Chitchat thread #24

[Florence Fennel]

Good Morning Snoop and All Warm again here. Waiting for Grory Hop delivery. No Frank today, it's my GGs birthday today and she's going up Snowdon! They have taken a spare rucksack in case Frank runs out of steam! Have a good day

[bramble]

Good morning all.
Dull and breezy here with showers forecast.
Out for a walk before the rain.
Have some work to keep me going in the greenhouse.
Have a good day all.

[greenishfing]

Good morning all.

Nicos, I think the wild flowers here have loved the wet Spring followed by this little burst of warmth. The other thing this year is that our council have done far less grass cutting than usual (roundabouts and verges). I'd much rather see poppies and daisies than manicured grass, and I'm sure the wildlife prefer it.

I'm shortly going to get the jam pan and some jars out ready for making some strawberry jam. I collect secondhand jars and my one rule is that I clean and remove labels before I put them away so that they only need a quick wash and sterilising before use. I think strawberry jam is my absolute favourite and we are using the last jar of last year's.

It's supposed to be 7° cooler than yesterday, but no rain forecast until maybe next Tuesday.

[Containergardener]

Morning
Grey and breezy here. Going to do grory hop before any rain arrives.

[Nicos]

Afternoon n’alln’all

Another scorchio day today for us, although there is the occasional fluffy cloud giving us a couple of minutes respite from the intense heat.
Up with the larks today- we had to take the camper in for its replacement parts. Frustratingly the warning light didn’t come up once when we were away- but best be safe as she’s knocking on a bit in age.

Finally our patio slabs arrived with sand and cement so we’re having to move it all to the back of the house! Yup - in this heat. Being sensible though…little by little with lots of rests and cold water.

gf…we leave homemade jams for our guests and my strawberry jam is the most popular. I also like to add a good splosh of IKEA elderflower syrup to some batches and that works really well too. Second favourite tends to be a mixture of garden berries. Every batch is subtly different! ….I dishwasher all jars and as soon as they are cool enough, I put new, sterile lids on them so they are ready for action when needed.
My strawberries this year have been appalling ( too many tall weeds taking over both strawberry beds plus mice or voles or something cutting off green ones and piling them up together ) so I need to go and buy some and get cracking! Thanks for the heads up!

Hope you get your rain Snoop - but preferably not monsoon amounts!

[mothhawk]

Afternoon all.

I'm another that loves strawberry jam, but I don't make much as I have to buy the strawberries, while most of my other jams are free fruit all gathered from the hedgerows in their due time - blackberry, cherry, damson, crab apple, plus raspberry from the garden. When I can make so much for free it seems slightly wrong to buy fruit specially.

I found a forgotten packet of pearl barley at the back of the cupboard yesterday, so I got out the old recipe book and made lemon barley water . In this heat it is very refreshing, plus I had barley porridge for breakfast today with the leftover grain.

[greenishfing]

I have made the strawberry jam and I think it has set eventually. When it is cold I'll have a better idea. I've also got out all the bits of lemon waste that I was accumulating in the freezer and they are now simmering on the hob. I'm going to have a go at the " Lemon Peel Jam" next. I've no idea what it will be like, but I'm only having a trial with a small amount.

[Bren In Pots]

My favourite jam is raspberry with the seeds sieved out because I'm picky apparently.

[Nicos]

If it doesn’t set gf…just call it ‘confiture’

I made raspberry jam without seeds a few years ago for a friend with IBS or diverticulitis or something…but wow…it was really lovely!
Melon Jam for me is a newbie and it’s delicious! Expensive though

[Containergardener]

I used to hate blackcurrant jam but now it's my fave

[Containergardener]

Morning
What a windy old night. Have been out to check things and branches snapped off shrubs, pots and tubs blown over, broadbeans blown over(and the canes). Its a cold wind too.
Have quickly done what I can for now, will carry on at some point. Talk about complete reverse of the weather.

[Bren In Pots]

Morning

Hope you've not got to much damage CG its windy here but not as bad as yours. It looked like being a good drying day here but after pegging out a couple of items them the rain started will try again later.

[Snoop Puss]

Morning, CG. Morning, all. Edited to add: morning, Bren.

Nice cool start to the day, but the builders are outside with Mr Snoop making a right royal racket. Fingers crossed it stops soon, as I have a lot to get through today.

Mouth recovering from yesterday's dental onslaught already. Phew. Lovely dentist and assistant and feel very lucky to have found them (recommended by chief builder).

Off out at the end of the day to go and choose some floor tiles. I think the main factor in the choice will be price! Floor tiles and dentists don't come cheap round here. I presume it's the same everywhere.

Have a great day, everyone.

[Nicos]

Mornin n’alln’all
Wow CG…as you say- a complete change.

Our temperatures have dropped and there’s a pleasantly cool wind. Perfect for gardening here. Rain due later in the week so I really need to crack on.
Ideally , I’d like to get the 5 bar gate cuprinoled over the weekend.
So many weeds after 2 weeks away! Not complaining…I’d much rather be doing that than housework!

Fortunately we have a friend coming over to help today with moving the rest of the patio slabs and the ton of sand.
Means I can nip and do a grory hop too .
We have another friend staying over the weekend…by heck, it’s all go here!

Enjoy your day peeps!

[Nicos]

Morning Bren and Snoop…didn’t hear you clattering around in the kitchen…must be the noise Mr Snoop was making!