Awful weather - typical Brits talk

Dustyevsky

YoungBlueEyes said:

Ooh talk about an atmospheric picture Dusty, I can smell the wet earth from here I like the big plant in the foreground, and the wee sunlit thing on the right of it. Bet they don't need any worrying about. I don't know your laurel... is it better to do one thing completely or get two things half started? I bet MrsD is waiting to give you the answer

The big plant in the picture is an Abelia grandiflora, the bog-standard one. The smaller, pink plant is a Nerine. You're right; neither needs much attention.

The problem with doing more to the laurel isn't one of indolence, it's about trying to cut it with 3' deep of cut stuff already laying on the ground and nowhere else to put it. Anyway, the question's somewhat academic at present, because my chainsaw's broken.   Until the new part arrives, I'm on other duties.

Not getting things started or finished seems to be a theme at present. A 'nearby neighbour' didn't get far with his project, before an inability to shut the mains water off caused a difficulty and work ceased. I'm not surprised. The previous owner lived in his place for 30 years, and never had a water bill. Say no more!   Also, no work has started on the property with the rogue scaffolding, nor have the water authority found their pressure relief valve. They're returning with a digger, apparently, which could b interesting if it turns out to be....err...where it shouldn't be, under someone's unlawfully erected stables. This is all part of the rich diversity of life in rural backwaters.

But good news, our van should be back soon.   I'm informed it needs a new clock spring unit, which is exactly what I suggested to the garage a few weeks ago. That's not a part for the clock, but the thing that activates the driver's airbag, living in the steering wheel, hopefully not while we own it, though!

The courgettes escaped the frost, as did the polytunnel toms. They were covered with fleece again last night, but we didn't go that low. The squash are kernackerooed.

Merely dull and not very pretty here this morning, so I will post a practical picture showing one of my cold frames made from bits & bobs. I just improve the soil wherever these are placed and then stick cuttings in, as and when. Some grows, and some doesn't. Sometimes, I even remember what the plants are! There's that ornamental grape top left that I thought had died. Looks OK now.

Love the before and after tree shots Bluey, but I don't want one of those 'premature defoliations' happening here!

Dustyevsky

Farway said:

Unlike Dusty nicely framed misty pic, nothing here in mellow autumn range to take photos of.

But the Rosanne geranium I planted in pot is flowering,

Ours on the banks in the new entrance splay are still flowering away like mad. They've been non-stop since May.
Hope you've not too much soreness from the arm spears and bargains were had at the GC.

pink_poppy

Good morning from a stunningly beautiful Sutherland the internet is very patchy here, so I'll have to do posts in short bursts.

We arrived here two nights ago, pitch black along windy single track roads. I had to drive the last 10 miles because DH got the heebie jeebies again...

The photos on here have been gorgeous - your Aurora was stunning, Dusty, you must have been chuffed to capture that. I loved the huge autumnal pic too. 
YBE, your autumnal pics are gorgeous too, especially the tree losing its very pretty coloured leaves.

Farway, I got your East Angular comment too. I do like to think that she knew exactly what she was doing and the joke was on the people that laughed at her.
I've heard of that scary road and DH has said he would NEVER attempt it   I've seen pics of motorhomes stranded there, having ignored the warnings...

A couple of pics from Harris (if they load)...

pink_poppy

And we got to see the Callanish Standing Stones - what an amazing place - put there 4500 years ago with rocks that are 3.5 billion years old, according to my DH...


And a lovely wee bird...

Farway

I'm here, my jagged flippers are a bit tender but nothing too bad, and no trouble at all sleeping. So far the only slight problem is lifting the left wing up high to reach things, but not a showstopper. I'll just have to ease off on the rock climbing for a while.

Never made it to DS , phone call that DIL has succumbed to cough / cold and is on Max Lemsip. Lot of coughs, sore froats etc going round. So no battling through Halloween tat for me today.

Nice pics YBE, that tree was blink & miss it.

I've similar weather to Dusty, dull & not pretty or sunny, shame, because with DIL going sick I was sort of thinking about getting camera out and into the mellow yellow trees. Another day maybe?

Nice Harris pics PP, I like the gateway one with the purple flowers, but the rainbow is a cracker as well. Seems a very photogenic pace if it were not for the roads.

Dustyevsky said:

Farway said:

Unlike Dusty nicely framed misty pic, nothing here in mellow autumn range to take photos of.

But the Rosanne geranium I planted in pot is flowering,

Ours on the banks in the new entrance splay are still flowering away like mad. They've been non-stop since May.
Hope you've not too much soreness from the arm spears and bargains were had at the GC.

Good news on your van, at last. And here's Rozanne enjoying her new home

Dustyevsky

Stunning Harris photos, pp. I can't imagine the time-lapse since the Standing Stones were erected, let alone the aeons since those lumps of Lewisian gneiss were formed. (My computer insists they're from Lewisham! )

Now, you're in the part of the world where my cousin, now in his 80s 'disappeared' to when academic life became too much, sometime in his middle 40s.  He's still very active there. Given we share some genes, it may not surprise you, he spends time on photography, cataloguing plant life and gardening! Loch Assynt is his stamping ground.

Sorry to hear your visit was cancelled, Farway. Sore froat and sneezles seems to be endemic just now. I think Mrs Dusty is succumbing as I type.  I told her to take it steady last week, but would she listen? 

You may remember I bought an 'improved' Rozanne earlier in the year. It's still in a pot, so hard to judge performance, but thinking about it, surely the 'betterness' can only be marginal?

twopenny

Evening all

Lovely photos all round - Dusty I've been trying to get those there hills when they look like that and still not. You've got it just right. And lol to the slanting writing.....

Bluey what a gorgeous little tree! I'd like one just like that for my front but sad it's leaves dropped so quickly. That seems to be happening around here too.

Still envious of Farways ability to capture a flower so perfectly. Looks like summer.

Poppy those are magnificient. Such a beautiful place, one day I'll get back to the north and have another go.

I've been busy, restored my sewing maching table and moved stuff around then out in the garden to do that repotting and make a start on the moss and weeds in the veg beds. It's been that wet - and it's rotted my big bean poles

I was good and stopped when I ached, had everything cleared up after. So not seen a soul.

It's been grey and dim all day, warmed up a tad midday but didn't rain. 

Went out to put stuff on moss out the front and something is digging it up for me. Bits everywhere. Crow, hedgehog, badger? There's still a big hole dug between the badger run and the field behind. Love a mystery.

Here's one to challenge Dusty while he's chainsawless

Now I'm having a lazy evening while the aches and pains subside. Wish I hadn't given up the whisky (just for rubbing you understand) but I have a glass of Manns brown ale. Anyone remember that?

pink_poppy

Sorry, forgot to say welcome back to wort

Dusty, this place is just amazingly beautiful - one particular beach is my favourite - I could stand and watch the crashing waves forever. I can understand your cousin being drawn to this area - I would move here in a heartbeat.

Farway, the purple flowers and rainbow pic were taken in the garden of our cottage on Harris. I actually watched the rainbow forming - it was amazing to watch.

twopenny, I love that photo with the house framed by the trees.

Some more pics...

First one for YBE...


I spotted it on our last day at the Harris cottage - it was on top of the fridge freezer. I actually said, oh YBE had one of those    

I took this photo on a famous Harris beach - I thought it looked like a dragon's tail with scales (I've obviously been watching too many episodes of House of the Dragon)...


These coos were looking longingly at another beach that we passed...

pink_poppy

I can't remember if I posted the Aurora pics I took on the first night on Harris, but even they were eclipsed by the big one on Thursday night/Friday morning. I'd taken some photos earlier in the night and DH was really pleased that we could see the colours with our naked eyes. He went to bed, but one of my Aurora alerts said 'don't go to bed!!', so I didn't and I'm so glad I stayed up until 1am.

This is just one of the many photos I took that night...


I think I was just stood outside completely transfixed by what was happening above me. It was everywhere, not just in the North.

I'll have to post a couple more of the Aurora photos another time as they're not downloading at the moment.

OT - it's been a beautiful day here - cold but lovely and sunny.

Dustyevsky

twopenny said:

Evening all

Lovely photos all round - Dusty I've been trying to get those there hills when they look like that and still not. You've got it just right. And lol to the slanting writing.....

Here's one to challenge Dusty while he's chainsawless

Now I'm having a lazy evening while the aches and pains subside. Wish I hadn't given up the whisky (just for rubbing you understand) but I have a glass of Manns brown ale. Anyone remember that?

Those hills are just in front of my house, so I didn't expend much energy for that photo. When I see mist forming in the little valley on our land, I know it will be more pronounced in the larger valley across the road. The slanting writing's also easy with the photo program I use.

Photos of buildings are simple to ID, so I tried to be fair and looked for 'Lodges on Exmoor.' I reckoned it would be between Lynmouth and Ilfracombe, or maybe Minehead, because of the mock-Tudor half timbering. Anyway, I drew a blank!   There's a major road behind the right beech tree, so I considered 'driving' the A39 from Lynmouth eastwards in my Google car, but that was too much effort!  In the end, I cheated and used Google Lens. 

It's Combe Park Lodge. It's off the 'wrong' bit of the A39, on an offshoot from the B3223, so I'd never have found it in my Google Car.   This family had quick reactions when the G car passed them: https://www.instantstreetview.com/@51.215153,-3.80436,230.29h,-7.6p,1z,MFz-oY7Ns6iJ42gCoXDH8g 

Brown ale? Not for donkey's years, but fashions change. Look what's happened to pale ale.

That's some Aurora picture, pp!   My minute-long exposure effort pales into insignificance, but I'm happy to have got 'something,' and not street lights for once.

I couldn't quite be like my cousin and move to the area you're in now; it's a little too rugged! I could manage where you live, or for cheapness, Dumfries & Galloway.   It looks as if you're enjoying reasonably good weather for the time of year As 2p said, it was grey and cold again down here today with a watery sun. Now it's raining.