Awful weather - typical Brits talk

Dustyevsky

Lost my post this morning!  :'(

Farway said:

The AI trout, hopefully safe from AI herons. I have seen the real trout in the river Test that flows through Mottisfont Abbey, looking just like the AI ones, and they seem Heron proof, at least in that area

The tale of the long glass icicle, sounds a bit like tales from A & E, or the Little Britain skit when MP explaining how all his clothes fell off when he slipped on a glace cherry in a men's toilet   

I won't add link, but search on Sir Norman Fry if interested. 

I've also seen trout like those at Bibury in the Cotswolds. We used to take the kids there to feed them, before the cheap entertainment was banned.  :'(  I believe when they get to a good size/weight, the herons may not bother them much.  

As for Sir Norman, I know the sketch, possibly inspired by a "moment of madness" on Clapham Common in the 90s, but our experience was more Twilight Zone than Eurotrash  ....Anyone remember that?  The tree is fully decorated again, and no one, except Mrs D, will notice any difference. 

YoungBlueEyes said:

  Is DD's new house all sorted in time for Christmas then? Will they be doing Christmas or a mix of both religions..? 
Himself is doing better, thanks folks, he had some chicken soup yesterday.....The Polish lad is still in a bad way but he's plateaued

DD had Divali in October, and now, like other young British Indians, they'll do Christmas!   I wouldn't say their generation are devout, but there are individuals on both sides who know the traditions, and who'll sustain them. They were laying an engineered wood floor in the ground floor rooms this week, so the tree had to wait until today. As for an oven, well, there are no kitchen units built thus far, but it's in a box somewhere!    If all else fails, there's a party sized barbecue.   

That's good news on the flu-busting front.  Hopefully, Farway and 2p will escape without the full Monty experience, and we'll all be happy, healthy bunnies on Thursday. 

OT: Did a fair sized shop yesterday in weather which began sunny, but by the time I'd filled the boot, the sky had clouded over, and a chill wind blew. On the way home, the car's frost warning lit up.  So, that's my excuse for the poor photo I took of our wind turbines, which doesn't come close to those from WM.   I was nearer Exmoor, but that's Dartmoor in the distance. 

Today, still almost dry until dark, and appropriately dull for the Winter Solstice. Like you say, taff, 'damp and unfriendly' sums it up, but I split an expensive Agapanthus, pirked-out some salad leaves, and buried a cherished dahlia tuber in some dry compost, so that was almost proper gardening. 

Dustyevsky

twopenny said:

Well we've made it! Shortest day of the year, on the up from here 😉
Soon be time to get the seeds in pots and complain about compost.
Dusty, they featured Rosemore  on GW. Thought of you. 

You're doing so much outside compared to the rest of us.

It's great, 'turning the corner' on this day, isn't it?    I hope I don't complain about compost, 'cos I've 200 litres of the good stuff stashed in the barn. I'll look out that GW for the Rosemoor bit before I forget. Walking friend and I should've returned for the full sculpture experience, but there's still plenty of time, especially now the footpaths are mostly too boggy.

I'm outside a lot for two reasons, the first of which is to stave-off SAD. Even if it's cold and miserable, I go out and look at something. Today it was clearing the sticks and rubbish from the waterfall. I noticed then that the primroses are perking-up, though they don't flower down there until January. Secondly, there are jobs to do outside that are inescapable, like letting the hens out, taking their poo to the heap, and changing their water etc. It's a routine, and I'm lucky, because I can do it without leaving home! But you're no slouch yourself, when it comes to going out!

-taff said:.Yes, your garden looks a lot more passable than my disaster too.

Our garden looks OK from the conservatory, where that rainy photo was taken. Go closer and you'd see the shortcomings.    We don't cut back or clear until spring, by which time it does look messy, even at a distance. Anyway, messy gardens are better for wildlife than pretty ones.

-taff

Love the pudding bear...and we did, we did make it! It will be longer days and me compaining it's too hot, my waterbutts are empty and the damn erigeron still won't grow Just warning you in advance ....

Eurotrash or the twiglight zone ? The former more, the latter was a late night tv on bbc2 thing or something, in , horror of horrors, black and white! I liked the Tales of the Unexpected whixh was not in any way related to the Spanish Inquisition..

Does anyone remember the Auttistic Gardener designing a garden based on the movement and shapes created by wind turbines? Did make me look at them differently, but I've always been fascinated by them and can stare at them for hours. 

Your garden shortcomings are not as bad as my garden shortcomings where since I've hoiked out a hypericum and a philadelphus, has encouraged the postie to take a shortcut by standing on my garden to hop over the mini wall instead of walking round. I know they're really busy and have a lot fo post to deliver but if he does it again I'll put a Rambo trap in there...weather still unfriendly, I did indoor DIY instead and some outdoor stuff in brief windows of not damp. Hoping for better weather tomorrow so I can allotment.

Hoping the luriges are going, hoping PP is ok, hoping fellas with virii are better and all limbs functioning correctly...

twopenny

No, lurgy snuck up again. I wonder if it's the heating making it too warm and dry.
And yes this dark gloom makes me tired early.
Walking yesterday made me feel a whole lot different Dusty.

It was mostly raining so I've had a good go at tidying the garage while listening to a real life murder story.
BBC sounds history podcasts if you're wondering. Very good. Lord Lucan and such.
Including sorting out more seeds, fertilizer etc but too early to get rid of some.

Re postie Taff. Stick a blooming grey flowerpot in there. That's what I did for mine when she got cocky. Blocked the easy route 😁
Or a load of holly with a red bow 😉

Had some of my free potatoes from the garden. Such a surprise biting into the first. It was delicious and had flavour 🙂
Bonus!
Makes you wonder about supermarket ones.

wort

2 p yes I’m in Xmas jumper , 5 layers in all .it’s Baltic in work colder than outside ,heating broke on cue for the coldest part of the year as usual. HO sent a blower, guess what it’s blowing cold air had to turn it off.
It’s not Costco, considerable much smaller. We start with collections today ,hoping all arrived intact🫣 back in Boxing Day unfortunately we are closed but need to go in to reset! Hmm clean.
Taff I don’t watch news or ads either , may make me ignorant to what’s going on but rather that than worry about the disputes and lies that go on. 

Keep warm all.

Dustyevsky

wort said:

Taff I don’t watch news or ads either , may make me ignorant to what’s going on but rather that than worry about the disputes and lies that go on. 

One of the wisest statements on our thread this year! 

I think that's why so many people talk about 're-connecting with nature' being so positive. They know the natural world is real and won't lie to them. They don't need a red pill to engage with it, or a blue pill to tune it out.

Every day, the media exhorts us to care about this, worry about that. In the real world, all we need to do is love our neighbours (figuratively!) and appreciate all the fantastic things we have and  can do, like grow plants.....yes, even Erigeron kaevinskianus. 

OT: Dry, calm, reasonably bright, and not raining. I can appreciate that too! 

 Photo: the errant tree,before it fell.....

twopenny

Morning all. It's bright out there at 5c with no wind.
But rained a lot overnight so now outdoor stuff probably.

Christmas tomatoes ripening if they don't go bad and 2 Blackies on the back stones looking at me. Wish you could work AI for real improving them Farway.
I bought some mealworms for the robins because they were singing just lovely each day and the jungle drums must have got to the other birds.

Blackberry and apple jam for breakfast.

Checking what's on over the rest period. Who thinks it's a good idea to have 2 films about terminal illness when everyone is locked in on dark days trying to be jolly.
Looking forward to David Mitchell baking though. 

Just wondering if it's worth taking my life in my hands to go out photographing. 
Worts working hours always make me feel better about being retired 😄 hope it's a good day wort.

Farway

Dull & cold after more rain. 

At least now the days are going to get longer, it is a bit brighter to show some promise.

Supposed to be more meteors tonight, but it's always cloudy so far

Good news is I've just gained a day  , I thought Big Day was Wednesday, doh!. 

Just as well, because I need the extra day to wrap presents I should have wrapped earlier. My excuse is half-baked lurgy caused me to loll about instead of cracking on.

Feeling fine today, raring to go, but going nowhere.

Bad luck on lurgy re run 2P, but great news on the spuds, and even better being "free"

I think the trouble with supermarket ones is not only the varieties but stored for so long all the flavours are long gone

I am still eating my own [badly] stored Champion apples, amazing tastes, I think experts may call it "complex". Far different from fresh off the tree. I never fully realised that some fruits mature as they get older in store. 

I have my French pear in the salad drawer in the fridge, it has turned from green to yellow in there, without visible rotting, and hope to try it over Christmas.

Fingers crossed it does not have a black heart.

I think I'll be joining Dusty in Specsavers, I can't see any buds on my Erigwahtname, but I've not peered closely at ti, can't bend low enough without toppling into the cat poo border  Maybe I can check using camera zoom lens?

No gardening today, still have to catch up GW & the Rosemoor bit

I did have a spot of gardening in last night's dreams, I grew some lovely large yellow tomatoes, huge tasty ones on my front steps. 

twopenny said:

Just wondering if it's worth taking my life in my hands to go out photographing. 
Worts working hours always make me feel better about being retired 😄 hope it's a good day wort.

Just refreshed, nice tree Dusty, and sun is just breaking here as well, cheers everything up

I like retirement as well, liked it a bit better when I could get about under my own steam more easily, but still prefer what I have to going to work.

Hope you get out photographing, I keep thinking about it but don't do it. My next try could be Rodney the dachshund over DDs at Christmas

twopenny

Ok back to Dusty and me posting the same time.
Yes, really nice tree and what a lovely neatly clipped hedge to frame it.

Farway you aren't the only one. I'm all over the place with what day it is, got mixed up with meals that need to be cooked, when I can go swimming, even the TV progs will not give some sense of time.
And the gas should be due in January should have been read last week apparently.
I don't think there's a chance of getting a grip.

Dustyevsky

Farway said:

Good news is I've just gained a day  , I thought Big Day was Wednesday, doh!. 

Feeling fine today, raring to go, but going nowhere.

I am still eating my own [badly] stored Champion apples, amazing tastes, I think experts may call it "complex". 

No gardening today, still have to catch up GW & the Rosemoor bit

I gained the same day at the weekend.  I was convinced Wednesday was the one! Mandela effect? More like older person effect, but welcome nonetheless.

We still have some russets hanging up there, despite the winds. The last one I had was OK, but the rest need a ladder, and energy! 

The Rosemoor bit was about hollies. Told me I should be doing some pruning on the Handsworth New Silver, if I want it to fill the gaps. That will need a ladder, too.   :'(  EDIT. Mods, the crying emoji is broken!  :'(

twopenny said:

Yes, really nice tree and what a lovely neatly clipped hedge to frame it

Honesty forces me to admit that hedge was cut by the man who does next door's.   Bunged him a few quid.   At that time, our hedge trimmer wasn't going, due to a duff battery. I usually do our side, though, and then it almost looks as good! 
Sunshine's gone, but I'm hoovering now.    Had to do a few jobs in a friend's house while it shone. Managed to fill their downstairs with smoke, fulfilling the message, "Please put a log or two on the wood burner." They'd shut it right down and acrid fumes went everywhere!     Another job required some hot water. It took exactly 90 seconds to arrive! Glad I don't live in a huge place with the tank miles from the sink. Rottery Acres better not be like that, even if it has a lake!