General Chat

Good morning all, 14 degrees here but when I was up at 2am it was 17 degrees and so hot in bed, I didn't sleep that well.
Chiropodist today so town on the bus later on.

Thank you for the photos Vera, I think you are doing better than I am. That may be down to you being better at watering than I am or maybe it has been constantly drier here. It must be about 6 weeks since we had any rain to speak of, just a couple of short showers.

Nowhere here is very cool Mel. It is 29 degrees and no breeze at all. I did sit down the garden in the shade of the tree over the back and it was not too hot. I sat there for quite a while reading but the sun has got to that spot now. Earlier I spent about 20-30 minutes in the shed with a large polythene bag, it is normal waste bin tomorrow as well as garden waste so I filled the bag with all sorts of junk that T was hoarding for reasons best known to him. I do still have absolutely loads of plastic trays and seed cell trays. I don't want to bin them but will hopefully find a home for them with gardening friends at our September meeting. No meeting in August.

Thank you for the stick advice. Once I get the hedge hog house I will remember that tip.

Its nice they all still come to you. I know I would enjoy seeing my grandchildren if I could.

Anng hogs do sleep all day and come out at night but it should be out before it really dark. The best thing you could do when you get a box is to put a stick standing up over the hole and look before its dark to see if the stick has been knocked down if it has you know hoggy is out and about. Thats how we used to find out if our boxes were being used. I can't get to them now as the camelia has grown out too much and both the box and the plastic box are under it. I don't feed them now either as it attracted rats and since I have not been feeding them I don't have any rats about.

I have dead headed my sweet peas and allthe foxgloves growing at the front of the bungalow and all the clematis in the two big tubs. A whole barrow full with aome weeds as well and some bits of the fern and dianthus in the sweet pea tub. On lot of towels on the line and done lunch and put a couple of bits in the new draws so I think once I have washed up the lunch things I shall have a little play.

Its 26 degrees here now so am staying in where its cool.

Ann good that the one tooth is out now anyway. Maybe he is grumpy as an after effect of the anaesthetic. Hopefully the dentist will et his/her act together and get the plan sorted. Bad teeth can affect your whole health.

I hope the dog has stopped barking, hate that when they go on and on.

You did well with the trousers exchange then.

Mel glad the tea went on, I forgot to say and well done for the raffle prize. I think I would rather have a good white than Blossom Hill red, I don't enjoy that one.

Mandy hopefully when it gets cooler (it is 28 here at the moment) it will be out and about more.

Oh I got interupted before I eventually posted and you all popped in before me!

OH is back now minus 1 tooth and they put a stitch in as well. Now his own dentist has to submit a care plan before they do the others and there is more than 1 other to come out as well. He's just had some paracetamol and seems a bit grumpy which is not like him. I think he's had enough of the sorry saga now. He's lucky they took the 1 tooth out as they really should have had a care plan sent before doing that one as well.

I wonder what happened at your neighbours Vera. I hope they are ok. Let's hope we might have a bit of breeze by the weekend to make it more pleasant for you and your visitors.

It's getting hotter, 26 degrees now. I had all the blinds and curtains drawn earlier but OH has opened some which hasn't helped.

Oh Mandy, you got cracking this morning didn't you! I must do the same when I'm not going out somewhere early while it's so hot. We have emptied our 5 butts now, but are just watering the pots and greenhouse now. I've started putting the plug in the bath when we shower and fill 2 of the big plastic milk bottles from it to water the wall pots with now. It all helps doesn't it. We are switching the cooker off overnight and leaving the microwave and toaster switched off at the plug till we use them now. They all have lights on using electric and it's no hardship, just a change of habit.

Afternoon all,

Phew it's hot out there now but I have managed to get some jobs done ,I dead headed first thing before it got to hot ,hung out two loads of washing which I have just on in ,cleaned the kitchen window as it was so dusty had a hoover round and swept outside the front door .

No we don't have a hosepipe ban Anng but I wasn't using the hose on the garden I was only filling Max's water bowl that he has outside I'm using the water from the three butts and the overflow dustbin to water my plants so we are trying to save water where we can.
It's going to be a bit of a job getting hog out of the compost bin and Into a new box if he only out and about during the night, I can just see you out in the dead of night changing the bin for the box and all the neighbours peeping out wondering what the devil you are doing :-)

Ann it would be good if the dentist at the hospital can do both extractions today get it all over and done with .
Oh Apple pie I could just fancy a bit of that now .

Yes Mel Jake does come here now and then but he's mostly at home he's a quiet lad really and Into playing games on the x box .

Morning Everyone,

Sunny and quite hot now although the PC only says 21. No breeze makes it feel hotter. I nipped off to the factory shop early to change some trousers and who should be there wheeling her grandson around but Sharron who worked at our favourite carvery restaurant at Ullesthorpe Court till the pandemic stopped us going. We had a long chat and she is trying to get them to bring the carvery back, even for 1 day a week, as the old customers keep asking her for it! I was lucky as the exchange trousers were cheaper so I got a baking tin as well and still got a bit of refund. Called in the Co-op coming home and got a paper, apple pie that was still hot from being baked and a carton of black cherries.

OH is at the Hospital for his teeth. Apparently the dentist there has been very scathing about OH's own dentist! An xray should have been sent with the referral which hasn't been done so he's doing that now and he's only referred him for 1 tooth extraction but the dentist there says he needs 2 extracted. OH thinks he might do them there and then so I hope he'll be ok to drive home if so. I'll go and fetch him if not and we'll collect his car later and pay the parking. It may still be just an assessment though like the letter said. I might have a rethink on lunch!

What a morning. The woman next door with the barker has left him shut in while she's gone out and, as usual when she leaves him, he's barked non stop for a couple of hours now. I suppose we should be thankful he's not outside and much louder.

Mel's idea with the box sounds good for a new hog home AnnG.

A few indoor jobs for me next. BBL

Gosh it’s hot again. Apparently it’s 24 degrees at the moment but feeling like 27. There’s not the tiniest bit of a breeze so it feels a lot hotter than yesterday when we could sit out with a coffee for a little while.

Third load of washing is in the machine. The first load was dry in well under an hour and the second load is almost dry so I’ll get it in shortly.

Thursday to Sunday is now forecast to be around 32 degrees. We had planned to walk along the river with our visitors on Friday afternoon and go to one of the nearby NT places on Saturday but it may be too hot. The river walks are lovely but a lot is through water meadows with no real shade. I think we will play it by ear and see how sis-in-law and hubby feel.

It sounds as though the strawberry tea went well Mel and the weather was good. Enjoy the bottle of wine you won.

Oh dear Mandy, I did have to smile at your soaking with the hose. I suppose that’s one way of quickly cooling down. I liked Judith Durham too but I wish you hadn’t mentioned Georgie Girl. It’s now going round and round my brain. My daughter used to sing it when she was a little tot and she’s now 57!

I’ve been told there was an ambulance at my neighbour’s during the night. Both OH and I heard doors banging and voices at 12.30 but there was nothing there when I looked out, though there were lights on in the house. Perhaps the ambulance had just driven off. I hope it’s nothing too serious. They do both have medical problems.

Well, I had better get the 2nd load of washing off the line and hang the 3rd load out, then it will be time to think about lunch.

Thanks Mel, I am actually happy to buy a proper box, I will get one and transfer some of the next into it but poor thing it obviously is feeling the heat as it doesn't move out of the nest all day Have no idea if it is male or female but my guess is female, quite big but I think a male would be bigger. I cleared a space yesterday next to where the compost bin is so the run in and out is exactly the same, to block off the entrance to the bin is going to be a bit of a job I think which is why I am taking my time.

Morning all,

Really sunny here today 20 degrees at the mo but supposed to be going up to 26.

Anng regarding your hog. You could buy a plastic box with a lid, one you can't see through and cut a holeeither in the end or the side off centre put it where the bin was and transfer its nest to the box with your grabbers and pop the lid on. I have one down the garden like that as I used it for some chicks years ago and put it down in Prickly Bottom and had a hog in that. Or if you have an old wooden box in the gardage perhaps that T used for something have a hole cut in that and put it upside down over the nest hog and all.

Nothing planned for today just take it as it goes.

Good morning all 13 degrees and supposed to be getting up to 22 later. Yesterday 27 was very warm but it was not too bad overnight.

Nothing planned for today again.

Mandy, that cooled you down. Do you not have a hosepipe ban in your area? We don't buy have been asked to be careful with water. I don't water the garden, the lawn will recover and most of the plants will dig deep for water. I just water the pots.

The problem with shutting hog out is that it sleeps in there all day, I have only seen it out and about in the evening and that was sheer luck I tend not to be out in the garden in the evenings. That is why it is awkward. I need to buy the hog house first though and they are not cheap.

Of course I would'nt leave him out as most of the field they use is his I only own 20 foot outside the potting sheds. I think its 20 foot. we used to know till they took down the old apple trees but it was inline with the gateway into their garden now.

Ha ha, so you got an unexpected cooling off like AnnG did Mandy. :-) I shouldn't laugh as it will probably be my turn next!

It sounds like the day went well Mel and you had some winnings as well as the cream tea and even made a profit on the Peppa Pig game. I bet it was good to have a chat and catch up with Becky as well. I had to smile at you taking a scone, jam and cream back for your OH. It's what my OH does when he gets free little packs of biscuits at meetings.

Well it was very well attended and I took up a lot of raffle prizes and even gave them the new sacking type bag Joy or Di gave me for Christmas a couple of years ago and Ralph who owns the big house got it. I won a bottle of white wine and said shame its not red so they swopped my ticket for the bottle of red although the white wine was a good one but Blossom hill is ok and the other thing I won was a Peppa Pig game brand new all sealed up. Vron who is on the commity asked me how much I wanted for it so I said a £1 and she bought it off me for her granddaughter who was running around in a Peppa Pig t shirt. She's only small but has the twin boys as brothers and she bosses them about so I expect they will all play with the game.

I forgot to take my camera up there but I see Ed, Em's other half had his so he will send me a couple of pics as it looked so nice and they had bunting up too. I sat on a table with a young lady and her baby in a pram and did'nt recognise her but it was Beccy from next door and baby Winifred was 10 weeks old. She has come home to live with her mum at te lodge next to the car park. She is a young lady now and is working at Shebear Colledge where she went as a child. Still playing the paino and violin and is a teacher there now so not far for her to go to work.

I did'nt have to pay for my cream tea and got two huge scones jam and cream a cuppa and a glass of proseco too. If you had wine with it it was £6 but if ot it was £5. I brought half my cream and jam and a scone back for oh and he enjoyed that.

Mandy I meant to ask you if Jake still comes round to see you as he is the oldest?

Anng I was going to say the same as Ann if you get a hog house put some of the compost into the opening to tempt it in .
It's not so bad shutting him out now as there's lots of undergrowth for it to rest in so long as there's no foxes about .

Oh no Ann I loved Judith Durham,I have Georgie Girl going round in my head now and Morning Town .

Just using the garden hose and the head now flew off and soaked me ,see thats what I get for using water from the tap lol

A little cooler at 25 degrees here AnnG, but it feels hotter now there's no sign of a breeze. I would like it at your daughter's with it being cooler and maybe some sea breeze. I wonder with the hog if you moved some of it's bed into a hog house it would use it? Mel would know what best to do though as she got hogs to use her hotel for them!

I had a nice icecream and they still had some of my my favourite ones left. The co-op was lovely and cool so I hung around and got some nectarines as well. Then I drove round the corner to the park and parked under the trees to watch the dogs on there while I ate my icecream. Some had their dogs racing about after balls in the sun which didn't seem the brightest idea to me in this heat. Years ago if I took my pony out on a hot day we did a gentle walk mostly and would go and stand in the brook on the way home so he could drink and cool his legs. Any pawing at the water nonsense and he'd be ushered out quickly before he rolled in it with me on top!

It is 27 degrees here now but doesn't feel as humid as the last lot of heat we had. where daughter is it is 14 degrees, what a difference, and she had he eldest son and family there and they want to go to the beach of course.

I have just checked the composter properly lifting a bit of the grass and leaves with the 'grabber' thing and, yes she is in there so well camouflaged that I almost didn't see her then. I will leave her until the end of the month. I really need to move her on before she needs to hibernate. I think I might buy a hedge hog house hopefully if I site it next to the compost bin she will go in there instead, a bit of a gamble but I will leave her there for now.

Afternoon All,

It's reached 24 here now so I might nip out and get an icecream! OH is at another local match but was busy doing jobs this morning. He is so transparent but I'm not complaining :-) He's taken more bags of shredded paper to drop off in the smallholding bins on the way.`

I hadn't realised Judith Durham of the Seekers had passed away a few days ago. RIP Judith. I loved her voice and their songs and grew my hair like hers when I was aged 16, despite all mum's protesting about it. :-)

I thought you would be seeing the family Mandy. As you say, best to enjoy them before they are older and off out with their friends. We used to see the grandchildren next door and over the road, but we never see them come now although I expect they do come at times. No the appointment for OH is just for an assessment again this time. I think more teeth need attention now so it is probably just as well. It's shocking you still haven't been called for a checkup. Our NHS dentist group still did them, but did as little drilling work as they could due to the spray. They patched up one of my fillings rather than drill it. They seem to be back to normal now though.

Oh Mel I think I would want a cream tea! It sounds lovely now everything is set up in the field.

Oh Vera I hope it isn't as hot as you expect when your visitors are here. AnnG's suggestions are good though and some woodland would be nice for a stroll. I look forward to the tree'd section of my lap around the little park as it is noticeably cooler under the trees.

Well the next thing we have to look forward to due to the heat this year is a plague of wasps apparently! You know how I feel about those so I shall be slathering on Parfum Deet before I step outside.

Better nip out now so BBL.

Yes Mandy if does have the 'door' on the front but since I took over the composting it has been jammed open, Not sure what T did to it but I will have a look as I need to get it shut once I am confidant that she is not in there, difficult to tell, there is a pile of leaves but they are not very high and don't look high enough to hide her.

Afternoon all,

Yes had the children here so they have kept us busy and worn us out too ,still its lovely to have then here and they are growing up so quickly and it won't be long before they will want to be off with their friends .

Not looking forward to having all the heat again later in the week so must get any jobs done before it heats up .

Mel do you both go up for a cream tea ,I expect they will do well this year with the lovely weather .

Ann thats good OH has the appointment at the hospital for his tooth , hopefully they will do something with it and that the appointment is not just for them to look at it ,three years is a long time to wait .
We're still waiting to hear from the dentist about having a check up last we heard was they would get in touch when they were going g to start them again .
One of the dentist practices in town might be going private as they can't get an NHS dentist for love nor money .

So you've seen your hog at last Anng ,perhaps now is the time to clear the compost bin out ,don't you have the little panel bit on the front to block the hole up that would stop him going back in .

Oh Vera just when your company is coming back comes the heat ,I hope you can find something to do with them thats in the cool , could you go to the coast ? it's always a bit cooler there ,how far is the coast from you ?

Might go out and do a bit of dead heading later its quite hot out there now ,I need to feed too but might leave that until tomorrow.