Chitchat thread #24

[greenishfing]

Good morning all.

Long time, no see LD. Nice to hear from you.

There's no rain in today's forecast, but the sky is really black at the moment.

We're taking my brother in law to Leeds this afternoon. Although I've generally got a good sense of direction, for some reason it's a city my internal SatNav never got a grip on. I never had a problem with Bradford or Sheffield, although my internal maps are out of date now, but Leeds......Once inside the ring road, apart from a few specific places, such as driving directly to hospitals, or the railway station, it's a mystery. Never mind, at least the car's SatNav, or my phone is far superior to a husband who has no sense of direction whatsoever. If he says turn right I can practically guarantee we should go left, and as for his short cuts..... I think the reason I used to like driving in France was the "Toutes Directions" signs you'd always get in city centres, and how if you were approaching a "speed trap" every car would flash and warn you.

Time for a coffee top up....

[greenishfing]

Snoop, hugs to Mr Snoop. I do think the "invincibility thing" is a definite male trait. Take it from me.....some of them NEVER learn.

[Florence Fennel]

Good Morning All and Lottie nice to see you Dull and warm again. Have a good day

[bramble]

Good morning all its a lovely sunny morning but we are due to have rain this afternoon.
Out in the garden to do as much as possible before the weather deteriorates.

Snoop, it's definitely a man thing.....ladders....Thank God he is ok.
GF, I get unnerved if I have to drive somewhere I am unfamiliar with.

Nice to see you back Lottie.

Have a good day all.

[Nicos]

Good grief Snoop …hope he’s not too sore today.
Rary…..any advice?

[Nicos]

Sooo hot outside. Well, not according to the thermometer - it’s ‘only’ 26C but too hot now to work in the direct sun.
I keep popping indoors to cool off and drink some water.
I have however given my back a break and collected a huuuge amount of bullace plums. Two large bread mixing bowls worth
It’s a tree hidden away which has never produced more than a dozen or so previously. Pity I didn’t spot it earlier though as the fruit is really ripe.
Any suggestions what we can do with them- apart from freezing. The skins are pretty scabby.

Unusually , there have only been a couple of wasps and one hornet feeding off them- usually dropped fruit in the past has been a magnet. Quite a concern in reality seeing as there have been so few bees around too.
I wonder if the cold wet Spring and summer has been detrimental to their nests/ hives?

[JanieB]

I have however given my back a break and collected a huuuge amount of bullace plums. Two large bread mixing bowls worth
It’s a tree hidden away which has never produced more than a dozen or so previously. Pity I didn’t spot it earlier though as the fruit is really ripe.
Any suggestions what we can do with them- apart from freezing. The skins are pretty scabby.
?

Jam, gin?

I’ve just had a call from my daughter asking me to please go and pick the glut of plums she has, and make jam. I do this every year. This year I’m going to take the apples as well and make apple wine. I used to make it years ago and take the pulp to a local brew kit retailer to be pressed. They closed down a couple of years ago and pressing by hand is hard work and beyond me nowadays. But I acquired a fruit press a few months ago. It was being used as window dressing in a local shop so I asked if I could buy it and they gave it to me free as it was missing a piece and the instructions.

I forgot to say hello, so hello.

Cloudy and cool today and I would prefer to be outside but I’m waiting for 2 deliveries and I can’t hear the door if I’m outside. I have one of those fancy doorbells but haven’t installed it yet, another thing I don’t have the instructions for. My son moved them so they will turn up.

He’s currently in hospital having surgery on a finger. He broke it, didn’t go to hospital so it’s set at a funny angle. They’re re breaking it and setting it properly.

Time for a cuppa, anyone else?

[Nicos]

Would love a cuppa please Janie. Ta muchly.
I already have enough pots of jam to shake a stick at- but yep - I’m moving towards the idea of gin/ vodka for some of it. Thanks.

Everything with fruit seems to suggest ‘ add 500 kg of sugar/ butter’
I think the idea of 1 litre of spirits might be less fattening - and should keep for years. I’ve made them with no sugar previously and they’ve kept fine.
Hope your son is fine- I don’t know… the things they do to get out of washing up

[Jay22]

Afternoon, very wet today and so muggy, not nice at all.
Went for a quick bite to Starbucks this morning, never again!!! Two coffees a sandwich and a sausage bap…£20.05!!!! Served in paper cups and brown paper bags too! No wonder people go to McDonalds!!!
Anyhoo, think it will be hameildaemae from now on.
Hope you all have a great day. x

[Jay22]

Great to see you back lottie, missed you.
Snoop, so glad Mr Snoop is ok after his ladder incident!!

[Nicos]

Afternoon, very wet today and so muggy, not nice at all.
Went for a quick bite to Starbucks this morning, never again!!! Two coffees a sandwich and a sausage bap…£20.05!!!! Served in paper cups and brown paper bags too! No wonder people go to McDonalds!!!
Anyhoo, think it will be hameildaemae from now on.
Hope you all have a great day. x

* falls over sideways…..

[lottie dolly]

hi all thanks for the welcome back,re my new greenhouse,i am growing toms and cues,different types,it house some other plants grown from seed,but unfortunatly did not make the garden in time,at least it has kept my hand in as they say,i covered it over with permiable ground cover,cutout holes ,placed the good old flower buckets over,i drilled some holes in the bottom first,and was able to insert a cane through into the ground,then put compost in and plant,i prefer to grow in the ground,but did this way as it was to hard to turn over,so at the end of the year it should be weed free and easy to turn,the only downside is,i now have the dreaded horsetail,come from the allotments at the back of me,yes i was finally ofered a plot,i declined,shame as i could have put a gate out my back,never mine,i have come back to my senses and i do have enough for what i want within my walls,what i have noticed is things are not growing so well,even my dahlia.s are not as good,the beans are anly just takcing off as well,but my few brassicas in the net tunnel are doing brill,have had some brockoly bits,now in the freezer,and plan to put some kale in,and savoys are just starting to heart up,see what next year brings if am still on earth and able,the bother with aging is,the brain makes promises the body has other ideas hehehehehe

[lottie dolly]

Snoop so sorry to hear about your other half,hope he recovers well x

[Snoop Puss]

Well, we had the dark skies and thunder but nary a drop of water. Heavy Cloud No Rain is a great song, but not great weather. For me at least.

I had to look up hameildaemae, Jay, but at those prices, I'd pretty well worked it out for myself.

There's always next year, LD. That's what I'm telling myself. The only thing I've got in the ground is a dozen tomato plants. A plot must have been tempting, especially if you could have put in a gate straight through. That's a lot of land to cultivate, though. One of the good things about ageing is that while the brain makes promises the body can't keep, it's also pretty wise at times.

I'll pass on the good wishes to Mr Snoop. He was pretty determined to have another go, but even he had to concede he's still in too much pain to go climbing the ladder just yet...

[rary]

Just be careful. My husband decided that it was reroofing one of our sheds that froze my shoulder. He told our doctor this.🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

Sorry, I'm remembering the doctor's reaction.

Strangely enough GF my OH seemed to give me the frozen shoulder when i suggested she washed my back😥🙄🙄