Awful weather - typical Brits talk

twopenny

Ah I missed farways post. I wouldn't worry about a vortex, take a bet on Christmas being white  and that should make bright sunshine☀️

Practising on my phone again I did do some gardening and Christmas decorations. Saw these in morries discount at  50p for keeping pigeons off my new broccoli and rather than the garage I thought they would do here. 

So mse, gardening and Christmas decorations  all in one go    

Dustyevsky

Farway said:

While you're out, pop into Specsavers 
Hope the Polar vortex is a fable, I'm supposed to be over DD's for Christmas, snow & winds could stop that journey.

Funny you should say that. I'm in Specsavers on the 27th. The glasses they sold me last time are enshitified sub-standard, so I want to look at titaniums again.   However, Mrs Dusty is first in the queue, so I'll probably wait till March and spread the cost.    I also hope the Polar Vortex is the usual MSM hype. Our DD is coming here, probably on the big day itself. No doubt her bosses will get away early, but vital lab results can't be kept waiting long. 

twopenny said:

I'm sorry your neighbours smell Greenbee.

  Ours do. Coal fire.  Gubmint forgets those when attacking wood burners.  Orrible!
The rain stopped just in time for yesterday's delivery. The lorry had a hi-ab, but the poor guy couldn't use it for my wood, so he had to lug it all in by hand, and it was sopping wet. 

Yesterday was allegedly the last date for 2nd Class before Christmas, and I forgot we still have an early closing day here.  Consequently, a wee PO in a distant village received a decent boost in their stamp sales, while I received a good blast of germs from two folk hacking and coughing their way through the massive queue of 5.... all the shop could hold.  That's the first obvious sign I've witnessed of this lurgy, and hopefully the last. 

I like those walks you linked to 2p. I don't feel the same about one or two of the walkers, but there's lots of choice! 

Hog-cam fired 8 or 9 times last night, but only once for the unmarked adult hog, who doesn't stop. The rest were all Foodie cat, who visited 3 times in all, but didn't attempt entry.

Nothing wonderful going on in the garden, so here is a cyclamen that's established after doing time indoors as one of Morries' past offerings. It's in a very dry, inhospitable place. 

twopenny

Yes they're really relaxing but a couple weren't worth the time.
Especially loved Lemn Sissay. I looked up some of his poetry after and liked it.

Rescued my washing from the back of the garden. Winds were strong yesterday but must have got worse overnight.
The last of the tomatoes were knocked to the ground and either bruised or split. Shame because they were ripening 😲
Bought them in anyway just in case.

Hellebores coming on a pace. Rose still blooming and thought I might start cutting some kale for supper but otherwise everything is sodden and leaves rotting.

It's quite mild and no wind now but so dark and dim. Makes some of us lethargic.

Not sure I'm going out today, couldn't sleep for coughing and neighbour leaving every morning at 4.45.
Yesterday the driving was manic and heaving with cars.
What is the matter with people? Shops closed for one day and a day with family and people act like ameghedon is coming.
Easter eggs are in store stockrooms now.

Farway

It's tipping down, vertical rain, and dark with gloomy mist, 'orrible

Nonetheless, I went out at last, trial run on knee & car, mainly I needed to collect my prescription, plus into Morries, last visit before Christmas & the Loonies mentioned by 2P get there

I was hoping to find some tulip bulbs, but nothing,  a few knocked over plants, dirt everywhere, rest were dead or dying, plus anti freeze. Surprisingly no Christmas trees at mine

Consoled myself with 5p veggies on offer, and I did buy one of those miniature potted roses you give as a gift and then it dies?

Only £3 which i thought was a good, I'll try for pic later, it should last until the Big Day when I give it to the Norwegian undertaker's agent

I've already knocked one flower off on the way home 

Just spotted the last posting from Dusty, warning was too late, posted mine this morning at Morries. I see the post boxes have now got gubbins to post parcels in, more magic, not that I ever send parcels, but I suppose for the E bay folk it could be handy

Envious of the cyclamen, it looks far better than those on sale in Morries this morning

No gardening, but may catch up on GW winter specials

twopenny

No gardening. 
Thought I'd got a bug, felt horrible, coughed all night and tired but it could be tired from disturbed sleep 😬 so I've been snuggled down with some sewing and cooking.

It's rained on and off, not cold and grey.

There was a lovely phrase on the walking prog. " Mist like a too large overcoat slung over the hills"

Did find it couple more green tomatoes in good condition on the soil. The tomato for Christmas bet is still on 🙂

Found this in my photos, no idea where from but it's a good one for an easy care garden. Couple of fruit trees and good to go.

wort

YBE I hope the young men are recovering, and your hubby hasn’t been hospitalized. 

Dusty I was just about to say you or me need new glasses when I read the sentence under the photo 😂
2p I hope you get a good rest, nothing worse than broken sleep. 

It’s been grey and wet the past few days, yesterday was bitter cold too, especially when I got assigned to door host at work 🥶 The forecasts I’ve seen are for more of the same, the only polar is the express on tv.
The hoards are out all this last week, and traffic is horrendous,the car park at work has got to be one of the worst I know, with twists and bends you get cars coming from all over.

I’ve bought all my food shopping for the day itself which Dd2 is hosting and cooking, 😁 just hoping to get some 8p veg to see me through the next few weeks, possibly make some soup.

Dustyevsky

twopenny said:

Hellebores coming on a pace. 

Before it threw its belt, I drove the ride-on over our long stretch of those.  Still didn't achieve a full cut back, but half a job's better than none.   

Farway said:

It's tipping down, vertical rain, and dark with gloomy mist, 'orrible

Nonetheless, I went out at last, trial run on knee & car, mainly I needed to collect my prescription, plus into Morries, last visit before Christmas & the Loonies mentioned by 2P get there

Envious of the cyclamen, it looks far better than those on sale in Morries this morning

Tipped down all day here too, until about 15.00. None of the promised wind, but I heard they had that on the Mendips, along with their rain.

I expect to be one of the late shopping 'loonies' next week, although here, shopping isn't manic like it was in the city we lived in. There's a very laid-back culture in this part of Devon. 

The cyclamen is a good example of 'right plant, right place.' Most garden plants would hate being in that dry, location, often a wind tunnel. The Welsh poppies and cyclamen don't mind, and oregano puts up with it, at a push. 

No gardening yesterday, but I put a new chain on the chainsaw, ready for some tree felling in the New Year. That's gardening when trees are too close and need thinning out. It's also MSE, with logs at £185 a tipper load. 

Much of yesterday was taken up with clearing up after Mrs D had a major disaster with the tree.    For a few years my patent tree stand, made with a sheep lick bucket, hazel pieces stacked vertically and held in place with grit, has been passed-over in favour of a nifty thing from Lidl. That thing does the job quickly and easily, but not as well IMO, and yesterday proved it. Mrs D forgot to re-fill the water reservoir and the lot went over. 

Mrs D has hundreds of glass decorations, collected over 50 years, so we're unlikely to run short, but it was lucky the tree fell partly on a sofa, and not entirely on the tiled floor. She lost about 20, some irreplaceable, but only she will notice. One of the cats was sleeping on the sofa at the time, and we didn't see her again for hours!  Anyway, we're still using the Lidl contraption. I've put a lead weight from a grandfather clock in it, and we'll see if the sheep bucket returns next year. 

Today, taking cards and presents places, so the better weather is appreciated. Some sunshine and maybe no rain is forecast.

I expect your cards will get there on time Farway, and I too am hoping those lads are out of hospital for Christmas, wort. We're also looking forward to the day when one of the DDs cooks the Christmas dinner, but it won't be this year.

Here's hoping Bluey's young man is out of the woods too with that nasty flu bug, or whatever it was.

Today's photo is self-explanatory; just the usual garden view in the pouring rainThrough the archway there is just a glimpse of a Viburnum tinus hedge which I must take a photo of. It's one thing in full bloom just now. 

What's this?? The drunks say dry ,but it's peeing down....again!  :

YoungBlueEyes

Morning all - "Search Geminid Meteor Shower" Hmm that's a few days old I'm sure

Himself is improving incrementally, a couple of the others are out of hospital and alright, but the properly poorly lad is still in intensive care God love him. I'm going over to see his wife later cos she's there on her own. They're not English, they come from that land out East where we've been getting the proper grafters from these last years, and she hasn't made many friends. 

Work has been agony - Lloyds bank has been down for 2 days and people turned into nasty aggressive swearing threatening rabid animals. Really not fun. I know it's stressful at the best of times, but it isn't phone-answering chai-wallah-etttes fault. I tell ya, I got in at 1830 last night I almost had a drink! Wondering if the new girl will come back in the New Year... They've replaced Alice in Wonderland with KitKat Katy - she's 6 stone wet through and has a choc bar with her morning and afternoon cuppas. There's not a pick on her, more fat on a chip as granny used to say  

Looks like a bright dry day here so my washer's on. Dropping humidity and a goodly breeze Long may it continue for I'm very behind from all the rain and sogginess and murk we've had  

As promised, here's me crick. I think it's gone down a bit actually.. I'll take pics when it goes back to normal so yous can see how bad this is - 




We were treated to a pretty good sunrise the other morning, I was sorry I had to leave for work! - 

Compostybag Carparkii is hanging on in there. Hopefully whoever put it there will do another one next year, and do it a bit earlier so it's got time to do it's thing, whatever it's thing is. It's a beggar to get a good pic of, but here it is - 

OT not warm but the sun's up and it's to be a decent day Depending how much you've had to drink it either Feels Like -4'c or +2'c. Guess who said which :rolleyes: 

Farway

Sunshine & blue sky this morning, ideal for trotting out delivering pressies etc

We have a local car park, it has two entrances and only one exit, serves some retail sheds, like Curry's, Iceland, Marks, Home Bargains, Costa etc. 

It's busy at the best of times, this time of year is hell and only loonies go there, then moan on Faceache about stuck in traffic and getting a parking ticket.

It is robot car parking fines invoices, number plate recognition, time out minus time in 

I hate KitKat Katy, I put a stone on just reading about her. "Life is so unfair" he blubbed

Good on you for visiting the poorly lads wife, I do hope it turns out well in the long run, and I'm sure your visit will help a lot at this time

No gardening here today, well not quite true, the grapefruit in a pot has blown over and I need to get it back upright now the weather has improved, coming out in sympathy with the Dusty Christmas tree

That is a cracking sunrise YBE, and even the muddy creek has a nice tree reflection. See later 

Here's a pic of the pot rose I bought, probably doomed to die, so enjoy while it lives

 

And here is YBE stream after a wee touch of AI and Springtime dreams

twopenny

Farway I managed to keep my potted rose after planting it in the garden.
It doubled in size and got scent.
Lasted about 9yrs. 🙂