Awful weather - typical Brits talk

LessImpecunious

Thanks for explanation of your surroundings Dusty, becoming clearer now! though am still puzzled by what Mr C thought he could do with his dams, don't think even Canute's followers really thought he could stop the sea…

And yikes to your tree, looking at it down it is probably a bit bigger than the biggest I've tackled! Good job you weren't still up the ladder…

Just drizzle this morning, and mild… overland rivers have drained away overnight but everything remains very squelchy…and dogs have now trampled the crocuses; spuggies are removing primrose flowers😡; but first daffodil trying to open (actually yesterday, despite the weather🙂). Made the mistake of just checking forecast and looks like we're due more xxxx this afternoon…🙄

twopenny

Yes Farway, I'm one who trims half hoping that the leaves on the other half provide nourishment for the pruned part. Might try that on my rose out front. I've thinned out but it is enormous 😲

Fruiting on new growth is the same for my apricot. Coming along nicely but we've winter to get through yet however spring like.

I'll just add for Bluey, had to look up neuro divergent. Apparently I am too 😂 probably 60%of the population. Dyslexia and cross lateral. I don't do things by halves!

twopenny

Note to Less - You're front page with your crocus 🙂

YoungBlueEyes

Spoiler Warning

Morning all, on this day in history Watson and Crick revealed their DNA discovery

Gawd sake. I've been messing about trying to learn how to do the different quote things and I can't undo the spoiler! I didn't even press Save Draft so it's doing that automatically * sigh*

I'm gonna be sat here ages sorting out a new gas + leccy contract. I can't believe that's 2 years since I got caught out with the leap year nonsense 😯 Mind I've peace and quiet to do it in, himself has just left to go to the garage, again, cos another sensor is going off. Something about one of the tyres… I said they need to turn down the It's My Turn frequency of these things and he just looked at me blankly 🤐

Woohoo for your front page crocuses Less👏 Also, what's a spuggie?

Is that pic your apricot 2p? Looks like you're gonna get a good year 😀 I'd heard of neurodivergent before but I need to look up "cross lateral"

Dusty I agree with the fact that you wake up one day and suddenly it isn't scary at all that you need to make big changes and then you just get on with it. About your quiz question (and this is why I was looking up quoting and spoilers) do you do cryptic questions or just plain ones? Cos you can have my 2 fave cryptic ones if you like…

I'll half de-arm my fig then, thanks Farway + 2p ☺️ I was in a B+M yesterday but their garden centre bit was just some stuff on an aisle, 90% of which was plastic/tin/sparkly/fluffy tat, and included easter eggs. The BFB was £8 for a box so I left it there.

OT raining. Proper rain, not that half-hearted mizzly stuff. Bit cool tbh in that N/NW breeze but it's to dry up and brighten up this aft, possibly. Which is fine by me for I wanna start off some more seeds, seeing as I found yet another stash of them 😆

Dustyevsky

Less said: Thanks for explanation of your surroundings Dusty, becoming clearer now! though am still puzzled by what Mr C thought he could do with his dams, don't think even Canute's followers really thought he could stop the sea…

And yikes to your tree, looking at it down it is probably a bit bigger than the biggest I've tackled! Good job you weren't still up the ladder!

My chainsawing isn't on a ladder. 😬To do that, a person needs what's called a top-handled chainsaw. Those may be operated one-handed, from ladders or climbing, but they're not supposed to be sold to amateurs, like me. I only use the ladder to tie ropes to the tree, and I don't like heights, so the pulling point is usually lower than I'd prefer. 😄 I approach every tree at ground level and deal with it in what seems the best way, according to how it's growing. This will only be on a calm day, for obvious reasons, but also because trees make noises, indicating when they're about to break. An electric saw is much better for going gently and listening. Also, because there's not enough oomph to blast your way out if the bar gets trapped, working with a battery saw encourages care and concentration. 😇 However, one shouldn't walk away for 15 minutes with the job half-done, like I did! 🙄

The next tree is larger, but it is only going one way…..famous last words! 🤣

Mr Canute's stream blocking is intended to slow the water and leave all the detritus on our side. It's been fairly effective, as we now have a sand and mud bottom for about 8m where there were clean stones before. 😖Unfortunately, Mr King and Mr New have cleared their stream sections out, creating more debris than usual. I'm leaving things as they are for now, but l'll probably rake it downstream before we lose flow in the dry months to come….if we have any! However, in anew twist, Mr New went into the 'impenetrable' woodland directly behind Mr Canute's garden with his digger yesterday, clearing space! Mr Canute arrived home just as dark fell, so he may not know yet. 😈 I think there may be some interesting 'developments!' 😄

Farway

Morning All, just a quickie 'cos I'm orf over to DS this morning.

All this Mr New etc, getting to be very Reservoir Doggy, and with Canute dam perhaps Dam Busters thrown in.

Best of luck with new gas / leccy YBE, I've just come down from insurance struggles. I've just changed my gas using MSE special offer from the MSE Energy Club

2P, love the apricot, I am tempted by my heart to replace my Norwegian Plum with an apricot, but head shouts, No you old fool! It will get curl & set off to Valhalla

Reading about chainsaws, I still find it hard to believe Horticultural DGD has a professionals certificate to use one. When younger she was the blond haired, blue eyed, angelic schoolgirl type who loved mermaids and wanted to be one.

One Fig did get pruned yesterday, I left another for comparison. I'm still learning and so much conflicting advice around, not helped because figs are still a fairly uncommon crop in UK

Have to dash, DS due to collect me soon. Weather is fine, which is good, because I'm directing DS & DGS as they prune two apples trees which are getting a bit [understatement] large

twopenny

Well ain't that a thing. My half post yesterday that vanished appeared here this morning. Gremlins at work Bluey 👻

Sun has finally come out but I'm exhausted from yesterday's excursions so no idea where this is going.

Everything has come out blooming fast, literally. Tulips on their way, potatoes that lay underground because of cold and wet have burst forth and growing like topsy.

Still wet out there from heavy overnight rain so finishing digging up beds will have to wait. Might dry up by this afternoon and I may mow the back lawn so it looks pretty for 2 mins.

Dustyevsky

Bluey said: Dusty I agree with the fact that you wake up one day and suddenly it isn't scary at all that you need to make big changes and then you just get on with it. About your quiz question (and this is why I was looking up quoting and spoilers) do you do cryptic questions or just plain ones? Cos you can have my 2 fave cryptic ones if you like…

Sadly, as Farway hinted, decisions for folks around us in recent times have often been of the sudden bad news variety, but it's not always like that. In 2013, I was at my wits' end after sorting out the land and the barn. It seemed impossible to make the same level of changes to the bungalow without some affordable expert input, so I was all for moving on. Then, out of the blue, help arrived, allowing us to say, “Right, let's give it a go!” We didn't know what we were getting into, but at least we came out at the other end financially, if not physically, intact! 😄

Also, some fantastic coincidences have occurred through my lifetime, almost always benign, and much low-level synchronicity. For example, last night I was perusing my home town via Google car, when I idly wondered what developments there'd been in the lane where we raced soap box carts. What about the house on the corner whose wall we'd hit if we were going too fast? Ah, it was still there, and the wall, but all around were newer builds. This morning, what should turn up in my Rightmove feed? Only that house, now completely transformed by a refurb, the first in nearly 70 years! 😮 Still has the wall, but the road's too busy for carts! 😊Anyway, kids have PS2's now. 🤔

Cryptic quiz questions are OK if they can be dealt with in about 30 seconds. I'm not allowed to go slowly! 🤐

Farway said: All this Mr New etc, getting to be very Reservoir Doggy, and with Canute dam perhaps Dam Busters thrown in.

I agree, it's deflecting from gardening, but I have to show you Mr King's answer to being away on business (what sort of 'business' I wonder? 😎) for some days:

He set up two. Nothing like trusting your neighbours, eh? 🤬I hope he likes photos of sheep! 🤣

Back, at last, to gardening, and we have 3 Divinity and 3 Jimmy tomatoes up + the 6 Sungolds. Lots of Black Beauty aubergines have germinated too, despite being old seed. A second tranche of seeds going in soon, but no sign of any chillies. 😕

OT: We are due sunshine and only the lightest of showers today. Breezy and 10c.😉 I'll take it! Weeds here I come!

LessImpecunious

YBE said

Woohoo for your front page crocuses Less👏 Also, what's a spuggie?

(Thanks for headsup on the front page 2P!) Spuggy is an alternative name for sparrow - thought it was universal! But then, I only discovered this week that our own, now grown up, children had no idea what a goosegog was, despite the fact they were brought up eating (and enjoying) the ones from the garden…😮

YoungBlueEyes

Morning all - happy St David's Day :) On This Day In History President Kennedy set up the Peace Corps…

I think we need to rename this thread, all the chatty interesting stuff is nothing to do with the weather 😄 I wanna know what Mr New is/was doing in the Impenetrable Woodland Dusty! Is Mr Canute up yet? Can you see the digger from your side of the fence, or maybe a top bedroom window…? What does he think is gonna be on that camera? Isn't that against privacy laws or summat?

2p I looked up Cross Lateral, that was interesting. I spose those are the people that are good pianists etc? I reckon neurodivergent covers a multitude of sins tbh and everyone would be somewhere on the scale. Where you just used to have chatty kids or bookish kids or sporty kids or shy kids, now it's all got a new name and a point of reference on the scale 😶Anyway. Tulips and tatties, there's worse combinations ha haa! Did you get your grass cut?

How did tree pruning go Farway? Has everyone got the right amount of fingers still? It'd be funny if your chainsaw-wielding mermaid dgd has to go round next time to keep them on top of it 😄I did get gas+leccy sorted, through an MSE email deal thing. Mine will be coming from over the water now (Oooh la laa), well the bills will be. I had to sort broadband as well, so back onto MSE email and in a few days we'll be with Sky. It's crazy - for £1 cheaper a month I can get a basic sky package + quicker broadband -v- just slow broadband from who I'm with now. #ThingsTheyDon'tTellYouBeforeYouMoveToWhiteTelephoneBoxLand I will have to send some more money to Auntie for it though 😏

Spuggies are sparrows Less? I would have guessed slugs 🤨 Is spuggies regional to where you are then? Goosegogs I did know, I think that's universal. Do they still eat them now…?

OT It's quite mild out there, despite the sobers saying it's -1 WoC. White cloud that'll be gone soon with that lovely Southerly breeze, and some sunshine too I reckon. Might even clean Tutus, unless it comes really sunny.