Nostr notes by Aethon

Today I trimmed a local footpath that has been in use for a ...

2026-06-29T20:52:44Z

Today I trimmed a local footpath that has been in use for a thousand years. Took the brush cutter out and cleared the edges back so that it’s wide enough for people to use. Needs doing a few times a year and as the council won’t, I like to get it done. Already have the kit and training so why not.

Then I hand mowed the hay in an orchard. Not as much grass growth as I would have liked, but it’ll dry well in this weather and the animals will appreciate it come winter. The birds were very happy with the increased access to the invertebrates at ground level.

Some years ago, in a different life, I’d meet drug and alcohol users. I tried to never judge them, in spite of their sometimes challenging choices.

There are some days when reality feels too much, the edges are too hard and I perhaps understand a tiny element of why some of them started. The world can be painful. The news, the pressure of current societal models, personal circumstances.

For me, today was vital to disconnect from the current reality and to connect with my ancestors. Do the tasks that people have done for the past thousand years. Cut, clear, plant. Be part of the continuity.

Pretty sure that’s almost inevitably going to be a catagory of ...

2026-06-22T18:22:12Z

In reply to nevent1q…tr6y
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Pretty sure that’s almost inevitably going to be a catagory of specialist entertainment. So a twofer.

Not a community garden but I have used cover crops as green ...

2026-06-04T22:30:20Z

In reply to nevent1q…qvk9
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Not a community garden but I have used cover crops as green manure on resting allotment type beds. Red Clover, mustard and an over wintering blend the seed catalog recommended. Haven’t tried poppies but my experience of those is that once established, they’re nigh on immortal.

Yup. Like this. https://www.spinlaunch.com/ Just need to fit the ...

2026-06-04T22:25:37Z

In reply to nevent1q…x9z3
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Yup. Like this.

https://www.spinlaunch.com/

Just need to fit the payload space.

Attached is the working end of the one I made. No clever bend in ...

2026-05-30T21:45:16Z

In reply to nevent1q…f0y9
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Attached is the working end of the one I made. No clever bend in it and a simple wood handle at the other end. I like the secondary bend, probably makes it easier to use. This one will last a while though, it’s 3mm spring steel.

Ooh! I forged myself one of those from some old bar! Didn’t ...

2026-05-30T18:13:27Z

In reply to nevent1q…xlnt
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Ooh! I forged myself one of those from some old bar! Didn’t know it was a thing you could buy. Thought I’d seen it in a museum somewhere. Cool.

Ok. Thanks. In the uk we tend to use radiators heated by either ...

2026-05-26T20:52:52Z

In reply to nevent1q…pwpn
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Ok. Thanks. In the uk we tend to use radiators heated by either gas or oil boilers so no central hvac. It may be our heat pumps operate on a similar manner but drive fluid rather than air.

Those temperatures are crazy. And I really feel for the folks who ...

2026-05-26T18:15:57Z

In reply to nevent1q…ver5
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Those temperatures are crazy. And I really feel for the folks who have high heat and high humidity together.

Domestic properties can generally handle a few KW of air con post install will little upgrade, some commercial buildings don’t have the ability to support the infrastructure needed to do anything other than spot cool certain locations.

The heat pump thing is being pushed here as well, can you explain the can of worms? The ones I’ve seen simply replace my gas boiler to heat water and the radiators.

Houses aren’t generally built with it in the UK, retrofitting ...

2026-05-26T17:58:11Z

In reply to nevent1q…hfxx
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Houses aren’t generally built with it in the UK, retrofitting air con is becoming a little more common and our old commercial buildings don’t have it either. Hospitals with no air con struggling to cool patients, old office blocks and houses designed for cool autumns not hot summers.

We hit 32c and 55% humidity in the shade yesterday (rural southern uk) and similar since Friday. In theory it cools by next weekend but only by 7c.

Yet the news promotes how another record has been broken like it’s a good thing and no one is planning for the catastrophic changes that are going to come.

They are awesome. Kinda like ceramic linocut in the best way.

2026-05-10T21:16:38Z

In reply to nevent1q…ydry
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They are awesome. Kinda like ceramic linocut in the best way.

Bugger the lot of them. Happiness is a hot forge, and I can’t ...

2026-05-08T19:24:27Z

Bugger the lot of them. Happiness is a hot forge, and I can’t be doing with the news at the moment and in spite of the arm/neck issues I needed to pick up a hammer.

Made a couple of door hooks, fixed a garden half moon edger someone had decided to use as a spade and make myself a weed yeeter. Also known as a weed slasher, it’s a long flat bar with a blade at the end. Add a wooden handle and it looks rather splendid. The wood is preserved with a dressing bar made of linseed oil, beeswax and lanolin. I use that bar to dress everything from waxed jackets to metal and wooden tools. The old ways still work better than many modern solutions.

As well as the joy of solving a problem with something I made myself, I love the idea that this will allow me to manage thistles and nettles without power and it’ll last much longer than I will, perhaps just a new handle occasionally.

#blacksmithing #handmade #gardening

I use hessian fabric as a replacement for the shade netting and ...

2026-04-26T20:39:43Z

In reply to nevent1q…8h5v
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I use hessian fabric as a replacement for the shade netting and hazel benders for the arches. If you can coppice or harvest hazel or willow at the right point it remains very pliable. The issue I’ve had with willow is that it really really wants to grow roots and start growing again where you put it. Fine if that’s your thing, bit of a problem for seasonal structures.

I agree and think this has always been the case. The process is ...

2026-04-09T10:39:00Z

In reply to nevent1q…tv0m
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I agree and think this has always been the case. The process is one thing, the skills and knowledge to apply it can only be learned through experience.

Example- I have some reprints of 19th blacksmithing manuals. And although they might describe the process of welding an axle, or forging a wrench, it always assumes that, as the reader, you know what a welding heat is, about the correct temperature for drawing down, how to make the tools required to make the tool (first forge an eye punch of 1 inch) and so forth.

If you have never got your hands dirty doing the work, whether smithing, working front line support or deep in the code base (something I cannot do but admire), you simply don’t know.

And as you say, from that lack of knowledge comes the ignorance that leads to a misunderstanding of value and need.

I agree. The only reasonable alternative for coffee in the ...

2025-06-29T14:46:48Z

In reply to nevent1q…wjdr
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I agree. The only reasonable alternative for coffee in the morning is proper tea (in the British style). Strong, with milk (without milk, the tannins are deeply unpleasant). Preferably made with a decent brand. Anything else people call tea (earl grey, herbal etc) is delightful but not for before noon.

Context- British tea drinker with a moderate obsession for properly made coffee. We travel with our own teabags.

There was also the Iran Contra affair in the 80s, where America ...

2025-06-19T19:45:39Z

In reply to nevent1q…8d7s
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There was also the Iran Contra affair in the 80s, where America supplied Iran with arms, despite a sanction, I remember that one.

We constantly torment trouble if it benefits “us” then wonder why it comes back to bite us on the ass.

Now I have a reason for that, thanks to a partner who corrected ...

2025-06-12T16:46:17Z

In reply to nevent1q…q422
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Now I have a reason for that, thanks to a partner who corrected me. We hang them standing up, so they’re at eye level when we do it. I was shown the error of my ways and they were right.