Yawn Yawn Wakey Wakey 2025

Morning all, still cold and dreary here but hoping to do an hour in the garden later if it warms up a little.
Apparently the local pharmacy closure is permanent, the company's in financial difficulties, as are so many of them now. I was astonished yesterday evening when I logged into my NHS account to find the blood tests results, which were done in the morning, had already been uploaded by late afternoon and fortunately were satisfactory and my cholesterol was down, thanks to the statins. I guess I'll have to keep taking them then.

Got loads of washing to do, including some curtains my daughter passed onto me to try in the guest bedroom to see if I like grey ones there. The label says do not wash, which is daft, they are only polyester ones so I'll ignore that.

Hope you'll all have a good day and do hope @Goldenlily26 is coping with her bereavement.

 

Let me reword that. When I look up the species it shows only 4 types. I have 3 of them. Never seen, as the definition online that there are 19 different types. So wonder what your finding that says "19" types. thanks. Of course that was probably 20 years aga I looked it up.

Went online to look. Looks like over the years they have invented more. Thats nice. But don't plan on getting anymore type. have enough bulbs.

Learning something new everyday.

Galanthus (from Ancient Greek γάλα, (gála, "milk") + ἄνθος (ánthos, "flower")), or snowdrop, is a small genus of approximately 20 species of bulbous perennial herbaceous plants in the family Amaryllidaceae. The plants have two linear leaves and a single small white drooping bell-shaped flower with six petal-like (petaloid) tepals in two circles (whorls). The smaller inner petals have green markings.

 

@redstar According to the Cambridge Botanic Garden there are about 20 species of snowdrops. They have an internationally renowned winter garden with 48 species and varieties -
Snowdrops - Cambridge University Botanic Garden.

 

Good afternoon all - especially good to see you back @Obelix-Vendée and that you are shaking off the lurgy. I think that the snowdrop question has been answered @Butterfly6, the GC would have been my choice too. I think that the potatoes will do the ground breaking trick. Sounds as though you will have a super lunch tomorrow @Busy-Lizzie . Perhaps you could have a tiny rest after your food prep. is complete.
We were very busy in the Food Bank this morning. We had to weigh and date all of the donations - some 80kg of stuff, and then cater for 2 singles, 3 small families and 1 large family including the pets. When I got out of my car to walk to the Food Bank I stepped badly on a kerb - only getting the ball of my foot onto it. Consequently my heel dropped into the gutter and wrenched my left calf muscle. I was hobbling round in pain all morning. Luckily it didn't affect my driving home but I am now resting the leg. What a twonk!

 

Have a good rest @Ladybird4, speaking from experience it’s so easy to injure yourself

 

Good news about your cholesterol levels @lizzie27. You are so right @Bluejayway, I couldn't believe how something so apparently trivial could have such a crippling effect.

 

Ouch @Ladybird4. As we get older it's all to easy to pick up injuries and takes longer to recover so take care and keep that muscle rested, warm and massaged, if you can, then gentle stretching.

I had several kinds of galanthus in my Belgian garden, including the giant summer version, but only have one small one here. I brought a tray of one kind of lifted snowdrops with me, never imagining I wouldn't find more here or I'd have brought more. They took a while to get going but are now spreading nicely.

GCs here are very expensive, eg 25€ for a bog standard white hellebore, and don't have loos and cafés so I prefer to use nurseries but now mostly grow from seeds, cuttings and swapped plants. The mist has finally lifted so I'm off out in a mo to inspect bovine damage and see the chooks.

 

that is awesome. have not looked them up in about 20 years.

 

Good afternoon from cold and grey Ireland.

Glad you're getting better, @Obelix-Vendée ; hope any damage to your flower bed by the bovines can easily be remedied, once you feel up to it. And commiserations, @Ladybird4 , on your pulled calf muscle. Take it easy for a bit!

An interesting session at Book Club this morning. I find a British perspective on a book is sometimes different from an Irish one - perhaps that's not surprising. I had to describe a "coble" to them today (it's a traditional fishing boat from Northumberland, for those not in the know!) because it appeared in the story we'd read, and some of them were confused.

This afternoon I finally managed to book our flights to Finland. It's not a process I enjoy, as there's annoying pressure to spend more money than you need on extra insurance, booking seats early, hiring cars, etc etc. Easy to click on "yes" instead of "no". And the Opodo app, which enables me to get updates on flight delays, etc, insists on my saying yes to cookies, or I can't sign in... anyway, it's done and paid for. We can spend the next 3 months looking at maps and planning what we want to do while we're there.

 

Back from our, rather cold, short break in Llanberis.
We went to Anglesey yesterday, to the art gallery in Llangefni. Such a treat, though the Kyffin Williams gallery was shut. Still, plenty more to admire or puzzle over!
The hotel caters for climbers and the portions are huge. My seafood linguine was served in a small swimming pool! We were all unable to finish our meals - and my OH has a hearty appetite.
We both slept really well, promoting a conversation about a new mattress. We've had ours donkeys years and it's showing its age.
The sun shone for most of our journey home beside the sea and it was like driving the Corniche, except for the temperature.
Back to normal now, dogs home, heating on, washing done.
As I only had my mobile, I've sort of caught up, but consider yourselves all liked.

 

Good to get the flights sorted @Liriodendron. Glad you enjoyed your break @Penny_Forthem.

I have ventured out to see the chooks and pot up my new dahlias and water all th etreasures in the polytunnel. It's a bit messy in there now as it's where the chooks go to scratch and dust bathe in wet weather but won't take long to clear up when we're ready to go.

The island bed is full of hoof sized holes a few inches deep which won't do much for the trampled irises, watsonias and so on. We'll just have to wait till I can weed and feed and mulch. The Hot Lips salvia has been mangled but that's OK as it was due a serious haircut. I don't really like it but it was a gift from non-gardeners and is/was happy there. The red salvia and the ceratostigma seem fine. Salvia Amistad and the gaura always hide so it'll be a while to see if they've survived being trampled.

OH's "lawn" is a mess and will look worse when shorn but we can fill in the holes with compost and sow some seed if needs be.

 

I meant to say earlier that it was bad news to hear that the Pharmacy closure is permanent @lizzie27. Will that mean an awkward journey for you when you need repeat prescriptions? I read you have managed to weigh up the flower bed damage @Obelix-Vendée? Did the steers help at all by adding manure? Fantastic news about the Finland bookings @Liriodendron. I must admit that the mention of the isolated cottage really appealed to me. @Penny_Forthem I had a friend who used to go hill walking in Capel Curig which I think is not too far from Llanberis. I have had a couple of holidays with the family at Plas Darien on Anglesey. I remember one rather embarrassing time when I was driving there straight after a Friday in work, other members of the family had gone on ahead of me, and I actually drove on and off Anglesey over the two bridges before finding the right direction because I didn't have Sat Nav in those days. Needless to say I was never allowed to forget that.

 

Evening folks. It’s been a looooong week and still Friday to go plus it’s my turn to work Sunday. Saturday may well be a pyjama day.

Try some ice on your calf @Ladybird4, then try heat tomorrow. I can sympathise with a sore muscle!

I’ve whizzed through the last two days of all your news - so I hope all is well.

 

Thank you so much for that handy hint @AuntyRach. I will give it a go. Going to sign out for tonight as I want to watch episode 3 of the train crash that is The Apprentice. See you all tomorrow.

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I hope that you all have wonderful, special days today. Going to Canasta this afternoon so fingers crossed the weather is kind i.e. no rain.