Awful weather - typical Brits talk

twopenny

Phew, I thought there might be lots to read but not too bad. Because we can't get out I guess.

I loved the fungi all of a heap. I tried to photo some orange ones from ground level but was worried if I got down low enough I might not get up again.

I have a photo like that Bluey. During a very rainy time there were ducks outside the cafe and they got served as well.

I was away trying to solve some of my household bits in town. Nothing. Frankly rather than fretting about gadgets that go out of date quick than you can sneeze I'd rather be out and doing.

Yes we have apple days here. Sadly they are smaller and not as interesting now. Insurance has bought one big one down to just apple pressing and the other newbies in village don't know an apple from an orange and don't do crafts so I don't bother now.

The sweet mincemeat doesn't need cooking. Just bottle it and it keeps. That's why it's so easy. The sugar preserves. Or vinegar in the case of chutney. The same applies to Christmas pud. Just stir, pot and wait till Christmas to cook. Can be done in the microwave or baked but I haven't tried that yet.

Now this is what you call an apple press! Loads done and your own if you bring them they'll juice them for you.

I've put some stuff on the grass, move some plants out of the bucket - may get around to that repotting today, tomorrow.

I need to get away from 'stuff' . Sufficient unto the day is the evil there of you have to remember before you get bogged down in stuff you want rather than need. and go for a swim and deer watching  

It's grey and cold. Has been worse. Wonderful photos to cheer us up. I can't compete so these are more for fun

twopenny

Farway that was a photo to cheer. So wish I could take shots like that. I'm going to have to look for a better camera I think. Or read the instructions for the one I have

Saw these on beeb website yesterday. They are astounding and give us a challenge to aim for. They also cheered me up, well all but the first. Love the birds on a wire, that made me chuckle  

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cj4d92n5p4do

Dustyevsky

twopenny said:

I need to get away from 'stuff' . Sufficient unto the day is the evil there of you have to remember before you get bogged down in stuff you want rather than need. and go for a swim and deer watching  

It's grey and cold. Has been worse. Wonderful photos to cheer us up. I can't compete so these are more for fun

Your photos show up nice and detailed in a new window, and they're valuable in ways that are different from, say, pp's fine close up of fungi. You're recording the lives of ordinary people in your area. That's important. We should be proud of local traditions and differences, not apologetic. There are those who would like to increase 'diversity,' until we are all homogenised.....but I'd better not go any further down that road!

Speaking of going down roads, we visited our planning advisor yesterday, finding her town, with a population of 9000, had no signage whatever pointing to it from the next large town 7 miles away, despite it also being an M5 access point. A 'nice' village with pubs and hotel en route (population 110) had excellent signs.  

No gardening done and several loads of logs arriving soon means there won't be much today. I took some photos of our giant toms, and then lost my camera somewhere in the house, so nothing to show there either. So...remembering Farway's lovely Hibiscus photo from Wisley, I'll post an exotic, pink Datura from the walled garden greenhouse:

Good old stalwart Frank Headley the geranium pelargonium is also centre stage. I couldn't get close enough to the Datura, so failed to capture the internal impressiveness of the blooms the way Farway did with the Hibiscus. Well, that's my excuse!

EDIT: Almost forgot. With one big pile of logs already delivered in front of the big shed, we have heavy rain! More of both on the way.

Farway

There was a touch of sunshine earlier, supposed to get brighter & cooler, which may mean I do a prowl around the garden later, just to check nothing untoward has happened, could be some toadstools? 

I'm awaiting the return of my Yellow Stainer plague.

YoungBlueEyes said:

I was thinking of growing some Ambrosia trees from seed Farway, I'd be that happy if it worked. I could swop out my Discovery Tescoii so I''d not even need to find room for it... I don't know how long it takes to go from planting a seed to harvesting the apples (years I guess?) but if anyone wants some seeds I've plenty here to go round. I'd offer to send whole apples but all the ones we've got left now are bruised windfalls. Your Wisley flower pic made me giggle. I'll be clean and say it looks like it's sticking it's tongue out  


Here's a weather pic. It must have rained in the night, and look at how the raindrops have dried on my window. They look like snowflakes  

Queer eh, I’ve never seen that before! 

Depends on luck on how long from seed to fruit, looking at three years minimum I'd think.

There are loads on YT about it, how to, and results are mixed. You get different fruit trees even from the same apple, very promiscuous little blighters, but who knows? 

There are some crackers growing along roadside verges from old apple cores.

Your window rain spots, could the rain have picked up dust or ash from the atmosphere? 

Down here we sometimes get yellow sandy rain when the wind blows up from the Sahara

Battered chips, sounds ideal

twopenny said:

Farway that was a photo to cheer. So wish I could take shots like that. I'm going to have to look for a better camera I think. Or read the instructions for the one I have

Saw these on beeb website yesterday. They are astounding and give us a challenge to aim for. They also cheered me up, well all but the first. Love the birds on a wire, that made me chuckle  

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cj4d92n5p4do

My photo, really a lot is just time & place. Those photos in your link are amazing, takes a lot of time which Is why the prizes.

Unless you cheat and get caught of course, like the wildlife one of an anteater attacking a termite mound.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-43912583

This one is genuine, once more it's Wisley greenhouse, I liked the symmetry of the plant.

pink_poppy

We had to scrape the car this morning!! It was a clear night last night and apparently the aurora was visible in the wee small hours as well.

Love the photos - I really like apple juice but only have it when I'm staying in a hotel or B&B. Why?!
I checked the apples that lovely neighbour gave me a couple of weeks ago and I'm gonna have to do something with them pronto - a few are already on the turn. I think I'll chop them up and lightly microwave, ready to make the mincemeat if I can get the other ingredients. Will walnuts work instead of almonds, as I know I've got an open packet of them??

Hope you manage to grow your lovely apple tree from seed, YBE, then we'll all come to your house to pinch the fruit    

The fungi photo annoys me, Dusty. It was a quick snap before we loaded the root into the car. It was only afterwards that I noticed the 'string' trailing across it.
I'm confused with your photos - is the geranium/pelargonium the first pic and the Datura the close-up?? The Datura sounds like it should be on Star Trek    
We've had 5 dumpy bags of logs delivered in the last few weeks (oak and larch) but it doesn't look that much tbh. We had the fire on last night as it got really chilly.

Farway, I love that whatever it is green plant - I like spiky plants - I've got a small aloe vera (possibly) in the kitchen.

After the frosty start this morning, it's turned into a beautiful day. Lovely and sunny, with just a little nip in the temperature. Chance of the aurora tonight if it doesn't turn cloudy.

Dustyevsky

pink_poppy said:

I really like apple juice but only have it when I'm staying in a hotel or B&B. Why?!
The fungi photo annoys me, Dusty. It was a quick snap before we loaded the root into the car. It was only afterwards that I noticed the 'string' trailing across it.
I'm confused with your photos - is the geranium/pelargonium the first pic and the Datura the close-up?? The Datura sounds like it should be on Star Trek    
We've had 5 dumpy bags of logs delivered in the last few weeks (oak and larch) but it doesn't look that much tbh. We had the fire on last night as it got really chilly.

I'm just weaning myself off apple juice and onto water! A reduction of any kind of sugar at my age is good. Perhaps due to rationing, and tight parents, I don't have a very sweet tooth. Being a little somewhat overweight is still a problem.  

I didn't notice the stringy stuff, so it didn't detract from the photo. I'm sorry if mine was confusing. Poor old Frank Headley, was barely noticed either when I took the long shot of the Datura drooping down. It was huge. I wanted an 'inside the flower' photo of the Datura, but bits of gubbins were in the way, so the stamens etc aren't visible. 

Datura.....Uhura and Data combined. Clever spotting of a Star Trek link there.

I'm rambling; anything rather than throw more logs in the shed! Like you, I don't think it looks that much, so I hope another tipper load arrives. The sun is out, and the inebriates have altered the forecast completely for the rest of the day. Meanwhile, there's a Yellow Warning for rain from Newcastle to Lands End. That should cover their fundamentals, I suppose. It wouldn't surprise me if the entire report is generated on an old ZX Spectrum and they blow the budget on cider!

YoungBlueEyes

Aww the ducks getting fed too 2p, I love that Brilliant photos in your link - I didn't like the first one either nor the Bali lovebirds one, but the 'hippo' was good. Your apple day juice session looks fab, we have nothing like that round here sadly. Have you tried the techie section on here about your gadgets? Or try going into a cex/game exchange shop (or whatever they're called) if you have one near you? The folks in there are bang on in my experience

That geranium puts mine to shame Dusty, nice variegated leaves and lovely happy flowers. The Datura looks a bit g-g-g-ghostly How did you get on with the planning woman? (Your new sig made me giggle!)

Seed to fruit might only be 3 years eh Farway? I'm gonna give it a go then. I was waiting longer than that between the first time I found that tree and going back last year for another tasting session. I'll plant lots of pips so yous can have a tree each Mind what they'll taste like isn't a given I had to look up Yellow Stainer in case it was a thing I was about to ask about, but being a mushroom it's not the same. I've a yellow circle of grass with a ring of lovely long healthy grass round it - it's all appeared in a few days. Very odd. You could be right about it being ash dots on my windows... this morning I've got raindrops and 'snowflakes' on them, even the rain last night wasn't enough to wash it off! I've tried to take a pic but it hasn't come out sadly. 

Did you get to see the Aurora last night then pp? I'd never tire of that, honestly I wouldn't, even if the cost was frosty nights and scraping my car every morning   "Datura" made me think of Star Trek as well, like if Data and Uhura had a baby (I'm actually sorry I know who those people are!)  

I need to find someone to come look at the boiler... I came down this morning and the kitchen was having it's own little silent disco Red, blue, and orange lights flashing all over the place! I swear it was sniggering behind it's teeth at me But it's Handsome Perambulation Day today so there's that  

OT The sun is trying to get out but the clouds aren't letting it. Mild and misty and murky out there. Plenty plenty rain to come. Possibly. And cold on the way, said the weatherman last night - frosty mornings he said. That's it then, me toms are fooked

Farway

Likewise, we had a Yellow rain warning, and it hissed down, including this morning before I got up. 

Very soggy outside right now, but sun is out to dry out all the incey wincey spiders.

Datura [Devil's Trumpet]. After seeing their cousin, Brugmansia, [Angel's Trumpet] at Wisely I thought I'd try them, they grew but never managed to get any flowers.

I think it's down to heat & sunshine, maybe in a courtyard area or similar?

Nicely poisonous and hallucinogenic as well, so ideal solution for neighbour problems jokette before anyone reports me]

Hope your apple seed growing works YBE, the YT vids are helpful. Maybe make a start by sowing some in a tray & leaving outside to overwinter?

Hope the boiler turns out to be a minor problem

I'm going to have a crack at growing an apple from a cutting, my unknown but tasty one.

The recent wet weather has rotted some of the lavender I grew from seed , my own fault for not keeping an eye on them. I've plenty to get on with, just have to be more careful with the survivors.

Picked more Champion apples yesterday, and Ta Ra, toot toot, my grapes are ripe!

Sampled some yesterday, quite sweet but nowhere near as large as shop ones, about sultana sized, but at least they are mine and seedless. I think in a better summer, they'd do well.

I'm picking them this weekend and will get photos then, about six bunches from what I can see

I also found was a discarded fruit net, presumably cast aside by the thieving squirrel who knicked the fig

The net is no barrier to squirrel gnashers, have to wait and see if next year's poly bag ploy will work better

pink_poppy

Dusty, I don't drink any fruit juice, unlike my DH who guzzles about half a pint every night!! My downfall is hot chocolate, which I've just started drinking again. Sometimes one on a morning AND one in the afternoon. Naughty.
Hope you got your logs into the shed - we've got some in the wood store and some in the garage - it's good exercise at least    I could have got a tipper load from a different company, but they're only offering spruce at the moment.

I think I caught some of the aurora last night, YBE. We were out late and I saw on AA that there was some activity. I could see a white 'band' underneath the cloud and I'm sure I've read that's what the aurora can look like to the naked eye, so I took a few pics after setting my phone to 2.0 exposure (no, I don't know what that means either) and there was definitely a green tinge to it...


I couldn't get to sleep last night because I was so cold   I'll be changing the bedding to the brushed cotton set today. It's grey and a bit miserable looking today. Chilly too.

Dustyevsky

Farway said:

Datura [Devil's Trumpet]. After seeing their cousin, Brugmansia, [Angel's Trumpet] at Wisely I thought I'd try them, they grew but never managed to get any flowers.

I think it's down to heat & sunshine, maybe in a courtyard area or similar?

Nicely poisonous and hallucinogenic as well, so ideal solution for neighbour problems jokette before anyone reports me]

Ah, now, you've made me think!   According to a website selling them, it was a Brugmansia. I just remembered the name Datura and used it...randomly.

"Angel's trumpet: Brugmansia or Datura?Brugmansia and Datura are both part of the nightshade family (solanaceae). The difference between them is that Brugmansia is a perennial shrub that overwinters indoors and Datura is an annual. Grown from seed. Both Brugmansia and Datura are very poisonous flowering plants that need to be handled with care. Brugmansia can easily be propagated from cuttings. With a little care, lots of water and regular feeding, you will be amazed at its growth!"

Lots going on this morning , so while the sun is with us, I'm off into the great outdoors. Back later. To keep my contributions going, here's a plant also shot in the walled garden that Farway will definitely recognise!