General Chat

Gosh it’s hot again. Apparently it’s 24 degrees at the moment but feeling like 27. There’s not the tiniest bit of a breeze so it feels a lot hotter than yesterday when we could sit out with a coffee for a little while.

Third load of washing is in the machine. The first load was dry in well under an hour and the second load is almost dry so I’ll get it in shortly.

Thursday to Sunday is now forecast to be around 32 degrees. We had planned to walk along the river with our visitors on Friday afternoon and go to one of the nearby NT places on Saturday but it may be too hot. The river walks are lovely but a lot is through water meadows with no real shade. I think we will play it by ear and see how sis-in-law and hubby feel.

It sounds as though the strawberry tea went well Mel and the weather was good. Enjoy the bottle of wine you won.

Oh dear Mandy, I did have to smile at your soaking with the hose. I suppose that’s one way of quickly cooling down. I liked Judith Durham too but I wish you hadn’t mentioned Georgie Girl. It’s now going round and round my brain. My daughter used to sing it when she was a little tot and she’s now 57!

I’ve been told there was an ambulance at my neighbour’s during the night. Both OH and I heard doors banging and voices at 12.30 but there was nothing there when I looked out, though there were lights on in the house. Perhaps the ambulance had just driven off. I hope it’s nothing too serious. They do both have medical problems.

Well, I had better get the 2nd load of washing off the line and hang the 3rd load out, then it will be time to think about lunch.

Thanks Mel, I am actually happy to buy a proper box, I will get one and transfer some of the next into it but poor thing it obviously is feeling the heat as it doesn't move out of the nest all day Have no idea if it is male or female but my guess is female, quite big but I think a male would be bigger. I cleared a space yesterday next to where the compost bin is so the run in and out is exactly the same, to block off the entrance to the bin is going to be a bit of a job I think which is why I am taking my time.

Morning all,

Really sunny here today 20 degrees at the mo but supposed to be going up to 26.

Anng regarding your hog. You could buy a plastic box with a lid, one you can't see through and cut a holeeither in the end or the side off centre put it where the bin was and transfer its nest to the box with your grabbers and pop the lid on. I have one down the garden like that as I used it for some chicks years ago and put it down in Prickly Bottom and had a hog in that. Or if you have an old wooden box in the gardage perhaps that T used for something have a hole cut in that and put it upside down over the nest hog and all.

Nothing planned for today just take it as it goes.

Good morning all 13 degrees and supposed to be getting up to 22 later. Yesterday 27 was very warm but it was not too bad overnight.

Nothing planned for today again.

Mandy, that cooled you down. Do you not have a hosepipe ban in your area? We don't buy have been asked to be careful with water. I don't water the garden, the lawn will recover and most of the plants will dig deep for water. I just water the pots.

The problem with shutting hog out is that it sleeps in there all day, I have only seen it out and about in the evening and that was sheer luck I tend not to be out in the garden in the evenings. That is why it is awkward. I need to buy the hog house first though and they are not cheap.

Of course I would'nt leave him out as most of the field they use is his I only own 20 foot outside the potting sheds. I think its 20 foot. we used to know till they took down the old apple trees but it was inline with the gateway into their garden now.

Ha ha, so you got an unexpected cooling off like AnnG did Mandy. :-) I shouldn't laugh as it will probably be my turn next!

It sounds like the day went well Mel and you had some winnings as well as the cream tea and even made a profit on the Peppa Pig game. I bet it was good to have a chat and catch up with Becky as well. I had to smile at you taking a scone, jam and cream back for your OH. It's what my OH does when he gets free little packs of biscuits at meetings.

Well it was very well attended and I took up a lot of raffle prizes and even gave them the new sacking type bag Joy or Di gave me for Christmas a couple of years ago and Ralph who owns the big house got it. I won a bottle of white wine and said shame its not red so they swopped my ticket for the bottle of red although the white wine was a good one but Blossom hill is ok and the other thing I won was a Peppa Pig game brand new all sealed up. Vron who is on the commity asked me how much I wanted for it so I said a £1 and she bought it off me for her granddaughter who was running around in a Peppa Pig t shirt. She's only small but has the twin boys as brothers and she bosses them about so I expect they will all play with the game.

I forgot to take my camera up there but I see Ed, Em's other half had his so he will send me a couple of pics as it looked so nice and they had bunting up too. I sat on a table with a young lady and her baby in a pram and did'nt recognise her but it was Beccy from next door and baby Winifred was 10 weeks old. She has come home to live with her mum at te lodge next to the car park. She is a young lady now and is working at Shebear Colledge where she went as a child. Still playing the paino and violin and is a teacher there now so not far for her to go to work.

I did'nt have to pay for my cream tea and got two huge scones jam and cream a cuppa and a glass of proseco too. If you had wine with it it was £6 but if ot it was £5. I brought half my cream and jam and a scone back for oh and he enjoyed that.

Mandy I meant to ask you if Jake still comes round to see you as he is the oldest?

Anng I was going to say the same as Ann if you get a hog house put some of the compost into the opening to tempt it in .
It's not so bad shutting him out now as there's lots of undergrowth for it to rest in so long as there's no foxes about .

Oh no Ann I loved Judith Durham,I have Georgie Girl going round in my head now and Morning Town .

Just using the garden hose and the head now flew off and soaked me ,see thats what I get for using water from the tap lol

A little cooler at 25 degrees here AnnG, but it feels hotter now there's no sign of a breeze. I would like it at your daughter's with it being cooler and maybe some sea breeze. I wonder with the hog if you moved some of it's bed into a hog house it would use it? Mel would know what best to do though as she got hogs to use her hotel for them!

I had a nice icecream and they still had some of my my favourite ones left. The co-op was lovely and cool so I hung around and got some nectarines as well. Then I drove round the corner to the park and parked under the trees to watch the dogs on there while I ate my icecream. Some had their dogs racing about after balls in the sun which didn't seem the brightest idea to me in this heat. Years ago if I took my pony out on a hot day we did a gentle walk mostly and would go and stand in the brook on the way home so he could drink and cool his legs. Any pawing at the water nonsense and he'd be ushered out quickly before he rolled in it with me on top!

It is 27 degrees here now but doesn't feel as humid as the last lot of heat we had. where daughter is it is 14 degrees, what a difference, and she had he eldest son and family there and they want to go to the beach of course.

I have just checked the composter properly lifting a bit of the grass and leaves with the 'grabber' thing and, yes she is in there so well camouflaged that I almost didn't see her then. I will leave her until the end of the month. I really need to move her on before she needs to hibernate. I think I might buy a hedge hog house hopefully if I site it next to the compost bin she will go in there instead, a bit of a gamble but I will leave her there for now.

Afternoon All,

It's reached 24 here now so I might nip out and get an icecream! OH is at another local match but was busy doing jobs this morning. He is so transparent but I'm not complaining :-) He's taken more bags of shredded paper to drop off in the smallholding bins on the way.`

I hadn't realised Judith Durham of the Seekers had passed away a few days ago. RIP Judith. I loved her voice and their songs and grew my hair like hers when I was aged 16, despite all mum's protesting about it. :-)

I thought you would be seeing the family Mandy. As you say, best to enjoy them before they are older and off out with their friends. We used to see the grandchildren next door and over the road, but we never see them come now although I expect they do come at times. No the appointment for OH is just for an assessment again this time. I think more teeth need attention now so it is probably just as well. It's shocking you still haven't been called for a checkup. Our NHS dentist group still did them, but did as little drilling work as they could due to the spray. They patched up one of my fillings rather than drill it. They seem to be back to normal now though.

Oh Mel I think I would want a cream tea! It sounds lovely now everything is set up in the field.

Oh Vera I hope it isn't as hot as you expect when your visitors are here. AnnG's suggestions are good though and some woodland would be nice for a stroll. I look forward to the tree'd section of my lap around the little park as it is noticeably cooler under the trees.

Well the next thing we have to look forward to due to the heat this year is a plague of wasps apparently! You know how I feel about those so I shall be slathering on Parfum Deet before I step outside.

Better nip out now so BBL.

Yes Mandy if does have the 'door' on the front but since I took over the composting it has been jammed open, Not sure what T did to it but I will have a look as I need to get it shut once I am confidant that she is not in there, difficult to tell, there is a pile of leaves but they are not very high and don't look high enough to hide her.

Afternoon all,

Yes had the children here so they have kept us busy and worn us out too ,still its lovely to have then here and they are growing up so quickly and it won't be long before they will want to be off with their friends .

Not looking forward to having all the heat again later in the week so must get any jobs done before it heats up .

Mel do you both go up for a cream tea ,I expect they will do well this year with the lovely weather .

Ann thats good OH has the appointment at the hospital for his tooth , hopefully they will do something with it and that the appointment is not just for them to look at it ,three years is a long time to wait .
We're still waiting to hear from the dentist about having a check up last we heard was they would get in touch when they were going g to start them again .
One of the dentist practices in town might be going private as they can't get an NHS dentist for love nor money .

So you've seen your hog at last Anng ,perhaps now is the time to clear the compost bin out ,don't you have the little panel bit on the front to block the hole up that would stop him going back in .

Oh Vera just when your company is coming back comes the heat ,I hope you can find something to do with them thats in the cool , could you go to the coast ? it's always a bit cooler there ,how far is the coast from you ?

Might go out and do a bit of dead heading later its quite hot out there now ,I need to feed too but might leave that until tomorrow.

Just been up the top field on the mower to see how they have set it up and it looks great lots of tables and benches under the big conifer in the shade and under the hawthorn tree and a few gazebos and some tables inthe sun. On the way back I stopped and picked the rest of the plums from the little tree and came back with them in my pockets. Another 1 and a half pounds. Its a strange thing but this little tree has never sent out any runners like normal plums do.

Morning all,

Bright and sunny this morning and its cream tea day so oh has just gone up the top to see how they are getting on putting a gazebo up on the field.

Its 17 degrees here but the app tells me its going to be 26 later inthe day. Better get down and do the chcikens and water the beans and everything else before it get too hot.

I hope the reason Mandy has'nt been on is because the chiclen have been staying with her. She usually has them one at a time throughout the holidays.

Oh has just got back so I better see what he has to say.

With your visitors Vera, Sometimes short walks by water, especially if there are trees as well for some shade, can make you feel cooler. Or anywhere that has air conditioning, although that is a bit more difficult in this country. I found that MK shopping centre had air conditioning as did a couple of garden centres indoors.
Glad you are ok anyway although fancy forgetting us/
I am waiting for my 11-12 Tesco delivery now, have a wash load in but not thought about what else to do, only just had breakfast of eggs on toast.

I’m fine thank you AnnG. I got busy with other things and just forgot to post . We haven’t heard from Mandy for a few days. I hope all is OK there and she is just busy with grandchildren as Ann suggested..

With the mercury rising again that lady might soon be wishing she were back in Norway.. At the moment it’s 20 degrees here and supposed to go to 26. Then it gets hotter each day so that we get up to the 30s. Not sure what we will do with our visitors next weekend when it is forecast to be 32 as it might be a bit hot for the trips and walks we tentatively planned.

I’m going for a short walk now before it gets too hot. Might bbl.

Good morning all. Mr Tesco this morning other than that nothing. Bright here at the moment and 12 degrees. Friend just returned from Norway, first week temp was quite good somewhere near Oslo. Second week scenery was beautiful but she had flown N/W in Norway and the surrounding mountains still have snow. Temperature all week daytime 12/14 degrees. She is quite pleased to get back to hotter temperatures.

No Vera yesterday so hope that is just because she was busy. Hope you are ok Vera.

Ann I will have a look round that part of the harden to see about alternative accommodation, might see about buying a hog house but if it is anything like the various birdhouses we and now I have it won't get used. I will see.

I have put lots of stuff in the set of draws but hav'nt finished yet and still have lots of room.

Evening All,

Done what Mel? Have you sorted your drawers out now?

Much cooler today and ONLY 22 degrees now. I nipped to the village garden centre first thing to see if they had any Scutellaria? I have some, but want a couple more as they always do well in the heat. Well what a surprise as they did have huge stocks of plants and shrubs but now half the stands of plants were empty due to the heat and plants dying! Rows of others were half price too. I can see some garden centres closing, what with less customers anyway. There were no plants that I wanted so I went into the covered area where you pay to find some z clips for the greenhouse glass. They'd had a change around so I couldn't find any, neither could the girl I asked. Off I went then as the cafe had just opened which normally means a carpark full of cars, but there still wasn't another car in the carpark!

OH went to a local match but I stayed in and gave my tootsies a nice soak in a low humper of water I have just for the purpose. I did manage to clean the cooker hob and water a few pots.

So you have seen the hog now AnnG and will have to serve him/her notice before winter comes. Perhaps you could make it a more attractive home next to the heap? :-D

No Mandy, but I expect now the children are on holiday she will be busy.