Winter Bits and Bobs.
Moderators: KG Steve, Chantal, Tigger, peter, Chief Spud
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tigerburnie
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Happy New Year
Been gardening for over 65 years and still learning.
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Clive.
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Happy New Year.
No digging today here...but decided I must get the hellebore leaves cut off by the house back door, which also allows the, just emerging, Winter aconite to be seen....another area not in the best of states but the hellebore do seem to have properties that prevent most weeds appearing alongside them...except I had to deploy sharp spade to remove some determined bramble leapfrogs..
In other news, my kettle decided that two boils into 2026 was all it could muster and suffered a switch failure during the lunch time run.
Yes, I did go and search out the one that I hadn't quite disposed of, just in case, and it was no better after its three year rest....
A quick check online and I found to my surprise that the Original Factory Shop was open in town today...so a new one was purchased.. I would have liked to have traded with the local hardware shop which I staunchly try to support...where I get my 'fork handles'... but they, like me, are on a day off...I did get the previous one from them...so perhaps I am being fair to both...
C.
No digging today here...but decided I must get the hellebore leaves cut off by the house back door, which also allows the, just emerging, Winter aconite to be seen....another area not in the best of states but the hellebore do seem to have properties that prevent most weeds appearing alongside them...except I had to deploy sharp spade to remove some determined bramble leapfrogs..
In other news, my kettle decided that two boils into 2026 was all it could muster and suffered a switch failure during the lunch time run.
Yes, I did go and search out the one that I hadn't quite disposed of, just in case, and it was no better after its three year rest....
A quick check online and I found to my surprise that the Original Factory Shop was open in town today...so a new one was purchased.. I would have liked to have traded with the local hardware shop which I staunchly try to support...where I get my 'fork handles'... but they, like me, are on a day off...I did get the previous one from them...so perhaps I am being fair to both...
C.
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Westi
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Ominous when you get a warning for snow & ice down here. OK not often does it eventuate but it is total mayhem when it does.
I remember the last proper event when I was on call at the little hospital when we were treating more staff than patients with them slipping on the ice getting out of their cars. Mr drove me there & we picked up a few extra's walking on the way as it was so horrible & unsafe for them with cars sliding around. Mr just drove the car through the front automatic door to let us out. It was much better on the way home but we took the same guys home anyway as it was still freezing & they had a very busy day.
I remember the last proper event when I was on call at the little hospital when we were treating more staff than patients with them slipping on the ice getting out of their cars. Mr drove me there & we picked up a few extra's walking on the way as it was so horrible & unsafe for them with cars sliding around. Mr just drove the car through the front automatic door to let us out. It was much better on the way home but we took the same guys home anyway as it was still freezing & they had a very busy day.
Westi
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Cider Boys
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Fieldfares visiting my old apple trees, it is always pleasing to see them but they do chase away the blackbirds. I shall be looking out for redwings in the next following days. Broad beans are now showing and I have managed to plant my hedging whips in this dry period.
Hope all are keeping well, happy new year.
Barney
Hope all are keeping well, happy new year.
Barney
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tigerburnie
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Quite a blizzard, just now, being on the coast we don't usually get much snow, but it is settling, village a few miles in land has roads closed with 3 foot deep drifts, still I like the seasons.
Been gardening for over 65 years and still learning.
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Westi
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No show of any frost or ice so I will be going down tomorrow, mind it is staying at 0C until 11am so I will be cold but got some physical type jobs so should keep warm enough especially with my Michelan Man layers! Only got to persevere until 20th March & then it will be spring, hopefully warming along the way!
What do you think 2026 will bring to challenge us? The very small number I have asked think it's time for hotter weather & hose pipe bans. I'm thinking another tease with a bit of a hot spell like last year.
What do you think 2026 will bring to challenge us? The very small number I have asked think it's time for hotter weather & hose pipe bans. I'm thinking another tease with a bit of a hot spell like last year.
Westi
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Clive.
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Ground frozen here today...made use of this to move some wheelbarrow loads of top soil to top up a trench across a lawn that has sunk...using access progressively back along the trench line..not wheeling on frosty good lawn.!
The moon was amazing this morning, huge and bright, watched it heading down behind the wood at 7:35am.
Bright again this evening..had to drop something back up the avenue...and there was no need for a torch, and amazing shadows from the trees in the moonlight...
C.
The moon was amazing this morning, huge and bright, watched it heading down behind the wood at 7:35am.
Bright again this evening..had to drop something back up the avenue...and there was no need for a torch, and amazing shadows from the trees in the moonlight...
C.
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Westi
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Went down as planned but little done as beds frozen. Gave me a chance to tidy & sort the tunnel at least which had become a bit of a haven for putting things in. Despite the holes in the roof from the fireworks & the fox, it is holding the temp pretty well in there. I was hoping to just repair the holes but the mending tape just won't stay on in the cold. I'm trying not to buy a new cover if possible due to the £s so will see how it goes when a bit warmer as it might secure better then or do you know of a particular brand that is more sticky ? Also on this subject should I just repair the holes or put a strip right along the top of the tunnel where all the damage is? (My neighbour is insistent he will do it, but I will be his side kick & banned him doing it if I'm not there).
Westi
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oldherbaceous
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Morning all, just want to share some positive news with you.
I’ve been having a bit of a health scare since well before Christmas but, although it was classed as urgent, I didn’t get to have a Colonoscopy until yesterday evening!
But on the brightest of notes, apart from a couple of issues, there was no Cancer, so a huge relief for the family.
All the staff were so lovely and we had quite a laugh….as I was the last patient of the day, when I was wheeled out onto the 10 bed ward, I was the only one there…..so when a very attractive student Nurse came to check the monitor, I asked her if she had killed all the other Patients! Her poor face and her spluttering out, No, No, suddenly made me feel very guilty….so had to very quickly explain I was only pulling her leg and then she couldn’t wait to get back to the others to tell them all!
Wonderful staff indeed……
I’ve been having a bit of a health scare since well before Christmas but, although it was classed as urgent, I didn’t get to have a Colonoscopy until yesterday evening!
But on the brightest of notes, apart from a couple of issues, there was no Cancer, so a huge relief for the family.
All the staff were so lovely and we had quite a laugh….as I was the last patient of the day, when I was wheeled out onto the 10 bed ward, I was the only one there…..so when a very attractive student Nurse came to check the monitor, I asked her if she had killed all the other Patients! Her poor face and her spluttering out, No, No, suddenly made me feel very guilty….so had to very quickly explain I was only pulling her leg and then she couldn’t wait to get back to the others to tell them all!
Wonderful staff indeed……
Kind Regards, Old Herbaceous.
There's no fool like an old fool.
There's no fool like an old fool.
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Westi
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That's reassuring news OH!
The NHS gets beaten up a lot in the press but on the whole they have an excellent service, just the demand overwhelms them at times. Our hospitals have co-joined with the private hospitals now with the private accepting NHS patients when they know the NHS front door is heaving they take on some of the day cases & it works both ways as some of the NHS consultants take on their cases for the them as they are the specialists in a certain area.
Finally being grown ups!
The NHS gets beaten up a lot in the press but on the whole they have an excellent service, just the demand overwhelms them at times. Our hospitals have co-joined with the private hospitals now with the private accepting NHS patients when they know the NHS front door is heaving they take on some of the day cases & it works both ways as some of the NHS consultants take on their cases for the them as they are the specialists in a certain area.
Finally being grown ups!
Westi
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retropants
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Glad everything is ok, OH. What a relief for you all.
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oldherbaceous
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The frost really has got into the ground now, so no Winter digging today!
Kind Regards, Old Herbaceous.
There's no fool like an old fool.
There's no fool like an old fool.
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Clive.
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Yes, certainly a cold one this morning...had to go with some leaf raking along path side gullies as something that would go. The low temps had really turned things down and we had had a dose of very dry powdery snow which had come down in the early hours. A few further flurries during the day coming in of the North. sea.
C.
C.
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oldherbaceous
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Just log moving today for me…..now tea and Christmas cake, bought a large one yesterday for £1.38 and very nice it is too!
Kind Regards, Old Herbaceous.
There's no fool like an old fool.
There's no fool like an old fool.
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retropants
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We’re having a new roof tomorrow! All happened a bit quick. Contractor was next door, and he popped over to apologise for the noise. We had a chat and said we were thinking of having our roof done, as it is literally falling off in chunks, almost 100 years old terracotta tiles. It turned out he had a gap in his schedule, we are off this week, and the scaffolding was coming down from the last project yesterday. All systems go, materials delivered, scaffolding is up and I need lie down!