Preparing for Winter V

Floss

Si_Clist said:

Another thing worth thinking about if you're in "getting it all sorted out" mode is maybe arranging to leave your mortal remains to medical science.  We're both registered body donors and as far as we're concerned it's a win-win situation - the NHS gets a couple of desperately-needed corpses to do with, and whichever one of us survives longest is spared both the cost and the fuss of disposal

This gives more info on how to donate to medical science:
https://www.funeralguide.co.uk/help-resources/when-someone-dies/how-to-donate-your-body-to-science

However, please note it is NOT a guarantee as any delay or certain medical conditions may halt the process, also potentially if it is an "accidental death" subject to a post mortem.

Si_Clist

Floss said:

This gives more info on how to donate to medical science:
https://www.funeralguide.co.uk/help-resources/when-someone-dies/how-to-donate-your-body-to-science

However, please note it is NOT a guarantee as any delay or certain medical conditions may halt the process, also potentially if it is an "accidental death" subject to a post mortem.

Indeed, and one of those conditions is obesity.  If you decide to do it (good for you ) and you get accepted, don't forget to tell your executors (nearly wrote executioners) and add a note to this effect to your will.  You also need to cancel any existing arrangement you've made to be an organ donor!

shoei

I have been doing a bit of prepping, managed to finish staining the fence and I have cut back the roses.
We have had a few large bows of the apple trees that need cutting up for the wood shed.  If the old wives tales of heavy fruiting year comes before a cold, hard winter we are in for a stinker!  I have never seen so much fruit on our trees!
My pantry is also pretty stocked up!

Laura_Elsewhere

The heavy fruiting is probably more to do with that lovely warm sunny still weather we had back in spring during the blossom months for most fruit! Lots of pollinating insects all over those flowers... 

With My Intended having needed major surgery I totally missed most of the foraging this season, and much of it's gone over now wth recent wet weather - but we had a light frost a couple of days ago so we'll toddle off and get a few sloes to make sloe jelly and maybe sloe jam. 
My garden is a mess - I did quite a bit in spring but then worries over M.I. meant I left it and left it, and now it's an 'orrible mess. Ah well, not worth sowing anything now, obviously, so I shall just try to drag him out (he's fine again now, back to work in a few more weeks) on sunny days over the winter, to get it sorted out for the spring... 

3secondmemory

Laura_Elsewhere saiid:

The heavy fruiting is probably more to do with that lovely warm sunny still weather we had back in spring during the blossom months for most fruit! Lots of pollinating insects all over those flowers... 

With My Intended having needed major surgery I totally missed most of the foraging this season, and much of it's gone over now wth recent wet weather - but we had a light frost a couple of days ago so we'll toddle off and get a few sloes to make sloe jelly and maybe sloe jam. 
My garden is a mess - I did quite a bit in spring but then worries over M.I. meant I left it and left it, and now it's an 'orrible mess. Ah well, not worth sowing anything now, obviously, so I shall just try to drag him out (he's fine again now, back to work in a few more weeks) on sunny days over the winter, to get it sorted out for the spring... 

I started well in the garden this year and was really enjoying it until bad health stopped play. 

Laura_Elsewhere

@3secondmemory, ah well, the great thing about gardens is there's always next year! I hope you'll soon be as improved as My Intended, and we can all look forward to fruitful gardens in the spring!

Si_Clist

Laura_Elsewhere said:

The heavy fruiting is probably more to do with that lovely warm sunny still weather we had back in spring ...

Quite so, just as the vast amount of acorns hereabouts this year has far more to do with the spring weather than with any impending hard winter.

The one that always used to amuse me is swallows flying high meaning a lovely day tomorrow, when in fact it just means that the swallows are hungry and there's a lot of insects higher up

Laura_Elsewhere

Three pounds of sloes picked in about 15-20 minutes from just two bushes! Very heavy crop... and we left plenty too - "never take more than one-third of what's there" as the old advice goes... 

Mummy2cheekymonkeys

I've never tried sloe jam before, only sloe gin! Wondering now what it would be like. What do you use the sloe jelly for?  I'm intrigued now!!

3secondmemory

Mummy2cheekymonkeys said:

I've never tried sloe jam before, only sloe gin! Wondering now what it would be like. What do you use the sloe jelly for?  I'm intrigued now!!

My Nan used to make jelly out of the once they’ve been soaked in alcohol - as a special treat we were allowed a big spoonful on our rice pudding or porridge when it snowed 😋🤪😂