Awful weather - typical Brits talk

YoungBlueEyes

Aww 2p your Ben has the same look my Ben did.  I'm waiting, are you going to do something? I'm ready for anything. I'll just wait. Will it be a ball? I love my ball. Have I got the ball? *sniffs round himself* No ball here. I'll just wait. Are you going to do something? I'm really ready. It might be a stick. *sniffs for stick* No stick here. Slight repositioning without taking his eyes off you. So is it my ball? I'm ready for my ball. *Checks horizon while sniffing the breeze* I'm gonna run that far, I really am. *Looks back at you* Has my ball appeared yet. I'm really ready..... I've spent more hours of my life like that than a normal person would think reasonable. Jack would only do that for so long before trotting off and coming back with a 'lost' ball that he'd just dug out of a rabbit hole or something, toss it at my feet, then assume the position.  That's my ball now. Will you throw my ball?  

Don't you worry if you've a dearth of toms Dusty, I'll send you some of mine for I've enough here to feed the 5000 (if they ever ripen)  
What kind of thrush is that? Handsome looking bird. Looking forward to today's installment.. 

OT that bit of sunshine yesterday was short lived. It soon went back to pouring in the rain, but it might be stopping now. Maybe. And I've got to figure out how to move the water butt away from by back wall now when it's full :rolleyes: I didn't think of that when I sat it there. Daddy was right - I'm not as bright as I like to think I am

twopenny

You have a great way of describing things Bluey

Lovely thrush photo Dusty. We don't get them around houses now but I can hear them singing in the coastal woodland around here.

Last night I watched Monty Don's Adriatic Gardens the first episode. I just love the Venice ones. Got some ideas about creating small tree shapes/trunks by pruning so you see through. Just wondering if I can work it into my tiny garden. Or loved the wrought iron trellis to make a lodgia. That would look nice over my patio.........must start doing the lottery.

It should be on BBC soon because I've had it in my iplayer folder and last night it vanished. No episodes available so I had to watch on Daily Motion.

His enthusiusm from those times of travel (plus the sunshine) is really cheering.

So yesterday went from 14c - 24c and back, up and down. No rain, might rain, sunny.

Today it is raining and chilly, might rain till tea time or might be sunny this afternoon.

The soil is still dry

Looks like instead of a relaxing day the electric company send emails - no explanation why they keep asking for readings and gives no statements but it needs sorting.

The guy said twice he would come and fix my heating and hasn't replied to me trying to make an appt.

The gal who was to fix the windows I haven't heard back from

The firm supposed to put in the bathroom haven't replied.

I'd be grateful for just an 'I'll get back to you' message

Groundhog day!!!!!

Dustyevsky

Out with my retriever in the '60s, I usually had a fishing rod with me rather than a ball, but Sheba had a party trick she could play at any riverside. I'd pick up a distinctive stone from the bank and lob it into the river, then she'd plunge in and find it. She wouldn't come out until she did, either! I don't know how she performed that stunt. I'd only hold the stone for a moment, and she couldn't sniff under the water anyway, but she was almost infallible. If she did give up, she'd pick any old stone rather than return empty-mouthed, but the look she'd give me then would be sheepish, saying, "Err, I hope this one will do."

OT: It's Gloomsville here this morning, with rain falling for a couple of hours, according to the inebriates down the road. The rest of today looks dull and not particularly warm. I may be forced into doing more housework.

The ecologist's report on the hedge has been submitted to the council. We found a place where we could use another hedge, so we adapted our plan to show it. That, along with a small reduction in the opening, should pre-empt any time-wasting discussions about compensatory planting, but who knows? I can't think of any sane reason now why we shouldn't be granted permission to go ahead in September. Having planted 9 or 10 hedges and well over 100 trees here in past years, I think we've done more than our fair share already for the birds and the bees!

Here's picture 2 in the Theo the Thrush sequence. Only thrushes seem to know who's male & female, and I think he/she is just a normal thrush, but happy to be corrected about that.

pink_poppy

Beautiful thrush - one of my favourite birds 😍 I love the funny tunes they sing.

YBE, your wee dug had the most beautiful eyes. They reminded me of Lady’s from Lady and the Tramp. Twopenny, your wee dug was lovely too. I always had dugs growing up (mostly Shelties) but have always had moggies as a grown up.

Talking of toms - something (or someone 🙄) has been digging in the soil of my single plant in the house. The fact that there was a whisker left at the scene of the crime narrows it down a bit... 🐈 

We've had lovely weather here for the last couple of days and I managed to get out to do some weeding and laying down of weed suppressant yesterday. I’m trying to figure out where to have a seating area and where to put the bins 🤔

Dusty, would you be able to put a pic on of the pergola you built (when it was still in progress), please?? I’m looking for inspiration and I remember you put a pic on ages ago but don’t know how to search for it. A before and after you planted would be brilliant 🙏

ArbitraryRandom

I agree that's a very handsome example of a song thrush. Good for snails... less good for soft fruits  

Not the most common type of thrush though - that would be a blackbird  

Farway

It can't decide on rain or sunshine here, drizzle, then sun, rinse & repeat. 

Surprisingly one of my pot grown toms was wilting due to lack of water despite all day rain on Saturday, guess foliage is so lush it never seeped down, soon sorted with the hose

The tom that went sideways, fixed, the stem was fine, just its supporting cane had snapped in Saturday's typhoon

I have two nearly ripe tomatoes, on separate plants, indoor & out, so can report that Bloody Butcher is the earliest variety here. I'll save seed from one of them, they are allegedly heritage so should come true, and will be hopefully be fully charged with early fruiting in Farway's garden genes. Photo once really ready

Your ones sound a problem Dusty, but I've always grown in pots except decades ago when I had space & used the open ground, the best thing about open ground or deep beds, watering & feeding is less finicky

And for a bit of gloom, reported on a FB garden group I'm on, blight has arrived , with photos so must be true, hope it's delayed because both YBE & I have plenty of green ones itching to ripen

Thanks for thrush pic Dusty, not seen one in my garden for ages despite plenty of other birds around

Gardening today, if it dries enough I may have a mooch and see how the Boysenberry is, and try for a pic of my hibiscus flower that has opened, but is near the top of the bush so not handy for a photo

YoungBlueEyes

Thanks 2p If 'dog translator' was a job I'd be a millionaire. Or I'd do it for free.... 50/50 that one. Be a damn sight more enjoyable than training other people's dogs, that's for sure.

Aye Jack had beautiful eyes pp, but Ben's were better. He was wall-eyed, but I don't think I've got a pic of him (well I have, I've got 100's and 100's but they're on an old phone that won't switch on any more ) Shelties are cracking dogs, there were a couple in the group I used to walk in. Bit more laid back and nonchalant then everyone else, but if anything edible appeared they were right there ha haa! 
Fetching things out of rivers - dogs are amazing like that, it really is a wonder how they do it eh. Sheba would've got on great with Jack's favourite girlfriend Poppy. She could sink her bum and rootle around on the riverbed with her back feet 'til she dislodged something that would float and then dive for it. Jeez she'd pull up all sorts - mostly popped tennis balls but one day she fetched up a rather nice silver spoon and gave it to Jack. He dropped at my feet and walked away. 'I dunno what this article is, it's not edible or a ball or a stick so you have it.' I've still got it somewhere. Queer fluted thing it is, quite a big bowl for a small spoon. Man this is right off topic, I'll shurrup now.

So fingers crossed for your permission Dusty, sounds like all your ducks are in a row (I hope that doesn't curse it...) I didn't know blackies are a variety of thrush, that's interesting Arb Glad I didn't guess now cos I was gonna say mistlethrush but I'm not sure that's a real thing, it's what nan used to call them. Been a lot of years since I've seen one I think.

I've got the same weather as you Farway, can't decide what it wants to do. It needs to make a decision cos my bedding's in the washer. Fingers crossed we don't get blight , I'l'l not know what to do about that I can't have got all this far to then get blight, that'd just be cruel   I'm looking forward to a pic of the Boysenberry.... 

ArbitraryRandom

YoungBlueEyes said:

I was gonna say mistlethrush but I'm not sure that's a real thing, it's what nan used to call them. Been a lot of years since I've seen one I think.

Mistle thrush are a thing, they're named that because they eat holly mistletoe berries. This could be, but I don't think so as they're 'longer' and more grey/buff coloured (and I spent more time than I should probably admit flicking between Dusty's picture and a reference ). More pictures would help (hint, hint...)

There's also Fieldfare, but they're easier to spot as they have a grey head and are seasonal (come here for the winter). 

EDIT: brain not working at all this morning. I blame the coughing shaking things loose

YoungBlueEyes

Got em. Poppy having a rootle, and her with a load of tennis balls in her mouth, and Jack glowing in the setting sun  

Dustyevsky

Blue Eyes, your pic of Poppy with those tennis balls in her mouth reminds me of the blackbirds here with their worm collections! How do they do it?

Before I saw the thrush for the first time, I heard it one evening and remarked that we must have a particularly inventive blackbird. Like the rest of you, my experience of thrushes has been pretty limited in recent years, so it's very rewarding, being 'adopted' by one.

Responding to the hint from Arb, here's the 3rd picture:

Some of the tomatoes I'm growing have been no trouble, Farway. The Sungold are OK and there's one or two ripe now. I also have some small Balcony Yellow from a supplier in Southern England that have been very healthy and easy to care for, though none ripe yet.