Early Winter Bits and Bobs.

[oldherbaceous]

I rarely touch alcohol these days, Primrose….thirty years ago was another matter….think it is old age…

[Clive.]

I've just come in from a bit of Winter digging. I've now got about 25ft square done, in bits and pieces during the week. I don't and can't go at the rate that I used too. Enthusiasm and motivation seem a bit a kilter too.

In use is the old S&J Neverbend No.1 grafting spade, nicely thin, shiny, long and sharp. I think I bought it in a s/h emporium in Sutton on Sea, one that once featured on Salvage Hunters...as I admit that I once used to view tele'...

There is a bit of rubbish growing on the top, so this spade, working with a trench, ably assists deep burying of that weed.
Can't help wonder where this spade started its life, it had been well cared for and was already worn to a thin sharp edge long before arriving here.
I have also lightly tickled around one row of raspberries, here using what is really a hand fork on a 4ft long light alloy handle. It used to belong to a dear departed neighbour who used it to work around the conifers and heathers around his formal front lawn. He gave it to my mum who used it to great effect in her latter gardening years..

So as you may gather there has been a lot of thoughts rattling round my head as a I pressed on with the gardening..

I thought I ought to get a shift on today, upon viewing wet weather for tomorrow...

C.

[Shallot Man]

Clive. You made this 89 yr old feel tired.

[oldherbaceous]

Well done, Clive….since the ground is so wet here, I started on the long list of small jobs, that have been building up over the last six months….a bit of servicing on a couple of chainsaws….emptying the petrol out of mowers and blowers and putting additives in other machines that I will be using over the Winter..emptying ash buckets over the allotments, then sorting out Christmas gifts that people had been given and either needed making up, or putting up,,

I’ve been given some lovely old hand tools from different people over the years and memories always come flooding back when I use them, some happy, some sad!

[Westi]

Managed to finish some weeding today as we had a couple of dry days, so that's the last beds of strawberries done! I had to go through the others again as stupid things are back in flower again! Good timing as the weather is turning again but I'd rather have our weather than the USA's!

[Stephen]

Unless I am deliberately digging a hole, all my digging is done with a fork.

[tigerburnie]

Raised beds for 90% of my gardening, so digging is pretty much confined to the beach with the grandkids these days.

[Stravaig]

There are pros and cons to living in the sky (6th floor flat). You get a great view of what's going on around you. I like!

But you're also much more exposed and aware of the weather. Today high winds and chucking it down with rain.

The nice (quiet!) man who lives above us came down to see us yesterday. He wondered if we might like to buy his place. Husband is doubtful but I'm happy to have a look..

[Primrose]

The older you get Stravaig the more stairs are to be avoided I think.
Yes, you have lifts but if they,re out of order or you have power cuts or emergencies like fires where they can,t be used, you are completely stranded.
I think others might agree that ageing brings on enough afflictions and problems without the ones you deliberately inflict on yourself, however tempting the view from aloft!

Meanwhile our rain gauge has quickly filled again over Christmas and the garden looks very sodden. We have leeks needing to be dug up for soup but also many other leftovers to be used up. January will definitely have to be spent living out of the freezer.& storecupboard,

Saw in the paper today that M&S are selling off Turkey crowns for £5. Nice bargain if you like Turkey but that,a one bargain I'd happily pass by.. They end up being a bit more expensive by the time you,ve added in the cost of cooking them !

[Stravaig]

Thanks, Primrose,

I dunno when I last had turkey. Possibly not in this century, but husband is less fussy so it could make some nice ready meals for lunch to take into the workplace. Also, canapes. Most people aren't very discerning.

On the subject of canapes, I'm a bit on the warpath right now. Husband took some in for the office Christmas party last week but left before the party began. Not one word of thanks. And our plates, OK they were plastic - light, unbreakable, easy to transport - have all disappeared. Yes, they were plastic, but not disposable. That's the last time I do anything for these shits.

The only thing to raise my mood right now is a starling making the most of my bird cafe. I don't often see a solitary staling. They always seem to go around in big crowds, but this one has its brain switched on. LOL

[Primrose]

Feel your annoyance over the disappearance of the plates. Sadly despite the current cost of living pressures we still live in a "throw away" society. I have plastic garden pots I,ve been reusing for almost30 years. We need to live in a society where everything is unobtainable or in very short supply I,m afraid before some of these throw away habits will be reversed.

Meanwhile I'm indulging in a mindless 30 minutes of activity cutting up a pile of white used A5 envelopes and turning them into 3" notelet squares for shopping lists and general reminders. It,s amazing how many of these we seem to get through in our house - another habit obviously inherited from my very thrifty granny !

[oldherbaceous]

Well what a dirty old day weather wise, rain or drizzle all day!
Not all lost as I had some carpentry jobs I needed to do…..same old thing, when you start the job, the timber is always a lot more rotten than first thought….but a least I was in the dry…
Tomorrow looks a lot drier, so can take a trailer load of horse muck over the allotments…the wonders of wide grass tyres on the tractor.
Starting to see some of the damage the -12 did to certain shrubs and plant, now!

[Clive.]

Just as wet out East here, on the drier side of England Not today, cloud was to the ground with rain starting about 9am.

I found myself right out of excuses....and have been cleaning the kitchen....then took a look at the front room and reduced the magazine/catalogue heaps via the new purple top bin...

Just as I had removed last years catalogues along came the postman to renew the stock....

C.

[oldherbaceous]

Now that’s a funny post, Clive….

[Westi]

Wet & windy down here as well. Plan was to get car sorted & was told to come down at 1pm, to be told that is to make an appointment for tomorrow! At least 10am tomorrow so can still get down to the plots. With the new car being an adapted vehicle they moved the AdBlue reservoir to put in seatbelts for 2 wheelchairs, unfortunately no-one can find where it is! I've had a lot of steel toed shoes sticking out under the car but Citroen are going to put it up on the hoist & fill it if they find it. It must be there somewhere as it was filled when we got it, but not their adaptation so we have to pay which is going to work out expensive over the year if this has to be done each time it need filling.