Awful weather - typical Brits talk

RAS

It was a special day for one of the groups to which I belong, so made it over there despite some rail works.  Noted that there was a good frost still on the ground in sheltered areas. First of the year.

Glorious day, so went for a bit of a wander as well, green fields and long views. And visited the churchyard where quite a few of my lot are buried. The low grey skies have made it very hard to get photos, so used the afternoon sunshine to get shots with good contrast. 

Today, a little editing, the washing and some time on the plot. Will put out the onions that have been hardening off for a while. Planted many of the bulbs a few weeks ago but found the missing pack of narcissus, and still have a few tulips and some muscari, so they can form a spare pot.

Bought a few tulips early in the autumn as safeguards so think I'll pot them up in small batches and give the away via the plant library. 

Farway

Lovely day for gardening by the looks of it, bright, sunny & cold

I'll not be doing any though, my foot is playing up and I'm limping around so not even a mooch down the garden

Black_Cat2

Hiya all

Take things easy F, you deserve a day off your feet! 😸

Had a couple of really cold nights here with icy frost on the cars.  Wouldn't surprise me if we had a snow flurry today.  Nothing doing in my garden.  Still waiting for some trees to drop their leaves before I venture out again to do more sweeping up.

Roll on Spring lol

twopenny

Yes farway, take it as days off even if your brain tells you otherwise.
The'must do' days will come soon enough and you'll be overwhelmed. From someone who's been there 
No gardening today, I had appointments lol, remember those from pre covid?
But I did watch the variety of birds at the feeder as they are coming in with the first chill of the winter.
3yrs ago there was not so much as a fly in the garden untouched for 20yrs. Now I have everything. A bit short of butterflies except for cabbage whites.
So a good feeling.

RAS

I've just been listening to a tawny owl calling in the woods in the valley.

Two years ago, s/he would have been as likely as not calling from a tree in the park at the back. And that call would have elicited at least two responses, from the north east or further down the valley, whilst I'd have heard odd traces even further down.

Tonight that bird calls in vain. I suspect that "urban" birds have taken a hammering as a result of the much higher levels of human (and canine) contact over the last 18 months. I've not really even seen the jays and only heard a woodpecker once this year, whereas I used to monitor them carefully.

twopenny

Ras, you can tell a he from a she by their call.
One goes towit and the other goes towoo.
I'm not on my computer but a search will tell you. I've forgotten.
Lovely to be able to hear them though.
Yes, I used to hear woodpeckers in the woods. Too many people invading their space at the moment. Hopefully people will start going abroad next year and things will settle down

RAS

Thank you twopenny, definitely male calling last night and no female responding. There were two pairs and the occasional juvenile.

The woodpeckers used to come up into the park occasionally so I'm used to keeping tabs on them. They think bee hives are short trees full of tasty grubs as have to be alert.

Farway

Very dull out this morning, the forecast was overnight frost but no idea if it happened because I never woke up until 0930, I put that down to increasing my medication. But I don't think I missed much looking out

Spot of gardening today may well be to give the air plants which are my GD's Christmas pressie a tepid water spray, bought them a few days ago just in case there were none left nearer the Big Day. these are for the plant mad [ie entirely normal] one going to Sparshalt

They are in the netting as supplied, leaving her to arrange as required

MysteryMe

Started getting very chilly overnight so moved my cuttings into the mini greenhouse. 

twopenny

Cold and dull, car lights on most of the day and looking like evening at 2pm.

Went to the distant nursery for the bag of compost as they were charging double locally. I got the full christmas festive spirit of singing reindeer and a quitely funny young man to carry it. Also a coffee and cheese and chive scone so double whammy.

They are also good at giving advice on repotting difficult stuff.

My chrystanths in pots are wilting and going brown because they have been through a brief dry spell. They have been so high maintenance I really can't be bothered.

Not long to go before the days lengthen and the light starts to come back - even if it's cold. Yipee!