make do and mend for tougher times

GreyQueen

lisakay wrote: »

just a quick one before i go out. i was just putting the washing on the line and a beautiful giant green dragon fly landed on a white tshirt. i've not seen anything quite so pretty (apart from my girls) in a long time. i've never seen one like that, it was huge(probably 4") and iridescent and sparkly.

I always used to think they preferred to be near water?? used to see a few by the lake on the water park. never near me before.

i feel all happy now:D

Lisakay, I think you may have seen a Southern Hawker. They hunt well away from water and the females are green and the males blue (both are iridescent). They're known to be inquisitive and to invesigate people. Try Googling it.

lisakay_2

That was it GQ!! thanks such pretty colours.

she's travelled a fair way then. think it's 6 miles or so from the lake, although the canal is a bit closer.

Mrs_Chip

Ooh dragonflies are lovely, amazing colours and such strong fliers. We used to get them in our garden in SE London - so they do get about!
We do get them here too, but not seen many this year.

Mar - glad to hear RV is on LCarb diet - you will remember I am an advocate for LC for diabetics, good to hear that the NHS are coming round to accepting that LC helps to reduce blood sugar levels. My brother's diabetes started to go out of control recently, the Doc just upped his meds. I gave him my LC info and he has got his BS down to 4.1 - without the extra meds. D Nurse is happy with him, and he has lost a lot of weight. Hope it goes well for RV - kale is perfect for a LC diet!

GreyQueen

I spotted one in the back yard of my old place, perched on the basket thingy covering the outlet of the combi boiler of all things.

Got a real good look at him; absolutely huge and so beautiful. A few weeks later I happened to be on a nature reserve with a pal and they had an info board including these things, which is how I know about them.

From memory, they only fly for a very few weeks on the cusp of Aug/Sept so it's a real privilege to have seen one. We were half a mile from the nearest body of water (the river) then but they can inhabit back garden ponds, so she may have come from one of those.

ginnyknit

I used to use a hand cranked machine when my washing machine kept breaking down years ago. They are really hard work and dont do really mucky kids stuff. they work well on bedding though. The secret (I found) is in the rinsing - lots and lots of it. I used to fill it with the chothing and how water/soap powder give it a really good spin till my arm wouldnt do any more then leave it to sit, everytime I passed it I would give it a bit more spinning then repeat the process with cold water a good few times.

I couldn't use one now as my arthiritis is mainly in my neck and shoulders but they are ok for emergencies and caravans. Of course everything comes out sodden as they dont have an extractor so you would have lots of drippy washing hanging about.
Hope this helps x

Quiet day again, I could get used to this. We didnt have DGs this weekend as we are trying to vary his routine due to his autism, so that if OH is in hospital or some such thing he will understand he doesnt go to Manma's and grandads EVERY weekend.

So its pottering a plenty today, OH is going to a cricket final again to present the awards so tea may well be a pork based dish :rotfl: befoe I slice and freeze the rest. determined to have a NSD and save my cash for something worthwhile like craft stuff:o

betony

MrsLurcherwalker wrote: »

BETONY -1 whole plum and 1 whole cherry I hope you'll make the best OS use of those two!!!!!!!!! Hasn't it been dire for foraging this year? The only thing that has done reasonably well down here in the deep south is wild blackberries, but there are still only about a quarter of the amount we would normally expect. Enjoy the fruits of your foraging and I hope you take revenge on the nettles by eating some of them too - that'll show 'em!!! Cheers Lyn x.

Don't worry, they joined their little friends in the freezer

I agree about the lack of decent crops of fruit this year, the blackberries are late and only ripening a few at a time, still loads of green ones hanging on. We could do with a couple of weeks of warm sun, with rain at night, to help them along.

Thinking about it, though, maybe they're only late relatively speaking, because when I were a nipper the October halfterm holiday used be called the 'blackberry holidays' in our area. The seasons are well and truly b*ggered, aren't they? :rotfl:

valk_scot

Lovely day here, early autumn but still warm enough not to need long sleeves while working outside. I'm going up the allotment to dig out a few more plants to bring back to the garden, write the definative list of what equipment I absolutely must remember to bring away before I turn in my keys (am giving up the allotment at the end of October for health reasons) and see if I've got any autumn rasps yet. There is a very promising bramble in the hedge alongside the plot as well, no-one goes round to that side but me as it's on my path and there must be five pounds of fruit at least there, still green but promising. I must clear out some freezer space. And I must make a point of just sitting down for a while to enjoy the peace and quiet. I will miss the allotment.

Have a big chicken to roast this afternoon for dinner, 50p out the YS section three weeks ago and straight home to the freezer. I got three actually but divvied up the other two into wings, legs, breasts, diced bits and made concentrated stock from the carcasses to freeze. Portions are useful for mid week but I like a roast chook for Sundays and it means that the menu is set for Monday (leftovers) and Tuesday (stir fry) and Wednesday (soup and pud) as well, lol. I hate having to think up meals! We'll have potatoes, green beans and carrots from the allotment to go with it, Yorkies from the freezer and allotment rasps and ice cream for pud. Have I mentioned I'll miss the allotment?

I'll do some more garden organising when I get home. Now that the climbing frame is finally down I need to plan where the new greenhouse is going. It's only one of these plastic ones atm, I bought it for £10 in the sales a few years ago and haven't used it yet. If it works for a year and the location is suitable I'll replace it with a permenant one. I'd like a Keder House but they cost an arm and a leg, eek. Glass is out of the question though in case I go head first through it. OH is moaning in general about the expense of all the garden plans but if our relatively small garden is all I've got to play with growing-wise he can bloomin' well lump it. He spends enough on beer after all.

Having a grumpy day.....

mardatha

I have never seen a sloe or a damson in my life. Nothing like that grows here, just rowan berries
If a 4" long insect lands on me cos it wants to investigate me, it would end up in orbit along with what it landed on!

fuddle

Are Rowan berries edible. When I was up near Dunoon Mar the trees were laden with them FIL said it was a sign of a bad winter to come.

mardatha

I think people on here told me things you can do with them but they weren sweet, they're savoury so I not interested