Awful weather - typical Brits talk

goldfinches

Farway that was interesting to see the Van Gogh but my inner pedant wishes the site would spell meagre correctly.

I'm absolutely exhausted having taken a group of nine to a museum and then on to a cafe for conversation. I do like volunteering but find it tiring at times especially when people need encouraging to keep on going. 
I had a gp appointment at 8:30am and thought I'd be home and mixing a cake by 9:15 but various extra blood tests and other complications meant I didn't leave the surgery until nearly 11am! However I only have to wait a couple of days for the final results and will be able to see them online which is an improvement over ringing and enquiring or just leaving it to them to contact me which always made me worry that something might be missed.
It rained here today only lightly but it's much colder and the clouds are getting darker so I think we're in for a drenching which might make it easier to yank out some more weeds on Friday. 
Have you seen the article in today's Guardian about tory wipeout bingo cards, much fun is anticipated here and I have fizz, Pimms and popcorn laid in for the celebration.

I'm a Herb Robert leaver at the plot and have it at the path edge because the bees love it, I never knew there was a white form which sounds lovely so I might try introducing that some time when I've finally got the thistles under control.

Ybe I'll have to pass on your friend Nick because I'm inclined to irritable impatience which is unfair to those who can't help it. 

I'm off to bed early see you all tomorrow sometime.

Dustyevsky

goldfinches said:

Have you seen the article in today's Guardian about tory wipeout bingo cards, much fun is anticipated here and I have fizz, Pimms and popcorn laid in for the celebration.

Donkeys live a long time, so I hope you'll forgive me if I pass on the Pimms. I recall the Gallaghers sipping champers, and that catchy tune that went:

“You have shown me prejudice and greed

And you've shown me how
I must learn to deal with this disease
I look at things now
In a different light than I did before
And I've found the cause and I think that you can be my cure”

Hmmmm!

In other news, I didn't get much done yesterday either, thanks to being too old. :'(  I wasted 3 hours trying to get insurance from a company which no longer accepts my age demographic, while another company, happy to serve oldies like me, doesn't think they should drive big vans.   Looking on the positive side, I dare say that will disqualify me from being conscripted into the Royal Tank Regiment, and F16s are definitely out!

OT: The forecast was accurate, so at least my aged body did not suffer the slings and arrows of extended drizzle. I comforted myself in late afternoon by planting out perpetual spinach, dividing geraniums of the hardy variety and potting-up the second tranche of courgettes, that have finally shown themselves. These came from Lidl and cost pennies, whereas the expensive variety F1'd away to Norway.

While I'm on the subjects of age and prediction, by now all the ash trees were supposed to be gone. Ours aren't, though they're succumbing gradually to die-back. New ones are still popping-up, so how long they last is the key thing.

Here is a semi-mature roadside ash, about 20 years old, showing clear signs of distress, with the ends of branches now bare:

And here's a much older one, still looking OKish, but it's less dense than it used to be:

We've planted a few trees fairly close to the one above, so if it does need to come down, like the roadside one will, something will be there to replace it. At present, they're being held back by the shade.

Today's sunnier than yesterday, but though calm at present, I see that west wind will be back, which dries us out rapidly. Then, apparently, some rain overnight. Perhaps our farmer friend has it right with the hay after all .

Dustyevsky

Arb, those potato flowers are wonderful. I've no experience with spuds, which is why I'm not joining that discussion, but I remember the ones from the garden were pretty special when I was a spotty youth. At that time my folks bought an old cottage with a thunderbox for a loo, so the garden had err...'occupationally enhanced' soil.

Congrats on the aquilegia and lavender, Farway. Mrs Dusty came home with some very soggy ex-Homebase lavender last week, as they were 'reduced.' They've reduced some more since then!

I'd recommend a visit to Derry's place, taff. The views alone are worth it. She's one of gardening's 'good people' too.

Farway said:

... those spud flower ones would look good as Dutch Old masters. That Van Gogh chappie painted spuds.

Just searched and found one "Potato Eaters" looking at it, and not being rude, I can imagine that as us lot sat around yakking in the Bothy on Rottery Acres

https://smarterpotatoes.com/from-palette-to-plate-potatoes-as-the-muse-in-art/

Scroll down a tad for pic. You can add the name to whomever you like.

Well, I looked, but it seems I must've nipped out to the loo while that was being painted!

YoungBlueEyes

Dogs in the house for sure taff, but I'll need kennels for breeding and whelping etc cos I want my own breed of dog. Remember in ye olden-y days when if you wanted a Clumber spaniel you had to go to Clumber Park? That's what I'd like, to breed a new dog. Well if we're pretending to spend someone else's non-existent money on a fantasy estate I might as well go for it Makes my heart sink when you see quiz shows and they're asked what will they do with the money and they say "I've always dreamed of taking the kids to disneyland". That's not a dream, just put the tickets on a credit card and go! I dream of having a go in Bluebird, or seeing the earth from space, or inventing a chip that can be squiggled into your brain so you can speak every language that was ever spoken. And my own breed of dog. People's dreams are so small   Anyway. I vote yes for narrowboats.  Are we having a canal then, rather than a moat? Can it be uppy downy cos I'm quite fond of locks I've never operated one, but I'll happily earn. 

Beautiful flowers Dusty, lovely range of colours. How do you keep your lupins going? Mine had a bit of a go and are nearly over already, they were hardly out for a couple of weeks. Is it the weather or is there a trick..? As for your dead-of-night bin-stuffer - can you rig up a system of lights and speakers so that when they open your bins the lights come on (bright and flashing), the speakers kick in with a slightly modified version of "They're coming to take me away ha ha hee hee ha haa"? "My god they're at it again ha ha hee hee ha haa"? That'll be annoying in the middle of the night but I bet it only happens a couple of times.... Being serious, I'd get a big thick bit of card and write "anything you leave in here will be posted back through your front door" and stick it to the underside of the lid so it drops down when they open it. Or cover the ground with a load of rat traps so they can't actually get near to your bins  

Potato Eaters pic made me laugh Farway Which one are you then? Is your back any better today? What will you do with your aquilegia seedlings if you're not planting them out now? My ones are the same but I don't know what to do with them now I'm too late to plant them out. (It's the seeds you sent me pp so I don't want them dying on me.) 

Hopefully your early night has seen you right gf, that's some day you had yesterday. Fingers crossed the tests all come good I've not seen the wipeout bingo cards, but anything that involves fizz and Pimms will never be dull I understand what you're saying about Nick. He's a lovely fellah, very kind and generous and sweet natured, but he's dull as ditch water very steady and set in his ways. If taff's sister doesn't settle with him he'll let himself get snapped up by a gold-digger I reckon. 

Is there space in the hospital patch for one more...? The optician yesterday told me I need a review of my diabetes medication quite quickly.  Review my whatwhatwhat?! I don't have diabetes thank you very much! I was a bit upset when I got home and sat and thought about it, and realised it's new tatty season :'( So as I'll be waiting for god know's how long for a doc appointment I'll do some research today. Other than the diabetes uk website can anyone recommend a good site for info? Not asking for medical advice etc.

I really must put more effort into making my posts shorter

OT Cloudy now but it was a lovely soft morning when I got up, calm and sunny and quiet Windy today, they say. There was a good queue of folks waiting to get in to vote, I've not seen that before...

Dustyevsky

YoungBlueEyes said:

Is there space in the hospital patch for one more...? The optician yesterday told me I need a review of my diabetes medication quite quickly.  Review my whatwhatwhat?! I don't have diabetes thank you very much! I was a bit upset when I got home and sat and thought about it, and realised it's new tatty season :'( So as I'll be waiting for god know's how long for a doc appointment I'll do some research today. Other than the diabetes uk website can anyone recommend a good site for info? Not asking for medical advice etc.

Big subject. “I know nothing,” but you might be prediabetic and the Dr is using pills to contain things as long as possible. There are alternatives, some of which you might not like much, especially with an interest in things like potatoes! Too busy now, but I'll catch you 'dreckly' at some point in the next 24-48 hrs.

YoungBlueEyes

Thanks Dusty. Sorry I didn't express that very well. I meant the optician mentioning diabetes was the first I've heard of it. I've never been to the doc about it and I'm not on any pills I don't know what the optician saw in my eyes that says 'diabetes' but it didn't sound like she thought I was pre-diabetic. I'm nice and slim, I don't have a sweet tooth at all, and ok I could eat one more tatty than a pig but that's only when they're new, not all year round. 

OT cloudy and windy. Cool but not cold. 

LessImpecunious

YBE - you could try looking up Michael Mosley on pre and diabetes - his advice relates to lifestyle, so hopefully that doesn't count as me giving medical advice...

Farway

Sunny start with a stiff breeze.

YoungBlueEyes said:

 Are we having a canal then, rather than a moat? Can it be uppy downy cos I'm quite fond of locks I've never operated one, but I'll happily earn. 


Potato Eaters pic made me laugh Farway Which one are you then? Is your back any better today? What will you do with your aquilegia seedlings if you're not planting them out now? My ones are the same but I don't know what to do with them now I'm too late to plant them out. (It's the seeds you sent me pp so I don't want them dying on me.) 


Is there space in the hospital patch for one more...? The optician yesterday told me I need a review of my diabetes medication quite quickly.  Review my whatwhatwhat?! I don't have diabetes thank you very much! I was a bit upset when I got home and sat and thought about it, and realised it's new tatty season :'( So as I'll be waiting for god know's how long for a doc appointment I'll do some research today. Other than the diabetes uk website can anyone recommend a good site for info? Not asking for medical advice etc.

Locks, shmocks, let's dream the dream and have one of these. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Falkirk_Wheel

The aquilegias I'm not sure yet. I'm going to let them continue in their present modules but may move them into individual pots later, maybe August, so they can get settled for the winter, when they will die down.

I'll overwinter somewhere outside but sheltered, then think more about come next spring when new growth starts up.

Likewise, I know nothing about diabetes, but a friend has pre-diabetes, and it's a careful diet, which doesn't include deep-fried Mars bar and chips

Dustyevsky said:

In other news, I didn't get much done yesterday either, thanks to being too old. :'(  I wasted 3 hours trying to get insurance from a company which no longer accepts my age demographic, while another company, happy to serve oldies like me, doesn't think they should drive big vans.   Looking on the positive side, I dare say that will disqualify me from being conscripted into the Royal Tank Regiment, and F16s are definitely out!

Hope you found insurance, but it's all gone up stupidly now. Guessing your brake is fixed & back on the road?

Wasn't there some thought given about older suicide squads for tanks? Something about old & dying anyway, so what's to worry about a touch of radiation sickness on the way to / from Moscow?

One thing about driving older cars, they are not factory fitted with automatic speed limiters like wot new ones are, only a matter of time before a speeding ticket is auto generated and points awarded.

I'm still trying to hide Schadenfreude from news about EVs having to pay daily £15 London congestion charge from end of 2025

My back has eased after a session of Zombies & some Cadbury fruit & nut “tablets”, hoping to water the carrots later, even though I'm still a tad lop-sided

Rain due overnight, maybe, hope so for my carrots sake

Pic is what came up in the volunteer border, where the ground was churned after a car went into the fence earlier this year, just goes to show what is around. New fence panel at the back.

-taff

Have sent you a link via pm ybe...

I moved a small geranium from near the bay bush out the front where a qunice bush used to be [ grew too straggly and didn't fruit so off it went] and it has since made yet another reappearance. Looking at the geraniums [ lovely pink hardy ones] I notice a twig starting to grow...Oh dear I thought, another quince bush reject has started to grow. I left it, thinking, well, it's not doing any harm where it is...Fast forward a couple of weeks and it's not looking at al like a quince twig, plant app at the ready, turns out it's grey willow and growing like the clappers. Confirmation from googling and i's true..So that's gone now before it takes over the world. I have no willow in my garden, neither do any of my neighbours, neither is it at all anywhere near me around the green bits here...So that's a  deposit from a bird or something right there...

Today is pottering and watering with the last of the waterbutts [ almost 4 are now empty] but I see it's predicted rain for the next week...hoorah....There's more stuff moving inside but I need to pot some stuff on. I don't want to plant out in the front garden until it has rained to soak the soil a bit but they need going out soon or some stuff is going to Norway. Them's the perils of insatiable plant acquisition

farway, I linked the link name at the bottom, the Lifecycle of the Smarter Potato, which should totally replace smart cookie as a phrase They're one smart potato sounds a lot better...

Lovely flowers Dusty..I love YBEs suggestion of suddenly playing music but I reckon James Brown I feel Good start would really put the shorts up them

gf, fingers crosed for good results.

ybe, I like the chip of languages...I used to wish I could speak many more and I'd list the ones I wanted to speak in case I ever got some wishes I am rubbish at them. I know a little bit in French, German, Spanish, Welsh, Italian and the trouble is, they all mix together in my head like a washing machine...English is the only reliable one I speak

-taff

Just out f interest, what kind of dog did you want to breed? I am partial to wolfhounds and anything that large....just sayin'