A new 'tougher' thread... and so it continues

smileyt_2

Youth hostelling - brings back fond memories! To those who are joining - go for it, you can have some fab experiences and meet some lovely people from all over the world!

Hope everyone is OK - I too had a weekend off posting although unlike Greyqueen I didn't manage to get down to my allotment.

RANT ALERT! RANT ALERT!
I've just e-mailed my vet querying a bill I paid last week, for nearly £90. This was for a consultation for each of my two dogs and the vet also stuck a needle in Tess's side to take out some cells and check for a fatty lump - you can tell by eye so all he did was stick a needle into the lump and squirt the contents onto a microscope slide and use another slide to spread them out. For this I was charged nearly £90! Around £30 each for the consultation and then £30 for the bloomin needle jobby :eek:! I have found another vet nearby and will be asking how much they charge for a consultation and will most likely switch to them, even if I do get a refund from my vet (not likely). I know it must be expensive to run a veterinary centre, what with all the equipment, wages and continual professional development I expect they are obliged to have, but I really thought they could just have charged me for the needle, syringe and microscope slides. This is the same vet that charged me £104 to have my two hens put to sleep and incinerated over the summer. They are fools, really, because if their charges were reasonable I would be having no end of critters, but because they are so expensive, I have now said 'no more'. So they have lost years and years of trade from me. And lots of rescue animals have lost a good home, because I can't afford to look after them when they're ill .
RANT OVER, RANT OVER!

On the subject of dogs eating veg - I used to think I had monster slugs until the day I caught Tessy picking tomatoes off the vine. She would bite them off, bite them open and lick all the juicy stuff out of them and spit the flesh out :rotfl:Oh, the look on her face when I caught her doing it ..... :rotfl:

On a MSE note - KTC chopped tomatoes are 30p/tin and Sea Isle chick peas are 25p/tin at Asda at the moment. Bizarrely the KTC chickpeas across the aisle are priced at 30p or 33p (can't remember which).

Mardatha - you need an early night my girl!
Gailey - I struggled to get up this morning too. It's 'Blue Monday' today, apparently, so maybe that's why.
Hope everyone who is poorly is feeling a bit better now (or even a lot better!).

I'm off to hunt in my knitting stash for a pair of circular needles. I've seen a really easy knitting pattern for a shawl on ravelry http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/rainbow-ruffle-shawl and I fancy giving it a go.

Mrs_Chip

Evening All

Sorry to hear about your cat-sitting puss Byatt, it's always sad to lose a furry friend.

Glad to see you posting again GQ, we were just about to send out the sniffer dogs, their noses fine-tuned to tomatoes and FB pies!

You must be very relieved about the job Margaret!

I thought you might like to see ataken from our garden this morning, it gives some idea of why I love to spend so much time up there, but no idea of how flippin' cold it was!
I managed to cobble together some of the stones into something resembling a wall (only low for raised beds) but I don't think I will be taking it up as a career any time soon, frustrating isn't the word!

Mrs OG gave me some strawberry plants she had going spare, so I put those in to an existing bed and did a bit of weeding, then that was me done for the day - now aching all over and feel about 90:rotfl:.

OH was scrubbing out the van while all this was going on - 'Dobbying' as he calls it, and keeping me supplied with hot tea and dripping toast, him not being much inclined to anything requiring spatial awareness.

I think we have one more day of good weather, so tomorrow will be a day of heaving rubble sacks full of leaf litter and soil up the hill to fill in the raised bed - we know how to have fun!

Hugs for all who need them, have a lovely evening everyone!

smileyt_2

Just read that Past Times and Peacocks are going into administration. More poor folks to join the dole queue

ETA Mrs Chip, what a gorgeous view!

BitterAndTwisted

I didn't know about Peacocks. I was in one of their stores this afternoon for the very first time. Bough a pair of fleece PJ bottoms for warm house-trousers for four quid. I had my eye on a leopard-skin patterned onesie but thought better of it. When it's cold I do not want to strip off completely to go for a wee.

MRS CHIP! I've been reading your previous posts and had a picture in my mind's eye from the descriptions you gave us of the view from your garden. It was much exceeded by the reality. A thousand times over. What a stupendous view! I hate you, you lucky woman

katieowl_2

BitterAndTwisted wrote: »

I didn't know about Peacocks. I was in one of their stores this afternoon for the very first time. Bough a pair of fleece PJ bottoms for warm house-trousers for four quid. I had my eye on a leopard-skin patterned onesie but thought better of it. When it's cold I do not want to strip off completely to go for a wee.

LOL or do what DD did, and find after you've had a wee, one arm of your onesie has been down the toilet :rotfl:

Kate

VJsmum

I have view envy....

Mrs_Chip

:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl: I hate to say it, but the picture does not do it justice, the last couple of day it has looked just like somewhere in the Med (but the temperture gave it away!). It's not quite as nice in the lashing Pembrokeshire rain though!

BitterAndTwisted

Oh, who cares? That view would feed the soul. High gales, lashing rain or snow. Whatever God wanted to chuck at me.

Mrs_Chip

Problem with the rain is we get it so bad you actually can't see the view... honest! But you are right, a couple of weeks ago the wind was so strong there were great waves crashing on the rocks, it was very dramatic and exhilerating. And when it is calm and like a millpond ... totally magical.

HariboJunkie

Mrs_Chip wrote: »

Problem with the rain is we get it so bad you actually can't see the view... honest! But you are right, a couple of weeks ago the wind was so strong there were great waves crashing on the rocks, it was very dramatic and exhilerating. And when it is calm and like a millpond ... totally magical.

We have a very similar view from the house here (although it's a bigger harbour and not as quaint as yours) and we can go for weeks without actually seeing much. We live at the top of a hill which is a tourist mecca for the view and I feel so sorry for the those who come in the rain and mist and can't see past the end of their nose, and who must look in bewilderment at the sign which names all the islands they should be able to see.

Great news about the job Margaret. :beer:
Still sloggong on here with my work and spring cleaning the house. Feel like I'm getting there but having to wade through treacle to do it.