Yawn Yawn Wakey Wakey 2024

Oh dear … the tomatoes and squashes were learning to swim! I’ve drained them as best I can and put them back in the mini greenhouse. It’s only just stopped raining … there were about a dozen slugs in the pubs .., but I’ve spent ages just picking about a pint glass full of the b*****s off the hostas. “Big ones small ones some as big as your head!” I’m afraid they’ve been ‘finished off’ and put in the garden waste bin.

 

Morning everyone,
I am still working my way around the inside of my conservatory cleaning the frame work. Just the last filthy corner and two roof lights to tackle, thank goodness it is not so hot today. I have found muscles I didn't know I had and so many dead flies, spiders and cobwebs!
Today I must check the greenhouse for watering.
A couple of days ago I washed my white waterproofs. It takes two days to get them dry because I have to keep turning them inside out, outside in, due to being double layered. It was ideal drying weather.

 

Morning all. A grey and foggy day at sea, will be arriving back in Southampton first thing in the morning. I can’t believe how lucky we have been with the weather. Apart from the deluge in Bruges, we have had sunny days and blue skies but not so hot as to be uncomfortable.
I’ve been taking my photos on my iPad, which is a bit clunky to carry around. The pictures seem to have come out well though, and it’s very handy to be able to crop them to remove any less attractive bits. I must check the pics taken through the balcony window though, just in case there are any unintended reflections, don’t want any derogatory comments about my night attire, or lack of it!
I didn’t see any alcohol prices ashore, but the ship prices are way out of my comfort zone! Even the non alcoholic drink package was £50 a day for the two of us ( special sale price!) Not sure who their target market is, but the shops on board specialise in Cartier and Bulgari watches and jewellery, and there is a shop selling second hand Chanel handbags! The poor girl manning the Montblanc shop seemed to be twiddling her thumbs whenever I passed, so maybe wasn’t too surprised at my involuntary snort of laughter when I looked at a smart little cabin sized case, and discovered it would set me back $1995.
Sorry to anyone whose spending habits I may have just insulted, but to roughly quote someone or other, you can take the girl out of the council estate, but you can’t take the council estate out of the girl!
Anyway, I will post some more pictures after I’ve returned to real life, but in the meantime, a snap of harbourside restaurants in Kristiansand, and a request for identification of this tree. They seemed to be growing wild everywhere we stopped, including pretty high up on the sides of the mountains.
Haven’t eaten in the main dining rooms, but I see that escargot are a standard feature on the daily menus. Maybe an untapped market opportunity for some of you, beer marinated and ready shelled ‘snails’?

 

Looking forward to seeing the rest of your photos @Ergates. Think your tree might be a rowan (mountain ash).

It's still raining quite hard. That's nearly 24 hrs of the wet stuff so far - quite unusual for this neck of the woods. Glad we got the house gutters sorted.

Didn't put the slug traps out last night as I thought they might get rather diluted! I did retrieve 3 large plant pots to give to my neighbour. As I lifted them out of their dark, dank corner I realised they all contained half a dozen huge slugs lurking amongst old crocks. You know the slugs I mean. Over 2" long - really fat grey, green ones - yuck! Lots of tiny black ones too which I suspect do the most damage because they're so hard to spot.

OH has been in Cumbria for 2 nights for a bit of a lad's (well blokes really - all bar one in their 50's and 60's...) karting jolly. Having seen the weather forecast I suspect they'll be packing up early and heading for home shortly after lunch. Apparently they were all kna**ered after yesterday's session and tucked up in their beds by 9.30pm. The youngest (late 30's) was falling asleep into his dinner. No stamina these chaps!

 

Some of us are just naturally frugal @Ergates , we know what's worth splashing out on and what's just excessive. A four figure sum for a small suitcase is nuts - think my current one was about a tenner from the big Tesco and it's still going strong after several years. In fact the only times I've had cases damaged is when they've been through airport baggage handling (when I used to fly from time to time for work trips) so a cabin-size case always lasts longer.

The tree is a Sorbus isn't it? A.k.a. rowan or mountain ash.

 

Good afternoon from a very wet and soggy South Yorkshire. I’m pleased that we got caught up with the gardening jobs yesterday and Monday. There is just the hedge to tackle now, which has put on quite a growth spurt, but it’ll have to wait a bit longer as there are a pair of blackbirds nesting in it - they’ve been busy this week (and probably last week whilst we were away), feeding their chicks. As soon as they fledge, we’ll cut the hedge.

It’s true @Dovefromabove, mice can get through the tiniest of spaces, the size of a pencil circumference, I believe, which makes plugging holes rather difficult. When we had our kitchen re-done, the wall that backed onto the garage had every hole we could see plugged up, as that was where they were getting in and nesting behind the kick board. They were also finding their way into the kitchen proper . (I went through loads of bleach that weekend). We trapped about 13 of them on that occasion. (It was at this time of year, too). Since then, we have traps permanently set in the garage. We also have a different garage door which doesn’t have any gaps. Obviously not totally mouse proof, but we are very vigilant. We have fields close by us, too, so often see them in the garden, but again, have a couple of enclosed traps close to the house, just to be on the safe side. They can stay in the hedge to their hearts content, but aren’t welcome indoors.

 

I'm glad you had good weather @Ergates. Another lovely photo of where you've been.

OH wanted to go to the local DIY place to get a couple of bags of gravel and some paint like Cuprinol or similar. They were out of gravel and had never heard of paint like Cuprinol. All the stuff for painting outdoor stuff like sheds and pergolas are various shades of wood colours like oak, pine. I bought a dustbin for water by the kitchen door to make it easier to water my herbs and a pair of gardening gloves instead. Then we went to the small garden centre, they had bags of gravel.

Tipping with rain again.

 

Morning all, we've had rain since last night, OH says it was really heavy at 4 am, fortunately I slept right through it! I've just had my usual walk to pick up the paper, also bought a lovely big baton for lunch and sausage rolls, still warm from the bakery's oven - yummy. Have an old friend calling in to see me at lunchtime so invited her for a light lunch. Better get a move on as she will be here soon.
Hopefully that's the last of the mice @Dovefromabove, not sure about the slugs.
Beautiful card @Tui34.
Wish our porch was big enough to sit in @AuntyRach, have a good, hopefully quietish day at work.
Rather you than me @Punkdoc, last concert I went to was Cliff Richard in Bristol, circa
1960/70 something!
Such a shame you've had bad weather since you went back to France @Busy-Lizzie, hope it clears up soon.

 

Wednesday 8:28Am here. nice 67 degrees, clear sky.
My list continues for the day of tasks. But also want to schedule something fun for me this week, not sure what yet. Do need a facial soon, been a while. Would love a massage also.
Well, just plugging on. Take care all.

 

Good afternoon, dreary and wet here too. Well that's one less rat in the population, one new trap by the back of greenhouse was successful. Checked the others and tha bait boxes, no evidence there. Just got back in when I saw another blighter down by the bottom bed. The one we got was not large, so a youngster methinks , maybe young ones looking foe new territory, well they are not settling in here.
It's OH'S birthday tomorrow, all the family have invited themselves round for a takeaway here, our least favourite, but at least we won't be tied to the kitchen. I have already given her a main present, two Pinus Mugo. I have also bought a slightly more dressy watch, but only a bargain one from TKM.. She has a bit of a habit of "stopping " watches from working, it seems some people have that affect, we'll see how long this one lasts.
Haven't worked out how to post a picture yet so can't show the plants unless you can expand the image by my name it's the same one.

 

@Allotment Boy you click on Upload a File, choose a photo from your files. It will load on here and ask you if you want it thumbnail or full image. Full image is easier for us to see.

Thunderstorm here, we had a short powercut.

 

Ah OK In the grey pots either side of the steps

 

Beautiful garden @Allotment Boy

 

@Ergates, once again some wonderful pictures - thank you!
@Topbird, your OH and mates did the right thing as it has never stopped monsooning down here. My garden is once more under water. It does get a bit dispiriting at times but one positive is that I do not have to water all my newly planted treasures. Cricket has been completely unimpressed - took one look through the door and retreated to his favourite bed which just so happens to be one of my knitting bags. The dreaded Cadent have started unloading those bright orange plastic barriers for their next stretch of work and they have dumped them on the grass outside my house. As long as they leave some access I am not too bothered but this morning, after I had been to Tesco, the last part of my home journey which normally takes about a minute took 30 because their temporary traffic lights are not working correctly and there were some scary examples of impatient drivers as I was sitting in the queue.
@Allotment Boy, a wonderful picture of your garden too. You have some stunning acers there.

 

Enjoy your evenings.

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