General Chat

Evening all,

Just lost a whole post !!! oh blow it ,it will have to be a short and sweet one now .

Hope the head is feeling better now Frank it sounded a really nasty fall thank goodness Ros was there as you could have knocked yourself out .

Oh Vera i hope you don't have to travel too far with a driver like that you'll be a nervous wreak by the time you get there :-0
Sounds as if you need a crash helmet and a spare pair of knickers :-D :-D
I think i would have nipped a few bits off the fuchsia too ,you get your money's worth out of it that way , i hope they take .

Oh blimey Jane that's early for the milkman ,i don't think we have a milk man round here now i never hear one come .
Sounds as if it was a good thing you didn't go away with your Sciatica playing up again.
Enjoy your lunch out tomorrow .

Yes i loved the photo's AnnG you've got some lovely ones there ,good idea taking your stick today if the foot still isn't right .
I think all men try to do things and then end up reading the instructions and by the time they do they have put a screw in wrong or cut some thing to short and mucked it up , i hope he got it sorted in the end .

Lovely evening here now the suns out ,i hung my washing out twice and had to get it in quick because it rained ,it's now out again and has been for a couple of hours so i'm hoping it's dry now .

We posted together there Vera.... Have a lovley evening with your friends and just make sure you are buckled in well in the car LOL .Your friend sounds a rather scary driver :-D

Afternoon Everyone

Oh gosh Frank,I am surprised you never ended up in A&E after that fall this morning !!!. Ros must have been frightened out of her wits.You will have ot make sure Ros is close at hand next time you have your shower. At least it has been a peaceful day for you with no digger noise to make your head feel even worse.

AnnG .Did OH manage to fit the bit on the shower ? I think sometimes they think that they dont need any instructions,but then it can mean more work when things dont go to plan :-D I just been looking at all your fantastic photos.What wonderful memories for you from your holidays this year.I think you said you have another in September in Tenerife? I think this is a relaxing holiday where you can just sit and enjoy the sun and food and wine or G&Ts :-D :-D

So the new people are now it then Gill.Good job the kitchen cupboards now have enough things to keep them up !!!!!!. I hope they dont come across too many problems with bad workmanship. Glad you managed ot sort out your utility payments.That payout from your previous company certainly came in useful didnt it :-D

Mel ,at least your Hogs poo on the lawn and garden and not all over your patio like the one we had did here. Every morning we found a right old mess and had to hose it down all the time.

There are some very big black clouds but as yet we have not really had any rain ot speak of.Maybe a heavy shower early last evening but so far that has been it. I did manage to get a load of washing dried today .It was a bit risky putting it out but thankfully I made the right decision .
We went to the Garden Centre in Burton Latimer ( Bosworths Frank) and I finally got my standard Fuschia :-D.Dark Red Geraniums for the pots in the front garden ,a pre made up hanging basket (never bought a ready made one before), some Marigolds and other plants (cant think what they are),plus a big pot for the Fuschia and a couple of smaller ones. So a good morning. We had a coffee while we were there.

Tomorrow we are out for lunch .I sitll haven't got a card for Chris for our Anniversary on Thursday :-S... Note to self to get one tomorrow.!

Frank H&G are back in London now and back to work today after what they said was a lovely stay in that cottage.

I feel like a bag of poo today. I think all that has happened and with the worry of Thomas and not getting away has hit me a bit, plus I had a rotten night as my Sciatica decided to start playing up :-S.. I can do without that right now. Tomorrow is a new day :-D
Now I need to start Beef Stroganoff . Not from scratch. Just need to fry off the Beef Strips and mushroom slices and add the sauce.Microwave veg and some rice.

The milkman woke me up at 2.30 last night rattling bottles when he delivered next door :-|. I did have the window open as it was such a mild night. I moved into the front bedroom because of the Sciatica and not wanting to disturb Chris. But tonight I WILL be in my own bed and he will have to put up with me tossing and turning ,moaning and groaning :-D. He could always move out :-D :-D

Good afternoon everyone

My goodness Frank that sounds a nasty fall. I’m not surprised you have a headache. I expect you’re feeling stiff and sore as well. I hope you feel better very quickly but if the headache doesn’t ease off fairly quickly just get yourself checked over by a doctor.

Haven’t seen the sun at all today. This morning was grey and dreary and we have had some really heavy rain this afternoon.

I hoped for a good nights sleep last night but it wasn’t to be. OH came to bed about 12 and I soon dozed off only to be woken by his very loud snorting and snoring at 1. I stuck it for an hour but he didn’t quieten down so I went in another room. As I was wide awake I read till turned 4, then dozed till OH brought me a cup of tea at 7.30.

I am feeling a bit tired now but I am out again tonight for a friend’s birthday meal, then back to hers for coffee and cake. We are a group of around 10 ladies who always celebrate our birthdays like this. There’s usually lots of laughter and noise but we enjoy it. Because of dodgy eyes I no longer drive at night so a friend picks me up. She is a spinster lady in her 70s so you would expect her to drive very sedately but she could outdo any boy racer. It’s a real white knuckle ride. To be fair to her, in 50 odd years of driving she hasn’t had a knock but I think that’s because everyone gives her a wide berth :-). I just close my eyes and hope as we screech round bends on two wheels.

I’ve bought the birthday girl a very nice fuchsia for her garden. It’s a good size so I have taken a few crafty cuttings. I’ve been careful how I did it so it doesn’t look as though someone has been chopping at it. With luck they will root.

Right, I had better go and shower and change now so I am ready when my lift arrives.

Frank is Conrad selling to Spanish buyers or to people from other countries (British, German etc) He does seem to be doing well. I am guessing not many are British at the moment though, if not Spanish more likely German or even Russian? Well done to him for making hay while the sun shines (literally). That last lot sound a bargain.

Yes AnninG, Head like a rock, !!! I have a splitting headache this afternoon, I decided not to sit in the sun, but lay and read instead. The towel rail went straight back in the drilled holes in the tiles, so no work for Conrad.

I see your OH is just like most MEN, we all try to fit things without reading the instructions, but end up having too. lol lol

We didn't get to go out at lunchtime, as I suspected, Conrad got tied up with something and didn't get home until nearer 3.00 pm (Spain time) He grabbed a quick sandwich and flew off to meet a Agent, with a client, who seemed very interested in a new villa. So business before pleasure. !!!! So we will go and eat out later. He wants to go to a new development also, to show us what they are building. Boy oh Boy does he work hard. We are so proud of him and all he does. <3 <3 <3 This new development have two bed villa's for around 158,000 euros, so he expects those to "fly away" CHEAP AS CHIPS, as they say.

I think it has turned a little cooler this afternoon. Still no delivery from the Post Woman. !! So perhaps tomorrow. :-P :-P :-P

Ros is sleeping on the sun lounger, so I had better wake her up. She won't sleep tonight otherwise, but she can sleep on a washing line, at anytime of day. She says it's due to her diabetes, not having it I wouldn't know.

Goodness Frank, you must have a hard head if that didn't knock you out cold. Hope you are feeling OK now with no after effects. Those showers are so easy to trip over if there is a lip on the door. So a job for Conrad to put the towel rail up again then.

Mandy and Gill glad you liked the photos. gill we were so lucky to have that beautiful blue sky and sea most of the 12 days. When we got home we had driven 600 miles.

Good afternoon. Had a few heavy showers but sun shining at the moment. Garden is a bit too wet to work in though.
This morning we went to dobbies garden centre. That involved a motorway trip (one junction). It was very busy. Busy North and South but worse going North as people leave the West Country after Whitsun I assume. anyway we got a few more plants and my foot was not too bad (I did take my stick).

OH is now trying to attach a plastic bit that stops the water leaking out under our rigid curved shower screen. He has just decided to go and see if there are any directions. apparently the only instruction was to buy the right size.

I shall now look back through the posts to see what I missed.

Just had the screen go blank on me, so I will start again.

Good afternoon all, What a morning I have had, Ros bought me a COT in bed with my Aspirin in a drop of water. After enjoying that I got up and had some Weetabix. When Conrad went off around 10.00 am I went for a shave and shower. All fine until I came out of the shower and tripod on the ledge at the bottom of the doors, I went down like a SACK OF SPUDS. I grabbed at the towel rail and took that with me. !!! My head hit the tiled floor so hard I thought my skull had split open. IT HADN'T. I called for Ros. Fortunately the door opens outwards, otherwise she would never have got the door open. I lain for ten minutes to get myself together. Then spent the next half hour edging on my cheeks, to get out of the bathroom and into our bedroom. Ros had tried to help me up, but couldn't. She even went to see if she could find a workman to try to get me up. NONE AROUND. I eventually got myself on the bed, and just laid for an hour. (I'm glad she couldn't find help, as I was in my birthday suite. lol lol) I finally managed to get some pants and short on, and came and laid on the sofa. I still feel very shaky, and only more if I have too.

Only just scanned over your postings, Pleased that you are feeling a little better Vera, just try to take thing a bit more carefully. Jane poor little Thomas, I wonder where he could have got too. Digging for a rabbit ?? If only they could talk. ;-) ;-) ;-) Mel I think you have mentioned before that everything is in black sacks apart from the recycling. I could just imagine you, with your arm out of the window, dragging the Black bin behind you. :-D :-D :-D

New neighbours then Gill, I hope you get on alright with them. It can be difficult to start with, as I think we can all relate too. Good luck xxx

For those of you on Holiday, ENJOY YOURSELVES. Jane when do G & H come home ??

Just waiting on a delivery for Conrad. He doesn't know when it will come, but the post woman is suppose to be a right old witch. (HIS WORDS) If as we hope, she comes before he comes home for lunch, I have suggested we go the the beech and have a spot of lunch there. It's a nice bright sunny day, with very little breeze.

Lola and the pups are doing great. At this moment the little ones are quiet and sleeping. Once they wake up all hell is let loose, until Lola goes in to feed them.

Ros has hoovered and washed all the downstairs, with the doors and windows open all the time, the dust floats in as it pleases.

All quiet on the WESTERN FRONT. NO DIGGERS TODAY. Conrad said that yesterday's clearing up was his fault. As they had left a lot of mess on that site, from when they built these.

Conrad is late coming home for lunch, he must be delayed with a client. He is usually here by 2.00 pm.

Morning all

Sunshine and showers today. No sign of the new neighbours moving in yet, so I assume they're still packing the van at the other end, no doubt they'll be here this afternoon.

I've just had an email telling me my gas and electric payments are going to almost double, it was a bit of a shock, but to be honest we were getting into debt and I was going to ring them to put the payments up anyway, so it's saved me a phone call. I think the price they quoted was cheap to make us switch, but it helped us financially over the Christmas period, so it worked out well for us. Plus we received almost £1,500 back off our old company, we used some of it to buy the new water feature and the two very tall Red Robins which now hide next doors extension and looks lovely from our kitchen window, instead of looking at a brick wall.

What a nuisance having to listen to the diggers Frank, just when you thought you were going to have a nice quiet relaxing holiday. If I remember correctly don't the Spanish stop work half way through the day, if they do at least you'll have some peace and quiet in the afternoons. Did Lola enjoy her walk?

Yes, Mandy the kitchen is all done now, the insurance did it in the end and it's a good job they did as they said the cupboards didn't have enough raw plugs in, so once they had put their things in, the cupboards would of fell off the wall on top of them. So having the fire worked in their favour in the end, after the bad workmanship of the builders. It's making us wonder what else the poor neighbours are going to find once they've move in.

I was thinking of a cat cam on Thomas to Jane, it would save you worrying if it can be linked to a TV or monitor, at least that way you'll know where he is if he disappears for a few days and can go and get him, if you can work out where he is :-S I guess you'll never really know what happened to him, but at least he's now home safe and sound which is the main thing.

I love all the photo's on your blog AnnG, some of them look like they've been taken abroad, with the beautiful blue sky and sea. You certainly went to some interesting places didn't you?

Did you manage a good nights sleep Vera, there's nothing better than your own bed.

I see you got your replacement tomato plant Ann, I hope this one produces lots of nice tomatoes for you. We're got lots of flowers on ours and a few pea size toms coming. Sandra's strawberry plants are doing well, so she has a few strawberries each day which she's pleased about.

OH has just told me the van has turned up, so the neighbours are finally moving in now. The sun has come out, hope the rain keeps away long enough for them to move their furniture in, some of the rain showers we've had today have been quite heavy.

Morning Mandy and all,

Sun and clouds this morning here. I did put food out for the hog and had my tablet on to see if it came in the garden but I did'nt see it anymore and I forgot to take a pic of it in my hurry to settle it in somewhere safe.

Oh has had a look around this morning and says there's long hog poo about under the Gunnera about six inches long so it could have snuffled around there asits nice and untidy around that and the back of my pond where oh has stacked a load of unused pond baskets full of stones. He did'nt look in the ark as it meant bending down and his back and hip is still bad. I'll do that when I feed the bantams.

Donkey day yet again and I have to do Lidl as well today as I need his wraps and furters.

Morning all,

Wet wet wet here this morning ,the sky keeps brightening up at times but I think it should be showery most of the day .

Oh I see Mel about the bins now ,I could just see you towing the bin beside the car :-D

Lovely photo's on Anne's blog .

Hope you have a quieter day today Frank .

Ann what a nuisance it's going to be if they use your drive to turn in ,you'll have to put a no turning sign up .

Moving in day for your neighbours Gill, I hope your weather isn't like ours or their things will get very wet .

Hope our Thomas is OK and has settled again.

Its the recycling bin Mandy. We don't have a wheelie bin as its too far to take it we just use black bags for the refuse.

My problem with posts is like yours Annx I can’t remember who said what and it takes ages to keep scroll g back. Sometimes I reply on the PC with the IPad open.

Yes the lighthouse is in a wonderful place, especially on a sunny day for photography.
Oh yes the whistler is fantastic. A lot of the furniture and accessories were packed away for servicing which was a shame but some were stored where we could see them and with explanations such as ‘I am here because I have a broken leg’. That was interesting.

Busy weekend then era, sleep well tonight. I often don’t answer as much as I should.
The foot is a bit better as I have rested it quite a bit for two days but it is still sore when I walk.

Glad people liked the photos.

Evening All,

We've had a few rain showers today, but it's lovely sunshine now.

Mel, those little chicks are adorable! How lucky you are to have all the wildlife on your doorstep. <3 Last week we went up the side of an estuary on a narrow little lane with houses to our left. Only about 10 feet away from the road and houses a swan was sitting on a nest with her mate close by. I thought how wonderful to look out of your windows and see that so close.

Gill, at last you will be having your new neighbours move in! At least you both have 'builder stress' in common! I wonder what they will do with their garden?

Our neighbour at the end and opposite the one with 'Keep Clear' and also next to the end gate has been drilling on the front edge of his drive today. It looks like he is fitting 3 of those drop down posts at the edge to stop people using his drive to turn in. That means they will be using our and our neighbour opposite's drives instead. The gate has been open all the time since we got back, so it has either broken or is a lot of faff to use.

Frank, it sounds as if paradise has become very noisy which is a shame, but I suppose they have to do the work sometime. Someone had music blaring in the garden till the early hours round here last night. Why they have to have it so loud you can hear it through double glazing and have to turn the tv up as well I don't know. No thought for anyone else. So Bruiser, sorry Buster, is pushing the girls around already!! It's nice you could give Lola a break with a walk outside. I bet she will look forward to that soon.

Thomas sounds as if he is improving Jane. I think he needs one of those catcams so you can see where he goes! I wouldn't mind staying at that lovely cottage either Jane! :-D

Vera, I find it hard to remember what everyone has said so often forget to comment! I hope your back soon improves now you are home again. Different chairs aren't always comfy as you say and I find the back seat of some cars are bad.

Lovely photos AnnG. I remember visiting Plas Newyyd.........The Whistler! Isn't Stack Lighthouse in a stunning setting.

I got a replacement tomato plant today, also some red and some yellow Snapdragons to go with the pink ones I have. We went to look at a garden open for charity at lunchtime, but gave up as it meant a long walk down a lane and was also raining by the time we got there. It should have been good as it was over an acre and belonged to Richard Ross, who was/is something to do with Carphone Warehouse.

I had a look at the cottage Jane where they stayed and it looks a lovely place for a quiet weekend .

Vera sounds as if you've have had a busy but enjoyable weekend away ,there's nothing like your own bed so hopefully you'll sleep better tonight .

Oh Mel i hope all the chicks are there .
What i want to know is how do you take your bin down to the end of your road in the car :-S
I have an image in my head of you sitting in the car with your arm out the window holding on to the wheelie bin :-D :-D
Must have been nice to see the hog and know they are still about .

Going to have a look at the photo's on AnnG's blog now
Hope the foot and ankle is less painful now AnnG.

I just drove up our road to put the bin out and met a hog walking down the road towards me. I had to stop the car and go to the old workshop (full of rubbish) and find some kind of bucket to put it in. Found one and it had gone up the side of our goat shed and was climbing up the ivy on its wall. I popped the bucket under it and got it in so walked it down here. I have put it in the feeding ark at Prickley Bottom with food and water and it can get out when it wants too.

Vera, you have had a really busy time just lately.I am not surprised your poor back is playimg you up. It will be good though to get back to your own bed now .Hotel beds might be comfy but there is nothing like your own bed.
Don't worry about not responding to all the posts. I often feel bad when I don't but it is easy to miss so many and so difficult to scroll back and try and take in all what people have said.We may read everything but just not able to comment on everything.

Oh Mel I hope there are more than just the five chicks that you counted!!!!. It would be sad if some of them have been'got' by some predator .
James is home now . He is off again next weekend as he is going to Twickenham with Gareth and a few other friends. I can see that being a right 'Boys Do' !!!!

Chicken Kievs ,Mediterranean Veg,and Parmentier Potatoes tonight.

I don't blame you Vera. My eyes were closing just now and I slept well last night and well into this mroning. I went to wash up but there was no hot water so I turned it on and then hoovered the kitchen and diner and a bit of the hall, my little loo and a bit of the lounge which we don't use and is full of my craft gear and painting stuff.

Vera I don't really think we have to comment on all post posted. I don't always have time to do that and when I read the post they all seem the same.

I must admit to being so glad that Thomas came home. Bless him.

We saw the mum pheasent over the back just on the edge of the wooded area and the chicks ran across the grass path that is mowed and goes around that area. We only counted 5 but mum was one side of the path and she could have had some under her as it then started raining.

Must go and corn the chickens now and find something for dinner in the freezer.

Afternoon everyone

We've been away for a couple of days and have come back to so many posts that I don't think I can respond to them all.

Mel and Frank, thank you for the various photos you have emailed round. The puppies are so cute - don't you want to smuggle one back in your suitcase Frank? The pheasants seem to have reared a lot of chicks; they are really sweet. I hope they all survive OK.

I was so pleased to read that Thomas is back Jane. I don't suppose you will ever know what happened to him but I am sure that, with a bit of TLC, he will soon settle down again.

It will seem strange for you to have neighbours again Gill. It sounds as though you have a love of gardening in common. Our next door neighbour moved out on Friday morning and the new couple moved in during the afternoon. Because we went early on Saturday morning I haven't met them yet but OH saw the lady and introduced himself.

My back has been giving me a lot of problems lately, not helped by spending most of the weekend sitting on garden fuirniture or stools. We have been celebrating my dil's 50th birthday at her sister's house near Rugby. We stayed at Dunchurch but spent Saturday and Sunday at the house. It was great fun but I didn't sleep well at the hotel and am exhausted so I am now going to have an hour on the bed.