Awful weather - typical Brits talk

twopenny

Well it's been quite a day here...........15c and bright this morning but dark and cloudy from lunchtime of course and light rain.

But walking about the house in bare feet with no heating on.

It's a weird world.

Fabulous photo and experience Poppy. People spend days trying to get a photo like that   

Glad you've got a haul Farway. And with so little effort. A lesson to us all perhaps

pink_poppy

I decided not to post the more gruesome photos I took, twopenny. I just hope Mrs Sparrowhawk doesn't come back to prey on my lovely garden birds - I couldn't believe the size of her. I actually saw a blackbird literally peering over the hedge when she had finished her meal but was still on the ground, presumably checking to see if the coast was clear.

Glad you had a nicer day yesterday - it makes all the difference. We've got heavy rain and 40+ mph winds this morning   

Dustyevsky

pink_poppy said:

I decided not to post the more gruesome photos I took, twopenny.
We've got heavy rain and 40+ mph winds this morning   

 The 'pretty' one's a great photo, nonetheless.   The experience might be gruesome, but seeing a Sparrowhawk in action is unforgettable. We've witnessed them a few times, being successful, and also when the smaller birds' reactions were quicker.

It's 50mph here, currently, and wet with it, but the rain's supposed to stop, and the wind should moderate around midday. GS, 4 years old, has just pointed-out a rhinoceros cloud; not listed on the drunkards' website. We're more used to getting a load of bull from there!

I think your yarn bombers may find their creations somewhat soggy this morning, 2p, but I imagine they're quite resilient. Another super and 'different' photo anyway.

Farway said:

No sign yet of any seeds coming up from my recent sowings, but early days, I'm not really expecting anything until weekend at least, which is seven days

Ah, I've seen some action in the last few (warmer) days, but some of mine were planted in November & December. Here's a rare umbellifer in the cold frame:

This is the description of the fully grown plant: https://www.specialplants.net/shop/seeds/heptaptera_triquetra/

Being an umbel I know it's one thing to germinate these, and something else to grow them on and transplant successfully. Some Alexanders ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smyrnium_olusatrum ) I lifted  liberated from a roadside recently are still sulking.

-taff said:

Dusty, geez, that's a play area? I feel quite hard done by now with having to make do with a thing that span you round or a see saw...or those seats on springs.

It was a very clever installation, requiring increasingly harder physical skills to reach the next level. Children like our 4-year-old GS were only able to reach the bits that were safe for their level of competency. Perhaps this concept could be applied at an intellectual level to those who seek to govern others?

pink_poppy

She was back this morning for third helpings, Dusty. I'm worried now for the garden birds - I didn't mind so much that she'd caught a pigeon (and I didn't witness the kill), but I won't feel the same if she manages to catch a blackbird or robin or any other garden bird that I consider to be 'mine'   Nature is red in tooth and claw...

Well done on your seedlings popping up

50mph winds here too (the forecast changed from 40mph first thing) - so fed up with this weather, even if it does feel milder, it's still miserable.

Farway

Mild & drizzly start first thing, drying out & brightening up already, in line with the “Rain clearing to South East” forecast

twopenny said:

Well it's been quite a day here...........15c and bright this morning but dark and cloudy from lunchtime of course and light rain.

But walking about the house in bare feet with no heating on.

Glad you've got a haul Farway. And with so little effort. A lesson to us all perhaps

My heating is subdued, thermostat cut out so few pennies saves, I'm not in bare feet though.

Update from Evri, my BFB is on the way, no doubt will arrive tomorrow morning while I'm out collecting my trees.

Great photo Poppy, must be a Front Page candidate

There were pigeon feathers around next door, near the feeder. I wonder if there's a hawk around here? Thinking about it, more likely to be a cat here.

The pigeons seem so dumb and idle, wandering around pecking at fag ends and bits. No wonder they are prey food.

Do you have nearby bushes for smaller birds to hide in Poppy? I have a pyracantha handy for shelter, and berries.

My magpies were back, Mr & Mrs, chucking old leaves off my conservatory roof as I watched from my bedroom window, and surprisingly they found worms under the leaves . How do worms get up there?

Job for weekend? FREE P & P with both. DT Brown & Mr F

I suspect same company, but they do have different prices and seeds

Both say

FREE DELIVERY will be automatically applied at checkout and ends midnight Sunday 23rd Feb.

Mr F

https://ctrk.klclick2.com/l/01JMKM8WEB7WGENMTY2H82RWBV_7

DT Brown

https://ctrk.klclick1.com/l/01JMKM3CN4ZMXZ0QC2ZY3D916R_3

Brown has peas, short-dated, including Hurst GS & mange Tout types, from 99p, so I'm getting a packet or two in my search to get fresh pea shoots, and I see Brown has 3 for 2 offer as well, very tempting

I'll have a look for any trailing stuff, already spotted cascading Losetto F1 blight resist toms @99p.

The milder weather is spurring my daffs on, could be pots of open daffs up my front steps some time next week

pink_poppy

My bird feeder is next to the jungle entwined ivy and honeysuckle, so I think a good hiding place for smaller birds. However, that is where the sparrowhawk carried the pigeon to finish eating it, as it's more sheltered there. I wouldn't mind a pyracantha - nice and spiky. I had one with orange berries in my last garden. I do miss that garden (rose-tinted glasses firmly on).

I nipped out to do a meter reading earlier and the daytime number is higher than usual, not sure why. While I was outside (in the pouring rain with my coat on and hood up) the postie strolled past wearing shorts and a jacket    

twopenny

Same winds and rain here too - fence still standing at the mo. Tho I saw a few in town that the whole row snapped so chances of getting someone to do my post are slim. I got a few cards for Dans and Darrens I've never heard of and decided to do an ostrich impression for this weekend.

Temp about 13c but feels lower in the gloom and wet.

Dusty, why the heck are you growing Alexanders?

You can't move for them down here. The grow everything out. Except a bit of fennel.

Oh and you know the story of them? Use instead of Celery.

Poppy I would think that the bird would go for pigeons first as that's a decent meal. My half adopted puss cat in the last place was only small but would eat a whole pigeon on my doorstep so a friend said.

Farway, for some reason the back/leg whatever is fine if I walk in bare feet. I'm am an aging hippy tho so bare feet was the norm in my youth.

The weather has beaten down the flowers that were out. Crocus in a soggy heap, a couple of daffs, fancy bay has some sort of leaf miner and had to water yup water the geraniums which have been eaten by caterpillars. Fences have turned green even those done with ducks back.

So not feeling like gardening even if it was possible.

Looking at my strawberries I wish I'd gone for the T&M offer but I'll find something because I'm pretty sure mine have had it.

And I've been watching the Hairy Bikers cooking Strawberry & pepper scones .

One joy has been eating blackberry and apple jam on my toast in the morning. I did have some raspberry jam too. Think I'm going to use the frozen ones from last year to make jam. The canes in the garden don't look flourishing either so a small crop this year possibily.

Going to have to make more effort on the jam front next year because it was lovely having the fruit in the morning, gave me a brief spell of summer.

Not quite in focus - I was shivering too much!

Dustyevsky

twopenny said:

Dusty, why the heck are you growing Alexanders?

You can't move for them down here. The grow everything out. Except a bit of fennel.

Oh and you know the story of them? Use instead of Celery.

Farway, for some reason the back/leg whatever is fine if I walk in bare feet. I'm am an aging hippy tho so bare feet was the norm in my youth.

Alexanders are rampant in coastal areas, but where I am the same colony hasn't spread in15 years, so I'm fairly confident they'll behave, but still cope with the harsh competition by the stream. It's mainly a spring garden, with yellow as the predominant colour. Of course, if I can get other umbels, besides valerian, to grow there, so much the better. The pink meadowsweet is lovely, but it can't cope with summer shade. It grows too tall and falls over.

Another ex-hippy here, but I never did the barefoot thing. I expect you know there are 'barefoot shoes' available. I've not linked to any because I've no knowledge in that area, though I suspect the Chinese produce cheap, and possibly inferior ones. They still could be worth a go in the first instance, though. Welly boots are my unavoidable problem here. Bekina make light ones, though they may not take the same punishment as the steel reinforced safety boots I use.

The hooley outdoors has vanished, and it looks as if we have a fine day to enjoy before the next storm sweeps in on Sunday.   GC and parents have gone, but we still have visitors, who'll need catering-for, so unsure if gardening will be possible. Next week looks quiet, socially.

I've no great reflection picture of ducks to share, 2p   but I caught these two on a local common last Tuesday. I'd never get so close to the ones that sometimes inhabit our oak trees.

It looks like the topic of their conversation was somewhat serious!

Farway

Damp start, but clearing now with even a bit of sun, and very mild

2P, nice reflecting ducks. 

I've just finished the last of my HM blackberry & apple jam, like you, it's a taste of summer.

Never had enough raspberries for jam, plan C is getting the loganberry fruiting, but that is a year or so away

This bare feet thing, could your back etc be linked to grounding business that was all the rage?

I had a grounding strap on my trusty rusty Cortina, it was in the days of nylon shirts & whatever man made plastic trousers were made of

Every time I opened the car door I was zapped

Nice chatting magpies Dusty, my pair just bully the other birds, with no time to chat

Been busy already this morning, collected the subsidised Apple, it's James Grieve on M26 stock. Destined for DD garden.

Also, the Red Filbert, its pot grown  and destined for Red Corner at volunteer car park.

My Home Bargains BFB parcel has just arrived as well, looks like busy afternoon, open package, pot up JG apple until I can get over DDs

I also ordered reduced free P & P seeds from Browns, plus got the 3 for two, just had to, honest Guv.

Peas, to try shoots, pot marigolds, lobelia, too tempting not to, sweet pepper, hoping they will go into my wall baskets, black courgette, small trailing white cucumber, bunching onions and Losetto toms, to dangle over tubs, and another mixed decorative, but edible, small chilli.

And, Ta Ra, I have a dwarf peeper just showing a green shoot in the propagator

twopenny

Oh it's quiet around here. The sun must have come out!

Which it did here, beautiful day if a bit chilly but no wind and rain and the washing got half dry.

Farway that sounds like a lot of work waiting. Ordering and getting excited comes at a cost   

Dusty, ok, hope it works for you. Dense cover for creatures for sure. Rabbits seem to like living in Alexanders a  lot

Lovely photo, they are beautiful birds. Just wish they weren't such agressive by nature.

The garden is still too damp and muddy to scramble over plus leg a bit iffy but plans afoot to move the raspberries that have formed a double row into one of decent canes (if they don't sucumb to the move) and give me a bit more room for winter veg and such.

So went to the Repair Cafe and got my clock and toaster looked at - toaster worked fine there of course. Too busy with a hunt meet to get the car near for a look at my electric fire so it's trundling back next month.

Came back with a big cheese and chutney scone for lunch + coffee cake and chocolate brownie. I was supposed to slice those in half for 4 portions but that didn't happen. Too delicious

Then sat outside to nitromorse the grotty handles for the kitchen cupboards. Got 5 done, only 16 to go

But the kitchen has taken on a whole new look with shiny brass instead of 'antiquey'

Tonight the temperature has dropped to 10c which feels like 5c. At least it's not raining yet. Blackbird was singing at dusk, optimistic I suspect.