General Chat

It is good that you managed to get the day changed for the electrician Ann. I know these young people have to keep earning through school holidays but there are all soerts of reasons why they should not expect to bring their children with them. And neither should they be expected to stay in the van. Eaving them in the van if it turned out to be a hot day would be illegal (well probably not but it should be). And having them wandering around somebody's house is really ill advised. No matter how well behaved they are accidents can happen, they will want the loo etc etc and kids carry germs you are not used to.

Mandy, that is a good point about colour isn't it, especially when it comes to painting.

Morning All,

Quite bright here this morning and its 17 degrees.

Stu's tonight for dinner and thats all thats going on here today apart from maybe a little gardening as there's always some thing to be done out there.

I get mould in the bedroom on the inside of the outside walls if that makes sense. Its not so bad now theres only me but I have to ask BIL to pull the heavy furniture out for me.

Annx thats the trouble if the wife works and the electrian has to have the kids for a few days. Bit of a cheek though asking if it was ok to bring them or perhaps there is'nt anyone else that can look after them. I would'nt have been happy with them coming round with dad while he does a job though either. It does make you wonder what age they are.

Morning,

Raining here again a day I think it should be showery all day .

We have an extractor in our shower that comes on with the light and that soon dries out the shower and bathroom ,the big mirror we have in there never steams up so it works well , I use the cillit bang black mould remover as we get a little bit of black in the corner of the conservatory on the tile floor grouting and sometimes behind the washing machine ,you just spray it on leave it for fifteen minutes or so then I mop it off it always works a treat and takes all the black away ,I think the other one I used was a detol mould remover .

Ann I often wonder if we all see the same colours ,I now we say oh thats a nice blue or what ever but how do we know we're both seeing the same blue , I think that's why some people can paint like Ann does because they see colours, shades , depths etc differently I know people are taught to paint but I do think it's all about how people see things differently to others if that makes sense .

Hope Vera enjoys her day out and it's not to wet for them to have a wander round ,they'll be OK when they are in the theatre.

Good morning all. 15 degrees here at8am anda bit grey with soft cloud cover. I have no plans to go out anywhere so will be looking for things to do in the house and maybe in the garden.

Talking of gardens I was just reading something on a gardening group on facebook that I found interesting because it had not occurred to me before.

" here’s the thing: it turns out that as we get older, our eyes quite literally change. The lens in the eye starts to yellow a little. The pupils get smaller. And colours don’t look quite the same. Blues can seem less vibrant. Yellows are a bit muddier. Our eyes let in less light, which affects contrast, too.
And maybe that’s why some of us start reaching for softer tones. Pastels. Whites. The shimmer of silver foliage. They seem to glow, even on dull days, and they stand out more clearly as we age. It’s not just about taste, it might be our bodies quietly adapting to what we can still enjoy best."

I am trying to think, although not having been plant buying as much this year it is difficult to judge. I do still like the bright reds of geraniums but have always likes soft lilacs and pinks in the garden. Maybe it is correct about white plants though, they do attract me more these days, whereas I sort of used to find them a bit boring.

I wipe down my shower end of the large bath and wipe the shower shield and tiles, tap etc and I still have a small amount of mould behind the taps and in the coener of tiles and bath.

Oh my goodness, just as I thought things were sorted with the electrician and had arranged for the painter next Monday and Tuesday, I got a text from the electrician to say he would have his children with him tomorrow if it was ok and that they would either stay in his van or be with him!! Not a good idea I thought. I don't know how many children he meant or their ages, but couldn't imagine them sitting in his van for the 3 hours he said the work would take and he was supposed to be here for 8.00am. He would be in the loft some of the time too and the bungalow isn't child friendly with stuff everywhere and sorting of things going on in the conservatory and a mostly gravel garden with a glass topped table not attached to the base and a ricketty old shed and greenhouse with chemical sprays in wouldn't be safe either, so we have agreed on Friday afternoon instead now as I also want his full concentration on the work he's doing for us.

Those books sound ideal for the little one Vera. My parents never read to us, but I used to sit with my brother when he was aged 2 and I was 18 and go through his litttle books with him. I'd ask him to point to the Monkey or Tiger or Parrot in the jungle and his face would beam when I told him he was right. Inevitably he would want to do it again when we reached the end of the book. The interactive ones are really good that they have now with little patches of fur etc and I bet she will love the mirror. Your trip out tomorrow shounds great so I hope it stays fine for you. I wonder how many men will be watching!

Mel I think people have more showers and baths these days that helps cause more mould, especially on cold outside walls. It used to be a bath once a week on a Sunday when I was a child. We open both windows in the bathroom and got a stronger fan but still get some on the outside wall above the shower. Neither of us can climb up safely to clean it properly now. The wallboards we've had in the ensuite are also supposed to be mould resistant so we'll see, We tend to use the shower over the bath mostly as one shower is enough to clean anyway! The new shower says to only use washing up liquid on it and to wipe dry the glass and metal parts after every shower. I can't see that happening! Limescale is a problem here with our hard water, particularly with taps and the showerhead. Even the flooring man said to only use water on the floor as anything strong can affect the protective surface on it, so no cillit bang anywhere I'm afraid.

There seems to be plenty of Get Up and Gone on Amazon though. :-D

Anng its sounds as if you had really good day out yesterday thank you for the photos, I love the one of the reflection of the Flamingo too ,they look so odd when they go to sleep on one spindly legend head tucked under a wing,the geese have some lovely markings .

Ann, I didn't watch the money for nothing but I know who your talking about he has made some really lovely things .

Vera you can't go wrong with getting books for little ones ,the ones with the push buttons with the noises are good too .
Sounds like a good day out tomorrow I hope you have a lovely day .

Mel I looked on amazon for get up and go but the postage was to much and there was no next day delivery :-D :-D

Thanks for the pics Anng and like Vera I like the one of the Flamingo on its own. That would have been a great photo for you photography group when they had the title Reflections. Sounds like you had a good day out.

I have been down the village and have entered just Gwain and Emlyn in the village show. Now I just have to remember to go and put them down there on Friday night between 8pm and 9pm. cos I am not rushing to put them in on Saturday morning brfore a stupid time of the day.

The new gun cartridge arrived today so I am all set for the squirrls in the hazel tree but I hav'nt seen any for a couple of days so I am hoping I have the pair that were there every day.

Sorry you had a bad night again Vera and hope tonight will be better for you.

Annx I had nt heard of mould free paint either there must be a lot of mould around for them to invent that I expect its all the double glazed windows and doors etc that people have nowadays. I do get some in the dark corner of the kitchen but use Cilit Band on it and that seems to work well. I use it in the shower too. YOu'll be so pleased once the work is all finished and you can get back to normal.

Mandy they have no "Get up and go" In the shops down here either so I don't know where you are going to get any form. Have you tried Amazon?? :-D :-D :-D :-D

Stu rang just as I was typing this post to say he's busy so its dinner at his tomorrow. Think I'll have a salad tonight, ham and egg and a bit of cheese.

Why does everything happen at once? This week I seem to be really busy and dashing about, next week there is hardly anything in the diary so it should be a quiet week.

I didn’t sleep much last night again and was awake from 2 am to 6 am. I got up at 8 and have been busy since then. After breakfast I tackled this week’s ironing. There wasn’t a lot thank goodness. Then I drove into town to buy a book or two for our great granddaughter. She will be 2 in August but we will be seeing the family this weekend so I wanted to have a present for grandson and partner to take back with them and give the little one on the day. We’re giving grandson a little cash to put in her savings account but wanted something for her to open and her mum said she loves her books. It’s very difficult when you don’t know what she already has so I avoided the best known toddler books as the chances are she has them already and got a new story from Julia Donaldson “Hare’s New Dress” which has lots of flaps to be lifted. I also got a basic Winnie-the-Pooh book where the bear is looking for someone and enlists the help of his various friends. When you get to the last page there is a mirror for the child to look in and learn that Winnie-the-Pooh was looking for her. Lastly I got a sticker book about summer activities that I thought was good because there are 140 stickers to go on the different pages and the child has to find the right sticker for the right place, rather than just stick them in willy-nilly.

Once back home, it was lunch and an hour’s deadheading. I’ve sorted out tonight’s meal as well.

We are out all day tomorrow as a group of us from one of our clubs are going to Frinton. We’ve got a 16 seater minibus and driver and should be down there by about 11.30 and have 3 hours free to get a bit of lunch and have a wander. Then we are meeting at the little theatre there for a 3 pm performance of Calendar Girls – The Musical. It should be a good day out.

AnnG, thanks for the pictures of Slimbridge. They are great. I particularly like the one of the single flamingo reflected in the water. It sounds as though you had a really good day. Today will be a day of memories for you.

I hope that heron stays away from your fish Mel.

At least you now know when your painters will come Annx. You will be glad to get it all finished and paint that’s guaranteed mould free for 8 years sounds a very good idea.

There hasn’t been any rain today and our soil dries out quite quickly so I expect OH will at least water the pots tonight.

Time is rushing on again. Why does it fly by during the day but drag during the night? Enjoy what’s left of the day and sleep well tonight.

Afternoon All,

A few bits of drizzle this morning but sunny otherwise. OH went off to a meeting and I popped to to shop then started preparing a pork steak meal for the slow cooker. Got a text from the painter who I was going to contact later in the day as I hadn't heard from him to say could he come at 2.00pm. I wasn't expecting him to need to come as Dave the fitter had sent him photos of the ceiling so I said 'yes'. Then he texted me again to say could he come at 12.00pm. I agreed but had to rush round to get changed back out of my scruffs, having put them on after getting home from the shop! Then the bed needed pulling together as I usually leave it pulled back to air in the mornings. Anyway they've been and and will come at teatime on Monday and Tuesday to do the work after their other jobs. They are going to use paint that is guaranteed mould free for 8 years. I didn't know you could get that!

It sounds like you had a good day out at Slimbridge AnnG. Thank you for thephotos. I love Flamingoes as well and those rare Geese have very distinctive markings.
Happy Birthday for T.

I see you have more rain Mandy, but it's nice to not need to water so much for a while. I hope you manage to get a crab on Friday. I have notice the small market they have at Lutterworth near the Factory Shop has dwindled to 2-3 stalls lately. I think people are just watching what they spend now. Did you watch Money for Nothing today? I couldn't believe what that man who makes metal things made. I won't say more in case you record it and watch later.

I hope the GP can just issue you with a prescription Vera and save you having a face to face appointment. Yes the step stool two steps are a bit high for me and make me bend my knees further. There's nothing to hold onto either.

Better get on with more admin now. after a read of the paper and COT.

Had a great day today, Anne picked me up at 0930 and we had a busy but reasonable drive to Slimbridge arriving at 1015 to a car park rapidly filling up. Of course us is school holidays and this was evident at the number of excited children of all ages making their way in. As we are both members it didn’t take too long to get through reception, noting that for seniors it would cost £18.00. We headed for the cafe first to start the day with a coffee which Anne insisted on buying, it was quite expensive at over £4. For lattes.

After talking with the young man on reception we had decided to go for the 11 o’clock tour of Peter Scott’s house and that included an exhibition of and talk on the art and various books and papers kept in the house.

Elizabeth and her male colleague were both excellent knowledgeable speakers. They made the whole talk very interesting and entertaining. Telling the story of how Peter Scott came to open wetlands in Slimbridge and how he and Philippa his wife lived and worked and, in his case drew and painted there. Most of the paintings are prints as the actual paintings were in the hands if people who paid a lot of money for them. We looked at the tiny cottage that was their original home until they had a house built in the early forties post war.

PS started the wetlands there after he was no longer able to continue to display paintings etc at Hull where he started he visited the area, spotted many geese including two rare geese and thought that was an omen that it would be the perfect place.

Elizabeth and her colleague (I think his name might be James) told us about nene geese from Hawaii that were on the endangered list and almost on the red list. PS approached Hawaii and asked to be allowed to try raising Ben geese in captivity, they were sent 2 geese but the following spring they both laid eggs. So they were asked to send a gander which they did and the following spring there were nine goslings. They are still endangered but there are now a good number here and Hawaii and other places. I took several photos of the Nene geese.
The talk was well over an hour but was so well done it didn’t seem as long.

Our next stop was the cafe for a very good lunch of really large jacket potatoes with cheese and beans plus a large salad.. Some time while we had been in the house then having lunch it had rained so we were lucky as we missed it.

After lunch we walked around the area closest to the cafe as I was fascinated by two large arches that I could see. They turned out to be woven from willow, beautiful. On the way there was a bed of beautiful Roxanne geraniums. Meanwhile children were having fun crossing the small lake on huge stepping stones.

We made our way round now visiting the flamingoes, always one of my favourites then on to see if we could see the otters but they were asleep in their hut. Elizabeth had suggested we visit the mission possible area where the Nene geese are and where there is an exhibition about endangered breeds including the Madagascar Pochard ducks. No actual ducks on display as they are forbidden to be removed from Madagascar. Although there were a couple of ducks said to be similar.. we spent the remainder of our visit looking at all the variety of ducks and swans before wandering round the shop and buying a few bits for the Christmas drawer.

In the photos I sent the geese are the Nene geese (I think there should be a circumfleck accent over the first e but can't find how to do that).

Morning all,

Raining quite hard today so no watering again ,have to find a few inside jobs for today I've still got drawers and two wardrobes that need going through and nows the time to do it really while it's not hot ,I just need some get up and go but none of the shops seem to be selling it.

Happy birthday to Mr T x

Just been outside to put something in the dustbin and there was a Heron on the back lawn which flew away when it saw me. Now my pond is clear you can see the fish.

I have a new voluntary worker in the garden on the patio..... a big toad. Its been there two nights running now. At first I thought it was a leaf but when I went to see it moved and there was no wind. I took a pic the first night but could'nt see very well as I could'nt get the flash to work but last night I worked out how to do it and I will ssend a pic later.

Morning girls,

Bright and dull here this morning and it 16 degrees here so 1 higher than Anng.

I need to get a little parcel done up and posted today.

Happy birthday T x

Good morning all. Would have been T's 87th birthday today. so more memories.

Nothing planned but be back later. 15 degrees and sunny.

Oh Ann that was annoying then after you'd cleared and covered ready for him to start work .
No I never saw any vanilla angel delight perhaps that one wasn't as popular.

No Vera no fish man on the market again so no crab ,I say market but can a veg stall and a plant stall be called a market ,years ago the whole market place was full to bursting with so many different stalls , we have a Friday market too so as we have to collect our prescriptions we'll see if the fish man cometh then :-D

It's been a funny day nice and sunny but lunch time I looked up and everywhere was soaking wet then out came the sun and the ground was dry again ,it's cloudy now again and I think we might be in for a few more showers .

Came back, did another post, pressed submit and everything disappeared. Now when I try to get back in I get to our posts of last February. I’m giving up for tonight. Sleep well everyone

Warm and overcast here as well. Every so often the sky gets really black and we wait for the deluge but then the sky clears again.

That is annoying about your electrician Annx. That seems to happen more and more lately. We are still trying to get our painter to give us a date. OH has worked like billyo today so that everything is ready for him when he does eventually come. OH has taken down my small plastic greenhouse which means he can get to the back wall of the garage to paint that. He has cleared the gutters again as the heavy rain brought a lot of lichen and moss off the roof, gone round the base of the fence clearing all the muck that accumulates and swept away all the cobwebs etc ready for the fence painter in a couple of weeks. I have to close my eyes when he is up a ladder but he's only had to use step ladders today.

I hope you have enjoyed your trip to Slimbridge AnnG and the weather stayed dry for you. Did you manage to get your crab Mandy?

I had a chiropody appointment this morning. For 3 or 4 years I have had a problem with the nails on my 2 big toes and have been using Curanail weekly. It's almost cleared up but it seems to have plateaued now and the last bit is being obstinate The chiropodist thinks I would benefit from something the doctor can prescribe which is similar to Curanail but has some different ingredients so she's suggested I get an appointment with him. It seems wrong when so many sick people are struggling to see a doctor that I take up their time with my mini problem, so I think I'll fill in their online form first and they will say if they want to see me.

Phone's ringing. Probably bbl.

Afternoon All,

Lay awake for ages last night but slept well once I was asleep. It's overcast but warm today. I nipped to the shop and had to pip my horn at a car in front of me at traffic lights. Three cars to my left moved off when the lights changed to green, but not the car in front of me that was first at the lights in my lane. The lights were going back to red by the time the car moved.

At 2.30pm I texted the electrician who was due here at 2.00pm. We'd got everything ready for him, including the loft ladder and unlocked the gate, cleared space and put an old towel on the bed with the things to be fitted. So disappointing when you are all prepared but suspect they will let you down. He then replied he will be here after 3.30pm as he's running late, so why didn't he let us know?

Thank you Mandy. That's good there are some other varieties of Angel Delight still available then, but I wonder why the Vanilla one doesn't seem to be. Your DIL's bouquet of crocheted flowers was an unusual gift and sounds lovely.

Hope you are having a nice time at Slimbridge AnnG. I expect there will be some young ducklings to see.

Nothing exciting happening here Mel, just more planning, paperwork and cleaning up. Have you had emails about the new Asda site yet? I wonder if it will be better for the customer or give us more headaches.

Blow me the electrician's coming Thursday now, as the job he's doing now has become more complicated, so everything needs moving back again now!

Morning Mel,morning all,

Nice sunny morning here blue sky and fluffy clouds ,off to town to get another crab last weeks was so nice we want another one this week too .
So nice not having to water last night ,well I did have to do the greenhouse but not all the other pots.

Ann there were quite a few different ones of Angel delight in tesco ,choc,banana,and butterscotch I think as well as the strawberry one .

Vera hope you enjoyed the talk last night and it was something interesting.
My tablet is a Galaxy ipad its the second one I've had when I need a new one son usually sorts one out for me or dil she looks for all the bargains .

Talking of dil she had a lovely teachers gift from one of the parents, if was a bouquet of crochet flowers white tulips and lavender it looked really pretty .


So another shopping day for you Mel , its a while since you did a donkey day .

Where's Anng this morning ? Oh I see you have posted Anng