Awful weather - typical Brits talk

Dustyevsky

I had a look out the front door at around 02.00 this morning, but no sign of the Northern lights, or indeed, any lights at all!

I found a dead rat in the field by the chicken run, and there's been no activity in there for a few weeks, so we must have poisoned the pair that had set up home. It gives me no pleasure to report that, but in 13 years we've had no problem with rodents.

We started the day here cold, but not freezing. It's lovely out there now, so perhaps there will be some progress sowing seeds and planting-up the hedgerow. I don't think we'll see double figure temperatures today, 2p, but tomorrow the wind's more favourable for you.

No new photos, so I searched in the local James Ravilious archive, and came up with something appropriate for completing some hedging. https://beafordarchive.org/archive-image/hedgers-lunch-break-stephen-squire/

 I still see a little of this, and did some myself before buying the chainsaw. The Ravilious archive contains thousands of photos, so I'll not run out any time soon!

pink_poppy

Thanks, wort. It's a case of being realistic rather than hopeful, Dusty. 10 years would be lovely, but already 90 and with a form of dementia, plus other recent complications, so...   

The Northern Lights were really early here on Sunday - between 8.30 and 9.30pm. I've seen loads of pics from up and down the country too, YBE. Thanks for the game/cex recommendation, btw.

I bundled myself up and braved the cold wind yesterday to do some tidying in the garden - 6 bags of plant trimmings and branches, plus a few roots that were too big to fit in bags, ready to go to the tip. I also moved the real Christmas tree that was thrown out last year from one bit of garden to another - just 3 or 4 feet - and caught a glimpse of a small bird dotting about. I'm hoping I haven't disturbed a nest   

The sun is out again this morning. There's a lot of cloud though, so I can't see it lasting. I'm back at work, so not bothered what the weather does today anyway.

Farway

Blimey, all you lot with sun etc, it's tipping down here with loads more to come, wot a swizz.

No Northern lights either, and surprisingly no reports from DGD oop near Aberdeen, so spotting them must have been pot luck. 

DGD tells me she has a Northern Lights alert app on her phone, which presumably failed, or maybe they were just not visible there?

I do wonder if T & M are monitoring this board, no sooner had we veered onto magnolias than an offer, which I'm ignoring, pops up. TBH if I had space, like a parkland, I would have one., along with a Handkerchief tree.

With the weather, it's not a gardening or photo day, just the day to pay my overpriced since last year car insurance, tried but failed to find any better offers. I think since whatever Com "improved" car insurance by preventing new customers from getting better prices than loyal ones, us insurance tarts have been, (insert rude word here).

Photo from yesterday, it's Marinette daffs, from Morries bulbs planted last October.

Still waiting for Jetfire to open

And slugs have scoffed my viola flowers that were supposed to be at the base of the daffs

YoungBlueEyes

No sun here. I was hopeful earlier when it eased up slightly but it was just getting it’s breath back for another go  *sigh*

I got a card through the door while I was out food shopping, I’ve a parcel to go collect. Guess what it is? The past few months worth of Gardeners World - not that I’d realised they hadn’t been arriving (stoopid brain), so now I absolutely really truly have far too many seeds  

What was that about parkland  

twopenny

Been gorgeous here! The sun had warmth in it and washing done, physio giving me gip so no gardening, I drove over the moors. Toik a look at Dustys area which seemed a bit misty.
Found every shop I needed was closed for some reason. I don't believe their excuses, they were off to enjoy the sun   

Sounds of pigeons cooing, blackbirds chuckling, what a lovely day.

Those of you in the north, wow, that's the compensation for the temperature to have the northern lights! So envious.

Dustyevsky

twopenny said:

Been gorgeous here! The sun had warmth in it and washing done, physio giving me gip so no gardening, I drove over the moors. Toik a look at Dustys area which seemed a bit misty.

I only noticed mist early on, but being stuck indoors until 14.00, I wasn't up close and personal with the nuances. It looked great from where I was sitting!

The reason for the enforced indoor torture was a serious attempt to sort out Mrs Dusty's state pension, not payable for a few years, but needing to be paid-up so she gets the full amount. That meant phoning the DWP and HMRC and then oscillating between them. However, just getting through takes 30 minutes, if you're lucky. We weren't, so the first connection took 50mins....and then what we were told was wrong.   I won't bore you with the rest. I suppose it only took 5 hours and the deal's a no-brainer, once it's achieved. Martin's pages and video are very helpful. I'll add a link in case this is something others reading this need to consider:

https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/savings/voluntary-national-insurance-contributions/

Just choose a rainy day!

In other news, this afternoon, I noticed we still have numerous fieldfares. They'll be off to breed elsewhere very soon now. Are they hanging on because they know something we don't?

ArbitraryRandom

Dustyevsky said:

The reason for the enforced indoor torture was a serious attempt to sort out Mrs Dusty's state pension, not payable for a few years, but needing to be paid-up so she gets the full amount. 

If you've made the payment now, the ridiculous thing is it's supposed to take 6 weeks to show on your record, when I asked, they said it could take up to 30 weeks!

I bought a couple of years a while ago (as I had most of the year and they were dirt cheap) and I waited a full year to check. Ended up having to phone back up as it still wasn't showing... turns out the cash was sat there against my account but no one had manually assigned it to the right year  

YoungBlueEyes

Thanks for that Dusty. It's something in the back of my brain that I need to look into. My employment history's been sketchy and I've a fear I've nowhere near enough contributions to be getting a full pension. I'll do that tomorrow cos I'm in all day. I've gotta sort out all these seeds!

How's your Christmas tree bird pp? Fingers crossed it was just in there hoovering up wee bugs and stuff... 

Were you shopping for anything important 2p? If not I'd say shut shops was a good swop for a lovely sunny bird-singing-y day  

Misty out there this morning but not cold. Phone says 5' which feels about right, high of 8' this aft. No wind though, calm as you like all day.

Speaking of seeds - are GW known for putting good/swish/unusual seeds in their magazine packets? I'll go through them later and list what I've got if anyone's interested, and I'll share them if anyone wants some   Unless someone gives me a parkland, obviously  

YoungBlueEyes

Oh and thanks so much to whoever put 50p in the sunset meter last night  

twopenny

Woke up to a near frost and 3c  
This is not normal for this part of the world.
But that's the price of a clear sky.

Yes, i was after Heather honey. It's rare as hens teeth and the droughts and rain last year made a right mess of the heather. Bell heather was devastated so the only shop that has any. Next lot not till September.
It's made and sold near me but at £14 a pot  
So it's worth the trip to get it at half that.

Sunny day again and I'm wondering whether to go out for the day and make the most of it or stay and get some work done outdoors.
Love the sunset! We haven't had any for a while.