Yawn Yawn Wakey Wakey 2024

Good afternoon.

I'm afraid I don't really like pickles.

Finished stacking logs, 1 3/4 rows. All the small rubbishy bits are in the compost bags for kindling. There will be another load next week.

 

That's a nice tidy job BL !! Cooler here today at 29°C but a strong Tramontane.

 

I can't answer your question precisely, but the salt will draw out the excess water and that should help @Tui34
Then of course, you add sugar to the vinegar along with turmeric and spices.
I'd say go for it.

 

That is an impressive logpile @Busy-Lizzie. Do you get any little critters moving in? I have a logpile made up from trunks and branches of trees I've taken down. It has been there a long time and parts of it are now lovely and soft and crumbly. My hedgehog used to live there but the hedgehog house has broken down too.
Sorry I cannot offer any advice about the pickles @Tui34.

 

I got a call today from my ex cat sitter Jack's Medicare support. His alarm button had been pressed. I was a bit disconcerted as I had had a long chat on the phone with him earlier and he had seemed fine. Anyway, I said I would try phoning him again and I would go across to find out what was up if I couldn't get through. I tried ringing and his phone line was engaged. Just as I hung up and was about to leave to go across the road I received another call from the support; they had managed to get through to Jack and all was OK. He had accidentally triggered the button himself. He was in his garden and couldn't get to/didn't hear the phone. It was them who tied up the phone as I was trying to ring Jack. I thought it nice that they rang to let me know all was fine. Unfortunately Jack does this fairly frequently but at least it is reassuring that they are on the ball. I spoke with Jack again and he was telling me his daughter is going away on holiday tomorrow for the week with her daughter and grandson. She hasn't mentioned anything about this to me as she usually does, as she asks me to keep an eye on him.

 

Signing out for today - watching the final of The One Hundred. See you all tomorrow sometime. Hope you all have wonderful evenings.

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@redstar, that sounds a fantastic trip - OH is quite envious as he did quite a bit of touring using Greyhound buses when he was younger. Too much travelling for me though I'm afraid.
You sound very organised and I'm sure your holiday will be great success.

Wow, that looks like hard work @Busy-Lizzie, especially in the heat you've been having.

@Ladybird4, a bit disturbing, perhaps Jack's got his dates mixed up?

We've had a nice day out, I drove OH over to Devizes to meet up with friends in their garden for a picnic lunch. Fortunately the weather was just perfect, sunny with a light breeze and not the 29mph gusts as forecast. Nine of us altogether so we had a good natter and caught up on all the gossip. We're still full up so I'm not cooking dinner tonight, we'll just snack when we feel peckish. Goody! she says!

 

Evening all.

I’ve had a busy day doing jobs for Dad and then MIL.

Your trip sounds brilliant @redstar btw.

Just doing my Sunday night routine now, which will conclude with a herbal tea and a podcast (recommend “Ologies” if you like something a bit science-y but also relaxing).

 

Good evening friends!

Do you have Jack's daughter's phone number, @Ladybird4 ? You are clearly the sort of neighbour we'd all like our elderly relatives to have...

Thanks for insect repelling suggestions. I hadn't heard about dryer sheets, @redstar - sounds unlikely, but who knows? Surprising things work sometimes. Unfortunately, biting things love me (a lot more than I love them!) and I have to resort to max strength Jungle Formula (which is 50% DEET). I've tried the Avon product and it had no effect for me, sadly, @Ladybird4 .

Update on the hedgehog saga:
The third hoglet hadn't appeared during the day, which may indicate that Mum is taking more care of it than of its siblings. However, late in the morning there was a small stationary adult hedgehog next to my raised beds. It was alive but unresponsive when I approached, so I left food and water very close to it and walked away. Before I was back in the house it started to eat, though it was unable to stand. I rang Hogsprickle and agreed to bring it in - but at that stage we thought it was the hoglets' mum, so we were trying to persuade the remaining hoglet to come out from under the shed, so we could take them both to be looked after. So the wobbly adult hog went in a box, with food and water, while we waited. It ate all the food and became a lot more lively, & tried to burst out of the box... by this time it was 4pm, so I rang Hogsprickle again, and they told me to let the rescued hedgehog out next to the shed so it could return to its hoglet. It ate 2 further helpings of kitten food, so presumably it was starving when I first saw it. However, it didn't then go under the shed! It wandered off into the meadow area, curled up and went to sleep. It was still there when I looked at around 8pm. So... perhaps word has got around that food is to be had in this garden. This is the rescue tucking into its third tea:

 

The trouble with hedgehogs is that to our eyes they all look rather alike! If you've been feeding them @Liriodendron then why would Mum be weak and hungry? Great photo.

@lizzie27 it's much cooler now. I've worn a cardigan this evening. We had a lot of rain yesterday.

The wood is on the concrete floor of the barn @Ladybird4 so haven't had critters moving in yet.

 

The first thought re the "new" hedgehog, @Busy-Lizzie , was that the reason for the hoglets being in poor condition might be that their mum was ill - so until it started stuffing itself with food, this could have been mum feeling very poorly... and indeed, it still could be the mum, but it now seems unlikely, since it didn't return to the remaining hoglet... they should all have name tags, then we'd know who was who!

 

My oldest niece has been testing me on pictures of castles she's passed this weekend.
Spot on with the first, despite the partial view. Been beaten by the other two. She forgives me!!!

 

@Tui34 I just saw your post about your cucumbers, are they all female or male and female which can be bitter. Or could be the weather that has stressed them......a bit like me really

 

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Hello there everyone. A bit overcast at the moment but keeping fingers crossed and looking forward to seeing the super sturgeon moon tonight. It was pretty spectacular last night but this evening is supposed to be the very best sighting.
@lizzie27 I think you might be right about Jack and his dates and I will be talking with his daughter this morning.
@AuntyRach thank you for mentioning the 'Ologies' programme. I have never heard of that one but it sounds like it might be my cup of tea.
@Liriodendron I am loving the further hedgehog saga and that is such a delightful picture - thank you. Sorry the Skin so Soft doesn't work for you. My Mum was an insect target too - I reckon she was the best critter deterrent for we lot! You, like her, must just be very tasty.

 

Here's one for you @RowlandsCastle: