Quarter planning notes
Three things worth finishing before the freeze on the eleventh.
Field kit checklist
Cable ties, spare battery, the small tripod, lens cloth, and the grey card.
Colour study — sandstone
Warm mid tones read better on matte stock than on gloss.
Reading list
Two essays on repair culture and a long piece about tide mills.
Studio move — box list
Label the fragile crates on two sides, not just the lid.
Kitchen rebuild
Measure the alcove twice. The old plaster is not square anywhere.
Quote due back on the fourth.
Ferry timetable
Last crossing back leaves at 18:40 on weekdays, 17:05 on Sundays.
Trip notes — coast road
Ferry at dawn, then the long way round past the salt flats.
Sourdough log
Third bake with the rye starter. Longer cold proof, better crumb.
Weekly review
What moved, what stalled, what should simply be dropped.
Garden log
Broad beans in on the ninth. Netting still needs mending.
Interview prompts
Ask about the failure they learned most from, not the win.
Shelf build
Ash, 22mm, three fixed uprights. Oil rather than lacquer.
Odds and ends
Return the borrowed clamp. Renew the studio insurance.
Draft — letter to the council
Keep it to one page and lead with the crossing timings.
Playlist ideas
Slow brass, room recordings, nothing with a chorus.
Rain gauge readings
Wettest week since the spring. Gutter still backs up at the corner.
Bike service
New chain, rear pads, and true the front wheel.
Paper samples
The 240gsm uncoated took the ink far better than the laid stock.
Names for the boat
Nothing nautical, nothing clever. Two syllables at most.
Talk outline
Open with the failed prototype, close with the drawing that fixed it.
Pantry stock
Rice, tinned beans, the good vinegar, more coffee than we need.
Loft insulation
Measure between joists before ordering. Leave the eaves clear.
Letters to send
One overdue thank-you and a note to the surveyor.
Hedge cutting
Wait until after the nesting season. Late August at the earliest.
Tea notes
The smoky one is far better with the second steep.
Door hinges
Brass, 75mm, loose pin. Three per leaf on the heavy ones.
Long walk plan
Ridge path out, valley path back, lunch at the halfway stile.
Camera settings
Overcast days: open a stop and warm it slightly in the edit.
Bookshelf order
By subject, then by height. Reference stays at eye level.
Compost turn
Second bin is ready. Sieve it before the beds go in.
Odd words
Petrichor, hiraeth, sillage. Look up the last one again.
Chimney sweep
Booked for the ninth. Sheets over the hearth the night before.
Salt marsh survey
Count the wader flocks at low water, not on the turn.
Old lens tests
The 55mm still flares badly against a bright sky.
Winter store
Onions plaited, apples wrapped, squash on the top shelf.
Fence line
Two posts rotted at the base. Replace before the gales.
Recipe — barley broth
Cheap, slow, and better on the second day.
Studio hours
Mornings for drawing, afternoons for anything that needs a screen.
Print run costs
Short runs never pay. Either commit to four hundred or none.
Grandad's tools
Sharpen the two chisels, rehandle the mallet, keep the rest as is.
Sea glass jar
Mostly green. Two blues from the cove past the headland.
Notes on quiet
A room with soft floors and one window is enough.
Bulb order
Narcissus and a few late tulips. Nothing frilly.
Van checklist
Oil, tyres, and the spare key that lives in the tin.
Map corrections
The old bridleway is fenced. Route around by the barn.
Kiln notes
Slow ramp to 900, hold for twenty, then let it fall.
Letter drafts
Say the thing in the first line. Cut the second paragraph.
Fixing the gate
Hinge side has dropped. Pack it up and re-hang square.
Small budget
Rent, materials, one meal out. Track it weekly, not daily.
Birdsong list
Wren by the shed, blackbird on the aerial, owl after ten.
Things to mend
Two shirts, the kettle lead, and the strap on the good bag.
Rope work
Bowline, clove hitch, and the one for the tarp corners.
Well water test
Send the sample before the end of the month.
Sketchbook index
Number the spines. Front page gets a one-line summary.
Slow train notes
Two hours north, nobody talking, best writing of the week.
Barn roof
Four sheets lifted. Get the ladder from the neighbour.
Second-hand finds
A brass rule, a tin of tacks, and a chair worth mending.
Dye trials
Onion skin gives a warmer yellow than the marigold did.
Cold frame
South wall, hinged lid, prop it open on warm afternoons.
Tide table crib
High water is roughly fifty minutes later each day.
Cellar damp
Paint is lifting on the north side. Ventilate before sealing.
Loaf ratios
Eighty per cent hydration is the limit for this flour.
Fen path
Boardwalk out to the hide is rotten in three places.
Wireless notes
The aerial in the loft beats the one on the pole.
Winter reading
One long novel, two short books, nothing about work.