Yawn Yawn Wakey Wakey 2024

@RowlandsCastle - Aurora update. A fortnight away.

 

It seems that as well as molluscs and woodies, other wildlife have been making inroads in our absence … I thought I heard ‘scrabbling’ above my head yesterday evening when our failing tv switched itself off again … this morning I took the carpet and a floor panel up from the airing cupboard and found an almost complete mouse nest grrr! I don’t mind mice outside but not indoors … I shall be purchasing two traps (one for chocolate and one for peanut butter) to deal with the immediate problem and some effective bait to leave in the space to deal with further incursions … please don’t tell me to use a humane trap … I will not release them onto someone else’s property for them to deal with. I’m a farmer’s daughter … I know the damage they can do. This is the way I will deal with it. It is no more inhumane than a barn owl killing a vole.

And on a brighter note … some of you know my propensity for finding silver linings … our tv may be dying, but if it hadn’t been so quiet I wouldn’t have heard the mouse (probably a pregnant female) and we’d have had a whole family of them up there in a couple of weeks …

 

Hi Dove. I’m still working out how to use this site with confidence. Hope the mice problem got sorted.

 

Hello @PatE … the site is very different to GW visually isn’t it … and in some of the terminology… but I’m getting the hang of it …I’m sure you will too

 

Good morning everyone, I have been reading but not posting much, still trying to catch up in the garden on the plots, and on here. @PatE I haven't really got to grips with this site either. I haven't worked out how to start a post from scratch, or change my signature etc.
Anyway, I have finally got the cage up and planted the sprouts, broccoli and cabbage etc, I will be interplanting with pack choi, and lettuce etc to make use of the space better now I am down to one plot.
We went to Regent's Park open air theatre, to see Twelfth night last night, and the rain held off, great fun performance.
@Dovefromabove , I had a blocked ear, for a month, I had been waiting for a referral to get it sorted, gave in and went private. I couldn't believe how debilitating I found it, not being able to hear properly,. The procedure was so quick I don't understand why it was taking so long to get referred. The GP used to do this sort of thing, it seems all they do is act as a gateway for referral now. Hope your infection clears quickly.

 

Good morning all!

I think the slug and snail brigade are out in full force!! We had more rain during the night and this morning and the s & s crew are out as usual. I have 3 runner beans left and I sowed about 12 in another spot and so far nothing has surfaced.

The sun is out now.

I think the mousetrap is a humane way to get rid of the mouse problem. @Dovefromabove Poison is a terrible death and the trap snaps shut fast - lights out!! I have a problem with sparrow and starlings nesting under the eaves. One window is white with shite. They must poo as they come in to land at the nest!!

How nice for you @Allotment Boy Nice to see you around - we seem to have lost quite a lot of people - Jacqui in Paris, Valley Gardener with the beautiful stone paintings, Wild Edges etc I hope they are just lurking and keeping up with the news.

It it the Festival of the Band Dessiné here this weekend - being the long weekend of Pentecost. Illustrators and writers gather to promote their hard-backed comic-strip books under great tents. You can buy a book/s and have the illustrator draw and dedicate something on the preface page. Makes nice Christmas presents.

I have been walking with the dog this morning as everything is so wet and muddy. It takes me longer to clean the bike than the ride itself.

I hope everyone has an enjoyable weekend.

 

Hi all

Beautiful day here and the birds woke me early so I have been out in the garden.

A good day in our household, Moira claimed her work pension when she was 60 and the first months pension and her lump sum arrived in her account today.

 

Two traps have been purchased and baited with peanut butter (the sort you hang out for birds) and chocolate and placed strategically.

The GC didn’t have poison so I’ll order some online. I’m not keen on using it but Ive decided I need to leave it in place under the floorboards as a back up in case of incursions in the future. A stitch in time etc … don’t want expensive damage to the electrical wiring which is in that area. I won’t put it down until hopefully the traps have worked … with any luck no more will arrive and the poison will remain uneaten.

I’ve also bought some more runner bean seeds and poked them in among the ravaged ones … these have red flowers and the damaged ones have white so I’ll be able to see how many survive.

And I’ve put out some slug pubs from old yoghurt and milk bottle cartons … let’s hope slugs like Woodeforde’s Nog.

 

Good morning everyone.

Mixed fortunes on here today.

Well the sun is belting out some rays here, but thunder is forecast for the afternoon. I will be on Aunty duties so need to think of outdoor and indoor activities today. Apparently she loves thunder!


Have a great day all.

 

You can see how ravaged some of my poor beans are.
This is them a week ago

 

Hope you’re going to celebrate @Punkdoc

 

@Dovefromabove
I understand the concerns about the mice. I have five traps of the "snap-shut" type, and each trap has been well used over the years. At one time, I was emptying the traps daily - some twice a day. Now they sit in the garage, out of use. Thankfully.
They may be small and cute, but I won't hesitate to kill them. As you say, they cause a lot of damage.
I used to accept them at the end of the garden, but the house is MY domain.

 

Afternoon all, still in Croatia mainly doing a tour of their health service. Caught a severe secondary infection which needed a trip to Split A&E to sort out yesterday. We missed the last fast catamaran back to Hvar so had to catch the slow car ferry to Stari-Grad then taxi across the island to get back to the hotel. This morning we had to find nuclear strength antibiotics and someone to administer them. Not doing OH’s stress levels any good. Nothing but praise for the Croatian health system though, everyone has been helpful and I have been seen very quickly everywhere.

Seeing @Dovefromabove beans reminds me that I have plants in the greenhouse which I hope are being watered by my home built automatic watering system. If it hasn’t worked it will be time buy new plants.

We had a mouse problem a couple of months ago which spring traps eventually sorted. Bait of choice was out of date Brazil nuts tied onto the traps. The local foxes got the benefits of the cull.

 

Oh @steephill … I’m so sorry you’re so poorly and that it’s spoiling your holiday and causing your poor OH such anxiety. Hope you’re fully recovered PDQ.

 

Saturday. Morning all, 8:12Am here.
Remember @Dovefromabove , its the second mouse that gets the cheese.

Just notified that my favorite B&B in all of USA is closing and being sold. Sylvia Beach Hotel, on the Oregon Coastline, and absolute unique place. Was able to get there twice, hoping for a third time. So sad. We all hope that the new owners retain the charm of it.

@Ladybird4 , in planning/outfitting/suppling our Airbnb, I had a big white butcher sheet taped on my office door, my list of what to install in the house. On line and on You tube there are lots of ideas, also many years of our traveling I knew what I would want and observations of what other places have. One of the best compliments we got was from a French Chef who said the kitchen was stocked very well and the knives nice and sharp. We also shop at thrift stores, to get really good second handed items, its amazing what "new" or barely used is out there. You know when folks "keep the good stuff for company" and then they die, "the good stuff" goes to thrift stores, and you can buy it for nothing, and its still "good".

Overcast here, and drizzling rain.

Take care all.