Yawn Yawn Wakey Wakey 2024

Looks like the schools don’t properly go back here until tomorrow. In service day for the teachers today, although younger grandson, and others new to the senior school, are in today, to get used to the place before the mob return tomorrow.
Hoping it will stay dry for our walk this morning. It’s lovely having daughter here for the week, although she is working remotely during the day, so we’ve left her to her computer and gone out for a few hours.
The rainstorm on Sunday night was quite biblical, lots of evidence on the roads, piles of stones washed out from the verges, and drifts of pine needles. The flood outside the back door subsided quite quickly, and my shoes dried out! Didn’t see as many slugs as usual either, could it have been too wet even for them? The ‘supper’ is actually intended for our visiting badger, but if the fox turns up, I’m happy for it to help itself. The previous owners of the house fed the badgers every night, and we just took over when we moved in ( 20years ago) This is a very rural area, so plenty of wildlife around anyway. We have credited the supper with the fact that we have never had our lawns bulldozed by badgers, and hopefully, a full up fox will be less inclined to bother other people’s chickens. Might also explain our very healthy rabbit population, which is doing its best to keep our grass at a sensible length!
Green bins tomorrow, they are both two thirds full, and I have a pile of weeds and prunings to top them up with. I might take advantage of the wet and hopefully soft earth, to see if I can pull up some more brambles. I do find them extremely satisfying to remove, if I can get a root out, a surprisingly large amount of foliage follows, - quite a lot of bang for your buck!
Glad to hear that those who have had joints replaced are doing well, and providing a source of reassurance for those about to undergo the same.

 

Greetings all. Started cloudy but clearing now with a high of 21C expected so very comfy. Domestic jobs all done except for shaking the cover on one sofa which has a sleepy Cosmos sprawled all over it. Cuttings next and then leccy man this pm. I might just sort thru my seeds while I wait as he's coming either straight after lunch or at the end of the afternoon as he lives only about 5 mins away.

@Liriodendron any signs of hoglets big or small? I really like that fungus and will have to go and inspect our assorted piles of wood and trimmings to see if we have anything interesting.

Possum was muttering about Welsh rarebit day @Ladybird4 but it's a thin day here so I'll have to see if I can find a high protein bread recipe or postpone it a day.

@Busy-Lizzie I need to trim some brambles too. The ones in the hedge by the rose beds seem to have grown about 2m overnight since we had rain at the weekend and will mug me when I go to take cuttings. They always go for my scalp and face and OH has disappeared off Nantes way for golf so needs must. Very pleased that your OH's new hip is doing so well.

You too @lizzie27. Sounds like he's made great progress.

Enjoy your brunch when you get it @Blue arbour

 

It's a glorious September day here. Taking some stuff to the van in preparation for a 3 or 4 night stay later this week. Got to make the most of this weather.
Is your op set for tomorrow @Tui34? Or have I got that wrong?
Welsh rarebit...mmmm. Thin day here today, too @Obelix-Vendée, so I'll join you tomorrow.
We've had a lot of power cuts here recently - I wondered why my automatic watering system wasn't working. Of course, the RCD had tripped and my chillies were most unhappy.
I too, have been impressed by the speed of recovery of new hips/knees.

 

Hello all, not had much time lately to see what you are all up to. I see hips are progressing well, and you are all behaving yourselves!
We have had some horrendous storms that have obliterated just about every flowering plant in the garden. OH has gone to war with the bindweed but of course it's a losing battle. He needs to renew his passport and I have taken umpteen photos of him this morning none of which seem to be suitable, too dark/light or there's a faint shadow, I give up!
I think it's tomorrow that you go to the clinic @Tui34 isn't it? when do you have your op? I have found the fig chutney recipe and will put it on here when you return for you to digest!
Our friendly hare has returned mornings and evenings, I hope he/she keeps out of the way of the local chasse.

 

Morning all, a drizzly day here after quite a warm night so didn't sleep too well.

OH was signed off at the clinic earlier, surgeon was very pleased with his handiwork, a very neat bit of stitching. Chatted to another chap there, done the same morning as OH so they were comparing notes. That chap was going to have his 2nd hip op within the next 6 weeks as it is so bad, he's been fast tracked which is remarkable. We celebrated with coffee and cake in the GC on the way home where we also bought clogs, gloves and daffs.

Our local hospital has bought out a private clinic nearby which is going to specialise in elective orthopedic surgery for this region on the assumption that operations will not have to be cancelled because of emergency surgery having to take precedence. Hopefully it will be more efficient in getting the backlog sorted.

My daughter's just rung to ask if she can stay overnight next week as she has a job interview
in Swindon. That will be two guests as my sister is also staying so it looks like a busy week ahead again. DIL left this morning! I'll also have to rethink the week's menus as daughter is vegetarian.

Such a shame about the flowers @floralies , our storms haven't been as bad as that.

Good luck with your trip @Penny_Forthem . Glad you've got some sunshine at last and hope it lasts whilst you're away.

 

Good afternoon everyone. I did a bit of shopping first thing this morning and then pottered about outside. It was pleasant whilst I was working but it has become very overcast again which is usually a precursor to rain. However, I'm in now so I am not too disappointed. I've been sorting out old correspondence and consigning the non-critical stuff to the paper bin which gets emptied this Thursday. I'm staggered at the amount of 'junk' mail I get.
@Blue arbour I hope you got on all right with the vampires and that your results, when you get them, are good.
@Aunty Rach I hope you got the Birthday Cards. When I was in Tesco there was a huge section devoted to school uniform and every possible pen/pencil/notebook/bag/lunch box and drink bottle at the entrance of the store then down at the back end in the 'Seasonal' aisle you can guess what was on display. A great deal of items related to C! I resisted.
@Ergates, pleased that your shoes have dried out. I hope that they haven't shrunk after their immersion. I just watched the deluge from the safety of indoors.
@Penny_Forthem, I hope your stay at the van is blessed with kind weather and you get chance to soak in the scenery.
@floralies my garden has been pretty battered for most of this year and I have to get some serious tying back andemoving plants that are past their best. Its been a bit soul destroying to be honest but we just have to grit our teeth, smile and get on with things. I wonder what kind of a winter we will be having?
@lizzie27, excellent news for your OH re his hip. When my friend had hers replaced she was absolutely delighted - once recovered - at her much improved and pain free mobility. She said she wished she had had it done even sooner.

 

Well, sorry to moan again, very little rain here again. The paths and leaves were damp this morning, but when I got to the Allotments, it was still bone dry. I dug the concrete--- I mean the last row of potatoes, very hard work, and not a great yield for all the effort. It got quite hot and sunny for a while but it's cooler and cloudy now.

 

Its OK to moan @Allotment Boy. I've whinged on all season about the flittering rain. Feel free!
I am signing out for tonight and a wish you all pleasant evenings and see you in the morning.

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Evening all.

I've been out all day, shopping in Limerick. It was forecast dry, but of course it wasn't... but I got the shopping done and caught the bus back. And now I've caught up on here...

I've never tried a spore print, @Ladybird4 . Might give it a go!

We had a hedgehog in the feeder last night, but I don't know if it was a hoglet or an adult, @Obelix-Vendée . Unfortunately the trail cam misbehaved and didn't record anything. It left a couple of very distinctive poos on the grass next to the feeder, and typical food crumbs and mud around the bowl, so I've no doubt it was a hog. Fingers crossed the camera will work tonight!

 

Good news @Liriodendron, let's hope your camera behaves tonight. Have you heard lately how the little ones are doing in the rescue centre?

I forgot to mention earlier that for her birthday treat, my DIL had a 'walk with alpacas' experience. She loved it! It was at a rescue/breeding centre in Dorset and you get to meet the alpacas and then take one for a walk with reins through fields and woodland. Very quiet and calming apparently. The centre had had two babies born recently and they were very cute. I wonder what they'll think of next!

We had unexpected sunshine at 3 pm so I flung the washing on the line and then pottered about in the garden, picking more fruit, the apples seem to be ready as well so I need to get on with that with the long handled apple picker. Still deadheading roses (one had sawfly caterpillar damage so swiftly picked all the affected leaves off). The wisteria is going bananas after the wet weather so had to prune that again.

Got a routine visit to the dentist tomorrow then hopefully more garden pottering.

 

Good morning everyone. According to Owain Wyn Evans this morning, it is National Eat an Extra Dessert day today so here you go:

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@Liriodendron, they are very beautiful. That is positive news about the hedgehog feeder. Fingers crossed you get some evidence on the webcam.
@lizzie27 I have an alpaca centre just round the corner from me and I have got a walk on my bucket list. It must be lovely to be able to see the crias. I bet they are really cute.
p.s. I meant to add that I hope all goes well at the Dentist's

 

Good Morning all.

Having coffee with the neighbour’s cat whilst my boys look on from inside. Awkward.

It’s the last ‘nice’ day of the week so I think I’ll do some garden bits (and washing) whilst I can as the rest of the week has study indoors written all over it!

I did an alpaca walk last year @lizzie27 - loved it! It was in the Brecon Beacons so we walked up a hill to an amazing vantage point with 360 views.

Oh I meant to say @Ladybird4 - I didn’t have Welsh Rarebit yesterday but I love that dish! Extra dessert you say…

I found hedgehog poo in the garden yesterday! I’d love to see a hog before they start hibernation. Maybe my messy bramble patch will make a good house?

Have a good mid-week all.

 

Morning all. Forecast says "0% chance of rain", so of course - it's raining.

I'd guess a nice dense bramble patch would be good for a hedgehog to hibernate in, @AuntyRach . We don't know if "our" hedgehog hibernates in the garden or elsewhere. There's plenty of impenetrable jungle for it, and a sort of "dead hedge" (more like a long heap, to be honest) near the compost heap. You could try putting out food for your hog, if you can protect it from cats.

Speaking of cats: there was a single cat hair in the dish I used as a "moat" outside the hedgehog feeder last night. Also mud, but no water. In the food dish, a few crumbs, as left by the hog on previous visits. And outside, a small hedgehog poo. But the camera is still malfunctioning! It's set to take photos throughout the 24 hours, but last night it photographed nothing - just a couple of photos of me, turning it off this morning. I wonder if damp has seeped into it somehow... it's very frustrating!

 

I do have plenty of potential hog homes - the benefit of some messy and wild areas in the garden! Too many cat visitors here really. That’s annoying re camera - could you dry it out a bit - airing cupboard or place in sun (if you have any) for a bit?

 

It might be a 'getting better sort of day'.
I shall be dropping a birthday pressie off to a friend this afternoon, then ferrying hub to the chiropodist/shopping while he's in there.
We have alpaca experiences (alpaca gong sound bath, anyone?), donkey trekking and reindeer meets, all within a few miles. I love to see the reindeer. Such noble beasts.
'My' goldfinches have disappeared from the garden. I suspect a cat.