General Chat

good morning all, sunshine again, I am not sure if we had any rain over night. I will check later when I see if it is any easier to get the weeds out that I couldn't shift because it was roo rock solid. 5 degrees out there so not cold and no frost. A few outstanding gardening jobs to do today , a bit of washing and I must clean the inside of the front windows which look really bad first thing when the sun is on them.

Hope you can get some shuteye tonight Vera and feel better .
With the Geraniums I just dug them out of the pots shook the soil off and clumped them all together in a washing up bowl and a tub ,never watered them at all over the winter ,they had a dribble of water about three weeks ago once I saw they had green shoots and leaves ,it just seems to work OK.

We've had a couple very light showers not enough to really wet the ground and tomorrow shouldn't be a bad day we should see a little sun .

Hope Gill is OK she's gone quiet again .

Sorry about pinching your sleep Vera!! I hope you get some good shuteye tonight.

I hav'nt done much today at all. I did do a little varnishing this morning berfore BIL cam. I think I told you he sheared of a bolt on his new mower and he took that shaft off today to take in to work to remove the rest of the bolt. I don't know what he will do when he retires as he won't be able to get htis sort of things done then.

I watched my Living The Skye Life on youtube at 6pm and Sarah did the most wonderful painting of an otter and she said it took her 25 hours in all. I do wish our Annx would watch it as he paintings are so very good and detailed like Ann like to do. Its wonderful to see how she builds up the picture from the very start with a light pencil scetch. They are having a rest so thier next video is the 4th May so I am really going to miss my Sunday night 6pm fix of this lovely young couple and their two dogs.

It sounds as though you have had a successful weekend with the boys AnnG. It’s always lovely to see family.

You did well with your geraniums Mandy. The ones I put in pots in the little plastic greenhouse didn’t survive the winter but the ones in troughs that I put in the conservatory are OK and most of the cuttings I took have done well.

I know what you mean Annx about the problem of fitting in holidays around all the various medical appointments. I am very keen to have a break but we have several appointments between us and getting anywhere now is difficult. Neither of us wants to drive far these days and to get anywhere much by train often means getting down to London first. We may be holidaying in sunny Suffolk from now on.

Did you manage to get that tick out Mel or will you have to go to the surgery tomorrow? Like Annx I’d have wanted it removed PDQ. You did sleep well. You’ve been using energy in the garden and getting lots of fresh air which is probably helping you sleep.

I haven’t slept much recently and not felt very good for a couple of days, probably due to lack of shuteye. I blame Mel, I think she’s got my share of sleep as well as her own ;-). I haven’t done anything in the garden for a couple of days and some of those creeping weeds are taking over. I keep looking at them but haven’t had the energy to do anything about them.

It’s raining at the moment but I don’t think it’s going to amount to much, not enough to do the garden any good.

Sleep well tonight everyone and, with luck, we’ll all be full of beans tomorrow.

They left here at 1.45 so should be about home now.It was lovely to see them and the boys were so good, didn't hear a peep out of them, just came for food then went back and were on their Ipads in their room together. No squabbling at all.

It is raining now, nice steady gentle rain and it smells lovely outside. 13 degrees.

They have gone home now Ann, should take 2 hours but was longer coming up on Saturday so who knows. Lovely to see them, the boys are just nine and three months off twelve.

If you are going to open gardens it might be worth buying the Gardeners World magazine for May, I know it is not cheap but it has a two for one on gardens book in it. I have used the two for one before in previous years. I have not got it yet this year but hope to soon.

Afternoon all,

We've had sun most of the morning but it's clouded over a bit now and its definitely cooler today , I have got three loads of washing dry so that was good .

Reporting the Geraniums lol its this blooming ipad putting reporting instead of repotting, I was pleased I got them all done and although they look a bit puny they looked like that last year but I had some lovely flowers on them so fingers crossed for good flowers again .

Mel you must have needed the sleep , I wonder how many babies Robbie has .

Ann yes I suppose a few days out will suit you better while there's all the appointments to fit in ,just sitting in the car with a nice picnic people watching can be relaxing .
I thought that sheepskin wouldn't be very practical on a chair perhaps it's only for show and they won't let anyone sit on it .
I wonder what the bedrooms are going to be like .

Angg I hope you've had a nice weekend with the family ,are you going away to your daughters for easter .

We're having a salad tonight with jacket potatoes, Nice and easy after our busy week in the garden ,I'll cook the chicken tomorrow .

Just watching the boat race ,mens race now going to start after a bit of a todo in the women's race they had to do a restart after clashing oars

Afternoon All,

Dull here at first and cooler as they said it would be. It's rained just a sprinkle but not enough to do any good yet. Now the sun is shining, but I decided to rest more today or rather my knees said to have a rest after yesterday's jobs. I'm having a coffee and sit for a bit.

I don't think we can fit in going away yet Mandy as OH has all these appointments for rehab, physio, dentist and to see the hospital consultant and a liver scan. We thought about seeing a few Open Gardens or NT places with gardens and perhaps go on the boat to see the Ospreys at Rutland water again, things like that. :-) Yes I agree with you about the Chapel room colours and the blue seems very dark. When I saw the woodburner I though that will never heat that room, then remembered they had underfloor heating too. I wasn't sure about the sheepskin nailed on the chairs and thought it would soon get dirty and squash down looking matted. It may be just me though, as a friend years ago had a sheepskin rug and it got full of fleas from the cat! I wonder what colours they will use elsewhere! Like you I expected their taste to be adventurous, but it's more extreme than I expected.

How old are the boys AnnG? It's nice that they have been good during their stay with you as well. Next it will be getting your house straight again after they have gone.

Mel you were up later than me today and I had a lie in. It's lovely Robbie has some babies now. What happened with the Wren in the shed? We have what I think is a Magpie nest in the Blackthorn tree over the back fence. The man who cut all the brambles and hedge growing over our fence thinned it out where it was hanging over and now the bigger birds can get into it. I've seen a Magpie near it, but it may have been up to no good.

BIL has arrived to put the old mower battery on and I am sitting here not dressed, well I was feeding Robby he took away 8 worms so definately has babies. :-D

Today was good Friday 13th back in 1979 the day and year my dear dad died

Morning girls,

I was up at 8.23am for the first visit to the loo and thought as it was a bit chilly I would have a little lie in, Disaster woke again exactley three hours later at 11.23am. I must remember to stay up and then I will have more daytime.

Good they had a nice stay Anng but you will miss them when they leave today, the house will see all very quiet.

Quite a bright morning here with some sunshine and clouds and its 11 degrees and p says mostly sunny so maybe another day in the garden after my rest yesterday. What do you think?

Good morning all. All quiet here at the moment but I think the boys are awake so I have stayed in my room on my iPad. So far they have been really good just playing together in the gatden or on their iPads I. Their room. Eldest came down yesterday and watched Shrek111. They go home today.
El I bet Mandy is re-reading her posts now looking for that.

I wanted to get rid of some of the old apple tree brash that Ade put over the side of the orchard and it had just started to rain and with it being so dry for weeks I thought I would give it a go. It did burn some up which I am pleased about but there's still a great mountain of it to get rid of.

Not done much else today just slobbed about.

Mandy you clever girl saving all those 14 gerainiums. What did you report them for???

I'm glad your better now Ann and its good you can go back if needs be ,you've both been through so much these last couple of months ,have you thought about having a few days away for a nice rest .

Yes I've watched the Chapel programme, my goodness the colours they pick ,that bright red and then that blue ,not my choice but you just knew they wouldn't pick pale colours when you see what they both wear especially her she has some bright clothes lol
I said to Colin its going to cost something to heat that place with those high ceilings.

Right I'm off to have a nice shower and then an early night we're both tired out we've got quite a few jobs done this week .

I was slow posting Mandy so missed you!

Well haven't you done well saving all those geraniums through the winter! You are going to have a lovely show of flowers with all of those. Your beans up already too with this warm weather. The surgery has discharged me now I am much better, but it's nice to know the lady will see me without having to go through the doctor if I need to see her again. Have you been watching the Chapel prog yet? I'm really enjoying it as they are such a cheerful couple. Having renovated one old house, I wouldn't want to take on what they are doing though. It's going to take some heating there isn't it!

Evening All,

Another nice day after a cool start. We both did a bit in the garden this morning, OH some waist high cutting back of the Bottle Bush and Ceanothus. I think the Ceanothus, which I really like, as it is the very dark bkue one with almost black leaves, will have to go too as it is old now and is where the garden will be changed. I managed to get both clumps of the remaining nasty weed out, but my back didn't like it. I dug some more weeds out of the gravel and once the bigger weeds are out I will weedkill it. I also dug out some of the thug weed, yellow creeping clover out too that came from next door. I need to keep on top of that one as it soon spreads. I saw in the greenhouse that my marigold seeds have started to push through so must make sure they don't dry out.

I popped to the shop and brought The Times back for OH. It was £4 for the Saturday one. Prices sure are climbing! OH went to a local match and I secided to sort a top shelf of one of the narrow built in wardrobes. I could only just get the bags down but I found some nice cool summer tops I can almost get into now, but still sorted half a big bag for the charity shop, so that was good.

OH had his appointment come to see the NHS rheumatologist in 3 weeks, so was pleased he doesn't have to wait too long.

Mel I would want to remove a tick PDQ in case of lyme disease! I wouldn't have thought to go to the surgery, but I know you have to be sure to remove it completely. It sounds like you are having a tidy up of your borders too.

I expect everyone is either gardening or enjoying the weather AnnG. It feels cooler here now but we've had no rain yet. I expect we will tomorrow though. Someone was putting new fence posts in the field at the back of us today, so it looks like cattle or sheep will be in there soon.

Must finish the food order for tomorrow next and an early night for me with a bit of tv. I've been watching Bradltey Walsh's prog series visiting Egypt and the pyramids and valley of kings. It's really fascinating and the most interesting I've watched about the area.

Evening all,

It's been another beautiful day and we've had two good days in the garden ,Colin has had a lot of wood to cut up that son dropped off this week and I've reported all my Geraniums that had wintered in ths shed , there was three that didn't make it but I potted up fourteen so pleased about that , also got the cosmos seed in a tray .
The runners we planted in the cardboard tubes are just beginning to shoot ,it was only the beginning of the week we potted then up.

Ann thats very naughty the doctors worrying OH when there was no need ,I hope the excercises he has to do will help his pain .
Hope you got on ok at the doctors too.

Anng I expect your family are there now so have a lovely weekend with grandson and the boys .

Oh gosh Mel hope you can get that tic out ,you need some long gloves on when your out in the grass ,have you checked your legs.

Vera you made a good start with your spring cleaning in the conservatory the rest you'll have to do a little at a time ,it's hard when the days are good and the garden calls to get stuff done inside.
Colin said the other day oh that television stand is dusty on the top and I said well I like to leave it until the dust is thick then I can see where I've been when I dust lol :-D it wasn't that bad .

It was lovely sitting out this afternoon having our cuppa and I made sure I put some su cream on .

Confused Mel you said it was raining so you lit the bonfire. Doesn’ it go out in the rain.

Where is everyone?

Went up the shop for bits and paper and when I came back it started to rain quite a steady bit. Still raining now so I lit the bonfire when I got back as I had all that wood off the old apple tree which was quite dry. I have burnt up a lot of it but just come in for my pasty.

Can you not remove it yourself Mel? It does tell you how if you google it. Not sure it is a good idea to leave it for two days.