Awful weather - typical Brits talk

twopenny

Absolute black coming over, real wind blowing and darned cold.
I'd forgotten how dark and cold it can be when it rains. Hopefully the garden will now survive but the plants now think it's definitely autumn and very orange and yellow leaves.
Goodness knows what comes next!

It's weird seeing Dustys photo of the children in summer sun and fun when it's winter here just up the road.
Lovely though, we have a spot like that and could watch the children forever.

Looks more like a day cleaning as I've been running around looking for bathroom bits and a few days of pain when I can't get on.
Hoping to get gardening while the fitters and here.
I'm in desperate need of some fun!

Dustyevsky

Bluey, 'Guelder Rose' is the common name for Viburnum opulus, but I didn't want to put people off with the Latin. However, Latin does help avoid misunderstandings  sometimes! It's a shrub or small tree, common in older hedges.

No fish caught. The closest river was quite muddy from the rain, so we went to the bigger one from Dartmoor and seemingly unaffected by the localised thunderstorms. The small river is better for catching minnows, swinging on ropes and old tyres etc, but if the water's like soup....

Weather's looking more iffy today, with a 50% chance of rain at any time, according to the cider drinkers. I envisage a more restful day in the polytunnel, but whether I'll get it is doubtful. The grandchildren have somewhat higher expectations of entertainment than their parents had, and their ability to make some of their own requires  development. Older GC has just popped by, looked at what I'm typing and summed it up succinctly: "Huh, bor-ing!" When I was his age, I'd have loved a place like this, with acres of possibilities and enough tools and junk to build almost anything.

YoungBlueEyes

I rarely comment on people's children (because I didn't have kids, and it's the first thing people will fire back at you) but I think they build them differently now. Where you/we saw possibilities in stuff it's now viewed through their parent's danger-everywhere, cautious eyes. Maybe. The Oracle has her grandchildren over sometimes, and I can't imagine any one of them carrying on like we used to It's a desperate shame, it really is. 

2p get your wellies out and see if there's room for you in Dusty's stream. That counts as good fun in my book! 

twopenny

I'm with you there Dusty. 
I had grandfathers and relatives doing all sorts that I wanted to help with.
Mind if I dare say I was bored I'd be given something to do that was worse so I learned to keep out of the way and find something.

Still wet and cold but my one sunflower is about to open  it's a big one so may have come from bird seed. I must see if I can get more late season next year as its definately cheery as we head towards winter.
Photo later.
And a couple of coal tits have just returned checking out the area - lovely to see the little birds back.

Farway

Sounds like I'm in the sunnier bit of country this morning, bright sun but a bit chilly, ideal for those down the music festival

YoungBlueEyes said:

Aww blight Farway :’( Did you get enough for a chutney in the end? And I like the look of ya big red hard (ooer missus) pears :y:yum:
I did think the wise heads must been doing something about keeping the lights on. A big jobber under the sea sounds good, as long as it’s only friends that have access to it. Ahem. We don’t want bare-chested stallion riders interfering when he doesn’t get his way over whatever. Now I’ve said that, was it a stallion? Anyway. Hopefully they’re on with nuclear too 🤞🏻Will have to DuckDuck Buster Crabbe… 

Chutney, not made because I never had enough toms and blight got the green ones, however DD dropped a load of runners over, but I'm not making them into chutney either, think I'll portion up into meals sized packages & freeze

BUT, it was blackberry & apple jam making session yesterday, 13 & a bit jars of summer made, and I must say it's looking good and one of my better efforts, especially as I managed to prevent it splattering the stove top while it bubbled away. Some years, the stove top has looked like a vampire's lair

Lovely summer river pic Dusty, I assume GC1 is pursuing the age-old hobby of chucking bricks into the water? And like you, acres of space with all sorts of "stuff" sounds like child heaven to me. 

But sometimes they can't help themselves and have a good time despite the initial "Bor-ing" I'm thinking of the Canoe Lake down Southsea, where generations of children, including mine + GC have been catching crabs with shrimping nets for years, you'd think the generations of crabs would have in built cunning by now, but kids still catch them and tip them back

Gardening today, if sun keeps going I'll get lopping some of the larger buddleia branches later, but my efforts the other day have given my back some twinges, so I'll go steady and just half an hour or so

More Autumn signs, the pyracantha berries are starting to colour up, looking like a good crop this year, keep the birds happy for a week or so

Today's pics, last of the Nature studies, cabbage white butterflies, the final stages of caterpillar life, they have now eaten all the nasturtiums, and slunk off for the winter. Next time I see them will be as butterflies on next year's self sown nasturtiums

On window and starting to change

Final stage, all set for winter

Dustyevsky

YoungBlueEyes said:

I rarely comment on people's children (because I didn't have kids, and it's the first thing people will fire back at you) but I think they build them differently now. Where you/we saw possibilities in stuff it's now viewed through their parent's danger-everywhere, cautious eyes. Maybe. The Oracle has her grandchildren over sometimes, and I can't imagine any one of them carrying on like we used to It's a desperate shame, it really is.

twopenny said:
It's weird seeing Dustys photo of the children in summer sun and fun when it's winter here just up the road.

It's a shame the media scare parents into preferring their kids to be in front of a screen and 'safe,' rather than interacting with the real world and using their own imaginations. Ultimately, it means a generation of young people unprepared for life's harsher realities, which they can't be protected from for ever. Is it intentional? There are advantages for leaders of all persuasions to have a mainly docile, somewhat fearful population, easily distracted by whatever the media moguls decide to feed them with. It took me exactly 5 seconds to open a well-known 'news' site just now and find "10 garden features that make your home UNSELLABLE." (Their caps) Who knew a broken fence could do so much to reduce the value of most people's greatest asset? That's clearly where we went wrong; there were no fences here when we purchased!

Don't worry 2p, there's lots of summer left yet. When we had a nursery, it was the autumn half-term in late October before our kids could have their 'summer holiday.' True, it was usually in the warmer parts of Cornwall or Devon, but we've lots of photos of them in the sea and the rivers.....and I do mean 'in!'

YoungBlueEyes

We’ve got sunshine here too, though the drunkards do keep saying that the next hour will come cloudy. Ventusky and sobers say sunny ‘til late aft then cloudy. It’s a bit hot for me already like. Not a high bar, but there’s some strength in the sun yet. 

Also - wasps are very attracted to Lidl’s lemon tonic water 

 

Edit - I’ve given up on the meeja of every variety now, except the Yorkshire Post on a Saturday and R4’s You+Yours at lunchtime. There’s no space in my head for their nonsense, you know, now I’m a gardener and all  

twopenny

Wasps - at this time of year they are after sugar.

Put something sugary and more appealing to one side and they will go there.

In summer they want protein............learned from a brilliant podcast Bees & Wasps from 'the infinite monkey cage'

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m001np29

Ummmmm it's Radio 4

I also found that a way to get ants somewhere other than your sunbathing spot, small pool of cocacola a bit away from their trail and they all go there

Dustyevsky

YoungBlueEyes said:

...wasps are very attracted to Lidl’s lemon tonic water 

Hmm, I didn't have any of that around when one got into the cuff of my glove this morning. Stung me and left swiftly. Fortunately, I don't react much, even to those. It was funny, because I usually don't bother, but I decided smashing up concrete warranted gloves.

More importantly, the threatened rain didn't begin until we'd come in for lunch. The children are worrying crabs in Exmouth this afternoon, so with Dartmoor in the way they should be fine.

Still no blight here, I don't think, though I've not examined the outdoor toms today. I was going to take some snaps, but Mrs Dusty has picked everything that looks pickable. The Yellow Balcony toms from a Hampshire source ( )have been the easiest we've grown, needing very little support or attention, and they're certainly productive. The children and younger daughter like them, while older DD and ourselves favour fruit with a stronger flavour. We might try one of the patio varieties seen at Rosemoor next time.

Farway

Back from buddleia lopping, completed the main bits, and I'll do the rest in a few more weeks. 

The garden waste wheelie bin is full & awaiting collection now so couldn't get any more in, but I did have just enough room to get in the Devon sourced red cherry toms now succumbed to blight

Nice to hear the Yellow Balcony did well, mine are still going in the conservatory but now getting straggly and will be removed soon

YoungBlueEyes said:

Also - wasps are very attracted to Lidl’s lemon tonic water  

Edit - I’ve given up on the meeja of every variety now, except the Yorkshire Post on a Saturday and R4’s You+Yours at lunchtime. There’s no space in my head for their nonsense, you know, now I’m a gardener and all  

YBE, perhaps some gin in the lemon tonic, faint whiff of Juniper may deter them, and if enough added you won't care anyway

Edit, I've nearly given up R4 You & Yours, seems more & more, since they changed time & formats it is full of stuff I have zero interest in and now find YT has more attractions at the moment, even GW + Monty on iplayer is having me reaching for the remote & skipping onwards