Awful weather - typical Brits talk

Dustyevsky

YoungBlueEyes said: You busy being a Man Wot Can there Dusty? That's an unusual buddleia, I quite like that colour combo   If we've an aphid explosion and a ladybird explosion, why isn't the one cancelling the other out?!

I've been busy being 'a man with a van.'  Not for much longer, though, and youngsters have their car back now.

No ladybird explosion here, but loads of butterflies and other insects. The sparrows are picking them off in the polytunnel, big-time, but they can't eat them all! Earlier in the week, I was bitten by 4 horse flies in 10 minutes while strimming. With bits hitting me all the time, I couldn't detect them before they struck.  Good job I don't react. 

That's a fine Marmalade Hoverfly photo.   

Fitted-in a visit to walking friend a few days ago Thought Farway might like to see her pergola.   

Predictions here failing as I type.....heavy shower! 

2p, Our field neighbour Headknob has placed a 'throne'  at the top of his land in the only position where he can look across at our garden, polytunnel etc. This is a person who guards his own privacy, and with good reason, considering his 'sidelines.'   I'll get a picture soon.....

twopenny

Lol, time for you to become the Naked Gardener 😄

pink_poppy

twopenny, you do make me laugh   The Naked Gardener and Butthead    

Fab photos, YBE, although that stick tree did make me laugh. It sounds like we've got the same weather as you today - warm and sticky. I've left our wee alpine strawberries for the birds this year, it's a jungle out there and I'm not going hunting for them and having wee beasties jumping out at me. On a slightly related note, I had one of those S&M strawberry and cream sandwiches today - quite nice in a funny kinda way.

Lovely Buddleia photos, Farway and Dusty. I've only ever seen the purple ones too.

Really good pics of the hummingbird moth, Less.

taff, I've got polytunnel AND greenhouse envy.

wort, hope you slept better and have a restful day planned for today.

Still unsure about accepting the interview - tbh, I've got better things to do   It's not until Wednesday, so a few days yet to decide.

We got stuck behind what I thought was a coach on the way back from shopping this morning - turned out to be a HUGE French motorhome. Honestly, the size of some of those things...

OT - warm at 22 degrees and very close. We're due thunderbolts and lightning (very, very frightening) but no sign as yet.

pink_poppy

We had a nice sunset last night - I love how it was reflected on the loch 😍

Farway

Lumme, looked in earlier, I was up by six, nothing, come back & you've been busy busy!

More overnight rain, which was one reason I was awake early. Must have had at least ten good hours of nice wetting drizzle, getting those apples plumping away.

The rain paused yesterday, so some blackberries got picked, and I had some in a crumble along with last year's apples. 

Loads more to follow.

Nice grape pic Dusty, I guess yours are as bountiful as mine this year 

Beautiful Glad YBE, I've never had any success with them

Are Manky trees pears? Pears seem to attract pest & disease, well my one does, and when they eventually fruit the fruit rots when you look away.

Great hover fly pic, can't match that, I do have blurred butterfly, possibly from a blurry caterpillar. 

Rain started while sun was out, I hoped for a rainbow, try to match the PP loch sunset, but no rainbow.

No gardening today, not even fruit picking, too much soggy foliage. I may sneak out to try & get a raindrop on roses sort of pic. Possibly a plumping apple.

Meanwhile, here's Merton Thornless yesterday and the newly opened lily

-taff

I'm currently moving stuff around the garden [ metal corrugated roofing, cast iron gates - the original ones form when this house was built, I'm not getting rid of them because they've got the house name on them] by myself so I'm taking a break for the fan to cool me down and do a catch up.

2p, that was funny. I was in some group interview rubbish once, they asked us all what we would really like to have, most people said lottery win or a house. I said a life sized rocking horse. Needless to say I didn't get the job either. I could have a bath but I haven't got one yet [ that's a new upstairs bathroom add on] Your apricots sound lovely, nothing beats a good fruit from your own tree...Naked Gardener ::snort:: Apparently Ruth Stout used to do that a lot. He's be just carrying on a tradition...

Less, thos emoths are so cute, they're like flying fuzzy static. 

Farway, I did not know that about those moths, what a feat! Your self sown buddleia is a beuaty, I may be beginning to hange my mind about them, love the spiral flowers. 

ybe, he's ok, cracked rib, did something to his hip, seems he redid it after a week or so with a violent sneeze, he can't get comfy, he's tourettes shouting in pain every time he takes a deep breath or moves [ and I am afraid I am still laughing at him occasionally because the shouting occasionally sounds like someone trying a very bad acting laugh, and then that makes him laugh which makes him shout etc...going through painkillers like no ones business...I am a bit sympathetic honest, but as I told him, now he actually really does know what it's like for me God, I'm so bad....]. And I'm afraid I did laugh at your twig too but it's got it's last hope so it may knuckle down and sort itself out. That wasp is really good, looks like he has a petticoat or skirt of honeycomb. 

 Dusty yours sounds like my Fatty, mostly found under the arum lily foliage nesteled agasint the deutzia on the dirt because it's cooler. That is also a lovely buddleia. Damn you all for nearly changing my mind...One more pic....And you are torturing Farway there....

PP, beautiful colour sunset! 

Right, back to the fray..in a minute..I was watching out the window this morning at what I think were sparros combing the roof tile border out the front for bugs, they were walking around them, stretching their heads up to see into the spaces between. Tried to get a photo but got ambushed by cats wanting to stare at them too...We were all jostling for window space. 

-taff

OOps, forgot to refresh,  your blackberries look yummy and that's a lovely colour on that lily...

twopenny

Had bird activity on the roof too.
On the positive side they are clearing the moss for free and it goes on the compost.
On the other side it can stain my lovely clean flags that cost me so I have to sweep up quick.

Currently eating the spiders in the fence but they didn't get the massive beast that ran into my bathroom. It was half as big as the glass I collected it in .
No there's no photo. I wasn't taking any chances. That thing could have lifted a paving slab I'd swear.

And I had a fat cabbage white caterpillar on the kitchen sink yesterday. How it got up the wall and through the window is anyone's guess.

Hazards of having doors and windows open.

LessImpecunious

Humming bird hawkmoths may be two a penny with some of yous, but I've only ever seen them once before, so rare hereabouts... Have not returned since that one sighting (and very lucky photogs, no skill or patience involved), due to awful weather since - not - 5 hours of heavy rain overnight failed to materialise (not that those moths would have been about then, nor me to see them...), but did have a close call with a cumulonimbus on our Sunday morning walk ....

No thunder or lightning spotted, and it passed to the east of where we were... listened in vain today for any apology by weatherpeople for getting dire warnings so blatantly wrong, they never seem to materialise either... grumpy face emoji...

wort

YBE yes it’s a will , probate granted May Last year ! Only 4 inheriting,one of which is dd. The others want her to have the house so no squabbling from them . They just want quick sale. They actually would have let her live in it but that’s not allowed. So hoping she’ll be in by Xmas ! Two lots of money spent on mortgage inspections as 1 ran out. 

I was just thinking the same loads of posts to catch up on. 

O.T misty start this morning, and work again .