General Chat

Its good you have had at least a little rain Vera. It washes the leaves so they look better.

Done the hoovering and booked the car in for its MOT am just having a sit before tackleing the bathrooms.

Our plumber neighbour has arrived to sort out the problems in the downstairs cloakroom. The water is now off but OH was warned to fill the kettle first. There has been quite a lot of banging. Now he and OH are having a cup of tea and a chat. I'm keeping well out of the way.

We've had another short shower and the sky looks very grey still so maybe we are going to get some dribs and drabs of rain today.

Morning all,

It does smell nice after a drop of rain when its been so hot and dry for a while. When we had our first lot of fine rain oh said he loves the smell of the wet garden and I was just thinking the same thing.

My jobs for the day are:-

Such up the spiders in the two bathrooms.

Clear the fridge out.

Hoover.

I think that should do now I wonder how many of the three I shall get done???

Its cloudy here and 18 degrees and the trees ar'nt moving much so not much in the way of a breeze yet.

Good morning AnnG and all

It sounds as though your poor neighbour has had a horrid weekend AnnG. It’s good that the insurance company got them a taxi back..

I didn’t sleep well last night, mainly because of the heat. Our last house had sloping ceilings upstairs as well but we had a bit of loft space above the upstairs rooms and the heat went up to the loft. All there is above us here is insulation which holds the heat in. At least it helps to keep it warmer in winter..

We had RAIN last night just before we went to bed. It only lasted a few minutes and barely made the ground wet but everything smelt fresher for just a short while. There’s no more forecast and it’s already 19 degrees. It shouldn’t get quite as hot as yesterday.

Better get the washing machine going I suppose as the laundry is piling up again. Apart from that I don’t have any plans for the day.

Good morning all. slept well last night I was in bed by 1015, early for me but I was so tired. Think I slept at least 7 hours so must have needed it. It was a lot cooler here over night but is 16 degrees now.
Tesco shop this morning. This will throw me out having Tesco on a Monday.

Cynths weekend was a bit messed up. She travelled up to Manchester with her friends and after parking overnight in a car park near their hotel , in the morning they found the car window smashed, glass everywhere (It is a Porsche so a big expensive car). There was nothing left in it but the car could not be driven until glass removed and window fixed so they had to do everything by public transport. Insurance sent them home by taxi as no hire cars were available to the ins. co. until today. They came to hers then she has driven then down to Wales and will be back today.

I love the extra special lemon curd that Asda do Mel, especially on toast. You did get a bargain with your gladdys didn't you. I wonder what colour they are. So you are doing toadstools now then.

AnnG I expect heat coming off your sun warmed walls will have helped your outdoor toms too. I used to put coffee grounds on my Camellias. I got them from our Sainsbury's cafe and then they stopped giving them away.

OH nodded off this afternoon and all I have done is email Fitz so a lazy day for us. It looked llike rain here at one point, but no, the grey clouds just keep blowing over so I think we will need to water again tomorrow.

We watched the grand prix while we had lunch which was very nice today as we both had a nice big omlet with bacon and then toast and marmalade for oh and I had lemon curd.

After that I did some glueing and painting of my tiny shaggy ink caps toadstools and then I have washed my hair.

Its still raining here that fine rain but its soaaking everything so I suppose thats good but it has been quite windy too and it broke off the flower stem of my lovely glady so now its in a vase on the kitchen windowsill. Don't know if you remember that I bought two pots with an unflowered gladdy in last year from the lady who does plants up the road on the way to the shop. They were 50p each and I had'nt the slightest idea what colour they would turn out. Well I putt them in one and a half litre pots and the stayed by the shed all year until when watering I notice a bud on one. On closer inspection there were two buds coming up in the one pot. The other pot is behind that one but does had a stalk of buds coming up. A good deal I call that a pound well spent. She has'nt done them this year as I have been looking cos I would have bought more this year. Think I may put them up the border as theres lots of tiny ones growing too.

Vera the toms are all outdoor ones. The ones in the greenhouse were rubbish so I have put them outside. these are against the house wall. in a bit od a sun trap. I don't know if it makes a difference but I have been putting the coffee grounds left in the cafetiare with the jug filled with water on them.

It's quite overcast here Vera and the PC says 23 so you are much hotter where you are. Your blueberries have done really well haven't they. How big are the bushes? I was trying to think how big their pots would need to be. I bet the birds will appreciate the leftovers.

We are plagued with young Magpies and Crows on the roof at about 6.30am each morning at the moment. I can hear them trying to pull the bird netting out of the gutters. In the afternoon they stomp about on the conservatory roof trying to pull the lead flashing away looking for grubs. Years ago we had to get someone to nail the flashing in place, but they are still lifting the edges. Still I suppose we should be grateful they aren't trying to tug the car wiper blades off like they have in the past.

AnnG, I agree with Ann. Your toms do look good. Are they in the greenhouse or outside? Mine are outside and there are quite a few on the plants but they don’t seem to be ripening.

It will be interesting to see how well your July planted beans do Island. I suppose they would be ready early to mid October so you could get a decent crop before the first frosts.

Oh went out early this morning and picked another large bowl of blueberries. It was about 800g this time. Each time we pick them I’m freezing a load and leaving a bowlful in the fridge to eat as they are or put on cereals. There are still some ripening on the two bushes but we’ve taken the cage off the fruit to let the birds have them.

Boy, it’s hot outside now. 29 degrees. I went out to do a bit of deadheading but there wasn’t much of a breeze and the sun was so strong that a few minutes was more than enough so I took my plants for repotting into the garage and did them there.

AnnG your toms look fantastic, much better than my few! lol. The beans look good as well.

Afternoon All,

Yes, please send some rain up here Mel. It's got very windy here now, enough to make the letterbox flap, so maybe it's on it's way! :-D PC says 21 but earlier it seemed a bit muggy. OH got the steps out this morning and cut back some of the overhanging stuff from the field. We'll see if the farmer can do some from the other side when he comes to mow the hay.

That's good Phil is back and didn't meet a sticky end after all. You must have been surprised to see him turn up. Those Sungold toms you and Mandy have had sound nice so I must try a plant next year to go with my gardeners delight.

The week seems to have gone by quickly AnnG. It would be funny, well maybe not, if Dottie had sneaked into your case and popped out like a jack-in-the-box when you got home! It sounds like you have some catch up jobs to do but you usually soon get them done.

Don't know if I said, but my paints came yesterday and don't even look used at all, so are even more of a bargain.

I was looking up the menus on 1 or 2 places we used to eat last night. (I'd noticed so many have switched to doing just chippy things or burgers at lunchtime now) and was surprised to see there are 10 pub/restaurants for sale in the county including a favourite of ours. I suppose I shouldn't be surprised and the owners must be around retirement age anyway. I expect there will be many more in times ahead as people cut back on their spending and eating out gets more expensive too.

good morning all. got home at 11am, left MK at 0910 so a good run considering it is mainly ordinary roads with just a bit of dual carriageways.

so quiet here but lots to be done. Path outside the front door needs a bit of a sweep where Andy used the pressure washer and it must also have rained after he filled in the cement. Then I see I have a large amount of ripened tomatoes to pick on the Alicante and the other plants. (can't remember the name. I haven't been to look at the Cobra beans, will do that in a minute. I am half unpacked and now just having a coffee. BBL

Morning all,

Overcast here and nice and cool with a good breeze 22 on the pc and cloudy. We've had rain again and its knocked all the mollis down do there must have been quite a lot in the night.

Had a lie in this morning so all behind and I thought it was late when I got up as Phil is waiting by the chicken run for his morning corn.

Nothing planned for today now its all wet out there. I was going up the garden yesterday afternoon but rain stopped play. Sorry Vera.... I know you are wishing for rain. I'll try and send some up to you.

I read that French bean seeds can be sowed in july. I'm giving it a go, nothing to lose.

Good morning all

It’s a bit overcast but already 21 degrees and the app tells me it feels like 24. It’s likely to get to 30 degrees today. We are getting desperate for rain now.

I knew if it was too hot I wouldn’t feel like cooking so we had our roast chicken yesterday. It will be a nice easy cold chicken salad today.

The only plan for today is to pop to Roy’s when they open at 10 am and get some more compost. I want to pot some plants into bigger containers and we are out of compost.

Stay cool and have a good day.

My flowers fell off my bans too Mandy but I thought it was just me. I have spotted two beans on them now. Sungold is the tom I alway grow and it usually ripens before the others. I have had two ripe ones so far and theres more coming on those but the gardeners delight has just started turning too. I bought that plant down the shop but the Sungold I sowed from seed of last years seed. My two cues in one pot are doing quite well and I have had three already but they are tiny ones. The short beans are flowering but no beans yet but I sowed those late.

I have done a little casting today and played with my poly clay making toadstools,Shaggy inkcap ones in miniture.

Went to the shop this morning and dropped off Em's eggs and did'nt see her again. Thats three weeks running I have been round there and they have been out.

Phil pheasent is back from his travels and looks really tatty as he's moulting so lots of feathers missing.

We had the deer and her baby in the garden twice today. They eat the fallen tiny apples in the orchard after having starters onthe border.

Afternoon all,

Nice sunny day here blue sky and patchy cloud .

Anng its nice your with your family today then and I'm sure you'll all have lots of happy birthday times with T to remember <3

We had the three young ones with us after school yesterday as son and dil had the end of year party at the school, the children had tea with us and dil came for them about quarter to eight .

Oh Vera I'm sorry to read you had a flood thank goodness you had a handy neighbour to help you out ,hope you don't find any damage done at a later date but its good the insurance will cover it if you do .

Ann my Cobra beans are just about over ,we've had a few good pickings and I've put some in the freezer .
My toms are now ripening especially the Sun Gold ones and they are the sweetest tom I've ever had ,definitely having them again next year .
Runners suffered in the heat ,lots of the flowers just dropped off ,I watered well to but the heat was just to much.
The cucumbers have just gone crazy lost count of the number we've had but it must be over thirty .

Right going out in the garden to do some beading in the shade ,I fed all the plants and dead headed this morning so time to sit and relax.

Afternoon Friends,

Slept well again, but still feel tired. I'm thinking the 20% reduction in my thyroid tablets may be some of the reason. They said I needed another blood test to check the levels again this month but no sign of the form I need yet.

These anniversaries are sad AnnG, but think of all the happy times you had as Vera says. He would like that you remember him, but I don't think he would want you to be too sad.

OH has decided to go to a match today so I might go out with my camera. I can always tell as (unasked) he has watered the garden, got the pans out for me to do brunch and done some weeding. He's also taken 3 big sacks of shredded paper to drop off at the verge for the smallholding that uses them.

The house with the cakes has started doing the beading workshops again. I am tempted and OH thinks I should go, but I'm not sure how spaced out they could manage where they do them and it would mean mixing all day, so I don't think so. I might ring and ask how many people they have now as that would give me some idea how spaced we would be. I'd have felt better if I'd been able to get my 4th jab.

Fitz has been in touch again. Apparently Luton Hoo still haven't opened for lunches for the public to book as yet. So we can either have a posh, dainty tea there or meet up at a local haunt for lunch like we did with Jane instead this time. He has been lucky in avoiding covid up to now.