Awful weather - typical Brits talk

Dustyevsky

Looking at the oak leaves for scale, that certainly looks a pretty big mushroom, Farway. If the ID is correct, it seems ingesting it is a Russian roulette experience, with some potential for an upset stomach, or a good chance of finding it riddled with maggots, or both!

I'll pass.

pink_poppy

I missed the cluck clucking (I mean I probably saw it, but it didn't register) I agree it does look Nick Park-esque. That would be exciting if they were his.

Thanks for the fairy ring explanation, Dusty, and the giggle, Farway   

That's a very interesting fungi (and a naughty little double entendre)    

Well, woe is me, I've got a cold now, to add to the dizziness. The only place I've been in the last two weeks is the germ ridden Drs surgery... DH did make me laugh when he likened me to one (or three) of the Seven Little People - Dizzy, Sleepy and Sneezy   Not quite accurate, but it was funny.

The weather today can only be described as dreich. It's wet and misty, with not a breath of wind that I can see.

I took a couple of photos from the upstairs window again (I sound like Rapunzel, trapped in a tower) I think Mr Robin knew I was looking at him...


Not the best photos, but at least he doesn't look like a conker or a chewed up dog's ball...

twopenny

Just dropping in because nothing much to report. It's cold chill and mizzle or we are in a lazy cloud which is probably right. NE air flow maybe but nothing is moving here either so heating is going on for a bit.

It feels like it's been permenantly dusk all day so I'm running lots of lights. The leccie thing says I'm not using much so it's worth it to feel cosy.

Cute robin Poppy, I'm watching one on the bird table now.

Farway that's a toadstool that is highly paintable for an artist I think. Delicate colour and frilly edges.

Dusty, went to the Lynmouth Shanty Group last night. Worth seeing if they are your way. Lovely sound and a good upbeat evening. Take cash if you go, they are collecting for a veterans charity and that caught us unaware as we got bamboozled in out seats for raffle tickets at £5 a strip   

Gardening's a tough one at this time of year. Morries closes their plant sales end August and the GCs are all Christmas trees and lights. I can't get on with outside jobs because it's so damp/moist/humid/cold. I peer at my Clematis cuttings daily which I repotted. Wrong choice I think as they are looking poorly. And the low light and cold isn't inspiring though I did think I should get out and feed everything some bonemeal and such. Unsucessful rose to move but it turns out to be evergreen. To move as is, one 6ft long strand of leaves or cut back and hope it survives. Any thoughts?

Was due at a folk dance b'day party tonight but dipped out because my leg keeps giving way. Not promising for wild gay gordons!

Oh, car turned up, may be a goer but Dusty said not Eco one. This is Kia Picanto, 36.000mls in Raspberry pink. . Pristine condition. And it's Eco Dynamics. Don't know if they come with the same warning but it says you can turn it on and off at the press of a button.

Right off to snuggle down, hoping to wake up and come to terms with half dark and chilly grey skies as that's predicted for the whole week

-taff

Now I must go to Devon and eat my namesake fish and chips. That'll be a hardship...[um...no, it won't] Not sure I could have a scuptire like that but it is cute...I think I'd prefer flamin dragons, or driftwood horses or somesuch...not a big enough garden though for either Berni inns, that's a blast from the past...we ued to go out sometimes as a family and my faher would always have the mixed grill including a kidney. I don't think they do them like that anymore do they?

And I'll swap you my love in a mist for your shoo fly, mine are self seeded and come up everywhere. That's an impressive fungus...

Yeah, just the smell of lamb is horrible to me now and the heavy after tatse. Maybe I need some mutton in my life instead if I could find any. 

Oh dear PP, you are just a magnet for yuk stuff but your OH was funny...And I am impressed by your balls of fluff robins

2P, I odnt know what's happened with them things, the WI quiz was one pound for a raffle ticket...each! I'm usre they used ot be one pund a strip. Not complaining too much though, I won one and got a bottle of 12 yr old Glenfiddich which I now have to hise from the OH, lest he guzzle it down. Oooo, a raspberry pink car, sounds fab, I've never driven an auto, is it much easier?

Well I did allotment stuff today. I chopped up all the spare wood I've been saving yesterday and managed to make enough lengths for 8 raised beds so I took it all today and nailed most of it together, covered with cardboard and discovered the holy of holies, a massive compost bed with excellent compost in it, so that's going on top tomorrow. I also got myself one of them green garden waste bags from Lidl, and I'm putting all the balckberry canes ivy and bindweed, nettles etc in it to make weedy compost, because I'm not collecting it to take away, it can be futurally useful. Met the guy next door, he was telling me how much of an excellent gardener who knew everything had the plot before me..no pressure then! And I missed out on some free compost brought round by the council, drat it....

Dustyevsky

twopenny said:

Oh, car turned up, may be a goer but Dusty said not Eco one. This is Kia Picanto, 36.000mls in Raspberry pink. . Pristine condition. And it's Eco Dynamics. Don't know if they come with the same warning but it says you can turn it on and off at the press of a button.

Dusty said not a Ford with an Ecoboost engine, or anything with a Peugeot/Citroën 1.2  Puretech engine. Believe it or not, that includes some Vauxhalls.

Dusty didn't say “nothing with the word eco in it.”  Everyone claims to be eco! The Kia Picanto is one of the more simple (and reliable) cars around. The 'Eco Dynamics' is just a fancy way of saying the engine will shut down if standing in traffic and start again at the push of a button. There are 2 versions: a 1 litre and a 1.25litre. Naturally, the 1.25 will go up hills better (and burn a bit more petrol.) Both are cheap to tax/insure.

If you are happy with the size of the Picanto, it will be as good as any of it's rivals in that size/age group. 36k is a sensible mileage; not so low it's sat about and/or only gone to the shops, which isn't good for a car.

O.T We had the same dreich day as you and pp. It allowed me to mow grass, and in the afternoon I cut down a couple of trees. Had to finish early as I couldn't see what I was doing properly, and that's not good when wielding a chain saw! Our robin is still attacking everything in his territory that gives a reflection!

twopenny

Thank you Dusty. Looks good and passed it's MOTs except the last. But that does mean new brakes which is good around here It probably has been sat a bit because it's 10yrs old so only 3000pa. Not the boot you get with the Fiestas and such for all the garden rubbish but I don't need the back seats. I discourage lift giving   I'll investigate further.

Taff it's petrol and manual gears. I envy you the ability to be able to do all that. Such a feeling of achievement you get. I follow in my imagination. Good that you have somewhere that's been really well looked after. Means the soil will be good. Bad luck on the compost but your turn will come. You probably don't need it till you've grown stuff the first year or two.

No sunrises/sunsets/stars etc here in this weather. I think I need a new thermometer. It says 12 but feels like 6  

So lacking photos of that what about some allotment photos I took in the summer...........

I love the idea of the big pipe to store canes. I didn't get one because they are expensive but I may treat myself to one for my birthday.

And for those of us that don't have much room or can't bend this is a great idea

-taff

Well Dusty, so I had to check, turns out my rifter has one of them engines...but that's OK because i want to sell it anyway, no more anything with adblue for me.

2P, sorry, I misread eco for auto! I dunno, I was fancying something automatic just because really, my days of zipping around in cars are over, slow and steady for me now [ mostly anyway] I did enjoy the allotment p o r n , I could look at pics like that for hours. There's always some new idea to use or something new to learn. And if it's any consolation, I am exceedingly creaky tonight with an ankle that isdeciding whether or not it will stop working. Hopefully not, but the longer I'm on it, the worse it fets. Determined to sow my field beans though [ and onions before they start sprouting in the bag.]

Dustyevsky

-taff said:

Well Dusty, so I had to check, turns out my rifter has one of them engines...but that's OK because i want to sell it anyway, no more anything with adblue for me.

2P, sorry, I misread eco for auto! I dunno, I was fancying something automatic just because really, my days of zipping around in cars are over, slow and steady for me now [ mostly anyway]

Automatics are nice if you drive a lot in towns/heavy traffic, but there are several sorts. I only have experience of the original torque converter type, with real gears, not the belt systems with no gears, or simulated gears, or semi-autos that let you change gear manually too, if you wish!

I love our Ford's ability to whip away at traffic lights, roundabouts etc. It has a larger engine than standard on Fiesta-sized cars, because some power is 'lost' in the auto system overall, but it's quick at low speeds. The down-side is that the auto choses a lower gear than I would, especially on hills, and the larger engine burns more fuel, so economy is rubbish. We only get 35mpg. I imagine modern autos are a good deal more frugal.

The only other down-side is remembering which car you're in if switching between auto/manual. I kept forgetting and stalling the manual car , but at least I didn't do Mrs Dusty's trick of filling the diesel up with petrol! Now I only have a big van as an alternative, I don't forget what I'm driving....that thing needs a completely different approach!

OT: Still grey and relatively calm this morning, but with a high of 12c predicted, not that warm. The rest of the week is supposed to be similar, but with higher daytime temperatures. No frost in sight, so will the courgettes keep going or peg-out with mildew? In the poly, the tomatoes are still happy.

We have a big digging job coming up on the septic tank drain field, so dry and mild would be handy. Hopefully it'll just be a 2-day thing. Also, we really require the inside of the field hedges cut, and if things go soggy that's impossible, as it was last year. The guy we use is good/cheap, but does the large contracts first. Understandable, but....

Lovely, well-tended plots there 2p. That reminds me: sow more greens!

EDIT:

Today's out of season plant, blooming again, is Cistus ladanifer:

YoungBlueEyes

Jeez you can't miss a day on here can you, I've forgotten what everyone said!

The red and peach flowers taff, I don't know what they are. They're the same as the ones that I posted a while ago that were pink and not looking at each other (if anyone remembers them?) It was net of somethings I found in the conservatory. They looked like wee hands of bananas, if that's a help? Woohoo for discovering excellent compost! That'll ensure the whole thing's a raging success when your ankle decides to stop mucking you about :rolleyes:  

Chinese lanterns, that's them Less Don't we have a lot of Scorpios on here! You boys had better watch your tongues ha haa  

I'll have to keep my eye out for shoo fly Farway, I like those a lot. Sniggering at your curly ones... No spare Ferrero chocs here cos I gave that box to The Oracle  He will learn, eventually. Possibly.

Your fairy ring was just in time for Samhain pp, very special and magical  That's you blessed for the year (after you've got rid of the spinning and lurgy and stuff). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samhain  You calling that robin Robert DeNiro then...  

I like your pile of hens Dusty, but I bet I won't like the price when it's labelled. Deffo got a Nick Park look about them, very comical Further good info on cars too, all helpful to me. (I misunderstood the 'not eco' thing too I just want a lovely blue Swift - why is that so hard? Well it's not if you've a bunch of money, and there's the rub. 

A shanty group sounds like good fun 2p Getting bamboozled for raffle tickets is a s0d though, that kinda thing is such a shame cos it always puts me off. A Raspberry pink car! I want one of them now I don't know about moving your rose... I would only risk it if I wasn't bothered about it taking the hump and dying on me. It should be ok cos isn't this time of year when they're putting roots down anyway..? Will muscular/bonular/nervular wosname let you dig it up?

OT dull mild and nothingy. No sun, no wind, no rain, no nothing. It's currently 9', which is the same as they've got in Iowa City.

Dustyevsky

YoungBlueEyes said:

The red and peach flowers taff, I don't know what they are.
Your fairy ring was just in time for Samhain pp, very special and magical  That's you blessed for the year (after you've got rid of the spinning and lurgy and stuff). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samhain  You calling that robin Robert DeNiro then...

The flowers are dahlias, and you're lucky the slugs haven't eaten them yet!

Samhain echoes the many traditional feast days and customs those living through seasonal climates had at the onset of winter, where their weather, was thought to be under the influence of other-worldly spirits. Now, of course, we're much better informed and more sophisticated, so we make worldly sacrifices to net-zero. 

All the same, those who follow certain pundits on the interweb, or who just read their tea-leaves, think it might be wise to consider what the ancients did, and maybe lay in a few supplies, some water, and a torch or two, just in case.

P.S. You can eat the dahlia tubers, if it comes to that!