Yawn Yawn Wakey Wakey 2024

Very pleased Cricket is home @Ladybird4.

Our Cosmos likes to play with other pussies but the ones he goes for at the farm are feral and don't always appreciate his friendly overtures so at least once a year we have to go to the vet to get an abcess on his back end cleaned up and the antibiotic jabs and pills. Minstrel just disappears to hunt. She's on a roll at the mo bringing back live specimens for us to learn hunting. Cosmos just sits and watches.

Glad your boiler problem wasn't serious @Busy-Lizzie. We haven't turned ours on yet but it was serviced recently so should be OK, she wrote, touching wood.

Nice pic @RowlandsCastle. Yours too @Tui34.

No cinnamon rolls here. Thinking thin and about ways to stay healthy. Good yoga session last night, concentrating on loosening the lower spine and hips. Since the new knees my hip and knee flexibility is decidedly reduced. There are people here who swim every day in the Atlantic @Ladybird. I'm told it's very good for me but can't remember the last time I even dipped my toe in. Far too cold.

 

Lovely pic @RowlandsCastle.
Glad Cricket is home safe @Ladybird4. Hope he doesn't get a taste for night time wanderings.
We are dog minding the kids' dog. He's a gorgeous part black and white springer, part beagle - a rescue, who is very insecure and hates being on his own. He is quite happy being part of our 'pack'. However, he can clear the baby gate from a standing start and has commandeered his fave spot by the patio windows.
I have got my flu jab tomorrow, but no mention of the covid one yet.
You can all have my share of any cinnamon rolls. Yuck. Now, it it were cheese scones....

 

Garden club committee this evening and we have a pot luck supper afterwards to chat. I'm using them as guinea pigs for a spicy sardine dip served with mixed grain crackers. Sardines are a huge industry here on the Vendée coast so should be OK with the locals.

As I'm known for my cakes I'm also doing a chocolate courgette loaf cake - gluten free.

I do love a bouncy dog @Penny_Forthem. OH asked if I wanted to book flu and Covid jabs at the same time. No thanks. I sleep on my side so need one good arm and I always react to jabs.

 

Yes @Ladybird4 we've stopped off enroute to Edinburgh. North Yorkshire - a small place called Pateley Bridge.
We had stops in Newark and Knaresborough yesterday, plus came passed Ripley Castle. We're in a small cottage which is enough for the two of us.
Had a short walk this morning, and came across this enormous waterwheel.


I hope your hoarseness passes without worsening.
Pateley Bridge has the oldest sweet shop in the UK. Not been in yet!!

 

Good afternoon.

It’s been a glorious day today, sunny and quite warm in the sunshine. We needed to pop into town to do a few things and it was very pleasant. We will need to make the most of it as it’s all change come Sunday apparently.


I’m so pleased that Cricket has returned safely after his jaunt, @Ladybird4. You must be so relieved. It’s at such times as this that it’s a shame they can’t talk and tell you where they've been.

I managed to get the vine weevil nematodes into my pot plants yesterday. I forget which one of you mentioned them the other day (@RowlandsCastle perhaps?). Anyway, it reminded me that I needed to get some to put on my heucheras and fuschias. I had a lovely heuchera a few years that was absolutely destroyed by the little blighters, so on doing my research discovered that they love heucheras and nematodes can help, so since then I treat my plants autumn and spring. I’m crossing fingers that they are protected once more.

Well I must get on, I need to get some pizza dough on the go in the bread maker as we’re having home made pizza for dinner this evening.

 

Evening folks.

Skipped lunch so cooking an early dinner here - pork chops in sage butter with some veggies and a couple of halloumi fries (just for a taste test on the Diddly Dee ones).

Your holiday sounds lovely @RowlandsCastle.

Take care everyone. Hope the virus doing the rounds doesn’t bother any of us.

 

@AuntyRach what virus is this?
Been up to the farm shop today for some of their fantastic squash. They also had one oxtail, so he prepped it for me. Now in the freezer, but will slow cook it as part of a birthday meal for friends, with boulangere potatoes and cauliflower cheese.
Going to try the newly reopened village pub tonight. The excellent sounding menu for the opening a week ago, has shrunk to pub grub. However, if it's well done pub grub, I don't mind too much. The starters sound more interesting than the mains.

 

Thank you all once more for the kindness of your posts. The weight was lifted from my shoulders as I saw that furry shape on his blanket. He's had his tea and is now asleep in his nest.
That waterwheel is stupendous @RowlandsCastle.I think taking a leisurely drive up to your destination is such a lovely way to see the countryside. I am going to sign out for today. Got GW on earlier tonight and then (yay!) the return of HIGNFY in a new series.

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@Tui34 said "Also glad the boiler is okay and it's not a big job @Busy-Lizzie We seem to have our hand in our pockets so much these day. Our Taxe Foncières (Ground rates) have come around and they have shot through the roof!!! Then it's insurances, then Christmas ..... golly!!"

I was expecting my Taxes Foncières to go up a lot as it's more expensive than the surrounding villages and I live on the edge of a market town. I was very pleased that it had only gone up a little. I pay monthly by DD.

My best old school friend lives under 20 mins from Pateley Bridge @RowlandsCastle. It's a beautiful area.

I've made an orange and almond gluten free cake. Step grandson is Coeliac. They hope to arrive around 8pm. We are going to visit Southwold tomorrow.

 

Just noticed that loads of people have “colds” at the moment.

 

Whooping cough is doing the rounds here and can be quite nasty for older people. I suspect that's what I had in July - not Covid but unpleasant nonetheless - as the coughing wassevere and had sound effects.

@Busy-Lizzie and @Tui34 ours has gone up from 66€ to 69€ a month.

I make lots of gluten free cakes now, simply by replacing SR flour with ground almonds and baking powder. They turn out lovely and more moist. My wheat free crackers experiment turned out well too.

 

Hi everyone, managed a bit of work on the Allotments both yesterday and today. Today was a bit of an effort, not helped by the fact that we had shingles and flu jabs yesterday. Very sore arm now, typically OH is perfectly OK.

It was me that mentioned the nematodes for vine weevil, interesting that we have found a couple of huge slugs on the edge of the lawn, both in some kind of torpor, we are wondering if there are some slug nematodes in the mix too.
GW was interesting tonight, actually learnt something new about the interaction between plants and Bees.

 

hello all i am alive surgery 10/2 in another cast its bad. fu 10 /14 sleep with this an issue. can only finger type. my first general anist / will take weeks. later

 

Oh that's bad news @redstar, what a nuisance for you and probably very painful too.

Hope you get better soon. Don't worry about posting, just say hi as and when you're able to.

 

I wish you a speedy recovery @redstar.

Haven't seen GW yet @Allotment Boy as I've been to a garden club committee meeting. No GW on French TV! I shall catch it later. Maybe your slugs were just cold?