Yawn Yawn Wakey Wakey 2024

Morning everybody, woke to a fine drizzle which has now turned heavier so morning walk to fetch the paper has been postponed for another hour. If it's still raining then I'll nip down in the car. I don't like doing that as it's not far but found out yesterday my mac isn't waterproof any more! I shall have to get some re-proofer and spray it.

I enjoyed a bit of gardening yesterday afternoon, digging out clumps of bergenias and bearded irises I no longer want. My wall bed is totally infested with bindweed this year and I'm thinking a thick mulch might make it easier to spray the bindweed next year when it re-appears. No hope of digging it out as I think it's coming from the neighbours side under the retaining wall.

We found out yesterday that there's a planning application to build four large detached houses in a linear piece of old woodland alongside the single track, no through road to the farm. That will make our walk quite scary if permission is granted, there's not much room to jump out of the way when the tractor comes along! I'd like to see what happens when the cement mixer meets the tractor, there's no passing places either. The houses are going to have flat, green roofs, heat source pumps and PV panels. We don't think it's a suitable site, too many trees, sloping site, next to a stream etc. but aren't going to object - we need more houses don't we. Whether we need close to a million pound each ones is a different matter.

Good luck with the baby-sitting @Busy-Lizzie.

Glad you all enjoyed the birthday dinner @fairygirl - I agree, the price of fish and chips has rocketed.

Have a good day all.

 

Good Morning everyone.

It was strange yesterday, setting my ‘out of office’ email reply to a date in September!

Have a lovely weekend folks, whether it’s chilled, busy or something in between.

 

Good morning (still), everyone!

Thank you, @Ladybird4 . Shoulder is a little sore this morning, but not too bad. I tore a tendon in my rotator cuff in January, but I've got pretty good strength & movement now.

It's not raining yet, though we had a lovely rainbow earlier. It's a bit like April - cool and changeable. I went to clean the church earlier, which is far preferable to cleaning the house, partly because I don't have to shift lots of Stuff before I can clean, but mostly because it's a fabulous 10th century building, tiny, full of atmosphere and cobwebs.

I've been putting increasing amounts of food into the hedgehog feeding station, but last night they didn't quite finish what I gave them - so presumably they are now full! And still no further visits from rodents, and none from the feral cats, who I hope are too big to get through the 13cm opening.

Do you think the house plans will include a footpath next to the road, @lizzie27 ? That seems to be quite common around here. Or maybe they'll widen the road, or put in a passing place... you could submit a comment about the road, maybe? There's a bit of "infill" happening in our little town, where the terraced houses up the main street used to have long gardens, but the latest building work seems to be a terrace of three little houses in one of these gardens, rather than anything too posh. Much more appropriate for the local housing need.

Better get on and think what to have for lunch...

Have a good Bank Holiday weekend, to those in the UK!

 

Check clock... yes still morning.
A wet one. Dodged the raindrops for doggy joggies (they run, I throw the ball!)
Our begonias and celosias on the deck are just stunning.
When it's next dry, I'll take a pic.

 

Good afternoon everyone, I have been reading but not posting much, no specific reason. We were in the Peak district most of last week, stayed in a converted stone farm building on a hilltop farm just 10 minutes away from Bakewell, lovely spot.we came back Wednesday eve as we had a long standing booking at Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons (chef Raymond Blanc). It was one of the GW special days, had a cookery demo, and guded tour before 3course lunch. Interesting that their gardeners agreed about what a difficult start to the season it was. Our youngest GD did very well with her exams too, so is off to sixth-form in a little over a week.

At long last we are getting a decent amount of rain, shame it has to be on a Saturday morning but the garden and Allotments really needs it. The waterbuts might actually get refilled. Enjoy the rest of the weekend.

 

Good afternoon,

Well, storm Lilian impacted us yesterday - we were without power from 7 am until 10.30pm. I was getting concerned about my fridges and freezers, but everything seems ok, thank goodness.
It’s amazing how much we take having electricity for granted isn’t it? Boiling a kettle, coming on here, use (or not) of telephones, using the oven, microwave, etc, etc. We are lucky to have a gas hob, so using a manual lighter, we could ignite the gas to boil water, etc. Fortunately, things in the garden seem to have been relatively unscathed. A few pots had blown over, but otherwise all was ok.

No tv to watch, so OH and I sat at the kitchen and played dominoes all evening and listened to the battery operated radio. It was necessary to open a bottle of wine, of course .
Glad to read that most of you escaped the worst of it.

Congratulations to all the GC, Great nieces and nephews who have done so well in their exams.

 

G'day everyone. I had a distrubed night - huntress pussycat likes to announce her catches - so, apart from setting off a wash, have had a lazy morning reading and dozing. Like you, @Ergates, I have a sewing project or 3 to get on with but my machine is permanently installed in my sewing room and I use the dining table for cutting out. OH only distrubs me to bring me a tisane or ask what's for dinner.

He's out at a play day at the golf club today but coming home to fetch Possum who will be doing pm "activities" designed to entertain spouses and family. I have been press-ganged for the evening apéro and dinner part which is being catered by 2 of OH's friends who are retired traiteurs/caterers. Possum is designated driver as she doesn't like beer or wine or spirits. Chocolate is her drug of choice.

It's dull and grey again here but we haven't had the showers expected so more watering for me before I get cleaned up for being sociable.

The French and Belgians and, as I discovered, the Italians, make a 4 day weekend of it when Assumption falls on a Tuesday or Thursday. they also do it with May Day and Armistice Day and Ascension which is always a Thursday anyway. This weekend half of France will be wending its way home after their 3 week August break so all but local village raods are likely to be horrendous. At least round here they won't be frying in their cars and camper vans.

Have fun, whatever you're doing everyone and, I'm sure, lots of fun to be had with all those grandchildren @Busy-Lizzie

 

Rain, rain, glorious rain!!
Trip to Canterbury has proved successful, if a little costly. New cagoule and walking boots, lunch and snack, lots of castle postcards.
Now to find a place for the latter!!

 

@Busy-Lizzie and @NigelJ , above is how she used the word in the sentence. "We emptied the Belgian". So, still with your explanations do not get it.[/USER]

 

Saturday, almost 10Am. one more sleep here.
Sitting on my deck this morning I was buzzed twice by a hummer. really neat, a distinct wing sound, also they chirp cute. Lots of their loved flowers blooming now. The yellow wax bells will see them off well. Taking down the sugar water tonight.
Well onward . Packing. etc. cleaning out fridge, packing food items etc. Later. I am taking the lap top with me.

 

@redstar - I lived 25 years in Belgium before moving to the Vendée in France for our retirement in 2016 - hence references to Belgian house, garden, way of life, septic tank...........

 

@redstar I think you'll have to ask @Obelix-Vendée to translate for you.
My comment was purely meant to be humorous, although if you have not come across The Hitch Hikers Guide to the Galaxy it will be lost on you, obviously Douglas Adams does not not do America sadly.

 

Since I cued her already, not going to further ask.

 

Ok, well, lost to me, so moving on.

 

@redstar, "We emptied the Belgian one every 2 to 3 years" means "We emptied the Belgian septic tank every 2 to 3 years". The septic tank at her old house in Belgium.