Awful weather - typical Brits talk

twopenny

Poppy, you probably might see one with their head poked out of the water but the one under not so from shore. I photograph ours from the top of a cliff.

Or it maybe that they need guards because of the number of people peering down and trip boats etc.

Would be interesting to know.

Nothing to report gardeningwise. It's been grey, cold and mizzle so my thought that I may get away with mowing the lawn vanished so it's indoor nonsense.

I did see one lady pointing out flowering plants to her husband, who just nodded in a bewildered way as she got excited about the blooms   

Thermals on already  

wort

Gawd, it was bitterly cold yesterday and I spent most of the day at work in the draught. Had to put heating on and use hot water bottle when I got home. Today the thin thermals have been swapped for thick and the cardi for a fleece.

The seals sound like the monkey clans that have lookouts. They are so clever.

The mass of magpies here live in the trees that line the street at the top of my road , the nests are massive.

pink_poppy

I've only ever seen one magpie around here months ago and it was the first time I've seen it in my garden yesterday - I hope it doesn't come back.

I couldn't look at anything over a cliff, twopenny, that would definitely give me the heebie jeebies. Having said that, I would love to see Orca. There's no way on earth I would want to see them on a boat trip (they're far too scary), but I've read that you can see them from cliffs on Shetland. Which reminds me, we never got to see the bottlenose dolphins when we were on holiday we stood waiting on the beach for about 3 hours in freezing cold wind and only caught glimpses of something in the water. I took a couple of videos, but when I zoomed in they were bloomin' seals   I took this pic of starlings having a bath on the way back to the car...


It's been raining here and feels cooler this morning. I wonder what Portugal weather is like   

Dustyevsky

pink_poppy said:

It's been raining here and feels cooler this morning. I wonder what Portugal weather is like   

Lisbon and Faro are both sunny today, but so are we, at present!   It might make 14c here too.

Love your starling picture, pp. It's not necessary to find exotic creatures for good wildlife shots.

As reported earlier, we have magpies at the other end of our fields, and I suspect their numbers are being 'controlled.' They seem reluctant to come into our garden, which I'm pleased about, given the number of small birds we have.

Yesterday, was cold, but Mrs Dusty and I were busy with hedges of different types until dusk, so we kept quite warm. Our tractor guy did the road hedges, while I focused on one between us and the neighbour 'farmer' who's just sold. Thanks to soft ground nearby, it hasn't been done for a few years. He never has his side more than lightly trimmed for brambles etc, believing it's our job to do it! The word 'How?' comes to mind, but with some effort I can get most of it down with the chain saw and heaved over into our field. Apart from the tops for pea sticks, it'll be another bonfire.

With Mrs Dusty completing the last yew hedge, that's most of the garden tidied-up too. Just the beech to do.

Loved the rag & bone men posted by Bluey. If they're making a come-back, what next, milk floats pulled by hosses?

A shrub flowering in the right season today. This variety starts in November and blooms until spring, if the weather allows.

Rosemoor have this one on their main building's north-facing wall. No, I didn't acquire ours there!

Farway

Still grey & dull, felt a few splashes of rain earlier, but it came to nothing.

I like that camellia Dusty, they always seem a bit exotic, which I suppose they should being same family as Tea

I noticed my neighbours Magnolia buds are swelling, now that would be early

No gardening today, but latest GW is up on YT so may watch that later. I was catching the last series of Handmaids' tale, Praise Be , but it's gone all Deep Thoughts and broody looks, so CBA to finish it, it's back to mangle wurzels for me.

Pic today, got the planned shot this morning, the self sown Shoo fly in flower with silhouette & poppies at the volunteer place war Memorial, after the service, hopefully anonymised enough

Dustyevsky

That's a stunning combination of shoo fly and poppies, Farway!  What's more, I bet it's the only one of its kind in the UK this Remembrance Sunday.

In deference to the quietness of the special day, Mrs Dusty and I didn't start work outdoors until 12.00. Then it was back to our hedges. She was shaving millimetres off her yew hedge, and I was tearing through hundreds of hazel stems. No prizes for guessing who had the neater result!

Looking north and east at 2pm, things looked rather grim over in 2p's direction, but we kept the sun all day. Sadly, I've no photos, as the hedgerow work was too wild and woolly to risk the camera. I've one more day's work left there, so I'll try for an 'after' picture then, even if there's no 'before.'

Tomorrow, it's fingers crossed for the arrival of another local gentleman with a digger. I shall call him 'Mr Drain,' but he's a good guy and deserves better. However, Mr Septic wouldn't be an improvement!

Meanwhile, in the continued absence of any sheep, here are two at Rosemoor with a few autumn crocus in the background. They look like they need feeding-up a little more.

twopenny

I love that Camelia Dusty. I bought one for the first time when I moved here but it never flowered again after that so I'm disillusioned. Probably the soil.

Farway, lovely shot for today. And gardening too

Brilliant photo of the bathing birds Poppy. It's a smasher when you get one like that.

Wort I used to work somewhere like that. Miserable lot wouldn't help.

I am slowly amassing sets of thermals. The new stuff is a revelation and not cumbersome at all. The world can make progress in some things.

I decided to have a sleep in today and seems I nearly missed the sunshine. Yep, real sunshine and not cold. Gone by lunch time but even so.

I went for a walk beach walk with my neighbour, looking for alabaster. And was amazed to see cat on a lead being taken to explore the rocks

The accompaning labrador did not look impressed at being demoted.

I tried for a discrete photo but too blured and darn cat kept disappearing into the crevices.

pink_poppy

Lovely photo, Farway

I really like those sheep, Dusty    

twopenny, can I ask where you got the thermals from?? I could do with some long-sleeved thermal tops but wouldn't know where to start. A beach walk sounds lovely and funny about the cat - not something I would do though.

I took this photo on holiday - thought it would be nice for Remembrance Sunday. The green light marks a war grave from the Second World War 'The Royal Oak' with over 800 lives lost 

wort

PP what a lovely pic, such a nice way to remember them. I get M and S heatgen thermals, I think the med long sleeve is the ones I’ve gone into now, they are smooth top side ,inside is brushed and warm. Many colours and styles I also have thin ones for summer😂 they do polo neck etc and can be worn as a top.

I started with a gammy eye yesterday, it’s a bit puffier today , I’m hoping it’s ok at work today.

Farway I loved the colours of shoo fly with the poppies.

Dusty your cameilla is one of the type I like , I’m not a fan of some that look waxy and false.great for winter colour though.

twopenny

Sad story Poppy but a beautiful place and lovely idea with the light.

Wort sorry about your eye. Is it one eyed driving to work? I've done that one handed before.

Poppy, thermals? Well I started with picking up some M&S thermal leggings from a charity shop by chance and they go under my trousers. Very thin and  cosy. Then went to get some more and found the tops that Wort mentions. They are not cheap but worth every penny and look pretty too which is cheering in winter. I buy the long sleeved and wear under a fleece top or jacket which I can whip off if I get warm - like yesterday!! - and they look like a nice tee. Burgundy and Plum I've got and going to order a pink too.

Heart Foundation are selling new HeatGen leggings for £6.50, Age UK for £8.50.

https://www.marksandspencer.com/heatgen-plus-thermal-long-sleeve-top/p/clp60474267?color=GREEN#intid=pid_pg1pip47g4r6c4

Well today I was going to mow the lawn as there was no rain forcast - but woke up to wet ground

If the promise sun ever arrives we'll have to see if it dries enough.

Got the bulb pots down from the top of the garden yesterday and they need a top up of compost and feeding.

I know there's a whole trug full of bulbs in the garage. No idea how that got left behind and no idea where I have any vacant spots to plant them.

The leg isn't very good at the mo so it will all depend on circumstance today. It feels pathetic compared to young Dustys major landscaping