General Chat

Fiona ,I just love the new pic of Matteo :-D :-D
I really can't believe we have the heating on tonight....it's crazy...but is needed.

Just waiting for the final results of BGT.I think it has been the best finals in a while.(mind you I say that every year)
Who was the silly idiot who managed to get on the stage and chuck eggs right in the middle of a performance by those 2 lovely lads????Shame on them for doing that :-S :-S
I'll say night night now ,watch the results and then be off to bed .See you all tomorrow x

Oh Jane , heating on!!!!!!! :-0 :-0

Another sunny and a very hot day, weather lady says Scotland will have it nice till about Tuesday then the weather will break.

Sat watching a lot of wasps going in and out of next doors air brick this afternoon so he must have a nest in there, then OH went round the side of our house and we have wasps going in and out of our air brick too, so I went next door and told them, neighbours plan to go away next week so they better sort it out before they go.

Just couldn't resist this photo of Matteo pulling this funny face, he has just realised he can blow rasperries :-D :-D

William we have just put the heating on !!!!!....That shouldn't happen in JUNE :-S
Love your Sunset pics :-D.No such luck tonight me thinks :-(..
The Baby Woodpecker has just been to visit.It's a funny little thing and quite noisy.

Is it the final of BGT tonight????......Frank will be pleased :-D. I would love the young Comic to win (the 14 year old with Cerebral Palsy).I think he is brilliant.Also the act Attraction (the Shadow act)
On the TV theme.I remember hiding behind the settee when Dr Who was on back in the early 60s,with the Daleks (? spelling)...It was so scary lol.I watched it trying to be very brave :-D.I still don't like it today

What a funny old day weather-wise, just can't make up it's mind weather to be sunny, cloudy or just plain windy! Regardless I've spent ages out in the garden and just got four hanging baskets and one planter made up. The rest is what I suppose you would call 'garden admin', moving things around, tidying up sorting out compost etc. Still got plants left to do more planters when my back stops aching.

Ann, nice to think we would have passed but I go the back lanes way from our place to Atherstone, via Astley, Ansley and Birch Coppice/Ridge Lane. Takes us about 20 minutes that way if there's no tractors about and a pretty route too.

Well Bully for you Mel :-P..Not a sign of the yellow thing here :-S.It's been a very disappointing day.

Mandy I think Fuchsias are lovely plants.I don't think we have any though.My friend Margaret in Cornwall only has Fuchsias in her garden and has hundreds.

James and Jess went off to a Farmers Market in Oundle this morning.Came back with some smashing Radishes,Spring Onions,Foccacia (sp) bread,and a couple of bottles of Cordials.They then went to some little village fete on the way back.They said there lots of the traditional games like the Coconut Shy,and Hoopla etc.

Yes I do hope the noisy little blighter hasn't decided that our gatepost is it's early morning perch Mandy.I wondered if it had got lost and was screeching for its mate.I did take a pic on my phone camera but you can't make out what kind of bird it is.I still reckon it was a Grouse as we see them in the field opposite.

Hannah and John go on their trip to Peru in exactly 1 month today.They have had the
Yellow Fever jabs but need to get the Typhoid one now.The next few weeks will fly by and they will be off before they know it.
I see I have just had an email come through from Rachel(Dubai ) so will read that now.BBL

Oh Jane thats lovely. We have a bees nest in the wall just as you go through the arch to the top garden. I have to pass it every time I go up there. When I was fishing leaves and bits out the BIG water tank and chucking it on the ground the bees were coming to the wet muck and drinking off it!! I love to have bees in the garden, don't forget they do a lot of gardening for you!!

I see you have all been busy this morning as Janes post was at 2.41pm and my first post was 9.39am. I did come back and have a look to see if anyone had posted but then went up the tunnel when oh went out. He was back by just before 4 and I gave him a couple of sarnies and a coffee and now he is out digging the back field again with the digger. He has a bigger bucket on it now.


By the way WE HAVE ALL THE SUNSHINE TODAY AND IT'S HOT HOT HOT.

We have a Bee's nest in an old bird box that is on a seat down the garden !!!

Afternoon everyone,

No sun here either , it has been very cloudy and looks more like rain !!

I bought four lovely Fuchsias this morning to hang on my stand ,only four pound each ,they came in pots all ready to hang too.

We now have working house phones , the man came this morning and fitted a new box which was faulty, but so were the new phones !! so we're now back using the old ones, good job i didn't throw them away .
The new ones have been returned ,so we now have to have a look round and pick some more .

Oh heck Jane 4.30 a bit early to get woken up :-S hope he's not going to take up residence and wake you every morning !! :-D

Wonder if Frank has any sun in Rutland , it's a shame when you go away and end up with this cloud .

Afternoon/Evening All
Where is the sun?? It's not here. :-S.It is supposed to break through sometime today and it is definitely taking it's time.
I was woken at 4.30 this morning by a right old racket going on.I looked out the front window and there sitting on the gatepost was (I think ) a Grouse !!!!!!!! .It looked so funny standing the creating such a noise.It better not try that again tonight lol.I won't be amused :-S..Chris never heard a sound !!!!

I need to put my food shopping away .It's been sat on the worktops for a couple of hours now :-|

Morning All and Evening Kim,

So nice to see you posting. I hope something gets done with your neighbours mess as it could also attract snakes!! They like to get under boards and bits of pipe and general rubbish. I suppose that Jag could be worth a bit!

Lovely and sunny here with a fresh breezy wind. We had no rain in the night either so forcast was wrong for this area. Mind you on the weather map the clouds just missed Holsworthy which is 9 miles away from us.

Oh has to ring for a wedding today so will be out for an hour or two so I will just potter in the tunnel I think. See if I can find another pack of peas that are going to come up.

Morning Everyone, Evening Kim

Sun here and warm, just put the washing on and OH gone out on his bike won't be back till 11.30am so I have plenty of time to say hello then go for my shower and washing my straggly locks.

Have a nice weekend everyone :-D :-D

Hello all,

Very dull today, no sun at all. Yes we have taken more photos of the front and will submit to cancel with a complaint. Keith has spoken to him on numerous occasions, given him a card for a scrap metal man who will come and take everything away, Keith even offered to help him clear out some things. Can't say we haven't given him plenty of chances. There have been numerous complaints by other neighbours and a Council rep. has been out, but to no avail.

The fellow on the other side sold up and didn't get the price he wanted because of the mess. He also took photos and submitted to Council. You must have stricter authorities over there who will take action. Will just have to bite the bullet and ring them and demand they look at the front and backyard. Yes the car has petrol in it, he tries to start it up occasionally. The windows facing our fence are open so dampness and everything else would be in there.

Frank have a nice weekend in Rutland and everyone else too whatever your plans are. Might BBL. 5.48 pm AEST

Evening All,

I might have passed you today William as we went to the aquatics place on the A5 (got a pink dwarf waterlily there) and then carried on to D*bies Garden Centre!! I bet you had a lovely time playing with the little ones.

Frank, as we usually eat out on Sundays ........the table would be BARE !!! lol :-0 I hope you have a nice weekend in Rutland, it will be a pretty place this time of the year. You are a good guest taking a 'packed lunch' with you!! :-) It sounds like the mice have had your peas, so I hope you have better luck next time. I've been successful growing them in gutters before.....so easy to push them out along a shallow trench when they have sprouted.

The cue I thought had 'had it' is growing again and the new baby cues are green and healthy, not yellow and dropping off!! Now I have got another one I'll have to plant it somewhere else!!

What a shame about the Bantam eggs Mel........still, not all of them will be good mothers I suppose.

Kim!!! What an awful mess nextdoor.....you weren't kidding!! The lot wants taking down the tip by the look of it. It makes you wonder if the house is a mess inside too.I can see why you want to get to the bottom of what's leaking, hopefully not a drain. Do you have mains sewers where you are or do you have underground tanks that have to be emptied? Mind you that would definitely smell if it leaked. :-S I see you were right about the kitty staying!! lol.

The friend whose hubby took us to the craft show said he had a stroke while they were away at a hotel last week. (even more frightening and worrying when you don't know the area or where the hospitals are), but she said the hotel was brilliant. Luckily it didn't sound like a bad one, but he is at risk of another over the next few weeks so is on medication to reduce the risk.

That's good James and Jess cleaning the splashes off your new windows Jane.......a few brownie points for them. ! ;-)

Evening All,

Been another lovely day, very hot about 2-4, I have been under the brolly, making the most of these sunny days that's the 4th BBQ we have had , it's so much easier to eat outside , chicken, sausages and ribs, with Salad and chips, followed by Strawberries and cream , YUM YUM as Katherine's dog Kiah would say,

going for a shower as I'm all hot and sticky. this weather is forecasted till Next Monday GREAT :-D

On tracing my family back, I found that in the late 1700's they lived in Rutland and were tailors. A lot of them slowly moved south, but the Rutland roots are a bit sketchy. That was news to me and probably would have been to my Dad too.

Lovely time over in Atherstone this afternoon playing with g-children Ralph and Maggie. Had a look round the shops first and got a few more plants, as you do!

Kim what a mess next door to you. I would send those pics to the local council. Have they neighbours the other side? I think you need to get together with others to complain as sometimes it needs more than one complaint before anything is done.

Frank have a nice weekend in Rutland. Don't eat anything to spicy and upset your tum, will you.

Clouded over a bit and then we had a few spots of rain which dried up very quickly. Got a little cooler when the clouds came over and oh brought in the sheets and pillow cases which I had just put out before going up the tunnel to water. I could hear the rain on the roof but it did'nt sound to dire so thought they could wait till I got back down the house. Now it seems to be getting a little brighter again.

Oh has decided to dig up the back field with the digger which he is doing now. He had sprayed it all off and killed most of the weeds and was going to sow new grass seed and then the chickens can go back on there. I think if he digs it we will get more weeds come up but you can't tell them anything can you?

As to my bantam that was sitting...........she only hatched one chick. Two dead in shell two days later and then the one chick died inthe water bowl. I was absolutely disgusted with her and took the rest of the eggs away. so no chicks I am afraid. :-(

Mandy wish I could get oh a fresh crab like that. He loves it and I hate it. I did buy him a lobster at Christmas time. I hate that too.

Ruby it is a shame when you like a flower and then you can't grow it.
I have a smoke bush in the garden too but it is taking a long while to get it's leaves this year.

Have a lovely weekend Frank.I bet Ros will be glad to have got her drivers awareness session over and done with.

Ruby I love Roses .They are my favourite flower I think.We have lots and I can't wait now until they all bloom.I got my window box done this afternoon with more Geraniums and Trailing Lobelia.

James and Jess cleaned off all the splattered windows and sills for me !!! It was all done by the time I got back from town this morning.
I am still putting the Fat Sticks on the new windowsill by the back door for my Robins,and we now also have a very tame Chaffinch which is so sweet.It has been coming for quite a while now and it will just stay on the sill while I stand beside it on the doorstep :-D

Well it looks like the weather is set to be good at least for the weekend.Fitz's OH has gone to Turkey with her Sister and her OH and my Neighbours(with Meg) will be back from Portugal on Sunday.I know Megs owners will be peeved that we have had great weather while they have been away lol.I bet Georgette will too(Fitz's OH)

Mel I hope you aren't getting the Rain and Thunderstorms I saw forecast down your way.There was word of flash flooding in some places I think :-S There is a fair breeze going on here.I had to shut the patio door as the curtains were flying out.

I keep thinking of poor Kim having to live next door to that disgusting mess.I can't imagine how it would make me feel.Very low I reckon.When Mum was still living on her own her next door neighbour Mary had an old rusting clapped out car on her drive .Over the years it got more and more rusty and bits were falling off.The reason she wouldn't get rid of it was because her elderly senile Mother (who lived there too) wouldn't let her !! It used to annoy Mum so much as it was the first thing she saw when she opened her front door.It went in the end when Mary's Mum passed away.So one heap of junk was bad enough.Let enough the amount of it that KIm's neighbour has.

Must get a move on with dinner now

It's me, still here, waiting for Madam. I spoke to soon earlier, when I went outside TWO mowers and a strimmer started up. Then someone put a radio on. They must have been deaf (what did you say) the noise was deafening .

Kim, I haven't looked at my Emails yet, but will do so before closing down.

Ruby, RUTLAND, is Leicestershire (or was) they got the name back a few years ago. My son lives very close to Rutland water. The largest reservoir in the Country. They flooded two or three villages when it was built in the 60/70s.

I also had one of those smoke trees, we bought it when we went to Stratford on Avon, they grow all along the river side down there. They do look lovely in full bloom/blossom. As you say, they are a bit different.
We are just getting our Iris's in bloom, which look great, as does the garden at this time of year.

Yes the sun has gone in here as well, lounger put away, and would you believe it is deadly silent out there now.

I'm all showered and shaved, and packed. I have drained all the veg and put them into bags, I will take the roast lamb as it is, all cooked and ready to eat.

I suppose it will be takeaway tomorrow, and I will no doubt treat them to lunch somewhere on Sunday. ( have you got room for three extra ANN lol lol )

BE GOOD

Hello everyone,

Just wanted to thank you on your comments regarding the Knockout roses, Mel and Annx. that's exactly how mine looked. it started last year and I cut the offending parts off, then cut the bushes down in the winter, but it came back so I read up on it, and the article said to dig them right out. Such a shame because they were lovely, and so easy to grow.

We're having a good bit of rain from the Tropical storm Andrea. Are under a flood watch - a big worry in the mountains. I just went out to check my raised beds and everything is growing like mad. I have a little space where I pulled the lettuce from which had bolted (too hot here for lettuce now). I think I'll wait until next month and put a couple more tomato plants there, or perhaps some bush beans. We have a long growing season here.

My smoke tree is blooming. Not sure if that's the right term, but it's got the fluffy stuff all over it right now. It's very pretty with the raindrops on it. Also have some gorgeous lilies blooming, and some deep red dahlias. We can leave the dahlias in the ground here over the winter, with a little mulch.

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend and that the weather is kind to you. Frank, I never knew or heard of anyone going to Rutland. I suppose I just never knew anything about it, except that it is a tiny county. I'll have to look it up - I don't even know what direction it is!!! Probably shouldn't admit that.

OMG KIm.That's bad :-0 :-0 :-0.How depressing for you living next to all that Junk and Rubbish,and from what you say that is just part of it.Do you know what the inside is like?Have the council actually seen it.Have you sent in photos?I wonder what the water problem is.It doesn't sound very nice at all.Can all the neighbours get together and put a group complaint in.
I t is a difficult one isn't it.I do hope something can be done.Just imagine if you wanted to sell your house.who would want to buy next to that !!!!! I feel very sorry for you.

I see Frank has gone for the weekend with his cooking lol.
Not hanging about as I have been doing a few bits and bobs in the garden and will get out for a little linger as the sun has gone in a bit and it isn't quite as hot.
BBL