Awful weather - typical Brits talk

Dustyevsky

YoungBlueEyes said:

pp I haven't totally given up sugar/carbs in my new lifestyle choices, I'm just eating more carefully. I'm not a full on proper diabetic, and I've no way of testing myself like a Type1 has so it's all a bit hey-day go-day tbh. When I see those bawz I'll lift some 'for himself' and make sure I get a gobful when he's eating them  

We went to Posh Town yesterday for shoes for himself and ended up coming home via the beach. Bit busy but not too bad, and the sea was fab. Tide nearly all the way in, lots of big waves and energy and a good strong smell Good job I don't live nearer or I'd be there all day.

That's where I am, Bluey; just watchful of what I'm eating. I'm a little way down the slippery slope of CKD, but at least I know. Many people don't. For some of us, one good thing the most positive thing to happen, post 2019, has been greater proactive-ness regarding health. Naturally, I won't give any advice here , beyond saying walking is good for you, especially in places like you and 2p were in yesterday. Walking pal  didn't have time for a walk to 'finish' the series of coastal ones done this year, so it was gardening yesterday at her place, including tackling a climbing rose that had been allowed to go astray. We were both rather bloody after that. It was surprisingly warm in shelter, but that cold wind was back in the evening, when Mrs Dusty and I scoffed fish & chips in the car....oops!

Dull and dreich today, with more wind, and the rain coming in behind it later.

Farway

Colder, the heating came on automatically this morning, obviously my thermostat never got the Winter Fuel memo from on high

Supposed to be Yellow rain mid-afternoon onwards, so I hope to hop out & get my Cape Primroses inside for the winter, only in pots so only need me getting up & doing it.

YoungBlueEyes said:

I meant to ask after your sweetcorn Farway cos they've appeared in the shops now. Fingers crossed they're like the grapes - worth the wait   Are you for drying some Shoo Fly flowers then? String them together and hang them off your dressing table mirror? Or round your kitchen like herbs/copper pans..? 

I checked my sweetcorn, a bit hard because the tassels have vanished, so unable to check on colour. I peeled some husk back, it's a tad slimy , which I don't think is a Good Sign.

Found some kernels and did the prong a finger nail in test, no liquid, clear or otherwise, so being a newbie at SC growing, and they were late planted, I'm going to leave them a bit longer

I'm going to leave the shoo fly to dry, see how it goes. 

I don't possess a dressing table, just a floordrobe, and so far the only drying things hanging around my kitchen are bits of kitchen roll with tomato seed skid marks.

Nice sea spray pics YBE, I've never succeeded in catching moving water right, not silky smooth or wild spray, but then that's like gardening, just keep trying 'cos one day it'll be a good one.

Nice Rottery Acres option Dusty, but it's only E eco rating , in Glasgow heating will be very expensive on top of the £13K + monthly mortgage

No Aurora here, did spot a bit of the Plough about 0200 and blurry moon about 0530

Grape time, my entire harvest, minus earwigs & woodlice

They are quite sweet, a bit larger would be nice, but from what I've heard it's a poor grape harvest everywhere with the weather. At least I know the vine does fruit and seems correctly labelled

alicef

@twopenny & @YoungBlueEyes - my point & click camera battery is on charge so I haven't, as yet, captured my windowsill tomato artistic efforts however I present my homage to abstract expressionism .....

pink_poppy

Wow to those tomatoes, alicef, that's some haul. Hope they change colour, although I have heard of green tomato chutney??

Congratulations on the grapes, Farway, they look very nice indeed. And fingers crossed for the sweetcorn.
I love the shape of the shoo fly seed pods.

The Aurora was visible last night, Dusty, although I was in the Land of Nod, so didn't get to see it. I have no idea if what you captured is the Aurora, but it's a fab pic anyway.

Ah, big beachy crashing waves, I do miss them. I can't remember your location, YBE, but was it a North Sea beach?? Have you ever been to Sandsend, near Whitby?? They always seem to get huge waves.

Love the pony pic, twopenny. I'm glad you had a lovely 5 hours of being outside (apart from the daft tourists - we're still getting loads here too).

I've just had a hot chocolate to warm me up after spending a couple of hours on a cold and windy beach. It was unexpected, so I only had a thin cardigan and I'm absolutely freezing now. The sun is shining, but that wind is baltic...

twopenny

Wow Bluey! Those are some fantastic sea shots. Worthy of a competition. And yes, I go to the sea every day as do some of my neighbours. Even a few minutes just adjusts your settings to calm. 

Did you know the sound of the waves is bubbles popping?

And Alicef, oh that's beautiful. What a bounty. Hope they turn nicely.

Congrats Farway on ripe grapes. After you put me off buying a vine you know what I want now?

It's been very windy here. Spatting rain mostly so I completely forgot my washing was out drying in the wind until it was soaked by longer rain. Oh well, it can stay out there. It will be nice and fresh by the time it is dry.

I'm guessing my tomatoes won't be ripening any time soon

I was already changed to go out and do that repotting when I stopped for lunch and it was then raining. So I've been downloading photos. Now that's a rabbit warren if ever there was one. I'm now cross eyed and it's not finished yet. A good reason to only get small capacity cards

YoungBlueEyes

That's a queer pixelated pic Dusty, but at least you can see a few stars I wouldn't say no to that car if I was offered it, what a beautiful colour  

Those grapes look crispy and sweet Farway, and correctly labelled to boot! Just want a nice hunk of cheese and some herby crackers Would sweetcorn behave like toms - ripen a bit quicker if you cut them and brought them indoors?

Ooh that's a good tom haul alice. How many different varieties have you there?

Yep the pics are North Sea pp, we were at Hornsea. I've not been to Sandsend (well not that I can remember ) but I did used to spend a lot of time up round Whitby way so I might have. Worth the trek would you say...?

I didn't know it's bubbles popping that makes the sound of the waves, that's a good fact, thanks 2p You might get your repotting done today, the swirly mess of rain is coming up this way so when it gets here it might leave you dry enough to get on Did you ever find an astronomy app thing btw? I keep forgetting to ask you that.

Thanks for the nice words about my beach pics folks, I'm happy with them too I wish I had a trick to share but it was just my standard 'take dozens and dozens and dozens of pics and hope you get a few good ones' routine. They really need to be getting on with inventing Smell-O-Vision... I'm sure we were meant to have had it by now. 

My kettle decided to head northwards with my boiler last night (grrr) so I'm waiting on the third thing now. I told Cissie about it last night and she wasn't a bit sympathetic - "och quit yer gurnin' have you not got a pan have you not?" Why doesn't kettle boiled water taste the same as pan boiled water? Another mystery for the list... 

I've been that long writing this the rain has arrived, and that's it set in 'til tomorrow, possibly. It's warmer than it has been, mind. 13'c out there now where it has been 5 or 6 with a feels like 3 these last couple of mornings.

YoungBlueEyes

Got me toms in yesterday. We've had no heat here but it's been sunny enough so all at once they decided to have a go at ripening - 



Spotted this little fellah sat on a watering can getting a warm up in the sun - 

The clouds cleared so I could see a few stars

pink_poppy

I wish I'd looked like the woman in the car pic when I was draped over our car, but I had my PJs and heavy dressing gown on   

Interesting about the bubbles and waves - is it true?? I'll have to google.

You've probably passed through Sandsend if you've been up and down the coast, YBE. It's tiny compared to Whitby, but has a quaint charm about it. I always smile at the name of the wee cafe at the bottom of the hill - it's called Wits End   
That is a huge amount of tomatoes!! How many plants did you have?? Very impressive.
I agree with the 'wrong' taste from boiling water in a pan, rather than a kettle.
I don't know if your pic is of a cricket or a grasshopper, but I once asked in all seriousness if Jiminy Cricket was a grasshopper. Doh...
I like your starry night photo - I can't remember if we had stars last night or the night before. I know the Aurora was expected to make an appearance last night but I was too tired to stay up. Dog tired   

It's looking a bit grey out there this morning and we have rain forecast, so a domestic nonsense day is in store for me.

twopenny

oh you've been busy Bluey!

Your optimism over the weather down here isn't working yet. Dark, wet and cold forcast to remain again today. 

The washing is dripping on the line and I'm chuntering about the mess of bringing it in and spinning it when it will probably just get wet again or ignoring it.

No apps here, spare phone battery went and getting lots of advice I don't know how to do on the Techie forum but they've been really helpful and educated me on should I get a new phone/tablet or restore the old for practise.

And my computer announced that storage was full! Too many photos - so working on that. Techie stuff seems to take more time than creative and gardening.

Up to my ears in paperwork, house maintenance and such while the weather is vile. How does so much accumulate in such a short time?

Just logged in to see everyones more productive or lovely photos as I plough through the 'stuff I left to go and have a good time'

Farway

Rained all night and still dripping gloom outside, glad I picked the grapes when I did

No stars here, just rain & more rain

YoungBlueEyes said:

Those grapes look crispy and sweet Farway, and correctly labelled to boot! Just want a nice hunk of cheese and some herby crackers Would sweetcorn behave like toms - ripen a bit quicker if you cut them and brought them indoors?

My kettle decided to head northwards with my boiler last night (grrr) so I'm waiting on the third thing now.

No, sweet corn is the opposite it seems, once picked it deteriorates, which apparently is why shop bought cobs are not a patch on home-grown, down to sugars in them or summat. 

Ideally supposed to get the pan boiling, pick the cob & bung it in. But first get a ripe cob

I wish fruit & veg was consistent, either pick & ripen all or leave all on the plant

At least kettles are cheaper & easier to sort out than boilers, and you have a good crop of toms as well, it does seem once one decided to ripen it spurs the rest on.

No gardening today, but I do have a Gardeners World to catch on YT

While getting the grape & bean harvest in I spotted the Rosa Car Parkii I took as cutting earlier in the year has really settled in now, new growth plus plenty of flowers