, rave, repeat. I know many readers are here only for cute cat pictures and pig updates. So, here they are.

Felis Catus

The cats continue to amuse and are typically inseparable. Through this rather wet month, they’ve spent an awful lot of time indoors. This has pros and cons. It’s lovely to see them, and they do enjoy a nice warm lap. However;

GET OUT OF MY BED!

Why do they insist on being in my bed all the time! They have their own beds, blankets, a whole couch and the children’s beds, yet they seem to prefer my bed to any of these!

Cats sleep on cats, not mats!

They also look so much cuter when they choose to sleep on top of each other in ‘their’ chair. Cute until one decides to get up, which often results in a bonkers hunter/play moment bouncing all over the van.

February’s peak ‘offering’ was an entire pigeon. Good job, they didn’t get it inside.

They have rather upped their hunting game recently. Having graduated from mice and caterpillars, their biggest food offering in February clearly had them stumped. They usually prefer to leave the offerings lined up outside the bedroom door, so we have something fun to stand in on our way to the bathroom. However, I think this pigeon got the better of them.

The intrepid Claude has got rather good at climbing.

It seems crazy that they could snag a whole bird, but recently, Claude has got rather a lot better at climbing. And he’ll climb just about anything, as the picture above shows. I am a little concerned he might get into the owls at some point. I’ll have to keep an eye on that!

Porcine

Life with the pigs has been calm and quiet, which can only be a positive. They continue to eat, sleep and grow at a surprising rate. I certainly can’t pick them up anymore. We have taken to giving them a half-bale of hay each occasionally.

For the pigs, February mostly seems to be a loop of feed and sleep.

While the intention was for them to graze the hay, they had rather different ideas, seeing the pile of cut and dried meadow as a great place to nap. They don’t even seem to mind having an outdoor nap when the rain is hammering down.

Pigs, determined to drive me crazy when it comes to being watered.

They did, however, manage to block up the auto shut-off on one of the water troughs, leading to a wonderfully boggy area forming. I don’t think this was an intentional mud bath, and it certainly isn’t the weather for ‘natural’ sun block. The overflowing was soon cured by removing the handfuls of sand in the bowl.

Megashed Micro Update

Perhaps not the most exciting update on the mega shed, but a huge milestone for me, the many miles of four-way adapters and extensions have finally been banished!

While a simple change, this might have made my February!

After the costs of Christmas, February gave a little spare cash to get the ring main installed in some pretty groovy skirting/trunking. In the end, it wasn’t too expensive and makes a huge improvement to the usability of the Mega Shed.

Finally getting the electrics in means the fun furniture can be brought in.

A good spread of sockets and network ports also allows me to bring some key equipment out of storage. Most importantly, the Hi-Fi. There’s a lot of Vinyl for me to get through now.

Arcade Madness

One of the most significant events in February was a major birthday milestone for one of the family. My wife and I have a shared passion for a very specific past time, and I thought it about time she had the equipment for the activities at home.

February motorway driving provided all types of precipitation.

This meant a trip to Hull one night after work. Normally, this wouldn’t be a big deal; however, the kit I went to collect was a little fragile and rather large, so it needed a trailer. And a rather gentle driving approach. Through rain, hail and even snow!

Bringing this machine down the motorway was a rather interesting experience.

And this wasn’t easy to find either. Normally, this machine comes in a much larger form factor, and only a handful of companies have ever made a compact one. I was quite relieved to not only find one but find one local-ish, or at least in the North!

Hidden in plain sight until her February birthday, I’m sure she won’t notice.

I was also cutting it a little close to the big day, which meant I didn’t have to hide it for very long. But how on earth do you hide something this big? I just left it in plain sight, in the trailer, under a giant tarp, and fortunately, the birthday girl was none the wiser.

The Grand Reveal

Those who have heard what I went all that way to buy have suggested I might be bonkers. Some have questioned who the present was really for, and others simply didn’t believe me. However, those who have visited are instantly drawn in.

February’s most significant event was the arrival of ‘Silver Jackpots’

The four-player machine in compact form, manufactured by Harry Levy, is something my wife absolutely loves. And I have a definite soft spot for. While the machine was designed for old ten pence pieces, it has been converted to 2p coins.

Compact four-player machines are almost impossible to find.

It is, of course, a pusher arcade machine. I don’t know if these are a global phenomenon, but they were and are hugely popular in ‘penny arcades’ in the UK. They’re also incredibly addictive, and in the first few days after the grand unveiling, it was hard to get people off it.

A 2p pusher arcade machine, just what every grown woman wants!

And not only is it incredibly good fun to play, but the machine is also in incredibly good condition. Some minor running repairs have been needed, and a few bulbs here and there, but otherwise, completely working. We’d like to get the payout system working at some point. And being entirely discreet electronics, it is a joy to work on, for me at least.

Coming up next Month

While the rain doesn’t stop, it does at least reduce a little. Long enough to get some work done outside. Relocation of the pusher arcade almost breaks me, and moody skies make for some of the best farm pictures to date. There is plenty of preparation to do for the first grass cut of the year.
May 16, 2026
Wk37 – The Great Divide
As the weeks go on, and the pigs turn from juveniles to adolescents, there is a growing fear among the farm adults. These little piggies came into being after boy pigs unexpectedly mixed with girl pigs and a Gilt became a Sow. And so, we finally caved, and the great divide began.

Not covered in this weeks episode;
- Wk 35 and 36, and practically nothing of interest happened.
- A visit from an engineer.
- Motorbikes.
Husbandry

Felis Catus

Tuesday morning of our 37th week on the farm brought with it quite a surprise, for me at least. After all the other people had left for work or school, a general calm fell over our accommodation. Then I turned around!

All around me are familiar feathers.

Without a sound, a darkness had fallen over the bedroom corridor. A slightly fluffy darkness, in the shape of birds’ feathers, and they were suddenly EVERYWHERE.

I weely saw a puddy tat.

Unfortunately, Bonnie had managed to catch and de-feather a bird. Much to my annoyance, it meant a rather large clean-up operation. Which was much to Bonnie’s annoyance when I took her toy away. I then explained to her that it was mice she was meant to catch, not birds.

Don’t mind us, this is ours now.

And after a long morning of hunting, the cats seem to have decided they are taking over my bed. I am NOT amused!

The Great Divide

As the pigs were the focus of much of this week’s work, a ‘Porcine’ section for the Husbandry update seemed a little, well, pointless.

Water Water Everywhere

Separating the boy pigs and the girl pigs suddenly created a need for two of everything. And as I was alone for a few peaceful hours, Friday saw the digger out to bury some magic blue pipe.

The ground was carved by mechanical machines with mechanical hearts.

The pigs were entirely unfaxed by the rattly three cylinder diesel engine in the digger, although the vibration did have an interesting side effect.

Big fat juicy ones, Eensie weensy squeensy ones, See how they wiggle and squirm!

The pigs started foraging like there lives depended on it. I spend a lot of time tending to the pigs’ behaviour, but it didn’t take long to find they had struck a wormy gold mine.

Below the permafrost should help the flow.

A downside to digging on sand is that it is easy to get carried away. In under an hour, the ditch was dug to 700mm (and some) and the MDPE water pipe was laid.

Dozer backfilling was more successful than expected.

Once I was happy there was enough pipe at both ends of the run, the trench was backfilled. Not quite before the children came home, but not too far off. I wouldn’t want to accidentally bury them!

Connecting Up

Now comes the tricky part. The actual connections are simple enough; however, plumbing while being ‘nudged’ by the piggies does have its issues.

Stainless steel auto-filling bowl, the best for the piggies.

Only the best for these Kune Kunes. A stainless steel water bowl with an automatic fill. The existing bowl does have some freezing issues, but this is much easier than hauling water everyday.

Running the pipe under the fence to stop the pigs from vanishing.

Keeping the pigs in while running the pipe means taking the blue MDPE under the fence while they’re not watching. At the same time as running the pipe, a hole big enough for a railway sleeper was dug.

And a small piece of an old tree was dropped in place, and the water bowl bolted in place. A little lower than the previous bowl, which should be better for the pigs. And with a two-foot footing, I’d like to see them knock it down.

PigWam Two – The Second Comming

From Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, we continue on from water and into shelter. While the shelter will be made from recycled materials, it needs to be able to withstand an adult pig and not just these six-month-olds.

Finding the right wood from the pile.

The building of the second PigWam starts with finding the timber. Unsurprisingly, there are plenty of spare pieces of timber around the farm, in a range of decay. Unfortunately, this means finding the right piece takes a little bit of time.

The second PigWam is complete. The girls will be happy.

With a range of nails, screws, teks and other assorted fixings, the frame of the PigWam is bound together. Then the frame is wrapped in some ‘pre-loved’ corrugated steel. Finally, the second PigWam is ready to be moved into the ‘girls’ half of the field.

Stake Out

One last thing before the boys and girls can go there seperate ways. The dividing ‘wall’ needs to be errected.We’re fortunate enough to have taken on the farm with an entire hedge row of electric fence stakes.

Dividing the pig pasture.

The recent hedge trim has exposed more than enough to move the boundaries around. In no time at all, the barrier is in place.

Seperation Axiety

And finally, the moment had come. Possibly the hardest part of the whole day, unmixing the boys from the girls. And oh, how much fun that was!

If you visit, you have to watch the video, it’s hilarious!

There were absolutely better ways to start the great herding, but we didn’t use any of them. To be honest, I was laughing too hard to actually help. I’d almost forgotten about ‘Some mothers do have ’em’, until I went and got the paddles.

As days passed, the separation anxiety became easier.

There was definitely some separation anxiety over the next few days. The pigs’ behaviour had certainly changed, so, like all nervous parents, we had to check on them every few minutes. And for the first few days, there were moments when the boys stood looking at the girls, wondering what they had done wrong. But they’re all settled now.

And that’s your lot for this week.
Nothing to Farm
February 4, 2026
Wk34 – The Start of 2026

And like that, 2025 was finally over. Not that 2026 is likely to feel any better. However, comparing the start of years highlights a small change in mindset. In 2025, we packed up and headed to a temporary rental property, having failed to complete before Christmas. Yet this year, we’re still taking it all in and wondering if the farm bubble will ever burst.

Given the weather at the end of the first week of 2026, I may have fallen in love with the farm all over again.

Hedges

Overgrown

The biggest project this week has largely had me sitting in the warm shed watching someone else transform the farm’s appearance.

Hedges as they stood in 2024

Most of the farm’s hedges have not been touched since the previous farmer retired. And during the three years the house was empty, while someone was contracted to keep them tidy, this never happened.

The ‘Allotment’ in 2024, during a site visit.

In those years without management, the hedge had grown vertically by up to seven feet. And almost as much in width. On the narrow lane, this was a big loss of width, and on the main road, the lack of vision around the bend was becoming an issue.

All the gear

A chance spot of doom scrolling on Facebook, and I spotted an advert for hedge cutting. Having had a call a few days before to find the guys we had booked could no longer come, it seemed like a rather lucky spot.

The hedges will be no match for a full-size Valtra.

A few messages and a price and time were set. Early on the 2nd of Janaury this beast turned up, driven by a local young farmer. Not only did he bring the right tools, he also brought a lot of experience.

Beautifully topped and levelled hedge row.

The pictures won’t do justice to how well the height was brought down, and then the width was reduced. I’m always a little apprehensive about finding trades on Facebook with limited references and shiny pictures. However, this time I really landed on my feet.

From Jungle to managed hedges in just one day.

Around every post, pipe and tree was perfectly cut. I expected there might be a lot of tidying up around some of the bigger posts; however, as I watched the precision driving, I soon realised there would be nothing that needed fettling.

By the time the artist had finished on my hedges, he was off down the road to do most of the neighbours properties too!

And then the snow came

Some of my favourite books from when I was young include The Jolly Christmas Postman, The Snowman, and the Thomas the Tank Engine episode where he refuses to wear an ‘ugly and heavy’ snow plough and hits a snow bank.

The first snow of the season starts with just a few flakes.

I love snow, and I love that pre-Beaching romantic snow-covered countryside that I was exposed to at a young age. Imagine my excitement when the snow started to fall here!

Idyllic pictures of the Ford7610 with fresh snow.

Even after a brief flurry, there is something magical and levelling about the crisp white snow that transforms a landscape. Even just a brief scattering on the wheels of the tractor is enough to make me smile and lift my mood.

Tell the kids the snow will be there in the morning, and they won’t believe you!

Over a few days, the briefly scattered snow landed on very frozen ground and failed to vanish, as it usually does. Try telling children in the UK that there will be snow in the morning, and they won’t believe you. And I understand why. These two were still coming down the big hill on a sledge after dark. And I’m so disappointed I was still at work!

But it wasn’t all fun and games when I fell arse over tit in a well-hidden ice patch. I don’t think I have ever decked that hard in my life. It certainly took a few moments to breath again, a few more to find my glasses, and manay more for the bleeding to stop!

Husbandry

For all the animals, this was their very first snow, which didn’t really seem to slow them down.

Felis Catus

I suspect I had more fun with the snow and the tiny little paw prints than the cats did. We went out with them when they first ventured into the white stuff. And it was hilarious.

First snow for the dynamic duo.

I don’t speak cat, but the expressions and behaviour certainly said ‘what the hell is this’ as they tried to shake the frozen water from the fur. But it didn’t stop them. They went everywhere that day.

Porcine

And the pigs were equally unperturbed by the blanket of soft, fluffy covering that they woke up to. There was a little less routing for a few days, and I suspect they might have enjoyed their extra rations.

Bacon, chilling.

One thing about the chilled bacon is the amazing pictures that follow. I really could have sat capturing still images of these guys all afternoon as the sun slowly descended. This really is a much better way to live.

And that’s it for this week. A very full work week means there will be no Wk35 article, so I will rejoin you in Wk36.

That’s all for now
Nothing to Farm

January 20, 2026
Wk33 – When Is Bins?
The last post of 2025, and as I sit, we’re right in the middle of ‘Betwixt-mas’. That weird time between Christmas and New Year, when the effects of excess cake give rise to the question ‘When Is Bins’? Frankly, I’m dependent on neighbours to know which bin goes out when. However, I am a master of my own destiny when it comes to the farm! Well, sort of.

Things not covered in this week’s report;
- The annual pilgrimage North to the in-laws.
- Unexpectedly large bills.
- Never ending dog barking.
Husbandry

Felis Catus

The cats seem to be slowly progressing upwards from spiders, through worms and on to mice. They’ve even been spotted making daft attempts on bird.

The cats are finally mousing.

The move to mousing is rather welcome as we’re seeing more and more evidence of the mice in our storage area. As much as I don’t mind sharing with wild animals, they are starting to destroy soft furnishings.

Some of the mice are brought to us; this one wasn’t so lucky.

We’re not entirely sure who is the better hunter, but we have seen Bonnie bringing in two small and formerly furry criters. The chewed up ball of mouse above didnt seem to quite make it in the door, much to Bonnies confusion.

The hunters are getting bolder and have a wider search radius.

Both cats are continuing to push their hunting boundaries. Bonnie has been seen in the lane, although she may have just been following us! While Clyde has started prowling the field!

After a long day hunting, they still enjoy a box to sleep in.

And all this extra activity seems to be tiring them out. I’m not sure if they know about Christmas presents under the tree, but they really should have asked for a new box for their ‘main’ present.

Porcine

The piggies are really starting to grow now, and they definitely won’t let us forget a feed. The auto-filling water trough has gone down well; they even seem to have worked out thatthey need to take turns.

The Kune Kunes have been quite a draw for the locals.

They’ve enjoyed a couple of extra feeds in the last week, having become something of a local tourist attraction. Well, the neighbours’ grandkids and other school kids have been to visit.

The piggies seem rather robust to the cold.

They’ve also been given the last of the windfall before it becomes inedible. That was a very happy day for the piggies. I think they may have gorged themselves as they spent the afternoon lying in something of a dog pile.

Megashed 2.0

Plastering Touch Ups

Last week’s write-up ended with the application of expanding foam and plenty of polyfilla to bridge some of the holes. The gaps were of my own making, where the boarding wasn’t especially tight.

Gaps around the steelwork are filled and prepared.

Fortunately, the gaps filled up rather well, and once the filler was dry, it could be scraped and sanded back into shape. The final result was far better than I expected.

The ceiling is fully painted with a white matt emulsion finish.

With the gaps filled and prepped, I could finish off painting the ceiling. Fortunately, I had precisely the right amount of paint!

The room is far too ‘white’ as it stands.

Ceiling paint work finished and wall primed, the whole room was cleared out. The vapour barrier was tidied up and pinned down ready for flooring.

Rustic-looking ‘village shop’ with the pallet stands.

With the pallet scaffold piled up outside, the Megashed 2.0 looked rather rustic.

Top Coat

A new day, and the final layer of paint could be added!

‘Tranquil Dawn’ top coat is applied to the walls.

I’ve opted for the Dulux colour of the year, Tranquil Dawn. According to various online articles, the colour should promote peace and tranquillity. It was also on offer at B&Q.

With a bit of help, the walls are covered in double time.

I had expected to spend a whole day painting the walls at my usual precise but slow pace. However, a visitor and long-suffering friend arrived, took pity and smashed it out in an hour. His extra height probably helped.

Final Window

When we brought the carport down earlier in the year, there was a small incident with one of the window cill pieces. Applying 200kg of flying beam to a plastic trim part doesn’t end well.

The hole for the last window has been opened.

This meant the installation of the final window had been much delayed. After months of trying to find some second hand trim in a light oak finish, I finally had to bit the bullet and buy some new materials.

The new sill is attached to the window unit and installed.

Once the new sill arrived, I could finally install the last window and seal up the whole building. While the addition of the final reclaimed UPVC unit didn’t significantly affect the heat, it certainly helped with humidity.

Flooring

With the paint probably still drying on the walls, my attention turned to the flooring. So far, only a thin 9mm sheet of plywood has been in place as the subfloor.

Primary flooring of 22mm Caberfloor is quick to install.

Over the subfloor, I’m installing a 22mm Caberfloor. The tongue-and-groove is glued together as the sheets are installed with a minimum of screws.

The result is a quieter and more solid feeling room.

All in all, it took about three hours to get the flooring down. The trickiest bit is around the door where the ductwork comes up from the plant room.

Within hours of the flooring going down, the carpet is laid.

While I was on such a roll with finishing the interior, I just couldn’t stop. By 9 pm, I had recovered the underlay and carpet from the downstairs of the farmhouse and reinstalled it in the shed. This is a level of comfort we’ve not enjoyed for a long time!

Minecraft now dominates the activities in the shed.

And the following day, we started moving in. Once I had my computer over from the farmhouse, the children descended, and much of the rest of the day was spent on Minecraft. A fantastic way to end the week.

Vehicles

Motorbike – BMW F650 ST

Regular readers will remember I had a rather unexpected but welcome trip out on a motorbike last week. Well, during the day out, I might have done a thing!

The bike doesn’t stay in one piece for long!

Through hit-and-miss texts when the signal allowed, I ended up buying my first motorbike. And as I had not yet returned the team bike trailer, an early Monday morning saw this beautiful machine brought up from the Midlands.

A clean bike is easier to work on, so it pops out for a bath.

From the picture above, I’m sure you can see that within hours of the bike arriving at the farm, the boys were round and had it stripped down! However, towards the end of the week, I had the back wheel back on and took her outside for an overdue wash down.

The wet is baked off in the afternoon sun.

In a rare breakthrough of warming sun, the bike was introduced to some of the other farm equipment and allowed to bake. Of course, it rained before I took her back inside! I won’t give too many updates on here; I have a whole separate blog for car and automotive things, BXProject.co.uk, which I hope to get back into shortly.

And that’s all for 2025.

I’ll be taking a few weeks’ rest from the write-up at the start of 2026, so don’t panic if you don’t hear from us for a few weeks. If nothing else, I need a few weeks to catch up physically from the Megashed 2.0 build.

Until next time.
NothingToFarm
January 2, 2026
Wk32 – The Unexpected Week Off ‘Work’
As we reach the end of December at the farm, a most peculiar thing happened. Apparently, I had a lot more holiday left than I had expected, and was effectively ‘sent home’. This might have meant a whole week on the farm, but frankly, it came as such a surprise that I was mostly unprepared. However, it might give me a glimmer of hope of being in the Megashed 2.0 for Christmas.

Things not covered in this week’s report;
- Lots of bike and bike part movement with the ‘team’ trailer
- Visits from friends and relatives in the pre-Christmas chaos
- An unexpected, but not too painful, school nativity.
Husbandry

The animals continue to be a general source of hilarity. The addition of a Christmas Tree has been incredibly entertaining for the cats. But the pigs haven’t been left out of the seasonal gifts.

Felis Catus

I’m not really sure why we bothered dressing this Christmas tree this year. The cats have been systematically stripping both the lights and the baubles.

The cats have slowly unwrapped the Christmas tree.

As I sit and write, the bottom third of the tree is free of decorations, with all the baubles moved a few feet away from the cats. Not only have they been climbing the tree, but they’ve also taken to ‘wrestling’ under the lowest branches, much to the demise of the remaining ornaments.

Cats will find water in the strangest of places.

While the cats always have access to fresh water that is changed regularly, they really do love to get in the shower. Neither have been brave enough to join us in full flow, but as soon as the water goes off and the door opens, they’re drinking from the shower tray.

Who’s been sleeping in MY bed!!

They also continue to sleep, and leave little muddy footprints in places they shouldn’t be. Namely, my bed. However, finding Clyde tucked in under the sheets makes me suspicious that my eldest might be encouraging them!

Porcine

The mild weather has been joyous for the bacon, sorry, I mean the pigs. Warmer temperatures seem to have spurred the routing and general turning over of the soil.

Ah, snuggly happy rashes.

And in the sunnier moments, they do rather love to sunbathe. Usually, they only snuggle up in a row when they’re in the pig-wam, but I did catch them all snuggled up together, catching a few rays.

The auto-water trough will save us a lot of work.

After many failed attempts to buy water troughs at farm auctions, I finally bit the bullet and ordered new ones from APUK. The water had been brought over to the field before the pigs had arrived, so connecting to the supply was relatively straightforward.

Megashed 2.0

A huge amount of the unexpected free time was, not surprisingly, spent on the Megashed. Really, there is only ‘decoration’ left, but this is tiring work on such a grand scale.

New plaster is nearly dry after less than a week.

With the plasterwork pretty much dry, preparation could start on decorating. This meant sanding down all the surfaces to remove any defects, and this took absolutely ages. My body still hurts.

The floor is scraped and scrubbed before painting can begin.

Once the walls were all sanded and dusted, I was nearly ready for the mist coat on the new plaster. Before any wet paint was applied, the whole floor was scraped and brushed to minimise contamination.

Condensation in the Megashed will be a real challenge.

Throughout the painting process, I continued to battle moisture. Between the moisture in the plaster and the added water in the paint, I seemed to be pulling out 10 litres of water per day with the dehumidifier.

A misting layer of paint will help future layers bond to the new plaster.

After what felt like a lifetime of preparation, I was finally ready for the first coat. This application of thinned paint ensures the final paint correctly bonds to the new plaster and does not peel or flake as the wall’s moisture levels change over time.

Many hours spent rolling can lead to snow blindness.

After a few days, all the surfaces had two coats of a 50:50 mix of Leyland Contract Matt paint and water, well mixed, of course. The ceiling would get a final coat of a 1:9 ratio as the final covering.

The next step in the decorating will be to plug the holes.

Decoration ended with expanding foam and a significant Polyfilla session. Joints around the rafter ties and steelwork were just a bit too wide to get the plaster into, so they needed a touch of remedial work.

Vehicles

With a few days off, all the vehicles have had their levels checked and a bit of a runaround. Some have been more fun than others, if a little impractical.

Tractors

In view of making the farm look a little less abandoned, there was a lot of half-arsed tidying up going on. From moving dropped trees to cutting hedges. It is a drop in the ocean of what is needed, but something is better than nothing!

The seventy-four-year-old Fergie proves its value yet again.

It’s only four months since the tree in the garden was dropped by the power board, and finally, I had time to move some of the timber. The ground was rather wet, so I took the opportunity to run the Fergie out, having the best traction-to-weight ratio for the job. Despite being 74 years old, she started on the button and performed faultlessly.

Who needs a wheelbarrow when you have a tractor?

The Ford 7610 also had a decent run-out, making an afternoon trip down the road to a mate’s house to move some materials. What better way to spend an unexpected day off than a nice local drive? Certainly cheaper than therapy, and it beats unloading tonne bags with a shovel.

Landy

The Landy also saw a bit of attention. Since the recent brake changes, I’ve found that it stinks when stopped at traffic lights. I had also noticed something hanging down from the front subframe.

Not a mouse house, but a LOT of flora and fauna.

Up on the ramp, I discovered a considerable amount of debris wedged under the car in various nooks and crannies. A mixture of big stick and airline saw most of a tree appear from the various trays. I’ve recently driven through a lot of flood water, so I’m hoping this was floating debris, rather than a mouse house!

Motorbike

After passing my CBT and motorbike theory earlier in the year, the week ended with a bloody fantastic opportunity. A late scheduled lesson with my favourite team at Aintree Motorbike School.

Not a bale or cone in sight, almost eerie.

An early start made me rather nostalgic for the many, many early mornings I’ve had here with Liverpool Motor Club. However, on this occasion, I wasn’t here for bale tossing or even four-wheel motorsport.

A mighty BMW F-series GS has taken me on an incredible adventure.

I had come for a lesson on this little beast. And what a fantastic session it was, lovely to get out with some great people. Something may have happened during the ride, which we will have to wait until the next blog to really get into!

That’s all for this week. With Christmas upon us, I’m doubtful that the shed will be done for Christmas Day, but it’s relatively close to completion. I reckon finishing the interior in 2025 is more than possible. Maybe in time for a NYE party?

That’s all for now
Nothing To Farm.
December 27, 2025
Wk31 – Getting Plastered
A massive milestone in the Megashed 2.0 build was reached this week, with a few days of mudflinging required to finish the walls. With only a few weeks left until Christmas, I’ve certainly got my work cut out to get things finished before the big man arrives.

Things not covered in this week’s report;
- The Christmas tree has been bought.
- The wedding tree has finally gone back into the ground.
- Some of the apple trees have been ‘pruned’
Husbandry

Felis Catus

The cats continue to amuse us. They still have their mad half hour every night, and now have a mad half hour around five am, which is nice.

Cats are not in their own beds!

They seem to have discovered how to get into the eldest’s bedroom. Or at least that’s what she tells me. I haven’t seen them master the door handles yet, so I’m a little suspicious.

Hunted and gathered a caterpillar.

The hunter-gatherers have stepped up their game a little, at least in terms of quantity if not quality. We’ve had many worms delivered, a caterpillar, and a rather large, fat mouse that wasn’t even dead! Que much screaming from the kids while we captured and released the poor little thing.

Porcine

The pigs are practically hibernating at the moment. Other than feeding, they’re tending to hide out of the rain.

Bacon sizzling in the midday sun.

However, we have seen some new behaviour in the past week. In a rare sunny moment in between the showers, they were out sunbathing!

Some of the pigs prefer bed over sunbathing.

Well, half of the herd were out sunbathing anyway. The other half continued their ‘bed day’ unhindered by the weather in the Pigwam.

Megashed 2.0

Last week ended on a bit of an emotional roller coaster. The plasterboard was all installed, but I was broken. Physically, rather than mentally, but I certainly felt those boards through most of the week.

Plastering Day 1

The considerable efforts to get the plasterboarding finished were worthwhile, though. On Tuesday morning, the plasterer arrived and got started on the walls.

Day one of plastering, and the walls and one gable are mudded.

Despite the scoffing of some, the plasterer also approved of the farm scaffold. Once we had a few more pallets in place, the apex of the gable was easily reached with the trowel.

As drying begins, I look forward to painting.

Day one was something like a ten-hour day for the one-man team. I’m super impressed with the work ethic. And the finish is excellent.

Plastering Day 2

A few days later, the plasterer returned to finish the other gable wall and the ceiling. This was no mean task, as that ceiling apex is much higher than it looks in the pictures.

Day two sees the ceiling and final wall plastered.

My patchwork quilt of boarding didn’t make the job any easier, with a lot of joining tape to bury in the scrim. Another late night, and some last-minute fixes to the guy’s transit van, and the plastering was finished.

Plaster slugs are picked up off the floor.

A few days later, a mammoth cleanup was undertaken, recovering snots and taking plaster lumps off the subfloor. Then there was a waiting game to give the plaster plenty of time to dry before paint could be applied.

Windows

By the end of the week, the back wall was sufficiently dry that I was happy to start installing the remaining windows. I wasn’t happy to start the work until the plaster was reasonably firm.

First we make the holes on the inside.

The vapour barrier and breather membrane were trimmed back to expose the outer cladding. Then an angle grinder was applied from the inside edges in a few places so that the outline could be found on the outside.

Then we make the holes on the outside.

These short cuts were then joined up from the outside and the ‘excess trim’ removed. I already have a plan for reusing these removed sections!

Then we fill the holes.

With window ‘reveals’ where finished with some 2×6″ timbers that extend past the metal sheets to give something of a sealed edge. In time, the outside will be trimmed with angle sections.

In the first 48 hours, the plaster dries very quickly.

For now, the last well to be plastered was too wet to risk installing the final windows. However, with windows on both sides of the shed, a continuous stream of air through the building should see the plaster dry super quickly.

Vehicles

The new battery and tyres on the Freelander have come in rather useful, given the potholed and flooded roads locally. I certainly appreciate being able to walk outside and know the car will start.

Mini-digger returns from its long sabbatical.

And a fully working Land Rover came in handy for repatriating the minidigger, which is about to become rather busy! Although the ground is currently rather damp, there are a lot of digging tasks for the little 8015 over Christmas.

Oi, oik, come back with my digger!

That assumes I can actually get some time on it. Within minutes of unloading the trailer, some heated-hoodied thief had jumped on and shot off into the garden. God only knows what chaos will follow.

Next week is set to be a rather frantic one. Hopefully, I can get plenty of the Megashed painted, and the garden tidied up with the digger. Who needs a spade!

That’s all for now
Nothing to Farm.
December 17, 2025

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