Awful weather - typical Brits talk

Dustyevsky

We've had some early morning hours of wet, windy nonsense here, but nothing to write home about. The visitor in the tent is still asleep as I type this, if that's any sort of measure!

When we get to this point in the year, many of the early interest flowers are over, and the later flowerers come into their own. One is the various forms of loosestrife; not to be confused with 'loo strife' which is the preserve of large families with only one bathroom.

Even Darwin himself was intrigued with these plants, writing about "The Sexual Relations of the Three Forms," which is, sadly, less interesting than it sounds. Full marks to him for thinking in a non-binary manner, though. He'd have loved the rainbow world we now enjoy!

twopenny

That pigeon made me laugh Bluey

There's a world of free entertainment out there if you look.

Take care Wort and don't get blown away before you get to work.

Disgusting heap of runner beans taken up and canes put away, Brussels in. Got to take a chance sometimes. The soil was pickaxe hard but managed to dig 6" or so only to find masses of tough roots. It must be the elder/ash tree behind found it's way in for the moisture. No chance of seeing if I can remove them with it being like cement so a job for the wetter weather.

I may have to move my sitoorie back there if that's so. Instead of being under a shelter of Wisteria and Wall Hydranga I'll be next to the compost bin    It's a good spot though, convenient for the kitchen and away from neighbours banging doors.

I also dug up some unexpected potatoes. Not up to Abs or Poppys standard but a nice surprise. They either come from the compost heap or I stick some supermarket ones in if they've sprouted and forget them.

Ancestry indeed. I got back to 1400 and all farmers so I guess that's where my being outside often, comes from. But it's good fun putting the pieces together.

Rained at some point - sunny now and thought of an early morning walk but there's a big black cloud being blown from the ocean and heading this way.

Dustyevsky

twopenny said:

Well done with the MOT/tyres Dusty. All set now?

I hope so.   Although I'm a fan of  bangernomics, I try to keep our slowly-depreciating vehicles in decent mechanical condition. It's no good if the minimal depreciation and time saved through not worrying about appearance, is offset by numerous breakdowns.

Also, despite the hype, I think we folk who keep 15+ year-old cars going, are just as eco as those who buy into the 'new efficient car' nonsense, especially those that dwarf my old 4x4 in the car parks! 

This time, I put 'all seasons' tyres on instead of the summer ones most people run on in this country. They weren't more expensive, and I figure they'll be better on what pass for roads around here, especially in the harvesting season..

As you're out and about in your 'classic' car again, I gather the starting issue's been resolved? 

OT Update: Clouds breaking, wind decreasing and the beginnings of a goodish day are happening here. I'm digging out the beginnings of the next deep bed in the polytunnel in odd moments. The tomatoes will be out by early winter, but we shall need a different bed for them in 2025. Mrs Dusty had just picked all the ripe ones when I took this!

Farway

Wet & windy first thing, but it's all cleared away now and sun shining, at least this year my runners are still vertical

Love the pigeon pic YBE, very "Capture the Moment" top of the class there.

LessImpecunious said:

Also do a bit of genealogy myself Farway (usually a winter pursuit) - have never thought to try finding links to Erik the Red or anyone of that ilk though - sound like a fun rabbithole to try! (though trees on Ancestry website are about as reliable as met office weather forecasts...)

If anyone wants to really dig deep, I recommend WikiTree, free, but it only allows fully researched & fully sourced entries. 

None of this Ancestry copy & paste from someone else whose aunty swore blind Great Granny was a Red Indian princess, and great great Uncle Ted sailed with Noah.

Glad the covers stood the rain 2P, let's hope they do the job. I have yet to go down the garden to check on mine after the wind & rain.

Love the loosestrife Dusty, but after checking seems it prefers damp soils, which I don't really have, or I'd have some in the Volunteer Border

Today's pics are a dead tree in Posh Grounds near the GC, tree left in place because it is striking in its way, and probably home to lots of creatures as well

The first reminded me of someone with outstretched arms. 

Perhaps Old Man of the Woods reaching for the slug pellets?

twopenny

What was that lovely red plant on the fence in one of you photos Farway?

The one with a fountain.

It looked 'tamed' so I have hopes.

Farway

twopenny said:

What was that lovely red plant on the fence in one of you photos Farway?

The one with a fountain.

It looked 'tamed' so I have hopes.

I don't know, it is a “proper garden” plant

I've cropped some from my original photo, so perhaps someone here can identify it?

Dustyevsky

Farway said:

Love the loosestrife Dusty, but after checking seems it prefers damp soils, which I don't really have, or I'd have some in the Volunteer Border

Today's pics are a dead tree in Posh Grounds near the GC,

The first reminded me of someone with outstretched arms. 

Perhaps Old Man of the Woods reaching for the slug pellets?

The Lythrum (Loosestrife) is virtually bombproof....if I can still use that expression here.   Our soil is dry too, much of the time. It doesn't complain. An ideal subject for my friend's underwater garden, it only needs reasonable light. Ours in the shade by the stream, struggle.

I see we are back to the no political comments notice, so the Vanilla issues must be sorted. That being the case, I'd better not mention what your second picture reminds me of! It could also be a gesture, possibly one in response to recently learning we'll lose our winter fuel allowance, when energy prices rise by about 10% in the autumn.

Farway

Dustyevsky said:

Farway said:

Love the loosestrife Dusty, but after checking seems it prefers damp soils, which I don't really have, or I'd have some in the Volunteer Border

Today's pics are a dead tree in Posh Grounds near the GC,

The first reminded me of someone with outstretched arms. 

Perhaps Old Man of the Woods reaching for the slug pellets?

The Lythrum (Loosestrife) is virtually bombproof....if I can still use that expression here.   Our soil is dry too, much of the time. It doesn't complain. An ideal subject for my friend's underwater garden, it only needs reasonable light. Ours in the shade by the stream, struggle.

I see we are back to the no political comments notice, so the Vanilla issues must be sorted. That being the case, I'd better not mention what your second picture reminds me of! It could also be a gesture, possibly one in response to recently learning we'll lose our winter fuel allowance, when energy prices rise by about 10% in the autumn.

Thanks for Loosestrife info, I'll bear it in mind, two choices etc.

Oh, I must be an innocent soul , completely missed that, but now I know I'll try to compose a better shot next time I'm over there

YoungBlueEyes

1400 bluddy 'ell 2p, what did you find that was interesting/astonishing? My granny always talked about "collective memory" - a thing that your people have always done/know to be true from experience. You're clearly an outdoor lot. Are you a lot of artists too? 

I like the tree Farway, and the fact that they left it. Maybe he's reaching back in time for the proper slug pellets If that was mine I'd have a rope ladder slung over that 'scooped' branch, and it'd be my sit-up-erie   And I'm not a bit envious of that grass *sigh*

I'm another for the bangernomics set. There's no way the emissions my car produces in a year/the last few years/the next few years combined could be better than a new car when you consider the environmental mess they make while they're building them. Anyway the new ones look too slippy and shiny so where would that pigeon have a shower?! He did a little poo before he left too but at least he didn't scratch me roof so, small mercies. 

Speaking of the rainbow world, that Lythrum is perfectly well allowed to pick it's gender despite it's sex. Or vice versa, or something. So says Justice Robert Bromwich in an Australian case in today's news. "Sex is changeable and not necessarily binary." So there. (A person - now known as Roxanne Tickle - who was born a fellah, joined an online safe space group for bullied/battered/pig-sick-of-it-all women and got found out. Took the CEO - Sal Grover- to court, and won) That's all I've got to say about that. Edited to add link - https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c07ev1v7r4po

Anyway. It's ever so nice out there now, in spite of the rough start. Little floaty clouds, sun poking through, lovely dry air. More of this thankyouplease  

Dustyevsky

Farway said:

twopenny said:

What was that lovely red plant on the fence in one of you photos Farway?

The one with a fountain.

It looked 'tamed' so I have hopes.

I don't know, it is a “proper garden” plant

I've cropped some from my original photo, so perhaps someone here can identify it?

It's Vitis vinifera purpurea, and this is the first decent photo I can find of it looking like that:

https://larchcottage.co.uk/product/vitis-vinifera-purpurea/

We have one out at the front, scrambling along rope swags separating our drive from the neighbour's right of way. It's partnered by Vitis vinifera incana, a grey-leaved form that's somewhat more vigorous:

https://www.cotswoldgardenflowers.co.uk/encyclopedia/vitis-vinifera-incana-2/

All part of the diversity that exists inside one family in the plant world!

I'll not comment further on the human rainbow, except to say I think 'classification' issues are apt to confuse people, and that may be intentional. Remember when a load of Asters suddenly became Eurybia? Of course, the 'experts' laughed at us ordinary souls who didn't know which was which any more. Some of us still stay quiet for fear of being 'wrong.'