General Chat

one higher than you Mel. It is 26 here now, I have just come in from the garden I managed to do about 45 minutes out there lopping some of the high rose branches now it has finished flowering, so I now have a quarter full bin again. that is it for today though as the sun is full on the garden and it is very hot out there now..

Mel are there no voluntary drivers in your area that could take Les in to the library to get his books?

Its 25 here now.

Yes its Les I feel sorry for as he will have to go to Torrington now for his books and he only sees the postman if he calls. He lives in the house next to the village hall car park where our entrance to the road is so he only has to walk out his driveway about 150 yards if that. He is'nt very mobile either. He has a car so he could go to Torrington or Holsworthy I suppose and the car park there is right by the library. He used to have about 10 books for the month as thats when the library used to come once a month.

Mel how sad and how evil these people are. So many people like yourself rely on that van calling, to some it may be the only contact they have with people that day (or even maybe week). I hope they catvch them but don't hold out much hope.

Morning All,

I do hope you find somewhere to take your visitors Vera and if not it will be nice to have a good catchup natter with coffee.

Slept like a log last night only waking once for the loo and then straight back to sleep again.

O I meant to say I had a bit of news at the tea on Sunday. Our library van won't be coming as it was set alight and burnt out books and all so if I wnat talking books now I would have to go to Holsworthy or Torrington. At least I saved them 4 talking books as thats how many I took last time I went. They think it was arson and it was set alight by youths. apparently it burnt right out to a shell.

Good morning all, yes I agree it was another hot night. I slept but fitfully, We will probably just about get acclimatised when we will lurch back into winter mode.
Vera does your car, or theirs have really good air conditioning. Maybe if you just go to a garden centre for coffee fairly early it would be ok.

Island was it cool enough in the evening for outdoor art? I think it does feel cooler once the sun goes down as, without the glare of the sun takes some of the heat out of it.

I have nothing doing today. tomorrow I have hair appointment at 12, that is a 10 minute walk with not much chance of shade. :-(

Good morning

What a hot night again, but I didn’t sleep too badly. I woke several times but didn’t stay awake for long. It already feels very hot here. Goodness knows what we’ll do with our visitors this weekend as we can’t think of anywhere to go where we can be inside and it’s air conditioned.

I must get on with some h/w now before it gets any hotter. Have a good day everyone.

It’s a mere 28 here. It feels a lot hotter as there’s no cloud cover and hardly any breeze. Like the rest of you I seem to have lost my energy and I didn’t have much to start with. I agree with Island, it seems such a waste of a lovely summer’s day.

Your blackberries sound good Mel. We seem to have a lot more blueberries. OH had left them for the birds but the birds don’t seem to want them so we may pick them.

I think the Scandinavian countries have always been expensive AnnG. Nearly 50 years ago OH was going to Sweden on business from time to time and always came back saying how much everything cost.

We went into town early this morning and were parked by about 9.15. There is a charity shop that I wanted to visit as it has a good selection of very cheap books. They apparently don’t open on Wednesdays. Next we went to the bank which opens at 9.30 to find a notice saying they weren’t opening till 10 am. Next it was a funny little phone shop where they said they could put a new battery in OH’s phone but it would be about 20 minutes. He decided to wait in the shop so I went to get my meds which was only next door and then wandered about till he was ready. When he went to pay he found they only take cash and he didn’t have anywhere near enough on him so he had to go and find a cash machine. By now it was nearly 10.30 and I had expected to be home around then. So it was back to the car park, drive to Sainsbury’s and fill a trolley there. I had to remind myself that I only have 2 extra people for 3 days, not an army for a month. After that we drove to Pets at Home for a 12.5 Kg sack of sunflower hearts for the birds. Last time I bought them they were about £27 I think, now they are 1p under £40. All in all, we spent the GDP of a small country!

We were going on to the local garden centre to get a couple of bits OH wanted but we’d had enough by then so came straight home. Since we got home the phone has hardly stopped ringing. OH had an hour’s sleep but I just feel shattered and can’t stop yawning at the moment. I hope it’s a reasonable night tonight as tomorrow’s a busy day. In the morning I want to vac and dust through and make up the bed and prepare a bathroom for our visitors and daughter is coming in the afternoon for a couple of hours as it will be our only chance to meet while she’s on school holiday.

Enjoy whatever you’re doing for the rest of the day and stay cool.

I'm glad it's not just me dragging about like a comatose slug :-0 No energy, physical or mental.
What a waste of summer days having to stay indoors all day :-|
I hope it isn't too hot for outdoor art this evening.

My toms have started to ripen. I've got four varieties, I think the ripe ones are 'sungold'.

Sorry I id'nt post the last post and its 30 here now.

Are you all melting?????????????????????????

Its 29 degrees here and I was going up the garden now the suns gone round a bit but don't think I will now.

I am glad I did the ironing early this morning. Then I went up the west wall as oh said there were a nice lot of blackberries there so I Went and picked them. Some of them are huge. ( funny word HUGE)

I have no energy to do anything. It is 31 degrees out there, so hot!!

I did go to my friends for coffee this morning, she collected me. Her room was lovely and cool this morning, will be hot now. She showed me her holiday photos of Norway which were really interesting as I really did not have much knowledge of Norway. Very expensive there though.

Morning all,

Bright and sunny again here but nice and cool at the mo but its supposed to reach 31 here today so I am not looking forwrd to that. I need to go and dipp in Em's pool we gave her. The boys love it and I am so pleased it went to good use after we used to for the fish when oh made his pond deeper.

Left my car windows open again last night! Nothing planned for today so may do a bit of ironing first things and some washing and maybe hoover up some spiders.

Went to the loo this morning without my slippers on and went back in the bedroom and spotted a wasp on the carpet just where I was going to walk. Hurried tothe kitchen and got my fly catcher and got it and now its outside in the trap thing waiting to be killed.

The night before last I was wathcing my spiders round the outside light and there on the pole of the gazebo thing was a hornet. I came inside and got the bread knife and cut it in half.

The temp did drop quite a bit in the night and I had quite a good night, it was 17 when I looked just now but is now showing 16. so quite pleasant at the moment.

Vera strange with meals, even when I ask myself what I want it can change between asking, cooking and eating!! Especially in this hot weather. Last night I acrually cooked chilli but had it with a jacket not rice. (easier to do jacket in the microwave than rice. Yes I know rice is easy, I used to use the microwaveable rice but that is only ok for two, not sure if it would be ok to cook only half. I succombed to a cornish pasty when in M&S (small one) so that will be my meal tonight.

Yes, you are right Mel. I did grow the bunny rabbits from seed and was really pleased with them as I had loads. I’ve got another big patch in the garden. We had planted some gaura in front of the fence and there was a lot of bare earth around them so I filled that with the bunny rabbits as well. I must see if I can find another packet of those seeds and do them for this year.

The hostas in the garden do seem to have suffered quite badly but we were going to have them out anyway. We’ve got far too many for such a tiny garden. We have 9 in pots up the side of the house where it’s shady and another 2 in pots on the patio which have a few scorched leaves but are OK. Some of the other plants are suffering but look as though they might survive. The rudbeckias have done so well that I have just ordered another 3 of the same variety to go in where a couple of hostas are coming out.

OH waters every other day but it is targeted watering. We don’t let the hose run and where possible I’ll use water that’s already served another purpose, though OH tends to go on to auto pilot and tip bowls of water down the sink. Like you AnnG we haven’t had any rain to speak off for weeks now. The local TV weather forecast today said there will probably be some thundery showers on Monday but it’s pot luck and they could miss some areas altogether. With our luck we’ll be one of the missed areas.

Ann, your café assistant made me laugh with her vegetable egg. What did she think would come out if the egg hatched – a cabbage? I hope your OH’s mouth isn’t too sore and he’s able to eat OK. Is his stitch the dissolvable sort or does he have to go back to have it out?

Mel, I find it best not to ask OH what he would like for a meal but just to put it in front of him. Of course I know his tastes and he will eat most things but if I ask what he wants I then feel obliged to cook what he chooses. Having said that, I broke my own rule today and did ask him and he suggested meat pie. Luckily I had some shop made ones in the freezer so we had one of those with veg but I really fancied something a bit lighter.

Our travellers are still occupying the rec. To be honest it is more of an inconvenience than a serious problem. There has been no noise or any trouble at all. The biggest problem is their cars (considerably newer than ours!) driving on and off a field not meant to take vehicles. It’s only because the ground is so hard at the moment that it isn’t all churned up. They also have horses that are tethered to stakes and keep being moved to different bits of the field. This makes it difficult for the local dog walkers. The field is used morning and evening by quite a few people to exercise their dogs. They all know each other and the dogs all run around and play together but now the dogs are all being walked on the lead so they aren’t getting the same exercise or stimulus.

Gosh AnnG, 30 degrees is really hot for late evening. I don’t think it’s anywhere near that hot here at the moment though I think it is going to be an uncomfortable night again. I want to be out early tomorrow before it gets too hot. I have to pick up my meds and get some salads and other fresh stuff for our visitors arriving on Friday, as they have rung today to confirm they are coming. I hope you all manage to sleep well tonight. Stay as cool as you can.

Well my feet feel more comfortable I wouldn’t say nice as my toe nails have been a problem for years.

30 degrees here still.

Bet your feet feel nice now Anng.

I forgot to say how wonderful Vera's garden is and only the hostas seem to have got browned off with te heat. Love your little bunny rabbits I think you said yougrew those from seed? Such lovely colours.

Did all the shopping beofre lunch which was good as it was all out of the way. Had a fiddle with my paints nd finished some bits off.

Its been so hot here today I felt sorry for the van driver (a woman) with her long sleeved nylon t shirt on and a sleeveless jacket thing. But I suppose they need to be seen on some roads while unloading.

Just asked oh if he wanted a salad tnight to which his reply was he did'nt know!! Dos'nt help me if I have to get something else and its in the freezer frozen.

subs not too bad then Mel.

Went to town, not too bad on bus in but hot and crowded on bus home, caught the 94 as I think they cancelled the 97 which meant the 94 was rammed. The 94 is the one that T and I always used to catch, a bit further to walk when I get off but still not far and the actual bus journey is shorter. However, from being (in their words) 'The jewel in the crown' it has become the service most likely to have buses cut. Should be a 10-15 minute service but these days since Covid it often doesn't turn up.

Alexa is telling me it is 29 degrees out there and I believe her. Now I have an empty bin again and a large black humoer filled to the brim and too hot to transfer it into the brown bin.

Morning!

So sad to see Olivia Newton-John has passed away aged 73. RIP Olivia. I loved her in Grease in those tight trousers. I hadn't realised she had 3 battles with breast cancer. We are losing all our contemporaries bit by bit.

It's saying 22 here on the PC, but the car was saying 26 at 9.00am. We popped to a different garden centre first thing but I still can't find more of the plants I want. This was a small garden centre and more shady and all the plants were in good condition and well watered. We (OH more like!) suggested breakfast there and it was still cool so we ordered and it was £5 cheaper than the place we have been going to recently. Well we couldn't believe the assistant (probably in her 40s) taking the order at the till! I always swap the sausage for an extra egg to be healthier and the assistant said she could only swap a meat item for a meat item and veg for veg. I said ' well an egg is a meat item' to which she replied 'no it isn't'. I said 'well what is an egg then' and she said 'it's a vegetable!!' She wouldn't have it, but grudgingly said she would try putting the order through. It seemed the cooks did know that an egg is a meat item though and all was fine when my plate arrived. :-)

We called in the co-op for a few bits and my paper next, then called for fuel before we came home. OH is thinking he might go to a match at Dereham in Norfolk on Saturday so needed to fill up.

Now the barking nextdoor has started from inside so she has gone out again. She helps with her daughter's children some days, but I suppose she goes to appointments etc like we do and she can't leave him in the car in this heat. I'm surprised he still has the energy to keep it up at 12 years old.

Vera, as I said in my reply, and the same as the others, I think your plants are looking better than ours. You have some varieties like the Rudbeckias we don't and they seem better suited to the heat.

I think I might look at my beading patterns now for a pendant and see if I have the right beads to make it.

Morning all,

Sunny start again and its 20 degrees. I too was hot in bed last night and did'nt think I was going to drop off but I must have done. I worked hard in the garden yesterday so should have slept well.

Shopping arrives today and four subs two of which are going back. I ordered a nice light cream sponge and they have sent me a vanilla cheescake and french fries instead of wedges which oh likes. I like french fries but only the McCain ones. Vinaigrette dressing is going back too but we will keep the Alpen muesili however you spell it. So two keeps oput of four subs.

If I get it done quickly I am hoping to do a bit of casting today but then again I may get side tracked in the garden but its going to be 28 here today.