Awful weather - typical Brits talk

twopenny

Buckfast, just desperate to get out and go somewhere.

Christmas, the weather, the back leg prob has kept me tied down for a long time.

Used to just take off of a Sunday over the Somerset Levels and drive but these days the roads are chocka every day of the week it seems and the road changes, lane changes are all much more complex so looking for someone else to drive.

Pre Pandemic I was planning long drives to some famous gardens and must look that up. But you do need the season to be right for those.

Loved some of the ones on Montys British Gardens series especially Conway, but too far away possibly.

Shame we aren't closer Farway, I could drive and you could navigate

Yes Dusty, I went to the Walled Gardens back when it was cheap as chips and a great little cafe (always essential) and not far from me.

If you're ever over that way there are some lovely walks across Steart Marshes near Cannington. Just take a left turn at the big roundabout and look for simple signs.

The paths are wide, flat and easy to walk on with hides to sit in and photo oportunities galore.

https://www.wwt.org.uk/wetland-centres/steart-marshes

We went to Combwich where it's free and an interesting docking spot but I've been and parked in the wetland car parks too. When tide high reflections and low mud flats for wading birds and hawks.

twopenny

Morning again folks.....not often I'm the first up twice in a row.

Hope it's because you've all got nice weather to get up to.

They promise it will be warming up this week. It's dry and there's no wind - yipee-  but also no sign of any brightness and still 4c at the mo,

I'd post a photo but who wants to see more grey!

The little birds were flocking and flying this morning so maybe they confirm it is going to get better for a while.

Stayed up watching British Gardens last night. Gave me a bit of inspiration. I'm going to leave and extend my 'woodland' bit because the birds love hopping up the steps and rooting for bugs. And I like it too.

Daphne has to be moved where I see it more in winter. Anyone know anything about Daphnes? It's happier than it was but not romping away by any stretch of the imagination.

I could start painting the fence, it's finally dry enough woodwise. Or emptying the compost but I'm worried the big Bumble is nesting in there again and it too cold to disturb it.

What I need is a Taff around to get me going

Dustyevsky

twopenny said:

Yes Dusty, I went to the Walled Gardens back when it was cheap as chips and a great little cafe (always essential) and not far from me.

If you're ever over that way there are some lovely walks across Steart Marshes near Cannington. Just take a left turn at the big roundabout and look for simple signs.

The paths are wide, flat and easy to walk on with hides to sit in and photo oportunities galore.

The way my knees are going we might need "flat and easy to walk on" shortly!

Yesterday, I ignored the knees and went on the rampage up the stream, looking for annoying branches and the odd tree to fell, so there will be more light in the coming year. It's a constant battle, not helped by the fact our farmer neighbour thinks they're his trees! I left a fair sized tree where it had fallen in the stream, but didn't take any photos because it was so dull. I'll try to take one today. We like having the trees along the bank for the birds, but there need to be some gaps, and annual maintenance to stop excessive overhanging. That farmer, who isn't a real farmer, never does any. He's sold-up, so it remains to be seen what the approach of the new owner will be.

From memory, daphnes can be tricky to move, but this is the right time, when they're about to put on a growth spurt.

A lighter shade of grey this morning here, and even some blue sky, though it's not supposed to last. I have my annual interrogation check-up with the nurse this afternoon, so that rather limits things. No change in my weight or blood pressure, and hopefully the alcohol will be out of the sample I shall give her!   

Looking into the archives, I found this willow sculpture, which was still at Rosemoor on this date 8 years ago. It looked fairly bright then, too.

twopenny

My friend uses a daily dip in the sea at this time of year and swears it helps with her knees Dusty.

You have a stream to kneel in - maybe a pool the way your neighbour has blocked the water

Love the hairy coo! I'd like one of those on my front lawn.

Anyone seen this bit of news

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c0qwvppk0zzo

A good excuse to walk the area with a purpose. I'm sure I've seen the Mrs R O Backhouse around here. But most of mine come from Poundland and Morries so unlikely I have any.

My friend Vickys plot continues to give joy. Dafs where the rest of us are still waiting

Glad the new owners have decided to leave it.

-taff

Shame I don't see that many daffodils here or I'd record them too. There are some suspiscious patches on the allotment, I'll take a photo when they flower. Some must be vey deep down because I did dig over a bit for the onions and they're all coming up in a very tight patch there. Lovely that the neighbours have refrained from slash and burn so far...

You don't need a me 2p, you need some sunshine. As do we all!

Grey, dull, cold again. I'm going to get some compost today and see if I can get some hay off a farmer friend [ others didn't email back] and I know there's still some spent coir going from the farm in the opposite direction. I am on the hunt for sticks now, decided to do a woven edge for the keyhole bed, now I need to collect things. I will use what I chopped from the dead cherry tree too. Needs must, it's going to have to shrink in size. Balls to the ROD today, it's gardening time! 

I'm not sure about freezy dipping but scientific stuff seems to concur with it. And as 2p has suggested, you already have a pond Dusty Cute coo too...if only we had some willow 2p, we could do some too...love that track through the marsh too...

Dusty, not a cold, just a runny nose from being in the cold, Although saying that, it hasn't really stopped since October. Well done on your appropriate quiz too

How's the peas doing Farway?

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head

Grey and misty here too with some drizzle but I quite like this kind of weather. 



Should it appear, the sun will start to hit the roof of the house towards the end of this month which is always a turning point for us, sitting in the shadows of the mountain over winter is a bit dreary, especially when you can see the other side of the valley basking in the sun, not that there's much forecast here for the rest of the month.

twopenny

I love the picturesque misty hills Less.

We've been getting the layers here but the cold hasn't inspired me to get out and try to get a shot. That's a beauty.

Taff you're right. Sunshine.

And as for making a coo I still have my false gate propped drunkenly against the fence that needs dealing with.

Gervis has lots of Willow if you can find him   

I guess though I should finish fixing the heater pull that fell off and get on with painting the kitchen ceiling..........just started and I've already gone off the idea.

Currently hanging around trying to get answers on the board to problems that crop up.

Farway

More dull, grey & cold here. Longing for some sun or just anything that is not grey.

AFAIK I've not seen rare daffs, but I do long for the Hooped ones at Wisley, they have them on a naturalised hill. I keep meaning to get some, but never do. Never managed to get a decent picture of them either.

All this knee talk, reminds me I've run out of stuff beginning with G, and I've just ordered more via river company, be here tomorrow, so I should be whizzing round the garden ASAP

-taff said:

How's the peas doing Farway?

Still plump and sitting there, at least they've not yet turned into slime.

Having found my old garden pea packets I'm going to start off some Kennedy ones this afternoon, same method, growing for pea shoots, although originally were bought for mangetout style

These are slightly younger, 2012 vintage , so it's two options for them

Nice misty view Lun IMH

Lack of sunshine & snowdrops, but here's a willow related photo, June 2018, Hillier's Arboretum, near Romsey

twopenny

Those would take off like helicopters in the gales we've been having

Working_Mum

Hello everyone,
I've been reading along but have struggled to post as I've been a bit busy with work and stuff.

Had a lovely  lunch at Tete a Tete with YBE - a really quaint little place and the food was delicious. 

All this talk of rare daffodils reminded me of a trip to Farndale with my next door neighbour to celebrate her 79th (I go to all the most glamourous places!), The pic doesn't do it justice but there were acres of daffodils growing wild along the river. I had a lovely trip down Memory Lane searching for this pic too - I didn't realise I was such a fan of lichen and moss - I have dozens of pics 



I love your wild mountainside pic Luna - I can imagine it's wonderful tracking the light at various times of the year.

I hope there hasn't been any more earthquakes PP?? We had one a few years ago but I slept through the whole thing! My friend south of the river fell out of bed though - I said she must have been drunk until I read about the quake!!#

I hope the peas sprout Farway - I recently made mushy peas with peas which were best before 2013 - delicious they were too. Had them in bubble and squeak with an egg on top - my fave weekend breakfast it has to be said.

Love the willow cow Dusty - sadly we don't have any sculpture type places close to us here. I would recommend cold water for keeping aching joint lubricated - it's proven appaz - your "brown fat" gets activated by cold water and then it goes off and does its magic.

I don't blame you hanging around on the Boards 2P rather than painting a ceiling. Horrid job that I've never enjoyed and usually I love painting walls and paintwork. It can be a bit of a vortex here though some days can't it - one minutes it is 11am and the next it's 2pm and I'm starving....or is it just me

Right I'd better crack on - I'm a Chair of Trustees of a local charity and it's a Board Meeting tonight and I haven't caught up on my notes.

Take care everyone,

((WM))