General Chat

I think you started something with your query Annx and AnnG made me think a bit more. I knew you could make a call in an emergency without having to put in a password but thought I'd better do some checking. I have fingerprint recognition on my iphone. I used the wrong finger to try to open it so that it would ask me for a password. I then pressed on emergency and it came up with a keypad for me to make a call but no ICE number, so all anyone else could have done was dial 999. I investigated further by going into ICE in my contacts where I had OH's mobile and our home number. I put them in several years ago and whether I got distracted part way through or whether I just didn't realise I hadn't completed the process but I hadn't marked up which one was to show as an emergency number so neither was showing. I've updated it now and anyone pressing that emergency button will also come up with OH's mobile number.

So thank you Annx. Your question has helped AnnG and me to update our systems.

If the phone goes to request password the word emergency is on the bottom of the screen pressing that takes you to the emergency contacts. So thanks for asking as I had not changed from having Tony as contact. Changed it now . Mine is an Iphone

I have facial recognition on my IPhone. I don’t know the answer re the photo. I would think it was not possible. I do know if there is the slightest doubt mine goes to a password request. I am a. OST sure that emergency services can retrieve your ICA numbers bypassing and passirds.

We used to see bullfinches at our old house and they are so attractive but I haven’t seen any in this area and we’ve lived here nearly 12 years.

I hope you are all enjoying your day and the weather is good for you. It hasn’t been nearly as bad here as the forecast made it sound. It rained heavily overnight and early this morning but by the time we went out at 9.30 it was just light rain. Shortly after we arrived at the clinic it stopped, so when OH was called in I went for a walk. It was quite warm and very humid but I wandered about. It’s not really an area for walking but the main road I went down was quite pleasant, lined with trees and wide grass verges. I don’t know the area so it was interesting being all new to me. I stayed out about an hour and then went back to the clinic. I got myself a cup of tea from their machine and watched an episode of Dragons Den while I waited for OH. The television is on all the time in the waiting room but the sound is off and subtitles turned on so it’s not obtrusive and you can hear your name called. OH was nearly 2 hours this time. We got back a few minutes after 1 pm. All seems to be well, though OH said his eye is much more sore than the other one was. He has to contact his optician in 4-6 weeks to see about new glasses. He will almost certainly need reading ones.

I am very tired and “heady” at the moment but I think that’s because it’s so humid. It always feels as though the sky is weighing down on my head when it’s like this. I think OH is having a doze so I might have a quiet few minutes on the bed with my book.

EDIT Sorry Annx. I missed you there. That’s an interesting point about facial or fingerprint recognition. I don’t know the answer but I wouldn’t think you could get in by using a photo. Another point to think about: if you have fingerprint or password protection how could anyone else get into your phone to find your ICE numbers if, say, you are involved in an accident?

I remember being a bit twitchy about getting windows 11, but never had any problems with it so I hope your PC will be ok for your BIL to download it Mel.

Vera I'm not very good with IT and OH is the same so it's often trial and error. We used word and customised softwear for our jobs in the mid 90s, but there were IT specialists to sort any problems. When I first had this PC I couldn't even find where to switch it off!! As is usual these days, actions are hidden in layers of menus and we don't have an instruction book nowadays. It's the same with my mobile as I'm sure it can do clever things that I have no idea about. Now that thought has led to something that others may know and can tell me. If you use facial recognition or fingerprint recognition on a PC or mobile, if someone took a photo of your face or finger and flipped the photo horizontally, would your phone or PC let them unlock your PC or phone using the photos held to the screen?? I imagine it shouldn't be able to but could it?

OH had his physio session this morning and is watching sport on tv now the footie season has ended. We went in his car to the shop and it seems as if they may have fixed the aircon after all as we tested it and it was certainly better.

My car window has dropped about a quarter of an inch at the moment, so not too noticeable yet. If it rains I could tape the gap over, but don't want to draw attention to there being something wrong with it.

We had a bit of rain in the night and I pulled a few more weeds up this morning. I need to spend a bit longer out there though or they will still overtake me.

Those Bullfinches are so pretty AnnG and I haven't seen one for years. We just have the Magpies to watch and the parents are looking quite thin and bedraggled now with providing for their brood.

I hope you didn't have too long a wait for your OH Vera and that you are settled back at home now.

It will be 3 days before anything gets fitted Mandy as the walls may need some plaster after the tiles are fetched off and the floor has to be screeded and left a couple of days before things are fitted on top of it. Our rooms aren't big but the lounge has a dining area so we can push the furniture around to make a good space. The furniture's easy to move on the hard floors as I put felt pads on the legs of things.

Only trip out today was to Lidl. It is a very blustery day, not too cold but damp and drizzly so a stay in reading day. Could be more of those days to come.

Just come in from the garden and I was sweeping up the moss off the road down to my shed and getting on so well dumped one barrow load still filling the other barrow and the big trailer with weeds and brimbles but I was getting on so well and now its started to rain. Iv'e come in and am going to get something to eat and see if it stops.

I get the bullfinches in the orchard Anng and the males are really colourful and bright. I'm always careful with my fires oh always said don't leave it burning on its own stay with it till it dies down which is what I did.

Daughter has a plum tree outside the door I got area window here. I have just seen a pair of besutiful bullfinches. The male in particular was stunning, so bright. Too quick to photograph though.

Daughter has a plum tree outside the door I got area window here. I have just seen a pair of besutiful bullfinches. The male in particular was stunning, so bright. Too quick to photograph though.

Morning Mandy and all,

We had some rain over night too and Iv'e not been ot yet to look in the wheelbarrow or the garden soak tray I put on the road from the strawberry barrow.

Mandy those trees have been singed many times before as oh used to have bonfires round there a lot. Theres all nettles round there too as BIL dos'nt cut back into the wood like oh did.

Hope the op goes ok today we'll be thinking of you and oh today. Hopefully it won't take too long and you can soon take oh home.

Hope you all slept well or had enough hours to keep you going.

Right my coffee is calling. See you later.

Mandy well done Jake, he must be so pleased to have got that out of the way.
Hope your knee is better now.

Vera hope all goes well with OH’s second cataract op. And the drive there and back.
The mouse ears were all I. Pots an most of the pots were in a wall contraption behind a sort of metal grid so well protected from slugs. As it is a RHS garden I expect those plants were not cheap.
Although RHS it is all run by volunteers. There is one main and I imagine skilled, trained volunteer lady, she has a team under her who each have teams under the . There are male and female volunteers even for electrical work.

Ann I hope the window parts don’t take too long as it is obviously a security problem. Besides letting in water.

Mel do be careful with bonfires when the surrounds are so dry. Think how far it could spread. Bonfires worry me at the best of times from a safety point of view. Also hate the smell of other peoples’ bonfires although they seem to have more or less stopped in our area now.

Morning all,

Wet here this morning, not sure how much we've had overnight there is a few puddles about but when Max came in he was dry so it's stopped now .

Ann I hope your car window isn't open to far so the rain gets in I wonder how long the part is going to take ,just your luck it has started to drop again as we get the rain .
Sounds as if its going to be fun and games when your work starts with the storage of the boards in the lounge hopefully they can get them moved fairly quickly so your not in to much of a muddle .

Mel I would be worried about having a bonfire with the ground a bit dry sounds as if you singed the poor old tree .

Hope its not to wet for your drive to take OH this morning Vera .

Sounds as if you had a nice day out Anng with sunshine, I must have a look and see what ths Hosta is like ,I like my Hostas .

It will be inside jobs today I think unless it gets out later but its not very warm at the moment.

Tell me abot it Annx I have had trouble with mine and the pc is still not right but BIL is coming on Suday I think to see if he can download windows 11 for me but we don't know if my pc is too old to take it. If it is he may set up oh's new pc in here for me but it has such a great big box its going to take up a whole bit more of my desk.

Sounds like you're getting moving with the stuff thats being delivered I take it its for the new onsuit.

Well I had another bonfire outside the wall down by the little wood so I have got rid of a lot of the stuff I have been cutting down. I had to stay there as it was quite fearce at the start. Its caught the ash tree that was growing over it but that could do with that brach off anyway.

Right what am I going to have to eat?????????

Well, I hope the garage can get that car window fixed pdq Annx. You want to know it is securely shut when you have to leave the car. Isn't it difficult getting the different trades dovetailing when you are having building work done but it sounds as though you have a helpful fitter. I am very impressed with your skill at fixing computer faults. I'll have a quick go but if I can't fix something immediately I yell for OH or if he's not around I'd phone daughter who seems able to tackle just about anything.

Those gardens sound nice AnnG. I have got some Blue Mouse Ears hostas. At one time I was going to have a couple of troughs down the side of the house full of mini hostas so I bought several different ones but most weren't very successful. Some still come through every spring but get eaten by slugs and snails as soon as their leaves open. On the other hand, the Mouse Ears have done quite well and seem to be fairly slug resistant.

Mandy, I think the actual cataract op only takes about 20 minutes but the patient is there longer than that. Last time I was with my neighbours and we were told OH would be about an hour and a half so I assume it will be the same this time. I'll have to hang around as it's too far to go home and then pop back (about 20 miles each way) but it's a pleasant waiting room with a very good, free coffee machine and I'll take my book. With luck we'll be home by about 1 pm

Well done to Jake Mandy. I bet he was chuffed and enjoyed teasing your son about his result! Sorry to hear you hurt your knee and I hope it's getting better now. I see it was a stroke your sister had, but I hope she gets back to her old self before long with the treatment.

It's a shame your tradesman hasn't shown up Vera, but you don't want him turning up while he's ill. That's quick your OH is getting his second cataract done tomorrow. I hope it all goes well again, then he will be able to sort some new glasses in a few weeks.

I'm glad you had a not too bad journey AnnG and are enjoying the scenery, which must look great this time of year with all the fresh greenery. The garden you visited sounded nice too and I must look up that small Hosta. Mine haven't been bothered by slugs or snails yet either. They are probably waiting for some rain!

That's annoying when you are nearly at the end of a job and just can't get to finish it Mel. I like a cheese and coleslaw sandwich too! :-)

My car window has started to creep down again, so OH isn't coming with me in the car now so the passenger door doesn't have to be being shut which may make it worse. I must ask them after the Bank Holiday when the part from France is likely to arrive. I don't fancy it raining in if we get a storm or it being obviously not shut with it not being garaged at night. His car has been serviced and MOT'd today and they'd made a mess of the booking with several mechanics being off today, so they haven't managed to look at the aircon that isn't working on the passenger side yet.

I've been busy making phone calls to the electrician to arrange fitting a new fan in the ensuite and to liaise with the fitter. I had to sort the delivery of the the goods as the bathroom people stipulate a kerbside drop, but then said they would put things in a garage. Then at the last minute I learned the long wall boards have to be laid flat, so that will take up all the space that's available in the one clear side of the garage. Luckily the fitter has stepped in and said he will cover the lounge floor with protective sheeting he has and help the driver put things in the lounge if needs be. I might be able to make a little space the other side of the garage, but all those footie programmes are stacked higher than me along with other stuff that was MIL's and our bikes and other stuff. OH's back and neck are too bad for him to even carry a small bag of shopping now so he can't move things and not that we've anywhere else to put it just now anyway!

The trouble with my PC was that the mouse cursor disappeared so I couldn't even close the PC down. I tried several new batteries that didn't make any difference, but I thought it might be that they were all old! Then I spent ages going through two cupboards till I found another mouse, put batteries in that but still no joy. I then thought it must be the little USB thingy that connects the mouse wirelessly, but decided to switch everything off with the off switch first and start the PC up again......it worked, so the screen must just have frozen. The time you waste on these IT things though!!

It was a lovely bright sunny day and we enjoyed our visit to Holehird gardens. The alliums were looking good as were the hostas which showed very little of slug or snail problems. They have examples of Pots of very tiny hostas called I think, mouse ear hostas. They also have the National collection of Astilbes and must have close on. Thousand. They don’t flower until June so we were too early for them but T and I did see them in flower once before. We then went to a garden centre in Am leside. It was one of the few independents but has been sold to The British Garden Crntre company.. such a shame. But probably the owners are too old to carry on trading now.
As it was sunny the views of the hills and mountains like Wetherlam, Old man Coniston and even Great Gable in the distance behind the beautiful Langdales were very clear. And the journey home past Windermere (the lake,) DoveCottage in Grasmere and Grasmere (the lake).itself were beautiful. I did note that small streams we passed that were usually bubbling away we’re completely dry.

Hope all goes well with the op on oh tomorrow Vera, we'll all be thinking about him.

I hav'nt even thought of dinner for tonight so I shall have to dive down the freezer and see whats there.

Clouded over a bit here now and I must go and corn the chickens as I had'nt realised what the time is.

They like winding each other up but I think son wondered if he had passed this time .

Maybe the Strimmer was saying thats enough for today Mel to much and you'll suffer the effects tomorrow.

Vera hope all goes well tomorrow for OH's next cataract op ,they told Colin it only takes about twenty minutes for the op ,I was quite surprised so will you wait for him or pop back later to pick him up
Yes tomorrow should be a rainy day so I hope your drive there is OK.
We had sausages tonight with new potatoes,carrots,peas and cauliflower and we were going to have gravy but I did a cheese sauce instead .

There’s been a few gleams of sun this afternoon but not much, it’s mostly cloudy. It has got to 16 degrees but there’s a cool wind making it feel colder. I washed a duvet cover that I changed a few days ago and that blew dry. I also had a good dust and hoover upstairs. Our workman didn’t arrive. I had forgotten it’s a holiday weekend so I suppose it will be at least Tuesday before we see him. A gardener we had approached did pop round to look at a crab apple and a hawthorn tree in the garden. We want a bit taken out of the top of each of them and have them reshaped a bit. They are getting a bit big now and it’s only a small garden. He’s going to do them sometime in the next couple of weeks. I bet the handyman and the gardener will be here at the same time. I hope they don’t get in each other’s way.

Well done Jake. There will be no stopping him now. I bet he enjoyed winding his Dad up. It made me smile. I’m glad your sister is getting some treatment Mandy and seems to be getting on well.

How are you now Gwyn? Illnesses like that can leave you feeling quite debilitated so make sure you take things easy for a while yet.

I’m relieved you and OH are OK Annx.

Tomorrow OH is having his second cataract done so I shall have to drive him. The weather is forecast to be awful - lots of heavy rain. I won’t much enjoy driving through that and hope there is no flooding on the roads.

I feel like a coffee now so I’m off to put the kettle on. By the time we’ve had our coffee it’ll be time to start getting dinner ready. Tonight it’s sausage and mash with onion gravy and some green veg.

That was a bit wicked Mandy but I bet he was delighted. Well done Jake.

Strimmer line ran out just as I was trying to finish the side of the orchard where BIL dos'nt mow and the weeds were creeping out onto the lawn. There is a cement wall along the side of the orchard where they used to plant things against the east hedge.

Anyway come in now to cool off and get us both something to eat, cheese sandwich with a bit of coleslaw in it. some grapes and pineapple and tomatoes. Followed by a nice cold orange juice.