General Chat

I was 4 when the Queens coranation took place and dad, mum, nan and granddad went to london and parked and the coach came past with the happy couple in it. I can remember looking out of the car window and seeing the Queen and the Duke as thye past by us.

We did have a tv and as Vera said it was a 12 inch screen and the tv was floor standing in my nans front room. We lived with nan and granddad so we saw it on the tv too.

Swans sit on the nest for 32 to 45 days before hatching takes place.
Gwyn she won't sit tight till she has layed all the eggs she is going to lay. My Pheasent girls are not coming now only Phil arrives for corn so I expect they are sitting tight now on goodness knows how many eggs. They don't stick to one nest and will lay in each others nest so they could be sitting on 15 eggs at a time but not all hatch and they are useless mothers and mostly all thier young are pinched by other birds or preditors.

I spoke too soon. The sun disappeared, it looks very grey and it feels as though there’s rain in the air :-(

It’s good to hear news of your swans Gwyn. Enjoy your school trip tomorrow. Yes, I remember the last coronation. We didn’t have a TV but I was invited to a school friend’s house where their family of 6, several of their neighbours and I crowded round their set which was tiny. Just as exciting was the whole school going to a cinema for a special showing of the film about the conquest of Everest.

A lovely bright morning again, although the weather forecaster warned that the wind would pick up later today. As it's coming from the east, that could mean it's quite chilly, if that happens.
We were rather concerned about our local swans, as the female was showing no inclination to stay with the eggs, at one point. One day, when I walked that way, neither parent was anywhere to be seen :-| :-0 but they seem to have got their act together now and the female has been firmly on the nest each time I've seen her, so we are hopeful that all will be well. I've no idea just when she started to stay on the nest, so we will just have to wait and see when they hatch.
Another school trip tomorrow, which will be mostly outdoors, so I'm hoping for a fine day.
On the days when I go into school to volunteer, I don't switch the laptop on until at least lunch time, when I come home and then it depends whether or not I have to go into town shopping. That now requires a walk of about half a mile to the bus stop, so it all adds to how long everything takes :-|
Friday, the school is holding a street party style event for the children in celebration of the coronation. They have been invited to wear red, white and blue, so there will probably be a whole range of outfits, from football tops to party dresses :-D
Do any of you recall the last coronation?
I know our street got together to have a party, held in the school hall, I believe. We didn't have a television then, so I have no visual memory of the event.

Mornig Vera and all,

Brightish morning so far with hazey blue sky and pc says 10 degrees and mostly cloudy. Nothing there to make you feels good then is there?

Booked myself in for the picnic on Sunday so I am hoping its a good day for that event and we can get on the field as BIL has made it look nice up there.

Could I go to sleep last night? not on your Nellie. I seemed to lay there for ages and hear my heart beating. I had been dropping off in front of the telly but cleaning my teeth etc seems to wake me up.

Go steady in the garden Vera if you go out there you don't want to hurt your back again and not be able to do things you want to. Nice to win a little plant last night and good they have the tea sorted out and its not down to you each time.

Good morning all

It looks as though it’s going to be a sunny day though not as warm as the last couple of days. It’s a good gardening day but my back is troubling me again so I might not get much done.

Mandy, our friend has MS and is now badly disabled. His wife usually manages with his hospital appointments but her car broke down and has gone for repair. Other friends would help but their cars don’t have big enough boots to take his wheelchair. We’re happy to do what we can.

Yesterday evening we had a good talk at the Ladies Club on the history of Framlingham and its castle. It was well illustrated and the speaker talked without notes and had a nice clear voice. The committee seem to have got the tea rota properly organised at last and I won a little indoor plant in the raffle so it was a good evening all round.

I’m being very lazy today. I’m usually up by about 7.30 but OH made me a cup of tea and I’ve been lounging in bed. Better get up now. Have a good day whatever you’re doing.

Mandy Mole Valley do handles nice wooden ones oh put one on my modified border fork that had a prong broken off. It now has the two middle tines and I can dig for ages with it. I would recommend butchering a border fork to do that with. Its great for getting inbetween plants in the border and so easy to dig with and it gets out long rooted weeds.

Em's just called in for her eggs and taken two dozen... nice.

I went up to Hazel and Jonathon's this afternoon and took them a bag of dog towels which they were very grateful for with thier two big dogs a X lercher/greyhound and another the same size and not sure what that is probably just lurcher as they both look the same in different colours.

Well better get something to eat now I bought a steak and kidney pie up the shop this morning and I am having it with mash and broccoli left over from yesterday.

Evening all,

Its been another nice sunny day here ,not as warm as Sunday that was a lovely day ,we've been busy getting jobs done outside .
I had some trouble with my tablet but I think son has sorted it for me ,it didn't seem to hold the charge for very long and a new lead has sorted it ,I hope .

Hope your back isn't to achy for long Anng ,my back was a bit achy over the weekend after doing a bit of weeding ,it's knowing when to stop ,when the weathers good it's good to get jobs done while you can ,but we usually suffer for it later,

Mel are they using the field for a coronation tea ,I want to see the coronation on the television but son did say they would come on Saturday and put the gazebo up but I might ring him and see if he can do it another day.

Vera sounds as as if you have a busy day tomorrow ,you are good taking your neighbours and friends to hospital appointments.

Colin has been taking a couple of handles off two garden forks ,when we looked at them they both had woodworm in the handles ,one is a bit fork that Colin used and the other was my little fork that I like using .
We need to find two new handles now .

Better get the kettle on now and get a drink made before Emmerdale comes on.

Yes often Mel, once you sit down and relax it is a struggle to get going again.

I have done all the gardening I am going to do today as my back is hurting. I potted up the last basket then I had a tidy of the rough bit behind the end trellis. Move a load of bamboo sticks to join the other load in the shed, I swear that they are multiplying. I wish I could find somebody who would take some of them. I then shifted things around to make more storage space and threw out several old pots with soil in but nothing else. then I uncovered the slabs that lead to the compost bins which had got covered over with soil. It does look better. And, for the bugs I made a pile of old wood.

Had some lunch and now I don't want to do anything. Do you girls ever feel like that?

I know what you mean Mel but sometimes life gets in the way and not everyone can post every day. To be honest, I find it a struggle sometimes to fit it in though I do try and put something up most days.

Today seems particularly hectic. OH is just getting us a snack lunch, a bit earlier than usual, as we have to go out this afternoon. I have to get a bit of shopping, OH needs to fill the car with fuel so we have enough to get another friend to hospital and back tomorrow and we need to try to get to our local garden centre.

Then I have to cook a meal and have it ready early as I need to get to a Ladies Club meeting this evening. In between I have some bills to pay and emails to answer so, at the moment I don't know if I am on my head or my heels!

Maybe tomorrow will be an easier day. Oh no, it won't , as I must do some h/w and if possible gardening and we have to have our main meal at lunchtime as our friend has a 6 pm appointment at the hospital so I doubt if we'll be back before 8 pm.

At least I don't have time to get bored ;-)

mORNING ALL,

nO NOT HEARD ANYTHING FROM fRANK. Sorry forgot the cap lock was on.

Its a beautiful morning and I went up the post van to tax the car but they don't do it so I have been faffing around online and have at last done it but it took me about half an hour and then I don't think I did it with the gov one but at least its taxed I hope. I have filed the receipt. and it had gone up £20 this time.

I took the recyling bin up thetop when I went out and forgot to put it out!!!!! but when I got to Shebbear the men were in the village and I asked if they could take it and they said yes and a nice young man came to the car and did it for me there and then.

Then I came home and read the meter in the leccy box as they wanted me to send in a reading. Did that and it was the same as the last reading as I don't use the potting shed now so should only be the standing charge and I am in credit for that account anyway.

Then the next job was to fish out of the big pond all the bit off the red tree which is now getting its leaves and flowers so lots of tiny bits to fish out. Then I fed them but I still hav'nt fed the big girls and the shopping comes today so I was up early (7.23am) and still hav'nt done it all. I did see Hazel who was comeing back from walking the dogs and we chatted for a while then I checked the mole trap still not caught the blighter but no more hills at the mo.

Better get on.

I do wish everyone would post don't you Anng?

Good morning those of us who are looking in. Mel at least the fields and lawns are getting cut now. Is there a picnic for the coronation? which day? Let's hope it stays fine. good to sell the tools even if you are still stuck with the lathe.

Vera hope it stays dry for you today so you can get your remaining pots cleaned for summer plants. Always so much to do this time of year. I am so pleased I had the gravel plot done especially when I am weeding the remaining beds in the garden. I remember having to weed that large bit.

Hopefully we will hear from Mandy today she seems to not be posting as much now as well which is such a shame, this used to be such a vibrant thread with lots to make us chuckle and brighten our days.

Gwyn, Gill, Ann, Island hope you are looking in and that all is well.

Mel have you heard any news from Frank? :-)

Afternoon all,

Forgot to ccome on here this morning but I had someone come to look at the lathe at 12am and I went in the shower before they came and just as I was dressed BIL came and he has cut the front field again and has just finished doing the orchard. The lady and hubby came but she thinks it is too big as she has just started learning but she did buy a lot of the chisels and I gave her a woodturning book and three towels as she has 4 little Jack Russels. I still have a load of towels for Hazel up the top for her two big lurchers so thats a bit more out of the way.

What a pity it rained on your washing Vera. Its so hard to read the weather nowadays with it being so changable so quickly.

BIL just gone so I can now get on with some gardening.

Its 15 degrees here and pc says partly sunny but its a beautiful day.

17 degrees here and sunny now. I have done a good 3 hours out there today and the brown bin is full for emptying tomorrow. Daughter has just said that her bin men are on strike I hope that doesn't spread, not what we want this time of year. I can't say that the garden looks better for those three hours but parts of it does, mostly parts that are idden when looking out. There are so many dandelions this year it is getting very frustrating. some have been pulled up some sprayed with weed killer.

Grrr. The rain beat me. Now I have a house full of wet washing even though a lot of it would have been almost dry before the rain came down. Of course, 5 minutes after I got soaked myself getting the washing in the rain stopped and now the sun has come out. Well, I'm not putting it all out again.

You're doing well getting your baskets filled AnnG. I don't do hanging baskets but I've got lots of pots and troughs that will need filling with summer plants. I've cleared some of the troughs and 4 big pots of winter stuff. I ought to go and clear some more as it has stopped raining but everything is so wet now that I think I'll give it a miss today.

Just spent almost two hours in the garden. I have made up four baskets. I realise since I lost OH that the worst part of doing baskets is filling them not the planting as I only have a couple of trailing plants in each of mine I don't do the pack the plants in type. I am only doing five baskets this year so just one more to go. Well unless I spot more plants I fancy next time I get to a garden centre. Most of my time out there was trying to clear/tidy the large patch that is behind a trellis and in front of the greenhouse where the two large compost bins are. It was T's dumping ground and I have sort of followed on. Hoping to make it more attractive. Still a lot to do out there but I am tired now so it is time to stop. Brown bin day tomorrow, it is almost full.

Computer is telling me that it is raining off and on but it hasn't rained here yet so I have hung out 3 loads of washing. However, the sky has been very grey all day with only an occasional gleam of sun so OH is primed to shout if he notices it's raining and to dash out with me and grab everything in.

I'm not sure whether to try and do some more gardening this afternoon if it stays dry. I'm still aching from yesterday's stint but there is still a lot to do out there. As I was hanging out the washing I noticed a load of chickweed growing through the plants in one of the beds so that needs pulling up, though I've just seen in a YouTube video that we should be eating it. I'm more concerned with it smothering my plants.

It's looking very black out. I think I'd better go and see if any of the washing is nearly dry and get that in.

Good morning all

Lucky you to have sunshine yesterday Vera, hope that, unlike us you get two days running. It is bright here this morning with a bit of sun and 12 degrees so maybe I can do a bit more in the garden.

Mel that is good that you have got the mowers under cover.

Cleaned the big girls out this afternoon after BIL had gone. He did clear space in the leanto and now both the mowers are in there under cover which is good and they are not stuck parked on the road down to the bantam.

Robby is still only taking one worm away with him so I don't think the chicks have hatched yet. As soon as he takes more than one I'll know.

Sorry that some of you have had rain. It's been wall to wall sunshine here today and just about got to 16 degrees, which was a bit warmer than yesterday. With just a slight breeze from the south it was really comfortable.

I got carried away in the garden and spent two and a half hours out there though I am paying for it now with back ache and stiff muscles. It may not have done much for me physically but it's been good for me mentally. I feel happier now that I have got stuck into the gardening and can at least see I've made a bit of a difference.

What with gardening, cooking OH's favourite Sunday roast and doing a few other jobs, I didn't have the time or energy to walk down to the river and see how the swans are doing. The forecast for tomorrow is pretty much rain on and off all day so I probably won't go tomorrow either.

Better go and get in from the garden a load of plants I'm hardening off a bit. Now it's a bit warmer I've started putting them out for a few hours each day and then bringing them into the conservatory at night,