Awful weather - typical Brits talk

Farway

Sunny with blue sky, but of course rain may arrive later this evening, or not.

I'm not quite synchronised with Dusty sleep times, but I the pattern fits  . Not helped by my keep me alive pills, which  ensure I'm asleep half the time in front of TV, usually woken by the remote control thudding on the floor

-taff said:

Farway, I've had, or rather the heuchera did, it's first experience of vine weevil this year, most ammoyed, it was one I'd propagated...lovely flowers, I like the purply stem bit. 

Also like no one who doesn't pay bills gets an opinion unlike the parents of a four year old who were asking him what floor he wanted in his bedroom in a diy chain store once....

I used to have mugs like your one on the right, thin enough and big enough, but they all went the way of the dustbin for accidental smashings...I'm on volcano shaped ones now, keeps the tea hotter longer...

right, must act like I'm doing stuff....after another mug of tea...

And my tea is Yorkshre tea...or anything strong, with occasional chai ones thrown in, and sometimes an Earl grey mixed with a yorkshire for strength and flavour....

Oh dear, shame about vine weevils arriving, and heuchera are one of their favourites. 

FWIW the foxgloves that were Weeviled & then dosed with Jeyes F the other week, seem to be perking up a bit after the rain, fingers crossed and Norway flight postponed

I like the "bill payers opinions only" as well

Tea, I use a small tea pot, but a posh special Pompey blend of loose tea, which is blended to suit the hard, chalky water around here

It's strong but not harsh tannin

I have a large china mug, with an alphabet letter Q on the side, which slightly annoys my children and causes eye rolls, because the Q means bu66er all. 

Part of a collection but there must be a shortage of Quentins around, so it was clearance reduced to 50P 

I do not own a dress with bees on it 

Unlikely to get any gardening done, bit too damp, plus domestic nonsense involving me spending money on stuff I need but wish I didn't, like Broadband and car breakdown cover

try for a pic, pot marigold, in with the Fairy mix seeds & hoping it self seeds, unlike it's cousins which fed the slugs

pink_poppy

Thanks, greenbee, I know you've steered me towards that board before and I do appreciate it. I'm the world's worst procrastinator though and can't make a decision to save my life. I confused things even more yesterday by looking at an energy site, which asked me a few questions and then suggested my best option was to get solar panels. ASHP was the second option and I don't think upgraded storage heaters were mentioned at all. I wasn't signed in to the site, so my answers and their recommendations haven't been saved, not even if I look back at my history from yesterday.

YBE, it was looking into insulation that prompted me to do the above ^^ it's definitely something I need to do, but the cost vs. the savings weren't great... £1500 to install, to save 50p a year, or something daft like that.

Btw, I really liked the dress, but not the big butterfly at the neckline.

Tea... yuck, yuck, yuck... even the smell gives me the boak...

The Aurora appeared twice that night, W_M the first was about 8pm ish and then again 10.30pm ish. Definitely sign up to get alerts, because they can be visible up and down the UK. Lovely turbine and sunrise/set pic

Dusty, I didn't see an Aurora alert for last night, but there were two comets visible - I think it was early evening though, not 'up-for-a-wee' o'clock    

Nice to see you back, wort. Has your DD had any luck with the probate house?? I found out the other night that my DD has pulled out of buying her probate house because nothing was happening and the EAs were hopeless

taff, I like the sound of your holiday - the cake, especially    

twopenny, I'm guessing you can't swap your living/sleeping arrangements around to avoid the early wake-ups??

Less, yes please to a big greenhouse in Rottery Acres   

OT - sunny, then raining, then sunny again...

pink_poppy

This came up on my faceache memories yesterday - taken in Fort William in 2021 - it was bigger than my hand… 🍄

 

YoungBlueEyes

Morning all, on International Snow Leopard Day

Yous are right about the dress - the thing itself was ...I'll be kind and say 'unwearable".. but the work in it was stunning. It continued all down the back too, and the butterflies were all round the neck and cuffs. I didn't touch it but they looked a bit .....resilient  

Rottery Acres best have plenty of acres, I think greenhouses or summat are deffo needed, and plenty of em. And can we have sheds/pergolas/wooden stuff in general too, that all want creosoting so they smell good when the sun catches them. Mmmm creosote  

Up early to go into work early for a company wide training session - how to successfully manage idiots so they don't realise they've been managed. Sadly that last part isn't true Speaking of things that aren't true, here is an absolutely made-y up-y story. A woman rang demanding we sue our previous client - she bought a house from a seller we acted for. She's just realised she can't bear the noise any more and it's "inhumane" what she's had to put up with these last 16 months and wants something done about it. Apparently she bought a house next to a 'dentist' and the noise and the cars are relentless and it's literally driving her mad. Yes the 'dentist' has been there for years and was there when she moved in. So she wants us to sue the seller because they must've lied about a dispute on the forms as no-one can live with that level of disruption so that's fraud and theft. So she wants the deal unwinding, she wants her money back, and she wants twice the current value of the house as compensation. I told her she'd have to speak to the solicitor that acted for her at the time. She must've spent about 10 minutes thinking about that and then she put a complaint in about me and my attitude. BBM listened to the call and said he'd address it. I'd love to know what he did/said but obviously that's not how it works. 

OT the weather thing at the bottom of my screen says it's 9'c and light rain Well it bluddy isn't. The Feels Like is about 2' I'd say, and it's blowing a hoolie out there and making a hell of a racket on my conservatory roof. Worse to come, they all say. The wind could top out at 37mph, perhaps, and cold with it. Well waddya want in near November? :rolleyes: 

Here's a bit of fun - https://www.thejournal.ie/louvre-jewels-stolen-robbery-failure-6852116-Oct2025/
Ignore the first few off-topic comments, their mods haven't stripped them out yet.

Oh and while I'm off-topic - well done MrsPB on getting your weekend party palace. Your tenacious perseverance paid off  
(And no that isn't talking politics, mods, the royal family are famously non-political )  

greenbee

50 mph winds due here YBE, and it was cold and wet when I took Stinky out for a wee earlier. Not a gardening day!

Poppy - if insulation is poor, all heating will be expensive. If it’s good you’ll use less. Given your lack of heating, I think you need to get estimates for both kinds (ASHP will be most disruptive as you’ll need all the pipework installing) and get the heating installed. Then deal with insulation. Stopping droughts is something that you can easily DIY, as is temporary film double glazing (you can even use bubble wrap stuck to a damp window!), thick curtains/layering blinds and curtains, rugs on cold floors etc.You may need able to increase loft insulation yourselves. New windows gets expensive and wall/floor insulation may be complicated and not necessarily have great payback. 

twopenny

Morning all. So far light breeze, blue sky and sunshine. Couldn't believe it.
But there's hummus clouds cumulus nimbus with another making an anvil shape up top which I know isn't good.
The sea was ok yesterday but most of the seagulls were missing so nature's way of saying hunker down.

Little bird or two in the garden each day so I hope they are coming back.

Bluey I used to get calls like that for the national park. Always sent to me to deal with because apparently, I'm a peacemaker.
Perhaps we could have them diverted 😆 
I remember, there's children playing in the lane behind and I want them stopped. The trucks to the abbatoir behind are noisy and awful I want it stopped. I bought a cottage in a beauty spot, I can't live without 2 bathrooms and 2 garages, what do you mean I can't have them.

A locals favourite that recurrs is 'the bells from the church next door need to be stopped. The smell from the farm is disturbing my holiday challet. It should be closed.
Most recent is the new builds on farm land are being resold because of the muck spreading twice a year.
The countryside is not a quiet place people see on telly 😁

No gardening for obvious reasons. I have a curtain rail to be put up to organise, need a new phone as mine is going pear shaped and either dancing (watching) or family history work at the library depending on the weather.
Getting the house sorted in case I have to move.

No, can't change rooms. Only 3 living areas. 2 at front and lounge at back with no windows, only patio doors.
I'd have to pay to have furniture moved so bathroom and wardrobes in living area, bedroom no window to open and sleeping with dining table bureau and bookshelves.
Son isn't going to move. Got his sky broadband (for the kids yeh!!!l newer car, mum pays bills, shopping, cooking, does the garden, everything while he has a nap. He does early shifts so he can take 3 days off and stay in on his computer he speaks to no one.
Other neighbours are all old and unwell. As more active people move in the peace could go altogether.
I only stayed because of the lovely neighbours and great peace and quiet.
If I can find a place where I get the kitchen I want and lovely views it maybe worth it.
And yes, I've lived opposite a dentist. He used to make the false teeth at 3.30am from the top bedroom with the window open. It's a noisy business 😊

Poppy what lovely hands you have 🙂
Greenbee I bet Stinky didn't mind.......

Farway

The rain has passed on, and the wind is dropping; it seems, apart from being very soggy, yet another storm has been survived.

twopenny said:
No gardening for obvious reasons. I have a curtain rail to be put up to organise, need a new phone as mine is going pear shaped and either dancing (watching) or family history work at the library, depending on the weather.

Likewise, no gardening, but may catch up on last week's GW, if Family History work [at home] starts to frustrate

OT, but with AI I'm now updating Wikitree entries with some photos and more details,. 

Lots of distracting rabbit holes to go down of course, one of mine was a 16 years old Kitchen Maid, working in a house on Onlsow Square. 

I have her story from Good Housekeeping 1936,1/- at all good bookstalls  . Very Upstairs, Downstairs, complete with "Your servant" waiting behind your chair at dinner. 

Perhaps on special occasions at Rottery Acres we could have this?

That house is still there

The magazine is a rabbit hole by itself, who knew you can get your hair brushes re-bristled? Just forward your Ivory, Silver or Ebony brushes for a quotation by return of post. 

greenbee

Not only did Stinky not mind 2p, he then insisted on a long walk. I got soaked. He got soaked. Guess which one of us was bothered by it?

Dustyevsky

Late this morning.     Had to batten-down a few hatches and check the car, as Mrs Dusty's driving up the M5 today to collect the Outlaws. Others are on half-term tomorrow, so have their grandchildren staying, but we're hosting the great-grandparents! Perhaps it's the better option during duff weather, though. 

Agreed, 2p, the countryside isn't always quiet, and it can certainly be smelly. Neighbours anywhere are a lottery, but I notice the countryside has more 'eccentrics' (or 'mad people,' if they're poor!) than we had in the city. There's also the added bonus of those who've always lived here, assuming extra privileges.   As you and Bluey point out, those who've just arrived may also think established practices should be curtailed, or at least tailored to suit their wishes. It's not a recipe for harmony! :'(

For those who surfed into these parts on the Covid wave, and found their nemesis, not nirvana, the difficulty now is selling in a market that's stone dead. The only properties to change hands nearby in 2025, were the two with land. Someone said to me recently, “We need another crisis!”  I guess it hasn't clicked with them yet, we're in one! 

WARNING: graphic description follows! 

Checking the wildlife camera early this morning revealed this:

So, we have not one, but two foxy visitors! I thought there were a lot of poos!   Neither seems to be paying attention to the hedgehog feeding station, but they were up to mischief elsewhere, attacking a neighbour's unsecured bin containing incontinence products, and demolishing the contents on our lawn!  :'(  It wasn't a pretty sight.  All cleared-up before the storm, but I can guess there may be more mischief to come. A number of neighbours are lazy careless about using their wheelie bins, as they prefer to use sacks they can transport by car. That may be about to change!

Regarding Storm Benjamin; so far he's nothing special. Windy and a bit of rain. I think some of you guys further north and east may be feeling the effects more. 

twopenny

Farway I used to have a silver backed hair brush. Left hair lovely and shiny.

Greenbee I have a large suitcase full of dog towels because not easy to come by enough of them.
Hoping for a dog again.
Dawned the other day that now we have microfibre I can probably get rid of them. Is that right?