A Simple Life of Luxury

Tales from a down-shifted family
- Making the most of modest means

Category: Science & Nature

5

Nature / Play

Bonsai Trees

I’ve always been a bit of a fan of bonsai trees and used to have a really nice indoor bonsai tree until Robbie, our cat, ate it! I’ve now got a new one though as a present for my duties as best man at Brad and Eloise’s wedding last weekend. The new tree is a...

Cuckoo, Cuckoo 0

Nature

Cuckoo, Cuckoo

I don’t think I’ve heard one for a while, but we have a Cuckoo in the garden at the moment which is a nice surprise. We hear it all the time and have seen on perched on the telephone wires now and then. I know they aren’t particularly rare and aren’t difficult to hear or...

Butterflies 0

Family / Nature

Butterflies

Well, part of the deal that allowed me to go on holiday recently was that Anna was able to have a couple of weekends to herself, so she has been off to Shrewbury where she met her Mum while I have been on Dad duties looking after Morgan. Yesterday wasn’t too nice weather wise so...

LBJ’s at last 1

Nature

LBJ’s at last

Well, its been a while but we finally had some LBJ (Little Brown Jobs) visitors to the bird table today. A Robin and some sparrows to be precise. Nothing too exciting but it is a start.!

0

Nature

Garden Wildlife

Last week while my parents were here we decided to get a bird table! We had been meaning to do so for a while as Morgan likes to watch the birds out of the window, and we quite like it too. Most were too expensive, but thanks to ‘cheap charlies’ we found one in our...

0

Nature

Springtime!!

I may be jumping the gun here a little bit, but ‘Spring has Sprung!!!. The sun is shining there are lambs in the fields and the daffodils are out in the garden. All a little early, but that’s global warming for you! 🙂

1

General / Nature / Play

Fish tank is coming on well

My new fish-tank is coming on well. Not too many occupants yet as I’m more interested in creating a natural looking picture with lots of plant growth. Here’s a photo of the progress so far. The plants are doing well due to the bright lights, CO2 and nutrients. Once the light have been on for...

Fish Tank Relocation 0

Lifestyle / Nature

Fish Tank Relocation

For my sins I have done quite a bit of work over the last 7 years for a local ‘celebrity’ who owns a large mansion just south of Aberystwyth. However, this source of employment has all but dried up now that he and his family have moved back to Germany. I was of course left...

Borth, Wales – Weather Station Goes Live 1

Nature / Technology

Borth, Wales – Weather Station Goes Live

It has been a busy old christmas here for me working on the now up and running Borth and Ynyslas weather station. I had already set up the weather station itself but have now connected the weather station to a PC and produced several web-pages that provide up to the minute weather data for Borth,...

0

General / Nature

Snow!

Well, this was the view that greeted us in Borth this morning looking out towards the beach and the sand dunes. Looks as though the weather forecasts were correct and they are forecasting more for today as well. BBC: North, west and mid Wales are likely to be most affected overnight with heavy snow unlikely...