General Chat

BIL has arrived to put the old mower battery on and I am sitting here not dressed, well I was feeding Robby he took away 8 worms so definately has babies. :-D

Today was good Friday 13th back in 1979 the day and year my dear dad died

Morning girls,

I was up at 8.23am for the first visit to the loo and thought as it was a bit chilly I would have a little lie in, Disaster woke again exactley three hours later at 11.23am. I must remember to stay up and then I will have more daytime.

Good they had a nice stay Anng but you will miss them when they leave today, the house will see all very quiet.

Quite a bright morning here with some sunshine and clouds and its 11 degrees and p says mostly sunny so maybe another day in the garden after my rest yesterday. What do you think?

Good morning all. All quiet here at the moment but I think the boys are awake so I have stayed in my room on my iPad. So far they have been really good just playing together in the gatden or on their iPads I. Their room. Eldest came down yesterday and watched Shrek111. They go home today.
El I bet Mandy is re-reading her posts now looking for that.

I wanted to get rid of some of the old apple tree brash that Ade put over the side of the orchard and it had just started to rain and with it being so dry for weeks I thought I would give it a go. It did burn some up which I am pleased about but there's still a great mountain of it to get rid of.

Not done much else today just slobbed about.

Mandy you clever girl saving all those 14 gerainiums. What did you report them for???

I'm glad your better now Ann and its good you can go back if needs be ,you've both been through so much these last couple of months ,have you thought about having a few days away for a nice rest .

Yes I've watched the Chapel programme, my goodness the colours they pick ,that bright red and then that blue ,not my choice but you just knew they wouldn't pick pale colours when you see what they both wear especially her she has some bright clothes lol
I said to Colin its going to cost something to heat that place with those high ceilings.

Right I'm off to have a nice shower and then an early night we're both tired out we've got quite a few jobs done this week .

I was slow posting Mandy so missed you!

Well haven't you done well saving all those geraniums through the winter! You are going to have a lovely show of flowers with all of those. Your beans up already too with this warm weather. The surgery has discharged me now I am much better, but it's nice to know the lady will see me without having to go through the doctor if I need to see her again. Have you been watching the Chapel prog yet? I'm really enjoying it as they are such a cheerful couple. Having renovated one old house, I wouldn't want to take on what they are doing though. It's going to take some heating there isn't it!

Evening All,

Another nice day after a cool start. We both did a bit in the garden this morning, OH some waist high cutting back of the Bottle Bush and Ceanothus. I think the Ceanothus, which I really like, as it is the very dark bkue one with almost black leaves, will have to go too as it is old now and is where the garden will be changed. I managed to get both clumps of the remaining nasty weed out, but my back didn't like it. I dug some more weeds out of the gravel and once the bigger weeds are out I will weedkill it. I also dug out some of the thug weed, yellow creeping clover out too that came from next door. I need to keep on top of that one as it soon spreads. I saw in the greenhouse that my marigold seeds have started to push through so must make sure they don't dry out.

I popped to the shop and brought The Times back for OH. It was £4 for the Saturday one. Prices sure are climbing! OH went to a local match and I secided to sort a top shelf of one of the narrow built in wardrobes. I could only just get the bags down but I found some nice cool summer tops I can almost get into now, but still sorted half a big bag for the charity shop, so that was good.

OH had his appointment come to see the NHS rheumatologist in 3 weeks, so was pleased he doesn't have to wait too long.

Mel I would want to remove a tick PDQ in case of lyme disease! I wouldn't have thought to go to the surgery, but I know you have to be sure to remove it completely. It sounds like you are having a tidy up of your borders too.

I expect everyone is either gardening or enjoying the weather AnnG. It feels cooler here now but we've had no rain yet. I expect we will tomorrow though. Someone was putting new fence posts in the field at the back of us today, so it looks like cattle or sheep will be in there soon.

Must finish the food order for tomorrow next and an early night for me with a bit of tv. I've been watching Bradltey Walsh's prog series visiting Egypt and the pyramids and valley of kings. It's really fascinating and the most interesting I've watched about the area.

Evening all,

It's been another beautiful day and we've had two good days in the garden ,Colin has had a lot of wood to cut up that son dropped off this week and I've reported all my Geraniums that had wintered in ths shed , there was three that didn't make it but I potted up fourteen so pleased about that , also got the cosmos seed in a tray .
The runners we planted in the cardboard tubes are just beginning to shoot ,it was only the beginning of the week we potted then up.

Ann thats very naughty the doctors worrying OH when there was no need ,I hope the excercises he has to do will help his pain .
Hope you got on ok at the doctors too.

Anng I expect your family are there now so have a lovely weekend with grandson and the boys .

Oh gosh Mel hope you can get that tic out ,you need some long gloves on when your out in the grass ,have you checked your legs.

Vera you made a good start with your spring cleaning in the conservatory the rest you'll have to do a little at a time ,it's hard when the days are good and the garden calls to get stuff done inside.
Colin said the other day oh that television stand is dusty on the top and I said well I like to leave it until the dust is thick then I can see where I've been when I dust lol :-D it wasn't that bad .

It was lovely sitting out this afternoon having our cuppa and I made sure I put some su cream on .

Confused Mel you said it was raining so you lit the bonfire. Doesn’ it go out in the rain.

Where is everyone?

Went up the shop for bits and paper and when I came back it started to rain quite a steady bit. Still raining now so I lit the bonfire when I got back as I had all that wood off the old apple tree which was quite dry. I have burnt up a lot of it but just come in for my pasty.

Can you not remove it yourself Mel? It does tell you how if you google it. Not sure it is a good idea to leave it for two days.

Morning Anng and all,

Quite bright at the mo so I am hoping its stay till 3pm as they say and yes the garden does need the rain. Its 7 degrees here at the mo. and the sun is coming up but the sky is a bit whitey grey.

Slept well and did'nt get up in the night. Not so achey this mornng as I did'nt do much in the way of bending right down thats what gets my hips.

sitting at the table last night after nearly getting rid of the rest of the grass cuttings up the orchard I looked at what I thought was a tiny cut on y arm. On greater inspection it is anothe tic. Why do I always get tem when I can't get to the surgery to get it taken off. Its on my left arm and of course I have been handleing grass cuttings in the orchard where the deer go. Shall have to ring the surgery first hting Monday morning as last time i had one on my arm it swoll up in a big 2 inch diameter bump.

Good morning all 6 degrees here, still early but looks bright out there. I think this might be the last good day which is sad in one way as I still have a couple of plants to put into pots. However, if it is going to be dull, I hope we do get some rain. Trouble will be if it is the lashing down variety as that will just bounce off the dry soil.

I have no idea what time my Grandson will arrive, difficult when he is on his own with the boys, it was always his ex wife who let me know where they were en route.

Mel that was late to be in the garden. I am sure that you will ache today. Are you sure that you are not overdoing it? Actually my body would just refuse to go on after an hour. But you are a lot younger than me I think.

Just come in again as its now dark Iv'e been burning up the rest of the grass cuttings. Now I am going to eat.

Hope you all have a good nights sleep tonight. :-D

Sounds like you had a lovely time them Anng.

I have just come in from the garden again and have been working on the rockery bit outside the kitchen window and its goes up the righthand side up the orchard where I cleared that path last year which now needs doing again. Trimmed off all the dead leaves and flower stem of the Hellibore and pulled allt he dead and dying leaves of the Kaffir lillies. I think that what they are called. I am just going to have a cuppa and a small slice of coffee and walnut cake. Anyone want a piece?

Mel, it becomes personal when you give random things names. T and I used to call our Sat Nav lady Gladys.

Just in from seeing SIX. I am mentally physically exhausted and horse. N Not that we were moving around or singing you understand. It was not as long as we expected, went in at 2pm and came out at 3.50. and that included a short narrative at the beginning explaining how the musical was thought of and made. I have to admit that the singing of the lyrics was very fast, it was almost rap in places so I think everyone just got the gist. Some of the spoken words you could make out I suspect with perfect hearing you would hear it all. But I really enjoyed it, it is so clever, the dancing, the coreography is excellent,fast and 'foot tappin' good. The costumes are great and the lyrics very witty. It was fun.

BIL has just called the older mower Aunt Agatha so now she has a name!!!! I think he said when I asked him what was he going to call the new one then, Jemima. He's nuts....

Just had a sandwich and am going back out there now.

BIL been here all morning and mowed. I have just strimmed al the back garden down to Prickerly Bottom and round my pond and just started on the side of the road along the back garden grass and the strimmer ran out of battery so thats now on charge.

Better see where he is and if he wants a snack and a drink and I want one too.

Glad you managed to get one of your grassy tussocks out of the raised bed Ann. They are a nuisance when they get into where you don't want them. I'm going to have a go at the great thistley thing in the back lawn this afternoon.

Morning All,

Sun's out now but it was chilly earlier in the garden. I have a busy day, but was determined that I would attempt to dig up a horrid weed tuft, a bit grassy, but not grass that has mainly appeared in one of the island beds. There are about 3, one foot wide mounds of it tangled with a huge variegated thyme. I thought if I remove one a day, it shouldn't make my back suffer! With the aid of my lightweight border fork I eventually managed it by prising it up all around it several times and it was very satisfying that it came out more easily than I expected. Once the other clumps are out the Thyme that has spread is going to need a severe haircut or replacement. There are seedlings of this horrid weed sprouting in the gravel too, so they need to be whipped out smartly as they appear.

OH managed to see another doctor yesterday and they'd caused him worry for nothing, as the text they had sent him before about being seen about his bowel test was wrong as the result was clear and all the other Dr had wanted to say to him was that she was referring him for a liver scan, which he already knew she would do. They really should be more careful. He's been to the first appointment with the physio this morning and he managed the exercises he's to do every day.

I have an appointment at the surgery this afternoon to see how I'm doing now and then we are off to the big co-op as they stock more things.

I've tried to order a skip by email now as their phone is still saying 'unavailable' so hope I get an answer that way. Now for some admin and bill paying before a stirfry lunch with chicken and veg.

Have you had the 'doorknocker' photography meeting yet AnnG? I thought that sounded a really interesting one. I had a sporadic night last night too, kept waking and thinking it was much later. I hope you enjoy the screening and must look it up. Yes I had some awful peatfree compost that nothing grew in a couple of years ago. Even when I mixed it with existing compost things didn't do well.

Vera I agree with you about spring cleaning and forth bridge as I never seem to complete what I start anymore! You did get your conservatory done though and that was a huge task with all the frames and windows. What a shame for that poor lady at your meet yesterday with all the health troubles. I'm sure your kindness and concern were a comfort to her and I hope she can go ahead with the operation she needs.

Mandy and AnnG thank you for your thoughts on tumbler toms and my wall pots. The wallpots at the back are bigger than my others on the front, so it might still be worth a try and I have tucked polythene around plants when I've gone on holiday to keep moisture in before so I could try that as well. I suppose it depends how hot or dry it gets this summer too. Another experiment for me!

thanks for explaining about the mower deck Mel. I had thought the mower towed cylinder blades behind it like my first BIL had, but I saw the council using a posh new mower the other day and that was a rotary with the blade between the wheels. What a shame Stu wasn't well and didn't have his pills with him. I hope he's better again now and able to enjoy your meal he took with him.