Late Summer Bits and Bobs, dear Monika.

[oldherbaceous]

I don’t know if Monika is still with us but, I know she would have been reminding me that it is time to update…..so here we are dear Monika….it has left a big gap on the forum, without her wonderful posts…

Been digging some bindweed out of the front border this morning…the dry weather hasn’t slowed the growth of that stuff…

[Stephen]

Impossible stuff bindweed, or nearly so. I wrap as much of the growth from the tip downwards in a plastic bag and spray inside then tie the knot tightly. It isn't organic but is effective and very economical and controlled.

My experience differs a little, I have found some bindweed withered in this drought but might need to check it hasn't sprung back to life after the welcome rain last Thursday. Let's have more rain please!

[Primrose]

Hello Monika if you,re still tuning in but not posting. Yes we do miss your contributions.

The days seem to be passing so quickly now it,s a little hard to keep track of them and since the start of the Covid pandemic I suspect he word "normal" seems a little implausible for trying to describe all the daily news stories which form the background to our lives.
Perhaps those who enjoy " gardening" in whatever form that takes are the only people who,ve managed to stay sane.

[Westi]

Whoop! Looks like I will soon have my transport back to the plots. It isn't that far away but kind of eerie walking through the woods early & lots of homeless set up their shelters overnight along the path. It is also no fun trying to carry back a harvest both from the weight perspective & trying to not to squish things. My bright idea of borrowing m-in-laws shopping trolley was a complete disaster as a wheel fell off! Oops! New bus service is not as regular as the one that went bust either.

Anyway saved today by finally finding a modified vehicle hubby can drive & get into from his chair as it has a ramp & a powered hook thing that will pull him up as ramp is on an acute angle as has to be short to fit into a parking space, but can extend. They were very excited to take our Yeti as a trade in, so paid just over £1,500 for a Berlingo van with just 17,000km on the clock! Loads of room in the back even with the chair or mini scooter in for the dogs & crops as well. He should have been eligible for mobility allowance but they denied the first application done just 2 weeks before he was admitted to hospital for amputation & are still processing the new application which could take several months. They denied us the appeal option on the first as outside the time frame & would not budge even though he was in hospital at the time & having the amputation & vein grafts to save at least one leg. Annoyingly I know 2 people who have got it, both mobile & one is working - hmm?

[Primrose]

Good news re the transport Westi Walking back from your plot with that sort of risk is not worth considering.
Seems like you and OH have had some difficult times which can't have been helped by your battles with bureauracy over entitled allowances.
If you still have months to wait it may well be worth contacting your MP with full details. It seems a letter from them to the relevant authorities can often have the effect of putting a rocket up bureauracy's backside.

[Primrose]

Looked out on our scorched lawn today. Maybe I have a VERY vivid imagination, but I thought I almost imagined seeing one or two brave stalks of green grass popping up here and there after last week's three hours of rainfall. Perhaps wishful thinking though

[Primrose]

Just in case Monika isn,t tuning in, tomorrow is 1st September which I gather is the first day of metrological Autumn. Late summer didn,t last very long then !!

Meanwhile we here are making the most of the free wind and solar power for drying our laundry outside as long as we can, given the difficulties of doing this indoors this winter with rising energy costs. Does anybody use their garden greenhouse as an drying venue during inclement winter weather? There,s nothing more annoying than having to take a chance with possible rain and it occurred to me many greenhouses are often pretty empty during winter months?

[robo]

Westi ,don’t give up with your disability claim, I nearly did with my wife’s on top of everything else she had no short term memory she also had a fall and broke her hip they decided to put a screw in her hip which didn’t work she could only stand up with the aid of a stick and myself ,they still refused so I decided to go the full hit, we finished up with a doctor who was also the judge a woman who was described as working with the disabled for a long time she kept trying to trick my wife into slipping up that is something that is hard to do when the person you are trying it on can’t remember what you have just asked,the third person was a doctor, initially they told me I couldn’t answer for my wife after a very short spell they aimed the questions at me the woman was told by the judge to keep quiet as she was making herself look an idiot and didn’t realise it in the end we was awarded everything she could have got

[Stravaig]

Good luck, Westi! What a dreadful situation to find yourself in. Let's hope things get better now you have suitable transport.

[tigerburnie]

Looked out on our scorched lawn today. Maybe I have a VERY vivid imagination, but I thought I almost imagined seeing one or two brave stalks of green grass popping up here and there after last week's three hours of rainfall. Perhaps wishful thinking though

I had to cut our grass the other day................................

[Westi]

Bournemouth Air show is on down here. I can't help myself running to the front door, back door & upstairs to see the planes. The night display is just finishing but saw nought, but did catch the Red Arrows when up high doing the coloured smoke thing & the sneaky big plane that comes up behind you silently then makes a huge noise this afternoon. The trees over on the Marsh & the school have just grown that wee bit to tall! We used to be on the flight path a few years ago & just sat in the garden & looked up, but they go behind us now they go behind the woods & turn over the IOW. Safe route it they have to abort as over water.

Deffo don't go into Bournemouth or Hengistbury Head where you can see as way too crowded & hours lost of my life span sitting in queues waiting for the wee ferry to take me back from Hengistbury or even longer for a bus from Bournemouth. Still great though getting wee glimpses!

[tigerburnie]

Proper rain, been on all night which kept waling us up! Water butts over flowing, wildlife pond full to the brim and I'm sure I can hear the grass growing, a welcome relief all round, the hills and moors were tinder dry, hopefully this will prevent any fires.

[Primrose]

Not often one has Rain Envy but I suspect many of us "Down South" are really feeling it now !
As you say, hopefully this will prevent your part of the world from bush fires.
Unbelievably some people around here are still having portable barbeques and letting off fireworks - I don't think they're giving any thought to what might happen if some odd sparks go astray.

But beware tigreburnie - the only natural source untaxed these days is RAINFALL, so you lot up there may be some of the early victims!

[tigerburnie]

Ha-ha, yes you might find Wee Jimmie Crankie will be trying to export water at extortionate cost south of Hadrian's Wall lol.

[oldherbaceous]

We had a big old storm here last night, kept tripping the electric out in the village….