Awful weather - typical Brits talk

ArbitraryRandom

Dustyevsky said:

ArbitraryRandom said:

Re informed consent in medicine - I'm not sure there is such a thing. 

I think there was such a principle; otherwise the term wouldn't exist... 

Personally I think it's always been a bit of a sham - don't get me wrong, people have a choice to take the medicine or not, but the idea that we normal people can actually understand the options enough to make an informed decision re the benefits/risks? When the only info we have to make the decision is either what's given to us by the Dr wanting to prescribe it or via what we can find on google? And it's always been that if you don't accept what they want to prescribe then you can't pick what you do want... 

But more on topic. It feels a bit warmer here - it got as warm as 6 degrees outside at 1pm! Not much wind and it stayed dry and bright. I'm hoping it's going to stay that way tomorrow as I need to get some final bits of wash done now I've decided what I'm taking to London. 

Gave my rock collection a good spray with a clear varnish earlier (getting little bits of sticky vapour everywhere - but at least I was sensible enough to do it in a box outside so the cloud only got on the bin and me), and I might remember to give them another coat this weekend so they're properly dry and protected before I dump them places. 

I also need to make a final decision about my raised beds (size/shape and height) so the builder can give me a proper quote and order the bricks/soil... I just keep going back and forth between the three options trying to second guess what I'll realistically use them for etc. If I haven't decided by the end of the month I'll toss a coin or something! 

twopenny

Anyone see the repeat of Michael Portillos walk of Devon and Cornwall tonight, ch 5?
Thats my stamping ground. My most favourite walk and not too far away.
Stunningly beautiful.

Seems it's dropping to 2c or below. Bit of a disappointment. The thick ice on the pond hasn't thawed at all.
Double figures promised for the weekend !! 
With dire weather warnings too.
Anyone kept a record of how many days there's been warnings?
Probably easier to count the ones when there wasn't 

Fabulous sunset this evening. As I heard some kids say, Gods barbeque 

YoungBlueEyes

God's barbecue - I've never heard that before, that's good We were told that thunder is god moving his furniture around, and lightening is when he stubs his toe and curses, the lightening is to distract us so we don't hear him swear. We must have been the only kids outside looking up going "is that a little table do you think?" "no it was a big sound, that was a wardrobe, he's doing his bedroom".

I think docs now and docs in the old days are a completely different animal. The family doc who knew you and your ailments was right for the time, but I reckon that'd be impossible now. I remember one of those ch5 gp progs that follow docs in a London (?) practice, they had thousands of patients and 40 more registering every day. Who can keep up with that?! It just becomes a conveyor belt of likely diagnoses and prognoses and referrals and hope not too many folks die. And I'm sorry to say I believe that but I do. I'm not sure about informed consent... like Arb says - what can I use to inform myself and make a decision? The internet? Where it's all an algorithmic marketplace, who pays wins top spot? I wouldn't trust meself. Or them! Hard the whole way round really.

I didn't see Portillo last night 2p but I'll have a look for it. I like him in the railway progs, seems a good fit for him. Very watchable I've started watching Peaky Blinders - I was after a lot of something that'll suck me in - so it was them or The Wire but that ain't on catchup. 

Arb if you really can't decide on your beds, do middle diddle  

OT well it's not warm out there but it's not cold like it has been. Wind's getting up now though, and warnings out for all the wind and rain to come. Storm Isha apparently. I need to get some flowers to mum and dad before it hits really, I've not been for a wee while now. Nothing outstanding in the sunrise/sunset dept here, but the days sure are lengthening eh. 

Dustyevsky

twopenny said:

Anyone see the repeat of Michael Portillos walk of Devon and Cornwall tonight, ch 5?
Thats my stamping ground. My most favourite walk and not too far away.
Stunningly beautiful.

No, but I looked it out and watched it. Very enjoyable. Funnily enough, I was thinking of going to Morte Point yesterday, but as I've had a slight cough all week, I didn't want to sit in a car with my walking friend and pass it on, so we met on neutral territory we can both reach easily.

ArbitraryRandom said:

Dustyevsky said:

ArbitraryRandom said:

Re informed consent in medicine - I'm not sure there is such a thing. 

I think there was such a principle; otherwise the term wouldn't exist... 

..people have a choice to take the medicine or not, but the idea that we normal people can actually understand the options enough to make an informed decision re the benefits/risks?

 Well, perhaps not, with the vast bulk of the media and pharma companies owned by the same conglomerates, many of them with budgets exceeding that of some counties GDPs. But I like to investigate matters for myself, and as in everything else, it comes down to judging the likely good character of the person supplying the information and the quality of their evidence. Or, as Bluey says, there's always 'middle diddle!'

A wee while ago I posted the view below, which is behind a car park some clever people thought might make a nice housing development   This time, I'll credit the photographer.

Valley View From Great Torrington Car park

By sags

Yesterday, I took my own version, and then walked down the valley side. It was a tough climb up again!

Note frost still on the north-facing slopes.

twopenny

Indeed but darn dark this morning. I've splashed out and put the fluorescent light on to wake me up.
Up to 5c, so far no wind and it's not freezing so opened the curtains.

At the mo I'm watching anything calm, light and lots of countryside to escape the huddling in the dark trying to keep warm.
MP Devon and Cornwall coast path. Matt Baker our farm in the dales etc, Ben Fogle Scottish isles , the natural history film makers stories.
No woke or warnings, just entertainment.
Reminds me, I liked the naturalist who had a little isolated hut in Scotland. I could watch that again. 

As far as gardening, i bought some primulas from morries, 3 for 3£ to put in the pots to cheer this weather up.

Off over the moors with my friend I haven't seen for ages. Coffee and cake by that log burner again. If you don't hear from me I've got blown off those cliffs MP was walking. It's the highest coastal tea rooms in England!

Farway

Frost has gone, just grey but dry. Likewise, waiting for the next lot of wind & rain due tomorrow.

YoungBlueEyes said:

I didn't see Portillo last night 2p but I'll have a look for it. I like him in the railway progs, seems a good fit for him. Very watchable I've started watching Peaky Blinders - I was after a lot of something that'll suck me in - so it was them or The Wire but that ain't on catchup. 

I've been thinking about PB, but not decided as yet. I've new to me free view sort of catch up arrived without asking on my Smart TV, sort of combined Beeb & commercial, including Dave etc. 

Surprisingly, there are loads of programmes I may just watch, especially as I'm thinking hard about cancelling my TV licence because TBH the only things I watch live is some news or on Beeb is Gardeners World & Beechgrove

At the moment, I'm in the trialling catch up stuff stage before committing.

DS now has covid, so I shan't be going over there.

I heard report that Global Boiling is causing more upset tums Dusty, now you know, nothing you ate, it's driving your gas guzzler & me in my Diesel that is behind it

Seems the high temperatures of the past week have caused all the tummy bugs to grow

Something wrong there, but I can't put my finger on it

No gardening today, just too gloomy and uninspiring outside. If I look hard, I can spot some embryo flower colour in my hyacinths, but not enough to warrant a photo

pink_poppy

I got bored with Peaky Blinders and didn't bother watching the last series. We started watched The Wire just a few nights ago (we've got NOW TV on a 6-month trial and I think that's why we can watch it) and I wasn't sure after the first episode. DH wanted to persevere with it, so we're still watching an episode a night and it has grown on me a bit. We're also watching an episode of VEEP a night and that has it's moments.

AR, do you use paintbrushes or pens when painting your stones?? I didn't even know you could get paint pens until recently. I got an art set for Christmas, just different pencils and a couple of sketch pads, but I really fancy painting stones - we have a LOT of stones in our garden.

I'll have to look for that MP episode, twopenny, it sounds like a lovely stomping ground to have on your doorstep.

The weather is grey and miserable here. Heavy rain and strong winds forecast for tomorrow when we were supposed to be heading to Fort William for a wander...

ArbitraryRandom

Sorry to hear about DS - hope it's the wimpy version and he recovers quickly. 

I couldn't get into peaky blinders, I really tried but the accents were just too much. I enjoyed Ripper Street a few years ago and I'd also recommend the Tunnel (modern) and Murdock mysteries if you've not watched them.  

Don't have a TV licence (I don't watch live TV so don't need one) and I just (last month) cancelled britbox and I'm currently looking to see who has a good 'new customer' deal on. I find after a year I've watched anything I'm likely to watch on the streaming services so shuffle around. And I've got a good collection of dvds still that I can always fall back on if I fancy something cosy and familiar - it's amazing how cheaply you can pick up box sets nowadays  

I'm seeing more activity from the local seagulls (thankfully they don't nest on my roof, but across the road always has one), so I guess they're incubating or nearly. 

Last 24 hours, high of 7 (currently) low of about 3... Even the tiny bit of ice on the bin has gone, thought the water in the butt is still mostly frozen. 

Later today and tomorrow forecast to be wet, then supposedly dry on Monday. No sign of rain as yet, but the sky is a solid block of grey and the wind is up quite a bit. I've washed the few bits I want for next week, but I'll dry them on the radiator rather than risk it. 

AR, do you use paintbrushes or pens when painting your stones?? I didn't even know you could get paint pens until recently. I got an art set for Christmas, just different pencils and a couple of sketch pads, but I really fancy painting stones - we have a LOT of stones in our garden.

Both, but the paint pens are easiest as they dry quickly and there's no worrying about washing the brushes between colours. Paint is best if you want to based coat your stones or to do the dot mandala style ones or for blending/gradients. I watched a few video tutorials on youtube originally and still make a lot of those same designs (different colours or details). And you don't need to jump directly into the super expensive pens. They are better quality/last longer, but you can get a cheap pack of acrylic pens for £10 (go for a set with a thick and thin nib and ideally a dark and light in the main colours like this) that will do maybe 6-12 stones/an evening before they dry out so you can decide if you like it or not  

Dustyevsky

Farway said:

Frost has gone, just grey but dry. Likewise, waiting for the next lot of wind & rain due tomorrow.

I heard report that Global Boiling is causing more upset tums Dusty, now you know, nothing you ate, it's driving your gas guzzler & me in my Diesel that is behind it

Seems the high temperatures of the past week have caused all the tummy bugs to grow

Something wrong there, but I can't put my finger on it

Nah, it was my bonfires throwing out all that CO2. Our polluted air here is why we have all those lichens disfiguring  the orchard as well.

Very flat and grey out there today; just right for cleaning the car, which I'm charged with doing as we've a journey tomorrow I'm not liking the sound of. 54mph winds? Hopefully, we'll be home before dark and the onset of heavy rain. Still, looking on the bright side, no more frost for days and days!

YoungBlueEyes

That sounds like my telly setup Farway. I've a button on my remote called "Smart" and that's the various catchups. If it ain't on there I can't watch it. PB is good so far, I've just started series 2 last night. Quick precis in case it helps you decide - Set in Birmingham in 1919, a ruffty tuffty gang control the streets of Small Heath, and get in with/fall foul of other gangs. There's a strong matriarch keeping them in check (Helen McCrory - V good). Bit dark, violent, and just clever enough to keep up with. I'm liking it The accent school must've closed before they started filming cos some of them are.. umm...yeah Depends if you've got an ear for them I spose.  Anyway is DS poorly with that there lurgy or is he just technically positive?

I watched your prog first though 2p, jeez that looks like heaven. I'd hardly be in the house if I lived down there. He does those progs well doesn't he? Hopefully yous had a good walk yesterday and kept a firm goat-like grip  

I'll add Ripper Street and Tunnel to my list Arb, and VEEP pp, thank yous  

No gardening here. Morries didn't have their plant shelf things out yesterday, nor did Lidl. Aldi did but it was only those tubs with a wee pine tree and some ivy and a glittery pine cone on a stick in them, for 30% off. 

Well it's practically tropical out there, 8' now and a high of 12' to come! I've the windows open and I'm sat here in me bare feet and it's lovely Bit of rain forecast later on but. The weather peoples are back on track - the sobers got it roughly about right, the drunkards were wrong the whole way round, and Ventusky were the rightest. Normality has resumed.

Oh and good luck on your travels the Dustys!