General Chat

Did they cancel gardeners world last night. It didn’t record at normal time.

Although they look like delicate beings, they definitely punch above their weight when it comes to their eating habits. These spiders are the natural enemy of the large house spiders seen running around your home. Not a fussy eater, the Pholcid spider will also feed on flies, bees, wasps and even other Pholcids when food is scarce. Cannibalism can be common in the natural world.

Not just content with waiting for food to land in its own web, the Pholcid spider will visit the webs of other spiders and eat the occupants! It’s pretty sneaky about it too. It will vibrate on the web, pretending to be a helpless insect tangled in the silk until the unsuspecting spider leaps out expecting an easy meal and ends up as dinner itself!

During the day, they’re fairly innocuous, remaining perfectly still whilst waiting for an unsuspecting titbit to land on their web. However when disturbed, they have an unusual defence mechanism, violently vibrating their web to blur their outline and scare away any would-be attackers.

The beauty of having Pholcids in your home is knowing that they help keep everything in balance. While they do feed on house spiders, both spider species are essential for keeping down pests in the home. Flies which can transmit gastrointestinal infections are kept in check and your house is actually cleaner for allowing spiders to live there peacefully.

Really raining steadily now so no going out in the garden. May do soime ironing....may not.

Yes I knew the Harvesters weren't actually spiders, but people know what you mean if you call them spiders. We get more of them indoors than any spiders and I keep hoovering up baby ones. They seem to like the backs of bathroom cabinets judging by the webs. We get them in the bath and around the ceilings. I much prefer them to the fat jumping spiders we used to get come in when the cabbage palms were outside the bedroom window!

The noisy flock of Jackdaws is back in the field, but no seagulls now the farmer has finished in there. I think I need to provide a bath for the birds as the Pigeons are not helping my waterlily by jumping on it in the water feature pot. I've tied and pinched out the toms and fed them and the beans and some pots now and we both pulled some weeds for quarter of an hour. We were sweltering then and dripping so came in. It is really muggy out there now. The thermometer in the study is showing 25 degrees.

I'm leaving everything else and will do some painting for a while.

Raining again now just as we finished lunch and I was going up the border to dead head.

Stopped raining here but it is so hot. Oh has gone out with a coat on!!!!!

Shot a rabbit this morning but it was only a small one. That is now out in the back field by the chickens as I saw the buzzard fly past when I fed the girls so he will clear it away for me.

You don't ususally get those Harvestmen spiders indoors it must have come through the open window. They are not really spiders but are closely related to spioders.

Must get down the shop now my morning has gone with getting up late and I hate that.

Morning All,

I slept well too but had a different reason for being slow to drop off. The stuff of nightmares! I went to bed early while OH was watching you know what in the lounge. I decided to watch some tv myself and had the light off and duvet snuggled under my chin. I suddenly noticed strands of hair on the edge of the duvet by my face and thought they were moving with me breathing........no they weren't, it was SPIDER LEGS!! I jumped up and shook the duvet lifting it high but couldn't see the blighter. Out I got and stripped down the duvet and sheet, but there was no sign of it. I carried on watching tv for about 15 minutes and thought I felt a bump on my cheek. I put the bedside light on and got a mirror out of the drawer at the side to have a look to see if it was a bite. All of a sudden I noticed long brown legs emerge from behind my pillow and slowly start crawling up the pale headboard behind my head. It's a MAGNIFYING mirror so can you imagine!!! I shifted very quickly and swiped at it and thought it was on the duvet cover. It's patterned so hard to see, so out I got again and stripped the bed again. It was one of those harvesters with a small round body and long, long legs! No sign of it there, but I suddenly spotted it crouched down between the carpet and skirting board and managed to catch it. I'd sucked loads of little ones up with the hoover the other day.

AnnG I said I was losing the plot! Yes I have been a day ahead most of the week! We are tarting up ready meals today as Vera would say so at least it's easy. :-)

We had rain earlier, nothing heavy, but it's stopped now and given everything a watering.

The school sale will make a nice change Mandy, but best to get there early before it's busy. We are going to continue with the garage by sorting and chucking in the bin what we can and setting aside a pile near the door for the charity shop and tip. I need to get more done inside too and start trying to sell some things.

Better get the poached eggs on toast now. BBL

Morning all,

Getting brighter here now ,we have had a little rain so that will help with the watering .

Anng your fruit and veg are coming along nicely ,I noticed i have one tomato getting orange and thats one outside , in the greenhouse they are still all green ,I have quite a few cucumbers the mini ones I should think about a week and I can pick one or two .

Not a lot been happening here still in the shed sorting and we have a pile building up for the tip next week, no good trying to go over the weekend as they are always busy.

Its the school sale this afternoon I should be going with dil but if its really busy we won't bother .

Coffee time bbl

Morning Anng and all,

I too slept really well and got up in the early hours for the loo and went back to bed as oh was stilkl there. He woke me at 10am so I had a really long sleep.

Rained here last night before I went to bed but was dry when I got up and quite bright but as soon as oh went out it started raining. As you said Anng falling straight down and quite light so shoud'nt hurt the plants. You were wise to put your hanging baskets in the greenhouse though.

Usual shop this morning for some bits and bobs then I don't know what I shall do today. I have a bin full of washing to do and some ironing so if it stays wet I may do the ironing. Its still very warm here.

Had a funny dream about ordering a quarter of a ton of ready mix and it arrived and the driver drove all over oh's lawn and made great big ruts in it. He was furious and said "do you know how long it took me to level this lot out?" Then the next thing was a black double decker bus driving down our road to go into next doors field and yes he too drove over the lawn outside the walled garden. Then I woke up.

Good morning all. looks dry but a bit misty here. I slept well last night from before 11pm until 6am, then got up for the loo, back for an hour to doze.

Mel I love all seafood and fish although never eaten oysters and not really keen on meaty fish like fresh tuna and shark. I thought you liked fish and chips?

7.22 spoke too soon, raining now but light rain, no wind so straight down and so far not battering down the plants. :-)

Glad you enjoyed your raspberries. Oh would have liked your scampi and chips but not me. Yuk don't like seafood at all.

Ann it is Saturday tomorrow, don't you have your lunch delivered on Sundays?

Yes it has been difficult showering, I have an over the bath shower and showered facing into the shower so my back could be protected I don't really trust shower proof dressings. apparently it is fine to shower now bur mustn't get the sun on the healed wound as the skin is apparently thin. so that means no rubbing to dry it so it does still need a bit of protection. If I could reach it I could put vaseline on it.

goodness Mel you have been busy, about time you had a day off, or a half day.

I think that BT sports is in this house somewhere but not on my TV. I do like the soaps and they did actually put Emmerdale and Corrie on in the end, the I switched to watch a recorded Wytcliffe. tomorrow I shall watch gardeners world

we have a weather warning of storms for tomorrow. I put the two most vulnerable hanging baskets into the greenhouse.

I enjoyed my raspberries after my scampi and chips tonight.

I'm watching Doc Martin repeats on ITV 3.

They must know there might be a meal Mel! Yes it's uncanny with you seeing the same thing.

Good news then AnnG. It must have been difficult to shower or bathe with the dressing on. I bet you feel free now after all this time and no more going to see the nurse which will be good!

When you have SKY sports and BT sports, there's always something on AnnG. I haven't actually watched anything on our new tv yet.

Frank what were John's operations for? It sounds worrying if the poor man hasn't eaten for a week. I presume they are feeding him by drip, but it sounds like he won't be home for some time.

I'm off to bed now. Hopefully we will all have a good night. No lunch to get tomorrow, but last week they forgot the cauli cheese so I hope they remember this time.

Well the dressing is off, completely healed apparently. It is a bit sore as it flexes against my clothes.so we will see how it goes. No more appointments though.
B***** sport on all three programmes, I usually like Ftpridsys. All we have now is the after play chat going on and on.

I said when our silage was cut the Kite's appeared and now you have seen one too.

Just cme in from the garden and am worn out now but I have cleared the corner quite a lot behind my pond and then moved to through the wall into the back field and cleared that corner too. Talk about Sticky Willy (Cleavers) they were about 5 foot long and grown all through my Montana Clematis plus 5 foot high nettles and brimbles from Jim next doors field.

As I said in my reply AnnG, your crops are doing well!

I have cancelled one of my double booked courses and chosen polymer clay beads instead of painting fairies! I've also sorted my car insurance and saved £50 on last year's price so that was good. Then I took 3 of my pastel pictures up the garden and sprayed them with some stuff that is full of health warnings. It has changed the colours like others say the sprays do, but at least the pastel shouldn't rub off now. I have left them on the gravel to lose the fumes, but they are near the water feature the Pigeons are obsessed with so I hope they don't do any abstract additions too!

The farmer was back at lunchtime baling the silage he cut with the usual seagulls swirling around. Another big bird joined them and I thought it was the Buzzard, but it didn't fly the same and made no noise whereas they are always whistling. When it got nearer it was quite reddish on it's back and had the forked tail of a Red Kite. It is the first one of those we have ever seen around here.

Thanks for that AnnG. I did google about the yarrow but didn’t see anything about it reverting. We have never planted white, only red. There are several plants and it does seem odd that they have all reverted. With my penstemons only some changed colour. Oh, the mysteries of nature.

I have got your pictures and your crop all looks very tasty; healthy looking too. I especially like rhubarb. When I used to grow it I’d freeze a load for pies and crumbles through the year and also make rhubarb and ginger jam which was yummy.

We have just put the fruit cage over the blueberries as they are already turning purple and as soon as they are even slightly ripe the birds will be on them.

I’ve been for a walk as well, only a fraction over a mile, but I must try and get back into walking at least as well as I was before I broke the bones in my foot.

I’ve got about an hour before my food delivery so I think I’ll read for a while.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~just waving to Frank.

Been up the post box but won't go till tomorrow at 7.30am.

Afternoon all, Just to let you know we are both O.K. and enjoying the sunshine, I have been reading my book, on the patio, under the umbrella. Ros is busy, as usual, tidying the border and flower beds.

John (Carolyn's husband) is in hospital, and not is a very good state. He has not eaten for over a week, and is quite poorly. Will know a bit more, I hope tomorrow, when she next visits.

Stay safe and well. speak again tomorrow. xxxx