General Chat

It’s another very warm day. I still feel off-colour, not really in pain but as though I’m wearing the wrong head, but I decided I couldn’t waste the good weather so we’ve both been working in the garden today. Amongst other jobs I’ve pricked out and potted up 25 little antirrhinum seedlings. That’s a fiddly, boring task. But I’m pleased with everything we managed to do between us. Now my back and legs ache and OH says his shoulders are sore so we’re a right pair.

I hope the new iron tabs work for you Mandy and don’t upset you at all. I wish I’d remembered to look for the Northern Lights yesterday. If I’m awake around midnight tonight I’ll look out and hope to see something.

I really feel for your OH with his bad head pain Annx and hope the doctor can help him.

As Gwyn said, Mel, it must be lovely to have the baby birds to watch. OH walked down to the river to check on our swans yesterday and he could only see 1 adult which he thought was the male. There was no sign of the other adult or any babies which is quite concerning.

It sounds as though your break with your daughter is quite exhausting AnnG but lovely to see all the family. How can Inara be 8 already? We must have blinked and missed her growing up ;-)

I think that’s enough screen time for now as my eyes are still a bit unfocused. Enjoy the rest of this lovely day ladies.

Afternoon all,

Sunny and warm again ,we nipped to get my iron tablets and ill take one after I have my meal tonight ,we went into QD which us very similar to Roys with the things they sell ,I wanted two liners for a couple of long planters that we have on the fence ,they never had any so I have used the compost bag turned it inside out as it's black on the inside so it doesn't look bad .

Yes Gwyn I saw the northern lights I got out for the loo about twelve and thought the sky looked an odd colour and as I watched there was green strips going down in the sky ,I stood for quite a while and watched as it faded and then came back ,something I have always wanted to see and we could be in for another chance again tonight.

Gosh Mel that mower must take some pushing hope he can get it going again .
How lovely to see the baby birds it always amuses me how they shoot there little heads up and open their beaks ready for food .

Vera hope your feeling better today and your head us a little easier .

O mowers going but it dos'nt sound much better to me.

Morning Anng.

I did'nt but I was'nt looking. Still not got the mower going yet he's cleaning out the fuel tank as there's bits in it.

I have been bitten on the first joint of my thumb on my left hand and it dos'nt have itch. Just bought an Argy up the shop double white. Potted on my two osties I bought last week and repotted some Heutera cuttings. I think the patio is going to be orangey peachish and white and yellow this year and rusty red colours.

There was a Shetland pony with its trap down the shop today I did take a pic on my phone but shall have to ask BIL how to get it on the pc again. I can never remember.

Right time to take a pill and get some lunch I think.

Morning everyone.

How lovely to have young baby birds to watch, Mel.

Did anyone see the Northern Lights last night.?
I didn't realise that it might be possible to see them this far south.

BIL is here and he could'nt get the mower started so he has pushed it over to the workshop from right over the west wall leanto.

Just seen one of Robbie babies it came to the patio but by the time I had got the camera it had gone. I meant to say too that I have seen two tiny yellow beaks in the Wren's nest in the filter shed. They come up when I go in there so they must think it mum come to feed them. I really did'nt think thye woould hatch as they seems to have been in there for weeks. I'll try and get a pic of those if I remember to take my camera in there.

Morning all,

Nice morning again but I think the weather will break after the weekend. Its 16 degrees at the moment and pc says partly sunny.

I want to do more of the sides of the road today if I can. NOt too achey this morning but I am aware I have knees if that makes sense. I was hoping that BIL would empty the big trailer for me but he has'nt. Still he may come back today so we'll see.

Must add some things to my shopping list before I forget what they are. Its potatoes and orange juice incase I forget.

Well after some sea air on your walk you've had a busy day with the little ones and dog AnnG. I expect you will sleep well tonight.

Those Gladioli sound lovely Mandy, so I looked them up, and they are pretty as you say. The red one is a really bright colour and the other quite delicate looking. I hope you get on better with these new tablets now you have them and that they don't cause any problems for you. It sounds like they are causing problems with the traffic where you are too. They are doing things that they wouldn't have allowed years ago. We are finding more and more that our local council will turn down applications, but then there is an appeal, so the district inspectors are involved and they allow the plans. We had scampi with chips and peas for lunch, not what you'd call diet food is it, but a nice treat and we even had a pud, me a trifle cheesecake and OH a rocky road icecream. They've set up a veg stall in the carpark and were selling eggs too so I must have a mosey next time we go there.

When we went to get the right size envelope to post off our old passports I thought it would save money sending them both together in the same envelope. The helpful lady pointed out that we couldn't do it as the reference in the forwarding address for each one is likely to be different. We could only send OH's, as I hadn't got my paper with the address for mine with me. I'd assumed they all went to Peterborough, but no, mine goes to Corby and I forget where OH's went to. OH said he will post mine for me in the morning.

Vera that was a shame getting a migraine, but at least you got some planting done first. I hope it is better now. It sounds like you will have a colourful display this summer with all of those flowers. I'm glad you mentioned the slugs as my french marigolds are outside and they do demolish them given half a chance! OH woke with the headache and bad pain one side of his head recently and he's now got an appointment at the docs next week.

I don't know about the rest of you but I have found this latest covid jab has made my arm more achey and over a bigger area than any of the previous ones. It's gradually eased a bit today but it still hurts to raise the arm above my shoulder.

No Mel I wouldn't want a house built on the hospital grounds either. For one thing the the M1 motorway runs all along one edge of it, so there would be noise and fumes. At least we are two fields away where we are, but nearer the site on the opposite side of the motorway they built houses backing up to it years ago and ended up putting up special fencing to help deaden the motorway noise. Also, apart from not liking they way really they squeeze houses together nowadays, the planners have started only allowing two parking spaces at each property to encourage bus and cycle use!

You have got plenty done today and OH has been clearing more of the front gravel of weeds, so has been laying on his side to do it and has nearly finished it now. I think he's realised it's best to keep on top of weedkilling it in future as it gets harder the longer you leave it. You aren't the only one who hasn't planted any seeds yet! I'm wondering whether to bother now as we'll be busy getting the back garden straight and clearing some more of the garage next.

No rest here. Had a nice walk this morning, not very far but by the sea. Lunch time two and a half year old Senua arrived and she was very good, especially when Amber arrived to play ball with her. She kept that up for a long time. Meanwhile Maya who was asleep when Amber got here woke up and decided to have a tantrum as she thought she was going to be left. So Mum took her home leaving Amber here until Monday. Then Senua’s Mum arrived to take her home and leave 8 year old Inara who is staying until tomorrow evening. We are taking her to Muncaster castle tomorrow, hopefully to see the owls. And I am mentally worn out already.

Good afternoon

Very warm and sunny again today. I have read all the posts but won’t comment on them as I don’t want to be on at the screen for too long. Yesterday was very busy and a bit stressful with the result that my eyes went squiffy and out of focus and then a migraine developed so I was in bed by 8 pm.

Today I did the ironing early before it got too hot, then we went to the garden centre to get some annuals to fill some pots and troughs. We got green and bronze leaved begonias, busy lizzies, callibracoa (sp?) and dwarf marigolds. I’ve got plenty of geraniums, argyranthemums and antirrhinums so should be able to get some colour along the side alley Can’t put the marigolds there or the snails will demolish them overnight but we have a tub with copper tape round it that we used last year for marigolds so we’ll use that again.

Eyes are sore and head’s throbbing now so I’m shutting down. Will be back tomorrow if I’m OK.

Afternoon all,

Warm and sunny again, I planted up 8 hanging baskets this morning there's two more long containers to be planted and they hook on the bottom fence .
Ann the two lots gladioli were called Traderhorn which is a red with a white middle and Priscilla which is white with pale pink frilly edges I saw them in Aldi weeks ago and thought they looked pretty .
Hope you enjoyed your lunch out .

They keep building all these houses but don't seem to think about all the extra traffic ,they want to move our Lidls supermarket onto the site where a car garage was ,the traffic is so bad going down to where Lidls is now theres also tescos and Aldi and roys that way too ,moving Lidl will mean trying to get out onto the already busy road and there's no room for even a mini roundabout so how that will work nobody knows

Holland and Barrett emailed to say my tablets are in so we decided to go in the morning before it gets busy ,if we go now there will be all the school traffic .
I think I need them as by the time I had done my baskets I felt wacked out .

Just come down the garden for a drink not eaten anything yet either. Been scraping the road.

You know you can get a preservation order put on some large old trees. Its worth a thought which may slow things down a bit or not so many houses being built. Its all becoming a cement city everywhere.

Morning All,

Sunny and warm again and I slept like a log. OH has found another 30% off coupon that's still valid in his wallet so we are off to the White Horse for lunch to use it! We can then post off our old passports in the same village and buy some of their lovely rolls and ham for tea later.

Yes it's the speed all these new houses are going up that's a problem, as we can't go on doing it at this rate for years and years or we will end up being one big city eventually. They are knocking down all the character buildings with large plots of land to do it and put up quite characterless houses in their place and any mature trees are being chopped down whether or not they are in the way. Our village roads are becoming single lane roads now with all the cars parked along them with many on the pavements as well. I used to enjoy sitting in my car in the carpark in the next village and look at the dogs on the park and listen to the birds while I read the paper. Hardly anyone else parked there during the week, but now the carpark is always full.

OH is getting ready to go out now so I will BBL. :-D

Good morning all cloudy sun and a bit cooler than yesterday. Sleep was a bit patchy but not too bad. Might be a walk at Maryport then have second eldest great granddaughter for a couple of hours and the family cockerpoo arrives for the weekend this afternoon. No peace here :-D

Morning all,

A beautiful morning here with sunshine and 13 degrees but pc says mostly cloudy so perhaps a bit cooler today.

I must put some more strings up for the Clematis to the left of the step down off the patio as some of them broke and its climbing quite fast now. There's lways soemthing to do that needs my attention when I want to get on with other things but thats gardening.

BIL may come today or tomorrow so he said when he dropped in for the sackbarrow the other day. Hope he's got the bits for the mower and that can be fixed as the grass dos'nt stop growing here and its getting long again.

I know that people need somewhere to live and we need houses. But it does seem to me that we are in dange of killing if all our lovely villages and ending up with huge sprawls of houses. With thousand of new houses built in several large estates in three villages. (Ours included). They have suceeded in joining the villages, doing away with the fuelds and trees and causing huge problems with traffic on the small country roads.

It was probably three times I had to come in to turn the leccy back on but its hard on the old knees.It used to be my job when oh was doing the filters so he did'nt have to keep coming in.

People are never satifies until they have completely mucked up the usual lay of the land are they? All this new building causes lots of problems in other ways. I bet nobody has thought about the extra cars and lorries on the roads that are usualy bloked with the incoming new people in the area. They shoudl'nt be aloud to build on land that is liable to flooding either. Don't think I would like to live in a house built on the hospital grounds would you?


Cleaned the little bathroom today and had a good hoover of the kitchen and dining area then my back hurt so I gave up onthe other rooms but did do the little loo and as I had washed al l the mats its now nice and clean and tidy. I have cobwebs in the big bathroom which I shall gather up on the brush and put them out for the Goldcrests cos I know where they seek for them now.

Everyones doing planting and sowing and I hav'nt done any yet. I have repotted most of the strawberries though which ar enow looking much happier and flowering.

Evening All,

It's been 20 degrees here and was really hot in the conservatory earlier. OH has fetched his shorts out today, so it must be hot! lol.

We were up early for my jab this morning and my arm is quite achey now if I raise it but not too bad. Afterwards OH suggested a garden centre and bite to eat so that's what we did. I got a couple of packs of dwarf french marigolds as the butterflies like them as long as they aren't the double ones. We called in the shop on the way home and got a new kind of cream trifle with peach and raspberry which was delicious. When we got home I took some photos to finally apply online to renew our passports which is over £11 cheaper than doing it by post.. It accepted OH's photo first time but kept saying my eyes looked closed and there were shadows. In the end a wide eyed photo did the trick, but it isn't at all how I usually look! We need to send our old passports back tomorrow.

OH was doing more weeding on the front as two neighbours appear to be away now and he got quite a lot of the gravel clear of bigger weeds. I went out and repotted a shrub till I know where it should go and weeded a bit more of the island bed as I need to get it clear to plant the french marigolds. I half filled a small humper before my back and knees twinged and it was getting very hot, so I came inside then before I set back the improvement. My cheeks still feel hot and I feel tired, so I think it must be the jab or hay fever as I've been sniffling too.

The back and knees weren't too bad this morning after the first 10 minutes Mandy, Yes, he's a devil for a book! lol. He gave some recent footie programmes to a friend at a match the other day which has given him extra space and he's had the stool out to sort his shelves out this afternoon. They look pretty full to me already, but he says they aren't. Well it was a good day to get your hair cut with it being hot. Are your Gladioli mixed colours? They are lovely flowers , but I always think of Dame Edna Everidge now! I had side effects from the diclofenac in Volterol in hospital once, so am wary of using it in any form now. I remember Jane used to find the gel good though. I did slap some ibuprofen gel on my knees this morning though. It's good Holland and Barrett will have the tablets for you tomorrow. Now you need to see how you get on with the new blood pressure tablets and do some readings. Fingers crossed you will be fine with them.

I hope the pussycat has scared off Mr Mouse Vera and that he won't be back again. The talk didn't sound so good with a sales pitch included. As AnnG says you could feel obliged to buy something but I'm glad you stuck to your guns and didn't! It must be lovely to have nice clean carpets everywhere now. I'm torn whether to have hard flooring in one of the bedrooms instead of carpet (which is in need of a good clean!). It would be easier to move the bed to clean under it, but there would still be rugs to clean and it wouldn't be as safe as carpet as we get more doddery.

We pay a subscription for one of our newspapers and are sent vouchers to use to pay with. You do get a good discount as you say. We have a palaver paying our bill as there never seems to be anyone serving in our newsagent who speaks any english! The bill obviously changes when a delivery is missed, so OH writes it all out for them now in the hope they show it to someone in the family who does speak english! We pay the local paper by direct debit and we have no idea who delivers that one!

I hope your daughter and SIL had a good sleep after their journey AnnG as OH has said it would be a good run from their place to yours. Yes, the motorways seem to get worse, especially if there are roadworks. Thanks for the pics of ypur garden and as I replied, your garden is coming together and looking good now.

Mel I think 5 times to put the leccy back on would start to drive me mad too. Is it the same for your neighbours as well? It seems the Heron is raiding other ponds for the fish so it's good yours are well covered. Do the 9 Koi have the big pond to themselves? You must have some goldfish that were born in your pond.

Remember me talking about the old Chapel on the site of the mental hospital half a mile from us? Well there is a large golf course on the same site that is half owned by Santander and the local council. Now they are proposing to put 800 houses on the land, plus on other land on the site. A mile down the road from us is the motorway junction and now extended retail park. Every morning the traffic backs up from the motorway and there are queues to get off it in the evening and gridlock around the islands at Christmas. With all the extra traffic the proposed big warehouses will bring if they go ahead, how worse will it all be with the cars from 800 houses as well! They are still building the 4,500 houses at the other end of the village as well that have started to cause new floods.