Awful weather - typical Brits talk

pink_poppy

That's what I was alluding to, too, taff   

YoungBlueEyes

Jeez this is making me giggle

Go on taff - it’s been 30 pages since your last confession and….   (St Fiacre is listening)

And you can’t say you’ve too many trees, even if they are only wee cos they still count! 

-taff

pink_poppy said:

That's what I was alluding to, too, taff   

Oh thank god!:)

And thanks YBL, saved me a google

Paspatur

Dustyevsky said:

Some people only see the rubbish and the work, but what I see is a good-sized plot with sheltering buildings around and (from this angle) fair levels of privacy. It will be good to see what you did with this, when you're ready to post, that is. Most gardens look their best from May onwards. Now, not so much!

What an immaculate lawn in your 'after' photo! That's one thing I shall never achieve here!

It is a good size, about 20m long and at least 12m wide (and I also have gardens on the gable end and front)
And it is also very private, under the black tarpaulin at the rear were the concrete foundations for what I am told was an outside cabin of some sort
As we could not tell how deep they were (and thus how much money to remove) the patio was built on top and actually turned out to be the best place for it
Believe me that immaculate lawn is a nightmare. Full of weeds and moss.
I will post after pictures later in the year but it's not hugely exciting
New fences, recovering some shrubs buried beneath that rubbish and planting new ones
Very shady at that side due to next door extension and their overgrown trees and shrubs
And unfortunately on the back I still have massive Leylandii sucking all goodness from the soil
Trial and error with many errors but such fun and satisfaction, especially growing things from seed
It's my happy place but not in February!!!!

Dustyevsky

Farway said:

Hope x-ray result goes OK Dusty with handy cafe & maybe good views on the way home. My “sharp” photo I think is down to the lens, I recently bought a £50 second hand Panasonic bridge camera just because it was recommended and has a Leica lens, very basic camera compared with today's' stuff, but decent zoom Leica lens I hope will give some detailed pics. It's the closet I'm going to get to Leica in this life anyway.

Err....this is embarrassing. The camera I use is a Panasonic bridge model! I paid £70 for mine in mint condition. It's this one: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Panasonic-Lumix-DMC-FZ38EB-K-Digital-Camera/dp/B002KHMJ78

Cheap as chips on eBay these days, but a bit of a lump to lug about. I have a brand new TZ8 to use when this one goes Norway-wise. It hasn't the zoom range, but the lenses on the old ones are great.

This is just a long way of saying my skills are weaker than yours!

In other news, it was a lovely drive up to the District Hospital and felt really spring-like. It wasn't quite so lovely returning, due to a fluid leak and my power steering making lots of expensive-sounding groaning noises.   As a result, I didn't tarry at the garden centre as planned. I figured I'd rather break down with an hour or two of daylight left, than at dusk! 

It's raining again now, though there's still a story book moon up there, lying on its back.

YoungBlueEyes

Bit nippy out there this morning, phone (sobers) says 4' but I don't know. Beautiful starry sky last night, they were so crisp and clear but we'd no moon. Cloudy and a bit damp now. It best dry up cos I've my last wash on.... my really lovely delightful neighbours decided (at 0350) that they should go to the gym because she "ain't getting any furking thinner!" so after a (relatively) quick screaming match off they went. Puppy has been yowling since. Poor wee soul. 

Hopefully it was good news re your knees Dusty? And yay for getting home in daylight, but booo for missing the gc. Mind, think how much money you've saved, cos it sounds like you'll need that for the car  

I've looked at your link Farway, and I've managed to resist. I quite fancy a cherry tree though, I wonder if they grow that glossy or if you'd have to spend an hour every morning polishing them   Are you going to indulge pp? It says they only grow to 1m tall... 

Dustyevsky

Aw, I thought your delightful neighbours had split, Bluey, and it was just her, working quietly from home? I suppose life's never that simple!

I was only going to look for ideas at the GC. There's a nursery near my elderly in-laws that's half the price, and they like to go on missions there for us. We just need to tell them what we want. As for the car; at least it's warned me.

My knees could be different from what the quack thinks. It may be tendons and ligaments, not disintegrating joints. We'll find out now. I do some exercises that help, but they're stuff I made up, nothing guided, and getting to see the physios is what I'm after. There's been a hiccup, caused by the locum not ordering an X-ray first, but I've no complaints about the waiting time.

Grim outside this morning with rain again, but it's calm, and up at 12c by lunchtime, according to the drunks. At least I can prepare inside the polytunnel, and maybe pop out in the drier spells to push on with chainsawing in the hedge. Only 20m to go!

YoungBlueEyes

They’re on again/off again types that seem to love the drama and chaos of it. The cycle seems to take about 2 months ish, then they go at it hell for leather, one of them goes, few days later it's back to square one. Pointless endless loop *sigh* 

Anyway. Better to have dodgy ligaments than disintegrating joints I'd guess..? Oh and I D'Ducked snedding and it looks like good fun, if you've a bit of strength in you.  And could you hold onto that rain as long as poss please 'til I get my wash dried. Thank you kindly

LessImpecunious

Dustyevsky said:

My knees could be different from what the quack thinks. It may be tendons and ligaments, not disintegrating joints. We'll find out now. I do some exercises that help, but they're stuff I made up, nothing guided, and getting to see the physios is what I'm after.

I happened to spot an article about dodgy knees the other day, which has a few suggested exercises. My mum has the same, which is why I was looking, but at 96 they're mostly a bit beyond her... Prob not your usual reading matter  but....https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2024/feb/10/i-thought-i-would-never-run-again-how-i-overcame-runners-knee

Dustyevsky

LessImpecunious said:

Dustyevsky said:

My knees could be different from what the quack thinks. It may be tendons and ligaments, not disintegrating joints. We'll find out now. I do some exercises that help, but they're stuff I made up, nothing guided, and getting to see the physios is what I'm after.

I happened to spot an article about dodgy knees the other day, which has a few suggested exercises. My mum has the same, which is why I was looking, but at 96 they're mostly a bit beyond her... Prob not your usual reading matter  but....https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2024/feb/10/i-thought-i-would-never-run-again-how-i-overcame-runners-knee

Thanks for that. It's true, the Grauniad is politically some distance away from me these days, but they have some useful articles. Bluey knows how I read something in there regarding psychology which explained a personal struggle I was having. Understanding is empowering, and having had a quick look, the article seems very relevant. My old man lived to 96, and only stopped riding his push-bike at 89, so I've a lot to live up to!

In other news, after getting used to it being around for a month or so, our rodent friends have moved from poking about at the the bait box entrance, to going right inside and sampling the delights we have placed in there. I wish we could co-exist, but after 14 years without them in the chicken run, that's not an option I'm willing to call 'normal.'