Yawn Yawn Wakey Wakey 2024

You sound a very kind and generous person @Badly_Maintained.

I had a bad night at Son 2's. I was babysitting. In the end it was just the 2 littlies, 3 and 5yrs. The other 3 went with their parents. It was a housewarming party. The children were good and went to sleep quite quickly. They sleep on top of the duvet in summer. I can't do that, I need something to cover me. Tried the towel, kept falling off. In the end I folded the duvet back inside the cover and just used the cover half, but the pillow was horrid and synthetic. I like a feather pillow. I heard the family come in at 1am. I snuck out without waking them this morning.

OH and I decided to have a day out at a local lake, Le Lac de la Jemaye. We had chicken and chips with salad and a glass of Rosé each for about £20 for the 2 of us. Then we had coffee and ice cream cornets and went for a walk around part of the lake. It was a lovely day, not too hot, about 23C.

 

Thanks for sharing those super pictures @Busy-Lizzie. You are lucky to have such a lovely place nearby.
I am signing out now. I trust you have all had nice days. For we who have the Bank Holiday tomorrow I've everything crossed for a pleasant day. See you in the morning.

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Good evening everyone.

I have had a good day although I am glad to rest. Pulled up high weeds for an hour and a half this morning which came up fairly easily after the heavy shower last night. (It was now or never) Rested this afternoon then attacked my bearded irises of weeds; then I cut them back. I would like to get stuff like this done before I go into the Clinic on the 4th. I wore a lumbar belt and to be honest - the hip pain is there - weeding or not. So be it. Jobs done!!!

My lovely friend is coming from Montpellier for 2 weeks after my op to water the garden and walk/run Fizz !(and look after me) . I think after that he will take Fizz back to Montpeller and she will go to work with him. He'll come back weekends. That way, I won't trip over the dog!! I have good neighbours.

Yes @Penny_Forthem I come from New Zealand and have lived here in the South of France for 34 years now. My husband (now defunct) is from this large village near Beziers. We met in New Caledonia. Long story. But I love it here even though I am on my tod. Nice friends. Nice neighbours. Important.

Cool photos @Busy-Lizzie Hope that woodpile grows because in the Southern Hemisphere they have had a particulary freezing cold foggy winter - ask @PatE and we usually follow suit here up norf!! Prepare socks and hotties!!

Enjoy your evening. Punkdoc is no longer an adept but I will still say it - go easy on the wine!!

 

Good morning everyone.

A beautiful cool-ish morning here. Sunny and still. Maybe another weeding job today. Now where's that lumbar belt??!!!

 

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Good morning everyone. Have not decided what I want to do today as it is a bit early to judge what the weather is going to throw at me. I hope that you all have a lovely day.

 

Good morning @Tui34. Our posts must have crossed. Hoping to see some sunshine here some time today. Take it easy with the weeding - I know you will!

 

Good morning all. Wife reminded me that the rubbish needed putting out this morning, and THE GARDEN WASTE!!
I couldn't go another two weeks without creating more. In fact, there's another load sitting at the end of the garden, just waiting for the bin to be emptied. I might catch up over the winter months.
Job done - in the rain. Now the sun is shining. Ideal weather for weeds to grow.
What are people going to do with their Bank Holiday? In Britain, at least.
Here, I have a tree trunk to saw up, the 5ft stump to remove, and another (hopefully, last) conifer to tackle. Then I need to dig over the area designated for raspberry canes, and mulch it well. It's an area not well looked after, so needs tlc.
I can imagine the garden waste bin being full by the end of the day.
Sigh!

 

I would say @RowlandsCastle , that since retiring, Bank Holidays are just another day. When we did take note of them we stayed at home to avoid crowds. Now we live close to a holiday area we still are wary of masses of humans

 

Morning @RowlandsCastle and @Bluejayway. Typical Bank Holiday here. Cricket came rushing in an hour ago and he was soaking wet! Its quite drismal outside. I have already filled both of my green (garden and food waste) bins and they are due to be emptied this Thursday. My gardening plans are on hold at the moment which means I will be researching plants online - not good!

 

Morning @Ladybird4 , I am also guilty of "researching" at the moment too. Oh 'eck ...

 

We used to stay at home on bank holidays - we had no car, lived in a town, and trains were often cancelled.
Now my wife drives. But we live in a village, and the garden needs lots of attention. Like you, @Bluejayway we are near a holiday area, so staying at home seems a good option.
Plus, wife is going to France in September, and both of us to Scotland in October. The garden really needs the work, so shortly, I'll be out there.
Wife is going to visit a friend, and I only hope she doesn't go near a GC. I've enough work to do already, without having to dig up what she plants, and either put it in deeper, or an entirely different place. Not enough communication!!

 

Good morning all. Mixed weather here, quite a bit cooler as well. Might get in some more weeding later, but not until I've been to the dentist... just a check-up, I hope.

We managed to outwit the rat which was pinching the hedgehog food, until the night before last, when it scoffed the lot. Last night we moved the feeding station further away from the house and shed, and tried the technique I'd seen recommended on line, which I think I mentioned before - covering the food dish with a plate. Rats and cats can smell the food but not remove the plate, whereas hedgehogs just push the plate aside. Well, it worked against the rat; we have photos from the wildlife camera of Ratty on top of the plate, beside the dish and metaphorically scratching its head, but it didn't get any food. Unfortunately, no hedgehogs visited all night. Not sure what to do now... we might just try again with the same technique in the same place for a further night... though we may eventually have to accept that the hedgehogs have moved on to pastures new, I suppose.

Have a good Bank Holiday, everyone.

 

Morning @Liriodendron. If the hedgehogs have moved on then you deserve congratulations! You looked out for the tiny hoglets and continued to feed their mum and/or brother/sister. It has been such a delight hearing tales from your garden shed. Thank you!

 

Good morning all.

I'll echo what @Ladybird4 has said @Liriodendron. Maybe the hedgehogs didn't like the smell of the rat. Try a bit longer, though, in case they are still there.

There were loads of fireworks last night around 11pm then around midnight there were loads of cars on the road. Normally it's very quiet in the evening and night. Wonder if there was a village fête and I've missed it.

No plans today. May do a bit of weeding. I picked apples and blackberries for storage and freezer yesterday. The apples are better for cooking and are quite sharp until stored for a bit. There are loads this year, the branches are weighted down and the apples are falling off. The 2 trees are huge, probably very old. I would never have planted that sort of tree.

 

Good morning everyone. It's bright and sunny here but a bit cool yet. No matter as I'm on patchwork today anyway.

Yesterday OH and Possum dead headed all my surviving dahlias - wet winter not good even here where they drain well. Then he picked a colander full of figs. These are on the new tree we've "hidden" in the veg plot and which the marauding starlings have yet to discover. They strip the big one every year just before its barrowload of fruit ripens enough for us.

I used to do butterflied trout with grilled figs but can't get trout here - wrong kind of rivers and it's all sea fish anyway. Maybe a fig tart if there's any left after we've enjoyed them fresh and in salads.

My new Bramley has produced half a dozen fruit @Busy-Lizzie, enough for a pie. I'm pleased as the Cox has only produced one and none on the Braeburn. We had a forst at just the wrong time for them but the wee crab apple is laden so at least I've got the pollinator group right for the triploid Bramley. Friends here make lots of cider as well as their own Pineau and Trouspinette.

I hope your hedgehogs are all OK @Liriodendron . They should be around and about for a while yet before they hibernate. Congrats for looking after them so well.

Still not seen any here and our garden birds have deserted us in the last few days. Moulting? We normally have hordes of sparrows and assorted tits at the feeders and a few other little brown jobs. Just a few magpies hopping about at th efeeders at the mo. Still a few swallows and sand martins swooping about in the afternoons tho.

Have an enjoyable day and yes, we too stay well clear of the beaches in August and, as @Tui34 said, there'll be the invasion of grannies and grandads in their mobile homes in September, once their child care duties end with the school year starting. Some of them drive a bit dozily......