Autumn Bits and Bobs.

[Clive.]

I had the fringed tulip 'Cummins' and Dutch Iris 'Apollo arrive today..so they are now in the home south border.. ..and then one of the suppliers I have purchased from sent me a clutch of suggestions in a targeted email.. How did they know that earlier in the year I said I must put a Philadelphus back in here..I had forgot..but they hadn't ?!!
If I had a further tidy along a P. Belle Etoile would fit..

Got some washing done and on the line and nicely dry today

I also had a walk down the local High Street and bought two new plates and a shirt....

C.

[oldherbaceous]

A good buying spree, Clive

[Westi]

I am already bored with the in house changes that don't even start until Tuesday. I'm pretty sure I will need therapy when they start the garage conversion in a few months! Spent 2 days taking things out to the garage so they can do the downstairs flooring & drop the back door & remove the ramp. Mr is in the lounge, so there was loads to move as lots on the floor as he can't reach things. Anyway all his junk (oops very relevant bits & bobs), are out! Thankfully the guys doing it are fine dealing with the other furniture even full as have gear to raise & move them while that bit of the floor is done & move it back.

On the subject of backs mine is not too happy after this, but I will go down tomorrow. Nothing onerous will be attempted - guaranteed!

[Westi]

Hmm! Rain was not playing fair today & did not bother looking at the weather report. Dog & I all ready, opened the door & it pelted down & didn't stop. Luckily dog was definitely not going out even though I considered it; it would have been a bad call! Tomorrow is also a wipe out so will be sitting in the garage out of the way of the floor layers, although on reflection maybe upstairs would be more comfy & loo available!

So far all reports are saying Wednesday will be sunny so I can fit in a longer time on the plot to stay out of the way, but will have to check the bus times as would not be keen walking home after a long session on the plot.

[Westi]

Well I didn't have to sit in the garage as the floor layers had it all sorted out, doing a section at a time & they made good headway. They only have to do the kitchen & that will be easier for them as the kick boards can be taken off & cut for them to slip the flooring underneath, I won't be waiting in for them as it finally looks like a rain free day! It pelted down on & off all day keeping the new messaging thing on my phone really very busy!

Very little rest for the wicked as they told us the new dropped back door is on its way, so they will be back soon to do that. That should be fine as from Friday the weather improves; at a price though as temp dropping but gives me a chance to test out my new wind & waterproof fleece!

[Westi]

Well soggy on the plot today, especially that one bed that flooded badly in winter. It was not as bad as then but still very soggy & the channel around it was full of water. I dug out the stones & relayed them, well most of them. Some had worked their way too deep into the mud to dig up so I will ask the committee guy down there to see if I can have some of the gravel from the pile they fill the pot holes with.

Anyway the inevitable question comes! Obvs the gravel is too fine to go down as a bottom layer as would be lost in the mud, but would there be any benefit to putting down some membrane over the stones before putting the gravel over, like a double tier or would it still be too heavy & push the stones down deeper? There won't be loads of gravel, it's a precious commodity to the hole filler gang, but it's just a little channel. My thinking is the membrane might help reduce the big flow of water going straight down when it pelts down, as the paths with their multiple layers of membrane from over the years are slower to let the water through & I am able to sweep this laying water along the path & outside into the road averting really soggy soil underneath & I might be able to do basically the same but bail or syphon the water out.

Cheers in advance!

[Westi]

How/when did that 3C turn up on the local weather report? Best get the thermals out for a few days then, but looks like it is back to normal by next week!

[Geoff]

Down to almost 2° already here so well wrapped up to watch the best aurora I've ever seen but photograph attempts failed.

[retropants]

it was a chilly cycle to work this morning, had to put proper gloves on! Most unexpected. I did try to see the Northern Lights last night, but I think we are too far south unfortunately.

[oldherbaceous]

The car and grass were very white this morning but, a beautiful day now!

[peter]

Same here OH, wondering if my Java spud foliage has collapsed or not.

[Clive.]

Lowest I saw this morning on way to work at 7am was 0.5C and it was 1.5C by the work gates. 2.3C in poly tunnel and foggy misty in there.
Gorgeous sunny day followed and still is sunny...

My work colleague showed me the photos on his phone that he had got of the aurora over the home town of Mortons Media..about 10:30pm, yesterday evening....as usual I missed it, didn't look out.!

C.

[oldherbaceous]

Some spectacular photos going around our village too, of the aurora last night…. and I missed it too, Clive….

[Clive.]

Now the funny thing is that when I was much much younger I had a school type Sundela display board on my bedroom wall with a poster, maybe from Speed and Power magazine and there was an aurora photo on it that sort of frightened me...so maybe good that I didn't look out

I did see the very bright moon earlier in the evening out to the South, when I went out to the dryer in the old coalhouse...

C.

[Westi]

Well it didn't turn out to be 3C at all, no where near as low; outside thermometer was showing 7C & it was 9C in the tunnel. Warmed up really quickly though.

Plot looking a bit barren now as the last Runner frame was taken down & the Jostaberry tree trimmed down; well technically I just broke branches off it. I find it very strange how the fruited branches just die off, but makes it an easy job. As I was down that area of the plot I just cleared all of it & fixed the fence. Raked up the leaves & hopefully they will stay put as I didn't have time to bag them. Will stay down there when I go down next as I opened up the empty compost so will close down the old full one & do a tidy up under the trees.