General Chat

Morning all

Lovely and sunny here today, it did rain in the end yesterday and going by how damp the ground is today it looks like it might of rained all night, it was really heavy rain too. OH is finishing off putting the screws in place for me to hang the screening, he only managed the top as he ran out of screws and the shop had shut so I won't be hanging any screening until that is finished. I think the weather is forecast to be good tomorrow so if the ground isn't to wet I'll make a start then.

That's nice that Simon and Sally are visiting tomorrow Frank, it'll be something to look forward to. Yes, it might be best to let Simon pick the apples. It sounds like you have nice baking apples if he wants more for another crumble. I can't say I miss our apple tree, the mess it made drove us mad having to pick up rotten apples off the ground all the time. I planted a smaller apple tree into a pot as it was in the way of where we wanted to put our shed and that has produced a few nice looking apples this year, just enough for a pie or two which is plenty for Sandra and I, OH doesn't like apple pie. I'm surprised the tree had any apples on it this year with only putting it in a pot late last year, but I'm not complaining. We cut the plum down last year to ground level and that looks like it's coming back, I'm quite pleased as it was a nice tasting plum. Not sure how long it'll take for the fruit to come back though.

How is Thomas today Jane, hope you had a good nights sleep and he didn't wake you up to early wanting to go outside?

I'm going to make a shepherd's pie today as Sandra wants to catch up with some more programmes so I'll only have to heat it up later and there will be enough left over for tomorrow to, so if I do the screening I don't have to then start cooking. I'm normally very tired after a hard day in the garden and don't always feel like cooking so it'll save me an extra job to do.

Well, I'd better make a start on it. See you all later.

Oh, I forgot to ask, how are the hogs doing Mel?

I hardly saw any hogs last night just a couple at different times at the food bowls.

Iv'e just cleared out my handbag. In the bottom was one pound and a penny and 12 lose mint tic tacs. I am glad I did it now and not in the winter when they would have been all sticky ticky tic tacs. The two pots of them that were in there have also turned a yellowy colour so they are goin int he bin too to be replaced with fresh ones.

There was also many receipts from Morrisons and I found a run out couplon for 8,000 extra ponits if I spent £80 but it ran out in July. Blast. Its only a small bag but its surprising just how much junk I can get in there. :-S

All change for this evenings meal. Madam told me and I had forgotten that she is out this evening with the Mothers Club at someone house for a meal. So I will go and have a bite to eat at the pub and a couple of pints, with the lads.

Mel, I had a blue Fishermans smock for many years when sea fishing, especially in the summer, over a shirt. It was thick enough to keep out the breeze and nice and cool. I don't know what I did with it when I stopped boat fishing. That bought back some nice memories THANKS !!

Gill you aught to go to B & Q. You can buy box's of screws of any size you want. By the sound of things you need a lot. Hope you get it finished soon. I put the "Granny Smith" Apple tree in when we moved here 20 years ago. Every year we cut it back and I put those sticky bands around the trunk, it keeps some nasty little blighters (BUGS) from climbing the tree and laying their eggs in the apple blossom. Hence we seem to get good fruit, even though we do get windfalls. I tend to give those to the neighbours. !!!

Still a nice day here, plenty of sunshine and fluffy clouds. Have we got a summers day at last ??

Yes, Frank, we used to have a fisherman's smock each, (well over the years several!!) when we did a lot of sailing way back in the 1980's! They were brilliant for lots of reasons. These days I wear a big shirtlike overall for gardening which has two deep pockets for string, seccateurs etc. It's very useful for any mucky job!
Yes you can get virtually anything you want from B&Q, and they're open seven days a week. OH frequents it frequently!!!!
It's not a bad day here, windy, but the sun is lovely. Cas is stretched out on the veranda, OH is in his workshop, and I'm sitting in the sun with Cas. All is peace, for the minute at least!!
Hope Thomas is better Jane. My only job today is to cut OH's hair and to make a appointment to have mine cut at some stage. Our supper is curry with rice tonight, nice and easy!

Just finished preparing the shepherd's pie so that's in the oven, Sandra wants to catch up with some more programmes now. It's a lovely day here but would of been to hot for me to do the screening so I don't mind that OH still hasn't finished putting in the screws yet. Bless him he's having to turn the plastic under the wooden frame at the bottom so it doesn't show when I put the screening up as the screening is only 2 metres long, then he's got all the screws to put along the front of the bottom bit so I can attach the screening to it, so lots more to do yet.....it'll keep him out of mischief for a while LOL :-D :-D

We have a shop called Huws Gray in the village Frank and the screws aren't a bad price. For us to go anywhere else would cost us petrol on top of the price of the screws so would probably cost us more in the long run. The boxes of screws we're using at the moment come in a pack of 200 for around a fiver, so not to bad. The nearest B&Q is miles away so would probably cost us a fiver or more in petrol to get there. Shame really as their prices would probably have been better.

Yes, it was the windfalls that were the problem for us. The apple tree was so big we ended up giving most of the apples away to family and friends. My sister called round the other day and said the garden looks much bigger now the apple tree has gone and I've noticed that the big fur trees that were behind the apple tree have grown better now the light can get to them. I don't know what type of apple it was but they could only be cooked as they were far to sour to eat. I do like Granny Smith apples, but thought they were eating apples, I didn't know you could cook them as well....bargain.

Before I forget Frank, do you still watch Celebrity Master Chef as it's back on tomorrow on BBC1 at 8pm, Sandra and I will be watching it.

Yes, it's surprising how much we can get into our handbags and then they end up to heavy. Remember this time Mel, when you put the new tic tacs in your bag, not to forget them again. What a shame about the coupon.

Better go and check the oven and make OH a cuppa, it's so hot out there I don't want him getting dehydrated.

Good afternoon all

We came back Friday afternoon to find Colin parked in front of the garage he had arrived 10 minutes earlier to stay for a few days, so haven't had much chance to use the lap top.

We had a really enjoyable holiday with only one really wet day last Wednesday, that day we caught the steam train into Whitby which took well over an hour both ways. We managed to visit York, Harrogate, Thirsk and Scarborough which was only 17 miles away. We also had an enjoyable day at Eden Camp a museum based mainly on WW2 with authentic sounds and smells for that period, it was all housed in over 20 P.O.W. huts. Ruby was able to come in and she took an instant dislike to Hitler's voice. She was so good the whole week and walked her tiny legs off.
We took her to the vet this morning for her monthly check up and worm tablets she now weighs 5.5 kilos. and has no problems, she now has most of her adult teeth

I haven't had a chance to catch up on the posts yet but did see that young Thomas has had issues so pleased to hear that this seems to be improving.

It sounds like you had a lovely holiday Anne, it was good that Ruby could go to Eden Camp with you. I don't blame her for taking a dislike to Hitler's voice though. She's a good weight now isn't she? I'm pleased to hear she had a clean bill of health.

When you mentioned all the authentic sounds and smells it reminded me of when I visited The Jorvik Viking Centre in York many years ago, they had all the sounds and smells too. Did you visit there when you were in York? The steam train journey sounds lovely. Did you take any photo's, I'd love to see some if you did please?

Gill, when in York we planned to visit the Jorvik centre but it meant waiting in the queue for 1.5 hours we didn't realise that you could book in advance, as I had all ready visited the plan was I would sit out side with Ruby when the others went in. Richard and Paul took a lot of photos so will ask them to forward some on to me at the weekend

Welcome home Anne, I'm pleased you had a nice holiday. You did better than us for the weather. Both Tuesday and Wednesday it rained day and night here. I spent a holiday with me ex wife when we were 17. Staying at her "AUNTIES" where she was evacuated in the war. I stayed next door. We went to York, Harrogate and Old Mother Shipton's Cave. It was owned by Paul Daniels at one time, many years later.

I trust Thomas is taking to being on a lead when he goes out. Is he using his litter tray ??

Still lovely outside, doors and windows open and it's still warm. I'm in shorts and bare chested.

Ros came home a bit miffed, Carolyn spent an hour in the bank and another hour in the watch repairers. Why she couldn't do that when she was on her own ?? I just don't understand

I have a sore index finger on my leg hand, I cut it yesterday and peeled back the skin, my it does give me gip. It's my own fault, I shouldn't pick. !!!

Evening All

Glad to see you back Anne and to hear you had lovely holiday. I love those centres like the one in York with all the sounds and smells. I remember going ot the Robin Hood one in Nottingham and thoroughly enjoted it.

So THOMAS !!!. What a naughty boy he has been. He had me up at 4.30 with all the meowing ,so I came down and put down a bit of food and went back to bed. An hour later it was the same racket but even louder and more insistant .So up I get and put the harness on and we had a bit of a wander in the garden. I didn't bother going back to bed then so sat and watched TV ,but he then started again so I decided just to let him out.(I know I was supposed to keep him in ) but I was beginning to lose the plot.
He came in around 9.30 and went to bed(lucky him) so I went off to get a few bits from Asda.Came home and let him out again. 10 minutes later I heard this dreadful noise and he had brought a baby rabbit in the lounge. It was screaming and it s lttle legs were jerking around. I managed ot get Tomas and shut him in the hall ,then got a T Towel and put it over the bunny and picked it up still jerking . I felt so sick and was in a right old flap. With nothing on my feet I took it down one of compost bins as i thought I could lie it on top ,but as I was going it went all floppy and died :-( :-( Must have been shock as I couldn't see any injuries. So Thomas is not in my best book :-S :-S

Chris arrived home just after and so did Fitz.So they both went to make sure it was dead and then Fitz got a plastic bag and brought bunny back to me so I could go and dispose of it across the road .
So that has been my day (so far).

Dinner needs sorting now. I am doing a chicken and Mushroom Pie .Just need t o put the Filo pastry on top and get it in the oven ,with some Tarragon Carrots.

Evening all,

Oh naughty Thomas ,he's making up for the time he's been feeling unwell, he's so use now to being out and about and doing his hunting he doesn't like being kept shut up does he.
But it's good that he's getting better .

Anne sounds as if you had a lovely holiday and Ruby was a good girl so that was good , did she settle ok at night being in a strange house?

The family have been here this afternoon and the children went in the pool ,son decided it was to cold for him !!

Tomorrow Colin has his check up at the hospital ,it doesn't seem a year ago today that he had his hip op .
We hope to go to Hunstanton with the family on Thursday so the children can go on the beach ,weather permitting.

Oh God Jane, it's just awful when rabbits scream. It's a sound I never want to hear again. It's the one thing that made me almost hate our rabbit catching cat. I used to throw water over him till in the end he didn't bring them anywhere near me!!!
Glad Thomas is better though!!!
Supper was lovely, curry, rice and runners!! We're now off to take Merlin out as its a lovely evening and too nice to stay in!

I just wrote loads and hit something on the keyboard and lost the bl**dy lot.:-| :-| :-|

I didnt go to Northam in the end I went up Atlantic Village to have a look in M&S for some jeans with an elastic waist but they only had the short ones and I don't like those.

Found a Lidl up there too so I went in to see if they had oh's scotch eggs but they said they had been taken off the shelves because of the egg scare in France.

Also had a quick look in Cotton Traders and the Edinburgh Wool shop but I did'nt want to hang a round too long as I still had to get the shopping Morrisons.

Anyway all done now and I shall go to Northam next week.

Anne it sounds like you had a nice restfull holiday with plenty of things to do. I pleased you had good weather and was able to take Ruby with you wherever you went.

Yes rabbits do scream and not only the little ones. Its ear piercing in an adult too.

Mandy you should add a kettle of boiling water to the pool to take the chill off so your son can go in too.

Not typing anymore now as I have forgotten what I said in the first post I made.

I just wrote loads and hit something on the keyboard and lost the bl**dy lot.:-| :-| :-|

I didnt go to Northam in the end I went up Atlantic Village to have a look in M&S for some jeans with an elastic waist but they only had the short ones and I don't like those.

Found a Lidl up there too so I went in to see if they had oh's scotch eggs but they said they had been taken off the shelves because of the egg scare in France.

Also had a quick look in Cotton Traders and the Edinburgh Wool shop but I did'nt want to hang a round too long as I still had to get the shopping Morrisons.

Anyway all done now and I shall go to Northam next week.

Anne it sounds like you had a nice restfull holiday with plenty of things to do. I pleased you had good weather and was able to take Ruby with you wherever you went.

Yes rabbits do scream and not only the little ones. Its ear piercing in an adult too.

Mandy you should add a kettle of boiling water to the pool to take the chill off so your son can go in too.

Not typing anymore now as I have forgotten what I said in the first post I made.

Evening All,

I hope Colin's check up goes well tomorrow Mandy........where did the last year go!! I think your pool would need quite a few kettles of hot water to take the chill off enough for your son, but the children wouldn't be put off by it being a bit cool. :-)

Sounds like you had a great time Anne. I was watching a recording of The Yorkshire Vet at Thirsk this morning. I've never visited the Viking Centre, but did enjoy the Railway Museum at York quite a few years ago. I bet Ruby will have come on in leaps and bounds with her confidence with all the new sights and smells. It's good she sailed through her checkup.

It's good that Thomas is obviously back on form Jane, but oh, I couldn't stand all his hunting, no matter how natural it is! The poor little bunny needed finishing off. It made me think of my litter of baby bunnies I had once and how it was a worry if I let them have a hop in the back garden in case a cat was about. I did stay with them though.

Gill, I see you are keeping busy with your garden. You were lucky to have some apples on your new tree. Did your BIL get to the other hospital for his chemo ok? I have some lime green Heucheras in one of my pots and they look really nice in spring with the new growth. They do look a bit straggly later though, not a tidy plant.

Mel I was surprised how expensive those Fishermen's smocks were, but if they last so long, then it's still good value.

I have cleaned the ensuite top to bottom today so that was good, but just doing that was enough! Whatever happened to the get up and go I used to have?

Our beans are ready at last and I shall pick some tomorrow! I think I have the start of a sore throat today though so may not be able to taste them by tomorrow. :-S

I hope all goes well tomorrow for OH Mandy. No it really doesn't seem like a year since his op.
Fingers crossed the weather will be kind on Thursday so the children can enjoy a day on the beach.

We have been getting a very nasty whiff today .A fishy kind of smell. I kept saying that is smells like something decomposing as it reminded me of the same smell from a Fox a few years ago on the edge of the pavement up the road.
I put my sniffing head on just now and have found the source .Had to stick my head in the bushes to find it. It is a decomposing Rabbit right up against the fence (outside next doors front door! ) I reckon they must think we have very stinky bins as they are very close by). It is too decomposed to pick up so all I could think of was to pour a load of disinfectant over it. (I got Chris to do that) I said I had had enough trauma today :-)

Chris says he doesn't want to see Thomas LOL

OH rang his eldest brother before and got a completely different story about his youngest brother than his mum had told him. Apparently he has three lots of Chemo not six, unfortunately he's still in hospital so didn't make it to his second Chemo session Ann. He's hoping to be out of hospital by the weekend as he's going away on a short break with his wife and two young children, he'll then have his second bout of Chemo when he comes home. OH's eldest brother has finished his antibiotics and is feeling much better now, so that's some good news. Although OH's sister has gone into herself and isn't talking to anyone at the moment which is causing us all some concern. I did say to OH that it's probably her way of handling things and I'm sure she'll talk to everyone when she's ready. OH's brother told us that his youngers brothers cancer is in his kidneys and lymph nodes, he is going for a scan tomorrow so we'll know more then. OH said he's going to ring his eldest brother for updates as he is the one who is taking his younger brother to his appointments. He thinks his mum is getting a bit confused with all the stress.

I hope all goes well for Colin Mandy when he goes for his appointment.

It sounds like Thomas is getting back to his usual self. I can see why you let him out in the end Jane, it didn't sound like he was going to give up did it? The poor bunny, I've never heard a rabbit scream, but can imagine what it's like.

Sorry to hear you lost your post Mel, it's really annoying when that happens isn't it? I didn't realise there was an egg scare in France, mind you I haven't watched the news for a few days, so I'm not up to date with what's going on in the world.

Your finger sounds painful Frank, maybe you could put a plaster on it to stop you catching it.

Off to bed now, I've not been sleeping very well lately so now I'm shattered. I hope your sore throat is better tomorrow Ann.
Night Night

Good morning to you all, Evening Kim,

Had a few pints at the pub last night and watched the football. I rang Ros when I was ready to come home NO REPLY. I tried three times over the next half hour, then suddenly my phone rung. She was just getting out of the car and heard the house phone ringing. She came straight down and picked me up.

Ros didn't enjoy her evening out. The woman's house they were going to, never seems particularly clean and tidy. When she knocked on the door and was invited in, she was shocked by the filth and dirt that was in the hall. The lounge was even worse. The paintwork looked like it had never been cleaned and the wood around the windows had rotted away. Some of the other women had prepared Salad, so that all she would eat, from what she said most of the others did too. <3 <3 <3 So that's a lesson learnt, not to go back there.

I forgot to mention yesterday, I have forgotten my password to BT internet. Try as I may, I can't gt them to accept my security answer. "What street did you grow up in" as if I would have forgotten that ?? I have now to wait FIVE DAYS to get a reminder in the post. Gawd knows how many Email will be in my IN box by then. !!!

Thomas is being a little Bu@@er Jane, I like Gill have never heard a rabbit scream, I suppose living in the London suburbs, there wasn't a lot of rabbits around.

Mandy, Like the others I hope all goes well with Colin's checkup.

Gill, I have been putting plasters on my finger, but overtime I wash my hands the blooming things come off. I hope your BIL gets over his Chemo. and enjoys a few days away. It will do them good.

I had a phone call from Simon this morning. Sally's children and grandchildren are going over this evening so see her for her Birthday. He has invited us also. He has had to cancel the restaurant surprise meal for her. He is taking the afternoon off work to go shopping for bits for the family to eat tonight. He want's some more apples and Tomatoes, so will will take them with us. I hope I can remember how to get there, it's been so long since we were there. LOL LOL

Off to get dressed and cut the back lawn, then I will shower and shave ready for this evening.