General Chat

You must be very well read Frank!!!! I'm sure it keeps you out of mischief ;-)
Poor Merlin has been plagued by bot flies this morning despite the spray, so OH has brought him down to the yard, much to the agitation of the Swallow parents, where he seems to be a lot happier!
Been doing a bit of gardening this am; OH has planted out the rest of the cauli's and curly kale + another row of carrots. Only the leeks to transplant next month and we're set up vegwise!! The sweetcorn is beginning to corn, and last night instead of peas, we had our first picking of spinach! It was delicious!

AFTERNOON ALL (oops caps on)

Liz I do feel sorry for Merlin bothered by those blasted flies. I have noticed a lot of the horses in field across the way have those funny Eye and Nose shield things on.It must be so irritating for them .

I had my appointment with the Rheumatologist . He says that he isn't going to discharge me just yet but I will have another appointment in 12 months. He says I don't have Psoriatic Arthritis as I have no swelling in my fingers or toes, but with the Psoriasis I do have things could possibly change. I did have my lower back Xrayed.
The parking lark at the hospital is a shambles. What a do trying to get a space. Most of the main carpark is shut because they are making a double level (I think double level ) carpark to help ease the problem. I eventually got a space after asking a lady who was just leaving to Please wait until I drove around again to get back to her space.(I didn't want anyone else nicking it LOL ). Then the problem wit hthe ticket machine !!
I put my money in. A ticket came out but also so did all my money. The ticket though did not have the time I had t o leave by. Just the time I put the money in. Luckily there was a carpark attendant nearby and he said my money came back because the machine doesnt accept the new £1 coins !!!!!!. Surely they could put a notice on the machine saying that. As i say it was all a bit of a shambles. I am just glad I have no more appointments to go to . :-D

Chris is home and said he had a bad experience with the place he stayed. He hardly slept a wink,because the room was so hot ,and noisy as he HAD to have the window open so he got all the traffic noise. Plumbing not great and Breakfast crap . He won't be going there again LOL. The Art fair too wasn't as good as it usually is . So he is not a happy bunny :-S . He found fan in the wardrobe that he put on but that too was so noisy.I think he will be having an early night tonight. I told him I had the best nights sleep in days :-D :-D.

It looks a little stormy but I don't know we are due any rain. I better get the washing in just in case.

Did I say that James and Jess are going to the First night of the Proms at the Albert Hall tomorrow.It is being televised ,but I doubt I will spot them as I think they might be up in The Gods.

Oh Jane I do envy them.. I used to go many moons ago when Sir Malcom Sargent was conducting. We used to queue for hours sometimes!! The concerts were wonderful, but the best was the 'Last Night! Happy days! I hope they have a good time.
Looks like rain here, dark and dingy!! OH has put Merlin back in his field so he's happier! We'll probably leave him out all night
Heaven's, what a time you had at he hospital!!! That's all you needed!!!! The RUH where OH sometimes has to visit has got one of these parking companies in, and that has been a nightmare as they fine you at the drop of a hat!! Not at all appropriatel for a hospital, you can imagine the complaints!! Google Parking Eye, and you'll see what I mean!

Oh thats just not fair with these parking companys. How does a hospital allow that when they keep you waiting so long and you never seem to get your appointment at the time stated. I got caught twice in Morrisons car park when they only had two hours stay time. I notice now that its three hours. If you going in the resturant and have a meal and then do your shopping how on earth do they think you are only going to take two hours. It takes me two hours to walk around the shop choosing the things I want. I am not one of these people who pick up any old pepper or tomatoes or my meat. Anyway they have put me down as disabled so I get longer. The companies who do Bideford are in Croyden Surrey!!!!!

Jane that must have put your mind at rest knowing now that its not Psoriatic Arthritis
and hope the xray gives good results too.

Never been to the proms but like to watch the last night on the telly. I am sure James and Jess will have a good time. Poor Chris so not such a good break for him then. Where did he get the hotel from. He should complain.

Here's a bit about bot flies if anyone dos'nt know what they are.

The bot flies are in the family Oestridae. Within this family are four subfamilies, including the Gasterophilinae, the stomach bot flies. All subfamilies within Oestridae are related by their larval feeding characteristics. The larvae demonstrate obligatory myiasis because they require a living host to complete development. Completion of the bot flies' life cycle is dependent on the larvae consuming nutrients from tissues in the gastrointestinal tract of the horse.

Yuk........ :-(

Must get the pie in the oven as I have done more weeding up the border this afternoon. Oh has finished the block work and made a nice ramp to get mowers and cars over to the caravan.

I can't believe it. Only FOUR postings yesterday,

Good morning my little beauties, evening Kim,

Poor Merlin, It must be terrible for all animals being outside and being tormented by these blooming flies. I often saw them lashing their tails around trying to get rid of them.

Jane, tell Chris to go on TRIP ADVISOR and leave a report. I do it for every place I eat and stay. It lets other people know what your experience has been like. It must be terrible laying in a strange bed and not being able to sleep. I bet he slept like a log last night.

I also like the LAST NIGHT OF THE PROMS. They play some really moving music and get the Promenader's going. During the early concerts, the music is a bit over my head.

Your OH has been busy Mel, (and you) It must be like the FORTH BRIDGE with your Garden, as soon as you finish you have to start again (PAINTING) the bridge.

Very muggy here this morning. I have opened doors and windows, and there is a nice breeze coming through. Lots of cloud around, so I don't know what to expect.

I hope everything is well with the other girls, strange not hearing from them. xxx

Morning Frank and all,

Slept like a log last night. I did get up once but must have gone off again as soon as my head hit the pillow.

Bright and breezy here this morning with white clouds in the blue sky.

I bought oh's birthday present for him yesterday as he found something he wanted!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! He has been playing with it since it arrived and he set it up. Its really quite good.

Nothing planned for today. May go up the border but I have a lot of washing to do first.

I really don't know where this week has gone. It feels like it only just started and here we are at Friday again. The children will soon be on holiday from school and then back again for the autumn term. I hope it does go that quick as I hate shopping in the school holidays.

What the hospital's do over parking Mel is that the camera records your registration number when you arrive, and when you leave after your appointment you have to put your reg number into the machine and it automatically knows how long you've been there, and tells you how much you have to pay; you then get a ticket to post into a machine as you leave the premises which confirms payment!! It's a right performance particularly if you've just received bad news, or an upset of some sort. The Great Western in Swindon where I went with my hip was the old way, so was much easier, much to our relief! Let's hope it stays like that! None of the Supermarkets round here use a Parking Company, I think there'd be an outcry if they did!!
Just come back from Waitrose, we've put away the shopping and are about to do a bit of watering. I found walking round much easier today, next time - no stick!!

Afternoon all

Sorry I missed your birthday Ann
<3 <3 <3 HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY FROM SANDRA AND I <3 <3 <3

I thought you might like the card, they have lots of them for different years here and when I read it I thought you might like all the facts that were on it. I've let Sandra know you loved her card too, she is very pleased you like it.

We've been staying at MIL's for a couple of days as she is in bits over her youngest son. He went to see the specialist on Wednesday and was told the Cancer is in 4 places. He starts Chemo on Monday. OH is so upset as you can imagine. I don't know how he's going to be on Monday and it's OH's birthday too.

Sandra wants us to catch up on the soaps and Big Brother before they are all back on tonight so I'm going to do that with her, then catch up with all the posts later.

Hope everyone is okay
BBL <3

Liz in Morrison's the camera takes your number plate when you go in and out.

At North Devon Hospital you take a ticket when you go in and when you come out you put the ticket in the machine which then tells you how much you have to pay.

Done two lots of washing which is on the line. Had lunch and have got indigestion so I am going up the border to see if I can work it off.

Thinking of you all Gill. x

Afternoon All

I have been glued to the mens Tennis. What a long match that was. I really thought that Sam Querrey was going to win. So it is Cilic in the finals .
My fingers have not been great today so it was a good reason to just watch the tennis and not do anything else.
Now the next match with Federa is just about to begin.

Oh Gill, what a dreadful time for the family. Hearing the latest news from the specialist must have very hard to take. I hope that the Chemo will improve things for your BIL.It is a waiting game really isn't it . Do you know how many rounds of Chemo he is having? At least his specialist thinks it is worth trying ,so that has to be a positive.

Frank ,I told Chris to put his comments about the place he stayed on Tripadvisor (but I doubt he will :-S ). He is funny like that :-S.

I think Thomas is now after the little birds :-(. I found the remains of one just outside the back door :-| :-|
He has been climbing in the big Yew hedge so I think there must be nesting birds in there. The sad thing is there is nothing I can do to stop him.

Tennis now :-D BBL

Nothing to report from this end, other than to say Madam is in the garden and cleared another load of dead stuff from the border. It looks nice, as she trimmed the lawn edge as she goes along. I looked at the lawn, but it doesn't seemed to need a cut yet. So I will leave it until next week.

I have finished the book and started another this afternoon. My reading glass's are a lot better to read with now, so all these drops I am having must be doing some good. The only trouble is I can't see to walk around in them, so have to either go without or put the others on.

I never even thought to put the tennis on Jane. I might catch the ladies final tomorrow afternoon.

Roast pork, new potato's and four veg tonight. So we won't go hungry.

The sun has been out here this past hour or so.and it's quite pleasant down the garden.
I might watch a bit of tennis now !!!

Goodness Mel, I I do find it odd that Morrison's have gone down the road of parking cameras for a big supermarket. Is it near the town? If so, maybe they're trying to stop people from using it just to go to the Bank or wherever! Why are you disabled?
Oh Gill I am sorry to hear about your BIL. As Jane said though, the fact that he is having chemo is a positive sign. I can see how upset and worried you all are. I'll be thinking of you. <3
Our swallows have a new brood!! They've kicked the big babies out of the nest and are back in it themselves!
Watched a very interesting programme last night on a history channel about Minoan Crete. It was so interesting, all the archaeological research and artefacts on how they lived and the awful earthquake/tsunami that eventually wiped out their civilisation. Nothing at all tonight only rubbish, so back to other channels or recorded progs!

Evening all,

It's been quite a cloudy day here ,very black clouds at times but no rain so far .

Gill ,it's a very worrying time for your family i'm so sorry to hear the latest news ,as the others have said having the chemo is a positive and hopefully it will give him a little more time ,thinking of you and sending my love <3

Our Morrisons takes your car number as you go in and come out ,you get a fine if you go over three hours .
At the hospital you take a ticket as you enter the car park ,you have to put it in the ticket machines in the hospital and pay and then it gives you time to get back to your car and you put the ticket in the machine again to lift the barrier to get out of the car park .

What's OH's pressy then Mel ? sounds as if it's some thing he's pleased with .
Did you let the little hog go last night ?

We have had Lewis here today ,he had lunch here as son and DIL went to Katies school leavers service in the church and then onto the BBQ in the school grounds.

We went to get some more wood paint so Colin could finish off the wood shed and the colour has been discontinued so he has to change the colour now ,good thing he hadn't started using the little paint he already had .

Naughty Thomas getting the birds do you think the bunnies are getting in short supply now so he's after the birds instead .

Just finished watching all the programmes I recorded over the last few days with 5 minutes to spare before the ones that are on tonight start.

We don't have to pay for parking here but do have camera's to make sure you only park for the allocated time between 2 and 3 hours depending on which shop you park at.

BIL has six sessions of Chemo Jane, one a week for six weeks, then he'll have another scan to see what is happening, then he'll take it from there.

Thanks everyone for your kind words they mean so much to us <3

Yes Mel what is OH's pressy?? When is his birthday?

Bet the family had a lovely day at Katie's leavers and BBQ do. Was Lewis a good boy ?

I am just about ready to dish up dinner. We will put Channel 4 on to see the start of the Proms :-D

His birthday is in November but when I ask him what he wants for his birthday he never knows. This was on offer fro one day only and today its price is £149.

I bought him Cortana. I have been listening to all the old records I liked. She tells you the weather forcast for your area but we have asked her a few qustions that she dos'nt know the answer to.

Another picture of James and Jess. She has a lovely smile.

Liz did you remember Outlander last night?

Morning all,

Dullish day today but dry with a light breeze. Much cooler though.

Egg delivery day and down the shop for the paper same as usual. Exciting life is'nt it?

Nothing to report as I hav'nt seen anyone living within these walls. I did speak to a man who was walking a dog past the back of the bungalow about a week ago. I was just goin g in the chicken run and he said good morning and frightened the life out of me.

Good morning Mel, and all, Evening Kim,

Same weather here Mel, I went to a neighbours "Honesty Table" this morning, and you can feel the dampness in the air. "RINGO" the neighbour has a table of vegetables from his allotments. New potato's, carrots, cabbage, rhubarb. So I collected a bag of each, and the money goes to his Fishing Club.

Ros will be meeting up with Martine shortly, for their Saturday trip round Morrison's. I don't think they have camera's at our one in Northampton. Roa has here Blue Badge so doesn't need to worry.

Don't you get to excited with all your things to do Mel. I will be just the same. I will sit and read after my shower. WHAT AN EXCITING LIFE WE LIVE. LOL LOL I have seen those Cortana's advertised on T.V. what else do the do, apart from play music. ??



Just had my drops put in my eye. It stings like mad. :-( :-(

Gill, I do hope that the treatment helps with you BIL. We are all thinking of him.

Spoke with my sister Yesterday, she spent a day last week at the hospital from 9.30 am until 6.30 pm She is taking so many pain killers she is very constipated. They were giving her various "Gunges" during the day to ty to help. (SORRY). So she isn't in the best place at the moment. Her son went to Spain for a few days with a friend for a break. Unfortunately the fried has Altsimera's (sp) and had a nasty fall in the shower, which meant they had to come home early.

Mandy does this mean Katie is moving schools ?? How old is she now. ??

My Nephew John is holding the COUSINS get together this afternoon/evening. I spoke with him this morning. He has a BIG MARQUEE put up in the Garden. His dog decided it was just the place to go to the toilet, right in the entrance, so he was in his good books (NOT) !!! Most of his cousins have said they would be coming, so I hope they have a good re-union.

Slight drizzle here now, so the practise at Silverstone should be interesting on a greasy surface.


Off to the shower and a bit of Toast and my mate. See you later.

Cortana answers lot of question you ask her but some things she dos'nt know she will say " Sorry I don't know that one" Considering it is quite small the speakers are good for the size of it and it plays music beautifully. You just have to remember to say Cortana before anything else.

Must box my eggs up and do the delivery and shop.

See you later.

I let the little hog go last night. I popped it in the empy hog box down the garden and waited there 35 mins watching to see what it did. Another hog came up behind me and when it saw me turned tail and ran away. The small one fiddled around in the box for about a quarter of an hour then poked its nose out and came out. Went round the front of the box and then the back and came back out the front again and across the lawn a bit. I went to get the tin of food and threw some around on the grass where it was and left it too it.