Awful weather - typical Brits talk

Farway

Supposed to be nice weather, but it's dull, damp & gloomy.

 Even worse I've just booked my Waitrose Christmas delivery slot , there were only a couple left as well, but I learnt a lesson from last year, did the same but forgot to cancel the fresh turkey in time. So finished up with fresh turkey I didn't really want.

This year I've pre-ordered [to keep slot] stuff that will keep if I forget to amend in time

I didn't have to register dead turkey with DEFRA though. 

I was listening to the Farm slot on R4, seems it applies to any domestic birds that go outside, including your budgies!

Would pterodactyls count as birds?

I saw a bit regarding someone who keeps & exhibits birds of prey, like eagles. He has to register them with umpteen different agencies, dangerous, endangered etc, no joined up Government there.

I like the hang glider shot Dusty, half expecting a bolt of lightening to get them

Lovely sunset PP, no stars for me last night, just clouds

YoungBlueEyes said:

Hurrah for cobettes Farway, worth the bother then. All the talk of beans is making me wonder if I should try some next year. With a bit of luck they'll all die cos I don't actually like them, but himself does...

If mine were anything to go by you could try some, to show willing, then the slugs will eat those and all will be well, and it was not your fault, was it? T & M have some on offer, 89p & 99p with free P & P today.

Looked at sweet corn seeds on offer, I'm umming and ahhing, but if I bung in some Rocket and maybe ??? I'll have another look through.

Here are two of my cobettes, small & sweet. I have about a dozen more to pick. Snails had eaten some outer husk, trying to get at the kernels, which explains the slimy mess I found.

pink_poppy

I only took the sunset pic because of the striking silvery streak - it was impressive in real life, but not so much on camera. I initially thought it was 'laid' on top of the mountains, but after looking at the pic it was above them, which then made me think it must have been a plane trail.

I love the hang glider pic, Dusty. We used to see a lot of them when we lived in England - they used to hug the coastline and possibly take off/land on the cliffs. Can you imagine what the view must have been like from up there  

Sorry Farway, I think we have your lovely weather up here. I should have been outside this morning, but I've been using up fresh stuff in the fridge before we go away. Petri Dish Soup and a chilli/bol concoction. I've also managed to salvage some of the windfall apples that lovely neighbour gave me a couple of weeks ago - peeled, chopped and zapped in the microwave. Not quite stewed as I like a bit of texture. It's gone a bit brown, so I'll have it for breakfast over the next few days and buy some fresh apples for twopenny's mincemeat recipe when we come back from our hols.

Cool sweetcorn cobettes, although I'm trying hard not to keep thinking they look like those scary 'teeth' from my hanging handbags Crinodendron plant a few weeks ago    

greenbee

We have billions of partridges YBE. And the landowner takes no responsibility for them while they're on our property (tap dancing on the roof, eating plants, having dust baths in the gravel) as apparently when they are on your land, they are your responsibility. But we're also not allowed to shoot them as they belong to the shoot. They're a nightmare and we haven't yet some up with a satisfactory solution to discouraging them from coming into the garden. If the keeper would relocate the release pens it would help!

-taff

What a fab colour sunset pp, we get the bog standard here, pink or red or pink...enjoy your islad hopping, fingers crossed no bloomin rain. Petri dish soup indeed... ::snort::

ybe, I should be delirious with joy in that case. I think she needs a wrist smack for that one. How are you getting on with your steps? Have you spread out at all? They look lovely btw.

Dusty, I'm with th lightning strike anticipation, not that I have anything against hangliders...great pic..

farway , your kernels look a bit special but I'm sure they're lovely..for a stick it in and see that's not bad at all!

Shame about the reporting of birds, I must ask OH to ask his workmate if he's registred his on his allotment leisure garden.

It's still dismal here, but it almost didn't rain so much today. In other news I paid 37 pounds for the allotment [ 17.50] , a key deposit [10 - refundable in due course] and the actual key [10]  I will go and investigate tomorrow or the day after builders permitting. We have to get a coat of paint on proper, the tiler has been to discuss. he is a proper whirlwind, as opposed to the plumber who I have never seen.

And I'm going to pick that apple tomorrow no matter what happens.

YoungBlueEyes

Ooh a hang glider - is that a first on here? I bet that view was a sight for sore eyes  

Harris pp, lovely. Yous taking great big suitcases? In a previous life I was a year on Benbecular, and 4 seasons in one day is absolutely A Thing. Nowt to get in the way of aurora viewing (weather permitting). You taking an extra suitcase to fill with good jackets and jumpers and stuff..? Petri dish soup <giggling>

Bu99er, I've missed the T+M offer Farway but I'll get the next one. Planting beans just for slugs seems like it'd be bad for my karma I'll cook the Xmas dinner, that should even it out. I would say pterodactyls count as birds if there's more than 50 of them, dead ones excepted. Those cobettes look just enough for a portion  

I wonder what sort of %age they allow for natural wastage on their partridges gb... Have you tried looking up recipes bird scarers? Maybe with a sharp redcurrant jelly scarecrow? They're very light birds so you'd want one each you wouldn't need a big scarecrow/scarer/roasting tray.   

The steps are still as they were taff, we’ve got no further with them. Himself keeps telling me he can get gravel from work but it doesn’t appear so the whole thing’s ground to a halt. Bob is still in Sweden anyway so the sitooterie + pond areas are still soil. But the birds are happy chowing it about for worms and bugs so it’s fine How#s the building work going? Coats of paint sound like you're nearing the end..? 

OT cool and humid here, but at least there's no more rain forecast. Grand drying day yesterday - I got 3 loads of washing done :clapping: 

pink_poppy

Tap-dancing partridges is a lovely image, greenbee, obviously not in real life though. We used to get a few red-legged partridges, but they were just 'locals', not being bred for hunting purposes. I hope you come up with a solution, as billions of them (hoping that's a slight exaggeration) must be a real problem. Laughing at YBE's suggestions   

Blame Credit Farway for the Petri Dish soup   It's actually really tasty and I'll be having some for my lunch today (well heated).

I'm envious of your allotment, taff. I hope you have fun pottering around and discovering things. Glad the building work is coming along too.

I took a pic of the sunlit trees at the back of us last night - they always look gorgeous when the sun is on them...


Better in real life, as usual... While I was outside the robin was twittering on, so I thought I'd channel Dusty and attempt to take a pic, except it didn't quite work out...


What on earth?! It did make me laugh when I saw what I'd captured   I think you can just make out that it's a robin, with the colour and the stick legs   Not sure what happened to it, but I obviously need to perfect my photography skills   

It's another lovely morning here, but it must have got close to freezing last night judging by my windows. Clear skies again with lots of stars, but no luck with the Aurora. There's supposed to be a good chance tonight, so get looking out of your windows folks. I think we're forecast cloud, which is just bloomin' typical...

Dustyevsky

I seem to have a few 'puter problems at present, so may have to be brief....

I'm glad the hang glider photo was well-received. It was almost discarded, being somewhat indistinct. We occasionally see them, but they're not loud, and often too far away. By the time I'd noticed it, and run indoors for the camera, that one was well past us. It must be an amazing experience, whizzing-about at 1000' powered by a little lawnmower engine, but I'd guess there are many rules and regs, especially with the military using quiet places like this for low-level manoeuvres.

Don't worry, your robin picture is like many of mine, pp. I never see birds looking 'peculiar,' until their images appear on-screen! The robin's still at it on the window here.

It's probably the right time for picking sweet corn, Farway. Even here, where they harvest most maize in November, I'm seeing the contractors whizzing back and forth in their John Deeres. I'm never sure if what they're getting in is destined for cattle feed or gas production. There are rules about how far from the gas plant the raw materials may be transported (using diesel) but we all know about rules where the corporates are involved!

Still having problems....I'll end here by adding it's a clear blue sky day here. No major gardening news, (just hedge-cutting ) so here is one of Bluey's favourite insects.

Dustyevsky

Perhaps this could be captioned, "One of my red onions has bolted!"

Farway

Blue sky for a change, and quite mild

Before I forget, Mr Fothergill has 50% off all seeds, still have P & P to pay, but maybe worth it

Orders for seed only will incur a £2.45 delivery charge

Offer is online only. Only valid on seed. Use code: SOWSOWSOW
Ends midnight Thursday 3rd October

YBE, I'm sure the T & M offer will be back, and of course G Centres usually start clearing seeds out to make space for Goblins, Ghouls, Ghosts, Elves & reindeer

Managed to book an electric buggy at Wisley for next Tuesday , so fingers crossed Hurricane Kirk remnants don't meet the jet stream. The long range is unsettled, maybe rain & sun, so who knows? As long as it's not persisting down, it'll be OK

As prelude to Wisley I went up to Morries, really just to see if my car is still in starting mode and has not reverted to sulking, yep, first turn of the key.

Morries plant area is a sorry place now, just a few trays of small violas and some boxes of daff bulbs, but at least the Deli cheese person has returned to cutting sensibly priced portions

Nice headless robin, P P. Sun on trees is glorious, but so hard to catch with a camera.

If the sun keeps up, I may get out and do another apple check, if not I've some maggoty windfalls I can turn into apple sauce, I came home with a lump of pig from Morries

Today, as foretaste of back to Wisley, here is more of the prairie planting from the other week

pink_poppy

I was hanging some washing outside and suddenly though, hang on, did YBE say she lived on Benbecula for a year?! Wow, that must have been some experience, it's supposed to be stunning there   I'm certainly expecting all kinds of weather on our trip... it's the ferries I'm most worried about though - will they or won't they be sailing, and if they are will the swell allow us to berth or will we have to turn round and go back from whence we came?!   Only time will tell and in the meantime I'm trying not to think about it too much    

Lovely shield bug pic, Dusty, I'm sure YBE will appreciate it. My blue Hydrangea is still flowering, but it's looking a bit past it now.
I thought the robin looked like a ball on legs, but now you mention it, it does look a bit like an onion   

Enjoy your day out at Wisley, Farway. Good that you've got a scooter booked. I didn't know there was another named storm/hurricane remnant potentially on the way - that doesn't bode well for our trip. Lovely prairie pic too.

I'm getting more Aurora alerts on my phone - I'll have a look tonight, but I can't be doing with being up in the early hours. We have rain forecast from tomorrow, so tonight is my last chance for a while.

Ps had porridge and apple for breakfast, with a healthy sprinkle of mixed spice (ground cassia, ground coriander seeds, caraway, ground nutmeg, ginger powder and clove powder for twopenny's information - Aldi) it was lush...