It was getting tough in 2006 and the workhouse still threatens us in 2011

silvasava

Hi All - sorry to hear about the rain & flood warnings for 'up north' - sunny here today but STILL the blackberries arn't ready! My 2 Cucumber plants are now keeping 3 households supplied but the toms are all still green.
DH finished decorating the sitting room (little star!) & decided it made the hall look shabby so he's started on that (I did want him too but thought I'd wait & let him do it when he felt like it!) He decided that the banister would be better white instead of the 3/4 coats of wood effect Ronseal. After trying to sand it I decided maybe my old hairdryer with the diffuser on would work as a heat gun - did it brilliantly - how MS is that! Its still a slog but there's only a small bit left to do that I'll tackle in the morning.
Just hope things calm down tonight in the cities (maybe the rain might put a damper on things - pun not intended) It must be terrifying & I can understand why some areas are tempted to have 'vigilante' squads to protect their homes & businesses. Saw on TV last night about the department store in Croydon that was totally gutted - it had been in the owners family for 3 generations - so sad.
We've a lovely country & I know people on this thread & many others appreciate the good things we do have

Stay safe everyone

cat_smith

mardatha wrote: »

What I really really need is some wellies for the hens. They're moaning about the nail varnish on their toes coming off.

Tee hee hee. Just spat out my mouthful of water over the laptop. Thanks. Don't think Oz would look good in nail varnish. He has a very inflated sense of his own importance and style.

charlies-aunt

Can you eat wild plums?? - down at the stables there is approx half a mile of road bordered by dozens of wild plums - they taste like plums but the bushes of many different colours from dark red to bright pink to yellow. . . must do some picking this weekend

I have run my store cupboards down over summer but it will soon be time to start getting stocked up for winter... times are tough & money is tight and its a challenge to manage week by week so getting a little extra to squirrel away is going to be a challenge . . . but it adds an extra dimesion to the shopping - I'm very sad but it gives me a lot of personal satisfaction if I can get everything on my list and still have a few quid left

No word from the garage on the car - so fingers crossed for a cheap repair!

silvasava

charlies-aunt wrote: »

Can you eat wild plums?? - down at the stables there is approx half a mile of road bordered by dozens of wild plums - they taste like plums but the bushes of many different colours from dark red to bright pink to yellow. . . must do some picking this weekend

Yes you can! Sounds as if you have some Mirabelles, round and orangy red about the size of a cherry tomato. Damsons are small & very blue/black & there might be a Victoria there too - larger, plum shaped & red/yellow. The plums will make good jam/crubles etc & the damson jam is really good - nice & 'tart'

Good Luck!

suzybloo

Mardatha, can you not dry the leeks and store them in jars for the winter? Wash them and dry thoroughly, then slice them finely and put on trays, dry in very low oven, move them around sothey dry evenly, then let them cool and put in jars(I use old coffee jars with tight fitting lids)

toottifrootti

its a pity that London etc hasnt had the rain that we have had in Scotland - it would have dampened their spirits a bit - I think I am developing webbed feet!
I am in the amber alert area too and only a few hundred metres from a very large deep river that often floods - fortunately there is now a flood bank so that should make all the difference.

greent hope the rioting doesnt carry on where you are. stay safe.

and I am another that is horrified at the Ceridwens suggestion of spraying berries - yes you may be aiming to catch the theives but that could include their children who might not cope with overdoses of even laxatives

scottishminnie its appalling what people will do - I have friends with farms etc and they have the same problems as you - people have no respect for the property of others - you have my sympathies as like you say you may be inviting all sorts of retribution when you try to stop them.

Cat you better be careful when you go out with Oz if the burn is flooding

we foraged a lot up north when i was a youngster and took what we could within out time frame and abilitity- never heard of a foragers code either - we never damaged anything because you wanted it to grow again next year - quite often we werent lucky because someone had beat us to it - fair play to them I say.

I have no garden and unfit to grow veg anyway so I wondered - do you think it would be cheaper to buy fresh veg just now in the shops as its quite cheap and blanche and freeze it or am I just as cheap to buy frozen stuff??
forgive the daft question!!!

oh BTW I have 2 tiny cherry toms on my only plant:D need sun to ripen them now!!

toots xx

HariboJunkie

toottifrootti wrote: »

I have no garden and unfit to grow veg anyway so I wondered - do you think it would be cheaper to buy fresh veg just now in the shops as its quite cheap and blanche and freeze it or am I just as cheap to buy frozen stuff??

I was in Farmfoods today and their frozen veg is £1 for a big bag. They have a great selection too and I have always been delighted with the quality so I'd opt for that at is it will save you time and effort and leave you more time for flying or flinging or whatever it is that you lot do on that other thread. :D

Drowning in rain here too but luckily up a very big hill. Unfortunately my garden backs onto a cliff so it's like a waterfall out there just now.

Here's hoping tonight is quieter for everyone affected by the riots and our fab emergency services get a well earned break.

toottifrootti

thanks Haribo that was what I was thinking and I have a farmfoods reasonably close. Are you east or west coast?

littlecal

HariboJunkie wrote: »

I was in Farmfoods today and their frozen veg is £1 for a big bag. They have a great selection too and I have always been delighted with the quality so I'd opt for that at is it will save you time and effort and leave you more time for flying or flinging or whatever it is that you lot do on that other thread. :D

Drowning in rain here too but luckily up a very big hill. Unfortunately my garden backs onto a cliff so it's like a waterfall out there just now.

Here's hoping tonight is quieter for everyone affected by the riots and our fab emergency services get a well earned break.

I'm on a main road and right opposite a fire station,for the last couple of nights we've had police cars and vans flying in both directions and the poor fire fighters have been in and out like fiddler's elbows! It felt really strange in B'ham city centre today - almost hushed.

On an OS note,I am trying to add one or two tins/packets to each shopping trip,as I have finally moved into my flat - whoo hoo! - and need to build up an emergency winter back up

Take care all.x

[Deleted User]

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