General Chat

I have had a terrible morning so far. I had a squirrel on the bird feeder and got the gun to shoo it away and I have put two or three up the barrel and its going to take me a lot of money to put it right. I thought it was'nt loaded so primed it again and tried to get the cartridge out but it would'nt come out pull the lever back and it loaded anothe slug now I can't get the cartridge out.

Shoppings arrived and I have everything out of the fridge to clean it so thats what I shall be doing for the next hour.

Awe couldn't see what it was poor fawn so sad but the fox needs to feed its young too I suppose.

Sent the pics and I think its a fawn in its mouth. The leg is too long to be a rabbit.

I just stood up to look out of the window as I heard a noise and thought it was the Thrush again and there was a fox coming down the road with something in its mouth. It has long legs whatever it is. I'll send pics I took when I get time.

Morning girls,

Its been raining in the night cos everywhere is wet now the sky is grey and its 15 degrees and pc says expect three rainy days starting thursday. We want our sunshine back please.

Shopping comes today and its quite a big order this week so I think this mornings job is to clean the fridge out and wash the shelves.

Anng it was'nt a Leylandi but one called Summer Snow lovely green with white tips.

good morning all 16 degrees here already bright but not sunny.

Back is fine this morning after a good night's sleep. I was in bed early (10) as by 9 o'clock I had a problem with a sore eye which wouldn't stop watering. I think it was me touching my eye after doing something in the garden that caused it. A lot of the weeding, sorting etc I forgot to put gloves on so may have touced a plant that is an irritant (who knows which one). It was quite apinful and my nose was running too. I suppose it could have been some form of hay fever. It seems ok this morning which is just as well as I have to go to the optician to collect my new glasses.
Vera I should have said that I read both those books on Kindle so maybe they are not in paperback form yet. She has actually written a lot of books though. Just checked, the book is £6.99 on Kindle (so it does exist) and the kindle edition is free.

Mel I assume none of the tres are likely to be protected by any orders? Presumably he would be aware of that? Good to get rid of your Leylandi then.

Ann Just looking at the photos on facebook of the cart you and ex OH built. I do remember seeing it before but what a project that was. You were a very clever couple.

I was doing the pond filter this afternoon and knocked the leccy out so pc has been off all afternoon till now. Thanks for the comments on my pot garden and my babes in the filter shed. I have now had the mum Woodpecker and her two babies at the bird feeder and the two babies were chasing one another probably fighting over who gets the next lot of food. I had refilled the fat stick feeder and they love that.

You've been busy in the garden again Anng now don't do too much to hurt your back again. Give it a rest. You did get a lot done though, more than I have today.

Mandy your banana and biscoff muffins sounded nice. I don't think I have ever made a banana loaf. I am thinking of doing the coffee cake again but in a loaf tin and just icing the top.

We had sun this morning but it had gone by late afternoon. It was really quite warm after lunch. My young neighbour came down to say he was ging to cut some trees down adjoining my property and would it be ok to do so. We went up and hadd a look and I agreed. He also said he would take down a dead conifer I have up there so that would be good. He is taking an Arborial class and said he may havea go at my big ash tree later in the year when he's more confident. He also said he would take all the trimmings and burn them and the wood from the trees and stack it for seasoning so they can use it in their wood burner. He knows I have no open fires in this house. He's coming on Wednesday to do it and he's going to take some of the branches off the trees up there that are nearly hanging down to the ground. BIL was saying some needs to come off as he gets battered by them when he is mowing. I'm up for anything thats free. I also gave him the big strimmer a petrol one that oh had and gave up using because it hurt his injured shoulder. Apparently Aron's brother is an Arborialist.

Evening all,

It's been a lovely day with sunshine and I got all the bedding dry , we got the bits of the exercise bike down the stairs and it can go in the bin a bit at a time but not the fly wheel as that's so heavy .

Anng hope your daughter got home OK with no hold ups , you've been busy in the garden .

Ann we thought the Victorian bakery was good too I couldn't have crawled in that oven for fear of getting shut in ,they have a lot of work to do and they are mostly elderly people doing it .

Mel I bet your postie will enjoy the cake ,everybody loves a piece of cake ,your pot look lovely all placed together ,lovely splash of colour .

Vera enjoy your day out on Wednesday it should be getting warmer by then , I've never made a banana loaf but I did make some banana and biscoff muffins the other day and they were lovely .

It's looking more like its going to rain out there now its gone over very dark .

You’ve been busy with the garden since you came home AnnG. Do be careful and give your back time to recover. I haven’t read any books by Fiona Valpy but I have heard of her. I’ve checked on my library app and the library doesn’t seem to have any of her books, at least none that I can get through the app, but I’ll keep an eye out in the charity shops or in the kindle store on Amazon. Thanks for the suggestion.

Mel, thank you for the photos. The baby swallows are certainly tucked tightly in the nest. Your patio pot garden looks attractive and your paving slabs certainly look cleaner than ours.

Thank you too, Annx, for the photos of the magpie babe and the lovely rose. I must get into the habit of checking my Spam file every time I go into emails as that’s where I found it again.

I’ve been chasing my tail all day as we, or rather I, seem to have so much to do. I’ve done 4 loads of washing. 3 dried outside today and towels are going round the dryer now. I’ve also made a banana loaf to use up some bananas that had gone soft and done various household jobs. Yesterday I had a call from an old and dear friend with some distressing news about his health. He asked if I would make some telephone calls for him to inform various people of his situation so that took another hour out of the day, though of course I was more than willing to help.

Tomorrow I have some business to attend to in town so will fit in some other errands while I’m there and Wednesday we’re on a coach trip to Lamport Hall. Don’t worry if I don’t post for a couple of days. It will just be because we’re busy and I’ve run out of time

I did have another go out there, pulled a few more weeds finished off moving the tomatoes around and planted up one basket with a couple of petunias. At the garden centre I didn't really have much choice with petunias because it is a bit late although there were masses of plants ther, just not the colours in petunias. And I didn't see any calobrohoas.(million bells). I finished out ther by weeding the gravel parts of the front garden when I put the brown bin out. I was pleased to see that the self seeded lavender out there has spread on the gavel and the bees are loving it.

Afternoon All,

It started sunny, but it's dull now. OH went to meet his book swapping pal at the new Jenno's cafe near my hairdresser. It is in the old Santander canteen site next to Santander HQ. They are all on the site of the old Hospital site wherethe old Chapel is that I wrote about. I popped to the shop and saw the Egret paddling in the brook with the Moorhens. It seems so tame I wonder if it is an escapee from Tropical Birdland a few miles away.

I feel tired and keep yawning today and don't feel like doing much, although I slept well.

Yes don't set your back off worse again by overdoing it AnnG. It sounds like you did quite a bit in the garden anyway.

Mel I think you have made the Postie's day today with the cake to look forward to. It was very kind of you. I love your patio group of pots and like the idea of the solar lights in a pot which means you can move them about where you want the light at night. The colours look lovely together and your patio looks so clean compared to mine. Those baby birds look a bit precarious all crammed in the nest don't they and so many mouths to be fed!

Mandy I watched the first of the Victorian bakery last night and thought it was good.

Time for a COC I think and see if it will liven me up!

Lucky postie Mel.
17 degrees here, I have done two wash loads, second lot in the drier now. Also tidied the lounge then spent a good hour in the garden brown bin day tomorrow it is a third full now, I have cut back a Buddlia whic had got away from me before we went away, sorted out and repotted a couple of tomatoes and done good bit of weeding as I have gone round. Back strted to remind me that it was not that good so I have come in for a rest. Being up and on the go so early it feels like it should be lunch tim and that is an houe earlier than usual.

thanks for the photos Mel, I bet the birds all have to breath in to make space for the last one to get into position. Patio is looking smart. My next job out there now the tomatoes are settled, will be to plant the plants bought yesterday.

Just sent pics.

Tim the postie has just been and I asked him to wait. Took him out two big pieces of the cake and his eyes lit up when he saw it and he said he would enjoy that later. He had a big smile on his face. :-D I wrapped the two pieces in kitchen roll and put them in a tin.

Morning all,

Cloudy start to the day here and its 14 degrees and pc says mosty cloudy.

Nothing planned for today so see what I feel like when the time comes.

I like to go and see what I have done the previous day in the garden and then you see it in different eyes. I also arranged the pots on the patio which look better now. there a nice lot of colour there and the Osti I bought last year and spoutred from the bottom is a picture, the other one I did'nt like so much is flowering but on bare leggy stems, I don't know whether to cut it down or not?

Good morning all. Up and dressed ready to see daughter off on their journey home. Washing in and dish washer emptied an early start to the day. Slept well. Lots to do now getting straight after the holiday. And then plants to go in and garden to do. But got to go easy with that as my back is better don’t want to start it off again.

Ann yes he is definitely full of beans definitely his father’s son.
Yes I have plenty to do tomorrow. Back has eased a bit. Hope it continues to tomorrow

Vera have you read any books by Fiona Valpy. I have read two lately and really enjoyed them. The Cypress maze and The sky beneath us?

Afternoon All,

It's been mostly dry here today with a couple of short gentle showers and a bit breezy.

What a lovely little boy your grandson is AnnG, so smiley and don't babies have lovely cheerful outfits these days. He looks full of beans doesn't he. :-) I hope ypur back is soon better as there is always plenty to do when a break away is over.

Oh Vera, thank goodness we didn't get your sheets of rain and thunder. It damages all the plants when it rains that heavily. I managed a few handfuls of weeds as I walked round the garden earlier too. Rather than keep tramping to the wheelie bin, I leave little piles on top of any flat rocks and Mr Tidy picks them up and puts them in the garden bin when he spots them. I managed to plant up the front wall pots with the fresh plants too, but will put them on the wall tomorrow. I worry the driver bringing the food might catch them and knock them down as there is only one screw holding them.

Mel I love coffee and walnut cake and will have Vera's walnuts, but no icing on mine please. I had visions of you with a white face with the iciing sugar, but I think I've done the same with my food mixer in the past. We find snail shells on some of our flat rock edging. I don't know what bird smashes them as we don't get Thrushes anymore.

Well done getting the exercise bike dismantled Mandy. I think it took us a couple of attempts to get ours in bits, but yours will soon be gone. I don't know if you or anyone has Nat Geo, but the David Attenborough film Ocean is on Channel 5 at 8.00pm. It wqas on in the cinema a while ago and OH said it is supposed to be good. I hope the bandage has helped your knee. I find the Ibuprofen gel helps mine a bit. Mine have been worse than usual this past week and wondered if the wet weather is making them worse.

Asda still have me blocked on their site with my usual browser, despite me chasing it up. so I am still having to use one I don't like for now. Mel do you find they say there are substites sometimes, but then the right things arrive with your order?

I've done some chicken thighs and veg in the slow cooker and it's cooling down. I added some frozen spinach which I didn't realise was very, very finely chopped. I think all the liquid is a green colour now.....not sure what OH will make of that! I also did another wash, but might be able to hang it outside tomorrow.

O yes done some washing and it now needs to come in.

Just come in from the garden. I have pulled loads of ivy off the fence at the end of the decking where my little greenhouse is and pulled it from both side now I need to sort out the Albertine rose there. Its smelling lovely at the moment. I have put string round the canes for the beans on the decking, just a few in a BIG pot, fed the toms and the flowers on the patio. Fed the fish and the wild birds and the pheasents. Thrup the female comes with me to the garage after telling me she wants her supper by coming on the patio to me and she knows she's not aloud up there so I have to go and get her some corn.

Hav'nt eaten yet!!!! am just going to do egg bacon toms and beans followed by a slice of cake and maybe some fruit and cream. was going to make a fruit jelly but I forgot getting lost int he garden. I'm sure I have done something else today too but can't think what.