General Chat

M morning all from SUNNY DEVON, Evening Kim,

Clear blue sky's here and slight breeze. You asked me to bring the sunshine down Mel, so here it is !! You owe me one.

We popped over to see Jo, Ella and JJ. As soon as we got out the car JJ was there jumping up at us. One of Ella's friends was there. CHARLIE. A very rough Diamond, but a lovely way with her. Jan suggested Jo and Ella came with us for a bite to eat. Can I bring Charlie says Ella, so it ended up with SIX of us. We went to a HARVESTER in Torquay. It was packed being a nice evening and we had to wait for half an hour for a table. So we sat in the lounge area and had drinks. We had a pager given to us when we arrived, All we had to do is show it at the bar and it charged the drinks to the table and my account. When we had eaten I asked for the bill, expecting it to be close to £100.00. To my great surprise, it was only £55.00. !! they hadn't charged for the drinks, so I didn't say anything. DRINKS ON HARVESTER.

Had a terrible nights sleep last night. I was in bed by 10.30 pm and left the girls talking. At midnight I went back to the lounge to find Jan had gone to bed and Ros asleep in the chair. I'm coming in now she said. I had left the bedside light on, so I couldn't go to sleep with the light on. When she finally got to bed, I was well awake. If I slept for more than two hours all night, that was the most.

So Thomas has hurt himself, I hope he didn't get into a fight with a big "BUNNY" LOL

I am in my shorts already, so will sit outside and have breakfast. Eggs,bacon, mushrooms and tomato's, toast and marmalade .We won't need any lunch at this rate.

What are you all up to today ?? I will try a walk along the front later. I think the girls are doing a bit of gardening. Ros bought some bits down for Jan, so they need to go in.

See you all later.

Morning Frank and al,

So not such a good night last night Frank. Lets hope for a better one tonight after your walk along the front.

We have sunshine too thanks to Frank who brought it down with him, but we have some wispy white clouds in the blue.

Shopping day today and still itching all over. Must ring for an appointment for Thursday to find out about the blood test.

Just back after TWO HOURS of walking and sitting. Have meet a few interesting people out like me to get the exercise and sunshine. I was a very good boy and didn't stop at the "HARBOUR INN" for a pint or two. I had a walk round the harbour, there are boats in there that haven't been used for years, seaweed covering the bottom of the boats and anchor chains. How they can afford the harbour fees and not use the boats seems such a waste to me. There are fishing trips Wreck Fishing £40.00 per day plus Rod hire. I don't know anyone who would want to spend that money. When I ran the Deep Sea fishing club in Kettering in the 70s we would take a coach load 50 men everywhere around the coast for £8.00 each including boat hire and bait supplied. HOW things have moved on.

The girls are still out doing whatever. It's almost too hot to sit out, but I will have to get on with it. !!! lol

Hope your "DONKEY DAY" went well Mel ;-) ;-) ;-)

Good afternoon all

Lovely day here too

Pleased to hear you and Ros have arrived safely Frank and enjoying your stay, I hope you have a better nights sleep tonight.

So Thomas has been in the wars again Jane, if only pets could talk. That poem about the wind reminded me what my Mum told me years ago about a grave she saw in Hollington Church in the Wood, St Leonards on Sea that had that same poem on someone's grave stone.

Ruby is the walking wounded at the moment, yesterday while I was eating my lunch she came out of the sitting room after letting out a heart rending cry and holding her front right leg up. I rang the vet and he saw her at 5o/c yesterday, he doesn't think she has broken any bones, she was given an anti inflammatory injection with one a day follow up tablets but bad news for her, no walkies and to be kept on the floor so no stairs or furniture climbing, after 5 days if things haven't improved she will have to have an x-ray. She is in her cage at the moment having a nap.

Hope your Donkey day went well and your itches are easing up Mel

Oh Anne, Poot Ruby. I hope she soon makes a full recovery.

The girls got back about and hour ago with a boot full of plants, which they are putting to position in the garden and pots as I type. They will be worn out by the time they finish.

A quick easy dinner tonight, Chicken chips and sweetcorn. That will suit me down to the ground, after our breakfast this morning.

Oh dear what has Ruby done Anne? Do you think she tried to jump and landed awkwardly or something? Hopefully it is just a sprain and nothing worse. Rest and ant inflammatories will probably do the trick. She is not going ot be too impresed with having to be kept in !!
Thomas is fine. He seems to be walking fine again now. He has had 2 young Rats this morning :-S. He doesn't eat them but just brings them back and drops them on the Patio. He has just eaten a mouse though and hasn't even looked at his food bowl since yesterday morning.

Frank,I am really so envious of you being able to wander around the seafront and just enjoying the lovely fresh sea air.There is nothing better than the smell of the sea and the fishing boats. I love to walk around the Barbican in Plymouth just to get that special smell :-D

Chris has just realised how much I spend on the Bird food !!!!! and has gone all grumpy LOL. He is right though .I spend a ridiculous amount on those Suet Pellets .
I think from now on I will just fill the window feeder once a day rather than each time I see it empty which can be 3 times a day.
We had a good saving yesterday though.Our RAC years renewal cost was going to be £400 :-0 :-0 :-0. That was with Hannah and James on the family thing. But as Hannah no longer has a car she has been dropped and James will now pay his own cover. Chris rang and said we have been customers for 34 yrs. The cost now is just under £200 !!!!!!!

I should have been to give blood today but had a phone call this morning tho say the session had been cancelled due to not enough staff.I wonder if they have a bug outbreak or something as it is most unusual to have it cancelled .Especially when they are desperate for blood. I have to admit though I was quite relieved not to go as it is so humid today.

Tomorrow Chris and I are going to the cinema in Northampton to see My Cousin Rachel. Lunch at Ask beforehand. I haven't been to the pictures for ages .

How funny Anne about that poem :-D.. I had never heard it before ,but it must be a known one if it was on a Gravestone a long time ago.

Mel did you ring for an appointment? You should be able to get blood results over the phone . Still scratching?

back from shopping. As I drove into Bideford the tide was out and when I got up near the Pill all you could smell was fish in the air. It was'nt like it when I came home.

Yes I made an appointment for Thrusday 11.45am. I am still itching and now have some nice bruises and spots where I have scratched with scabs on the tops. Even the tops of my ears itch sometime and if I put my fingers on them they are hot.

Poor little Ruby, I ownder if she jumped the gate again and did'nt make it and twisted her little leg. I hope she recovers soon Anne and dos'nt have to have an xray. She won't like being confined to her crate in this heat.

I just have the salad drawer to do now so see you later.

Mel do they bring fish into Bideford on the boats? I never remember a fishy smell there .Mind you that is going back donkeys years.Or was it just the stink of a low tide?
I do hope you can get your itchiness sorted soon. It must be driving you barmy now :-(

I think it might be a bit of a muggy night tonight. High Pollen today has had me sneezing and rubbing my eyes. There is not a breath of wind now.It is spookily very still.
I think I might have excelled myself tonight .. Dinner is Cod Loins with Pesto ,a Basil leaf and then wrapped with Parma Ham.It will be going on a bed of Red Peppers,Courgette,Red Onion, ,New Potatoes all in one roasting dish with a dressing made of Olive Oil,10 Basil Leaves, juice of a Lemon, Balsamic Vinegar crushed Garlic.
I hope it is good LOL Could well be a disaster :-S We wait and see :-D

One of my favourite places in Hastings was the Old Town with all the fishing boats on the beach and the black fishermans' huts which are grade 2 listed'

I think Ruby possibly jumped off the settee and landed awkwardly as one of the cushions was on the floor, she is now asking Richard to take her for a walk she needs to do a pooh as she is house trained as far as that goes all though she does a wee indoors sometimes on the special mats.

Your evening meals sound tasty just the sort of meal I prefer Frank and Jane.

Evening All,

I see our Frank is getting around in the fresh sea air and airing his shorts! I bet JJ was surprised but obviously delighted to see him.

My first MIL used to say that poem Jane, but not quite to the end so it was good to see how it finished. That's good that Thomas's leg seems better. It seems almost a waste to put food down for him when he dines out!! lol. We said just the same the other day that we hadn't been to the cinema much for ages. OH was saying to go and see Churchill that comes out round here on Friday. I suspect it will be more his kind of film really, but I might enjoy it and if not he will always come with me to see what I want another time.

With our £60 discount we pay £90 for comprehensive Britannia Rescue to cover both of us for driving any car, not just our own cars. Also 20% holiday discounts (when we go to Cornwall) and some other discounts. £400 was rather a lot wasn't it!! When you get new cars, do you check whether there is a free year's breakdown cover with them? I ring our breakdown people if there is and they 'hold' the cover till the free cover runs out and then reinstate their cover which saves a year's cost. Crikey, your birds will be crash landing with all that grub!!! lol. I suspect the squirrel gets through some. That is my kind of meal that you are doing!

I hope hop-along Ruby is limping less now. I bet she will be expecting her walkies and wondering why it isn't happening. :-S

I hate the smell of fish Mel. I wonder if they'd been unloading some fish somewhere or cleaning somewhere out. I hope you manage to find the ring and expect it will be when you are looking for something else. :-) This itching doesn't seem to be getting better but you will have chance to mention it again when you go for your blood test results.

I expect Mandy's pool will be full now. I wonder if Max has managed to see over the edge or tried to get in!!! :-0

I can't believe all the dead snails and slugs we have since I put bait down. We have ants in the greenhouse and up the waterfall sides so I have been spraying stuff to get rid of them today. I think I shall have to do some watering tomorrow as the runners are at a standstill!! lol

I did 2 minutes on the cross trainer this morning and could hardly stand up after our 2 hour lunch!!

Anne,Fitz's youngest broke his leg when a toddler jumping off the settee !. Lets hope Ruby hasn't done anything so drastic.
My dinner was OK but nothing special .I won't bother again.At least I tried something new which I haven't done for ages.I gave it 5 out of 10 for taste so a bit disappointing .

I am off to bed now. Was up again at just after 5.30am. I just wish I could sleep until the alarm goes off at 7 I was wanting to watch Broken but will do that on catch up now.
Night Night x

A 2 hours lunch!!! I am going to the doc's because of all this itching. It drives me crazy and sometimes I think it starts after I have eaten. It feels like it is on my veins. Today I have a bad hip on my right side. Ok when I have been moving about but when Isit for a while and then get up it takes a while to get going without any pain.

Sorry to hear about Ruby Anne, hope it's nothing serious and she doesn't need an X-ray.

So Thomas is okay today then Jane, that's good news. Hope you get a better nights sleep tonight.

Let's hope the doctor can help with your itching Mel, it must be driving you mad.

It sounds like you've had a good walk today Frank, pleased the weather is being kind to you.

I've been sorting out the shed today while OH was making a start on cutting up the wood ready to make the planters. I thought the wheels were in the shed but I couldn't find them so we'll have to buy some to put on the planters. I thought I had three pieces of trellis but I have four so we're going to make two planters now.

Going to have a bath then an early night as I'm shattered.
Night Night

Morning All,

Wall to wall sunshine here today. I have just watered all my pots and the runners and toms and have come in for a cuppa and to do a letter to post when we go out. OH is busy writing notes up.

Gill, have you ever looked on the pinterest site? it is very good for all sorts of ideas, gardens, knitting, sewing, cooking all crafts and hobbies really.

Well, I'd better get my letter done now as OH is stirring and will no doubt be in here chatting next and then I won't be ready when he wants to go out!!

Morning all,

Glorious day here too with the sun shining its head off.

Well I am itching now in places I did'nt itch before. The spots have travelled up my arms to my shoulders and elsewhere. I have just remembered that the pharmasist said that the only pills he had for me only had a short date on them. I am now wondering if it is that? They run out 06/17 so should be good till the end of the month.

How is Ruby this morning Anne. I hope she's a bit better. sending love <3 <3 <3

Good morning from a very warm Paignton. Evening Kim.

We were going off to Dartmoor for a ride and some lunch but all change. Jo is going to massage my shoulder this afternoon at 3,45 pm. She has just rang to say a client needs to change her appointment, so will come here at 1,30 pm. I can't complain as she's not charging me !! So our trip will perhaps be tomorrow.

Jo is going out this evening to we have Ella for a sleep over. I am hoping they will bring JJ and Jan can take him back tomorrow.

What a disaster wth that Tower Block FIRE in London. I heard that one woman dropped her baby from 10 floors up in desperation to save it, and is was caught by someone at ground level. Her time wasn't up, was it ??

Anne when ever John and Carolyn invite us to Hastings, we always go to the old town. Therein a Fish and Chip place called "MAGGIE'S" in one of the old "NET SHEDS" just by all the boats on the shore. It's a delightful place to eat. If you are ever down there, try it !!!.

Jane We use the Tesco vouchers for our RAC membership We get the full monty for under £50.00 of vouchers. You should try it. IT WILL LEAVE MORE MONEY FOR BIRD FOOD <3 <3 <3 <3 I missed that post how much did you spend ??

How's Ruby this morning, is she moving any better, ??

I won't go out this morning, I will sit in the garden, while the girls put in more plants. Dos has cleared a massive area of wall that was covered in IVY. I will try to dig the roots out later.

Have a good day for whatever you are getting unto. I will be back later.

Oh Mel, all that itching and it's hotter today too!! It was 31 degrees on the car thermometer after we'd shopped at Sainsbury's. Could you try some calamine lotion on it, at least at night it might help you to sleep. I hope the doctor has something else you can try. I was chuffed to find a navy thin cardie in Sainsbury's. I have one in that colour but it is getting a bit bobbly!! This one has a lacy back panel so it is cooler too. :-)

Yes, we often have a leisurely 2 hour lunch!! lol. Especially if we have both cars with us and time to kill before OH goes to a meeting after . We take newspapers to read, have a jug of iced water with lemon and after our meal and chat, we always have a COT while we do the Wordwheel in the paper together. That takes a while as we won't be beaten!!! It's so good to be able to do it after all those years we were at work and everything was on a timescale and we were rushing about.

Frank I see you and Ros are making yourselves useful in the garden in between relaxing. They will be pleased with the help.......many hands make light work! :-) It will be good if you can have JJ's company for a while. Hope you enjoy your massage!

How desperate and horrifying it must be to risk dropping your baby from that height and just hope it is caught by the people below.

I called in the Post Office to get my letter weighed earlier and couldn't believe the queue of people in front of me with parcels and only one person serving. I gave up in the end so will pop back soon and then call at the cheap nursery in the village to see what plants they have as the white flowers (Bacopa) in my front wall pots are well past their best now.

I just remembered something! While we were at lunch OH popped into the gents and when he came back he said he couldn't believe what he'd just seen. Another man had his you know what in one hand and was listening to his mobile phone with the other hand. As OH was leaving he said he noticed the man had left everything 'hanging out' while he stood and used that hand to start writing a text!!

Your not supposed to be on the phone while your driving!! ;-) ;-) ;-)

Oh has been telling me that the firemans hoses only reach 10 floors up so they should'nt build any higher than that. He also said that they clad the fronts with plastic and put in plastic windows and once that catches it spreads like wild fire which it was.
If you saw the news and the pictures of a fireman on a tall ladder, thats the longest ladder the firebrigade has and its a job to get it round a lot of streets in London. He is so cross and its nothing to do with him now. He does talk a lot of sense though about what should and what should'nt be built in London. He worked in The London Fire Brigade for 25 years and I have his old t shirts to prove it!! ha ha he would'nt get in them now. He was at the other block of flats years ago that had a gas explosion in the bottom flat and it took out the whole side of the block. If any of you remember that far back.

Well Jo came to massage me, and left me in more pain than when she started. She said to expect that as my neck and shoulder were all CRUNCHIE I asked if it had chocolate around it LOL LOL. She wants me to go to her tomorrow, so she can do my whole back with a good massage.

The girls went out this morning to get some bits and came back with another car load of plants. I have emptied the car, put them in the shade and watered them. Gawd knows when they will get put in. !!! I have cleared more IVY from the wall, and Ros is doing it now. Three big plastic bags full, which will have to be taken to the tip, as the local council don't clear Garden waste.

Still very warm outside and I have very RED legs from sitting outside in this lovely sunshine.

Yes Mel I agree entirely about the hight of these modern buildings. I thank G for not having worked in any building that was higher than FIVE FLOORS. I think I would do a bit having to go up TWENTY plus floors.

Anne how disgusting can these people be, everything in their lives revolve around these Bloody Phones. I bet he didn't put his phone away to wash his hands, DIRTY B@@@ard.

Jo said to me. Don't sit in the sun without a T shirt on until you get showered, as the oil she has used will soon burn my back and shoulder. So I have been warned.

JJ came with her this afternoon but she has taken him back home. He was pleased to see us again. He hates Motor bikes and stands at the gate barking when they go by, and boy is there a lot of them down here.

Might get back tonight, I will see how I feel.