Awful weather - typical Brits talk

twopenny

Lonely scenes Woolsery. Aren't you lucky.

It's just very cold and dark and damp here. On the plus side a daylight site I checked showed it starts to get lighter by a minute a day from now. Evenings only, the mornings still getting darker - but it's turning. As in my neck of the woods, is the cold.

Hoping they're right.

Again no gardening today. Amazingly though, there are still plants in bloom and the lemon verbena still has all its leaves. Shows the amount of shelter you get from a tall wooden fence.

Woolsery

twopenny said:

Lonely scenes Woolsery. Aren't you lucky.
It's just very cold and dark and damp here....

Maybe that's a slight penalty for being on a north facing coast with moors behind you. Here, south facing and with nothing in the way, we get whatever sunlight's going. Not a lot of sun currently and -4c when I was out this morning, so very crisp, but we'll brighten up soon. Tomorrow looks rather dull and grim, though!

This was an hour ago:

You can see the leaves are still on those oaks in the sheltered spot behind the old cottage with its leylandii barrier to the north. They're like your Lemon Verbena, but not much good for flavouring!

YoungBlueEyes

I'll reconsider changing out the fences here then. They're v tall (well I can't see over them, I guess they're about 6ft) and I had thought I might like non-solidy ones to let more sunshine in...

I need to start paying attention to the plants and flowers near me, hopefully some of them will be the sticky variety. No, hopefully the sticky ones will be successful in my garden  

Your last pic makes me nostalgic for my dogs woolsery. Bright frosty moonlit mornings like this one I'd be up and out with my big coat and warm wellies on, dogs raring to go. I miss that. And them.

Farway

Another one here with just dull, dank & grey, I was expecting a frost at least, but it's comparatively tropical now, which is odd given that relatively nearby airports, Heathrow & Gatwick were having problems

Still not the weather for gardening, but I will soon have to get round to emptying my tea slops bucket, which may count as mulching?

Woolsery

YoungBlueEyes said:
Your last pic makes me nostalgic for my dogs woolsery. Bright frosty moonlit mornings like this one I'd be up and out with my big coat and warm wellies on, dogs raring to go. I miss that. And them.

We've not had a dog since DB's died at the grand old age of 14. She was a border collie and very well-trained, but didn't score highly for initiative. Anyway, once married, it was me who got the job of walking her at 06.30, rain or shine!

As a teenager, I had a Golden Retriever who was famous in our town for her intelligence. I could say to her; "No way am I going through this field of bullocks with you! Go across the river, and I'll meet you at the other end." With a few hand gestures as back up, she'd get the idea and do exactly whatever I told her. I also taught her to let me know if the fish bailiff was around, because she'd hear his motorbike long before I would. She would get my attention if anyone was around within about 1/4 mile.

Sadly, my retriever only lived to age 7. That's often the problem with highly bred dogs; their genetic faults are magnified. It was only a matter of months after she died when two bailiffs on a big estate caught me. Fortunately, by then I'd discovered other teenage delights, and after that incident the fishing rod was largely abandoned.

For years now, we've had tortoiseshell cats instead of a dog. They're a bit mad and independent, but we see that as a plus.

twopenny

Lol my comment should have read 'lovely' not lonely.

Yes I miss my dogs still and its been years. I've been tempted lately but for the first time have a social life and then there's the vets costs these days.

Farway, yes, I think taking the compost peelings count too. I told the workman to toss his teabag (he likes them to soak) onto the garden and had to tell him twice. He didn't know what to think.

YoungBlueEyes

Funny, you'd think the collie would've been the smarter one, that sounds like a special retriever We always had labs growing up, but my first dog was a black and white English Springer. God I loved him. He was wall eyed and freckly and so handsome. Smart too. He was so in tune with me; he barely needed any training. I cried like a 5 year old when I had to have him put to sleep. Same with the next one (tan working Cocker) but that was partially cos the vet was useless. Reckoned he had a vitamin deficiency and was charging me plenty for vit pills when actually his kidneys were failing. He was only just 6 when he died - I was so angry! I carried him round to the vets and laid him on the floor, shouted til the vet came out, then had a full on hysterical screaming ab-dab fit. Then I put in a formal complaint and he closed the next year. Turns out he'd been dangerously useless for a long while. Jeez my heart's racing just thinking about it!

Anyway so no more dogs since Jack. The Murderous Colin still tries to wiggle his way back into 'his' (our) house, but he's quickly gotten used to living next door now it's so cold   

Just to stay on topic - it’s bladdy cold here. Only a few more days of it and it’ll be 8’ and raining, says met office. 

Woolsery

twopenny said:

Lol my comment should have read 'lovely' not lonely.

Yes I miss my dogs still and its been years. I've been tempted lately but for the first time have a social life and then there's the vets costs these days.

Well, it can be lonely too in these very rural parts, which is why some of our friends have dogs. Ownership means they go out, rain or shine, and they meet other dog owners in the lanes and forests nearby. Despite not minding my own company, I used to find walking a little lonely too when DB became unable to join me. That's sorted, but my walking partner's had a very difficult year, so we're out of practice and condition. Like gardening, however, there's always next year to do better.

Yesterday's 'gardening' here consisted of checking the pots of more tender plants I put in an open barn and covered with fleece. They were all frozen solid! There was very little sunshine, so no thaw, but the crisp air suited me, so I had a wander around, at home and in town, where the post box was so full, I had to go up to the village to post our cards.

The bottom field and mini-woodland. There was a pheasant too, which would have added interest, but he saw me and cleared off!

Paspatur

I think most of the plants in my greenhouse are dead. It hit minus 7.3 this morning which is a new record, previous record was minus 6 in Feb 21
I couldn't get the door open yesterday due to ice!

Woolsery

YoungBlueEyes said:

Funny, you'd think the collie would've been the smarter one, that sounds like a special retriever. 

  I believe retrievers are one of the most intelligent breeds, having been originally bred as Russian circus dogs. I've seen a few very smart ones on YouTube recently. You're right that collies are also among the quickest to learn, though. It has to be admitted ours was the runt of the litter and the one no one else chose. She had total faith in us, which proved useful when we drove off without her one day. Half an hour's frantic drive later, we found her, still in exactly the same parking space in the woods, not bothered at all. We could leave her outside shops like that too, but we'd always tell her to "Wait," so she'd know; we didn't just disappear!

My first dog was an Old English Sheepdog, Dulux style. He was bright as well, when we cut him a fringe, so he could see! We had him because his widow owner couldn't afford to keep him, and he was in very bad condition, eating potato peelings etc. I only had him a year, but it was my worst year as a child, stuck in the middle of Dorset nowhere, so his company was a great help. I had to give him up when we were due to move into rented rooms, but there was a fairy story ending: his original owner had become engaged to a builder, so she was able to have him back! He lived to a ripe old age, but maybe without the fringe. 

Back on topic, it's warmer today, but forecast to stay dull.