Chatback #16

[Nicos]

Mornin n'alln'all

More preserving for me today. Getting a great stash ready for the winter. At this rate we'll hardly need to buy a thing!( nor will my kids at this rate)
First though, a bit of ironing.

Sad to hear about trees dying off Snoop which ones particularly aren't coping?...perhaps peeps can be encouraged to plant more drought resistant ones for the long term (olives etc -or are your winters too cold for them?)

we had a tiny hens egg laid this morning. I'm hoping it's the first from a chick from earlier this year...alternatively it's one which has been moulting coming back into lay.
Only getting 2gss a day from 12 chooks. Their run is covered in feathers!! I was thinking of keeping some, and also collect all my hairbrush hair and make up a few nest material bags for the wildbirds for the Spring.
Thinking ahead...beyond Xmas

And yes..that stick does hurt Snoop...but I'm sat on VC as I typed that so she can't get me again!
* runs away quickly.....

See ya later peeps!

[self-contained]

After a busy and frustrating week in work, I was planning a long lie in this morning but have only managed until half eight (which is nearly two hours later than I've been waking up for work but not much of a lie in for an owl). I used to regularly sleep in at least one day at the weekend, but I've not been able to for quite a few months now. It's probably better for my sleep hygiene overall, but I do miss being able to sleep until lunchtime to catch up for the rest of the week!

I'm up and dressed and trying to decide if my hair can be made to look clean enough for me to do my food shopping today rather than Sunday (when I usually go). I want to make some fudge to take to work on Monday and it always takes more work than I expect so the earlier I buy the ingredients, the better.

I have many gardening tasks I should be undertaking, but I don't fancy them in the rain. So maybe some more work on my seed-saving later. Lots of housework to catch up on too... <sigh>

[lottie dolly]

Morning all,cold and wet,got to go get the hair trimed and some milk,the rest can wait,have upset the old back again,right am off.

[bramble]

A late good morning as the battery died overnight.
It's a beautiful autumn morning here.
Calm and sunny and not even a gentle breeze.
Havnt decided what to do today.
Have a good on all.

[Nicos]

Afternoon n'all
Did some more seed preparations -decided to collect seed heads before it rains!
Wrapped some of the larger apples for storage in the barn ( you'd hardly notice any are missing!!!)
Huge pan of chopped up baby apples now stewed down and ready for straining overnight ( chilli jelly and maybe try some ginger jelly) and a large pan of green tomato mincemeat on the go..but this time with coconut oil.
Had a bit of a distraction earlier as a friend invited me over to cuddle 3 three week old kittens..awwww!
Want one..want one!...but I don't think Hibou would cope with another cat in the house. One day when she's an old lass perhaps?

Got some bedding to,iron but I somehow manage to keep forgetting about it!

Maybe I should just bite the bullet and get on with that.
Lumps.....wonder where that saying comes from?

See ya later....

[bramble]

Planted up 10 containers of bulbs today.
Daffodils, tulips and crocus.
Emptied and stored some pots and containers that are finished for this year.
Took some more strawberry runners.

[Bren In Pots]

Morning, cold out at 1.9c in my GH overnight and its not much warmer out there now anyway thats better then yesterdays rain.
Have a good Sunday

[Florence Fennel]

Good Morning Bren and anyone else who's around. Sunny here today but it's frosty! I'm soup making today for my work lunches. Too cold for salad now Have a lovely Sunday

[Nicos]

Mornin n'alln'all
Wow...what a windy and wet night...even Hibou refused to go outside!
...so...no frost here Flo!
Need to finish off what I was preserving yesterday before I even look at my 'to do list'
Think paperwork needs to take priority...good job it's not an outdoor sort of day eh?

See ya later peeps...enjoy your day whatever you get up to!

[Aberdeenplotter]

Morning all,

well I slept through (for a change) so I have no idea what the overnight weather was like. I did think a frost was likely but no sign of that when I got up around 8.00 and it's chucking it down now .

Our heating is playing up. Oil boiler sometimes not firing up when it should. We have replaced an old analogue thermostat with a modern digital one which hasn't resolved the problem and so I've ordered a new timeswitch today and will see if that helps once it's changed over. Less than twenty quid for the timeswitch which is identical to the existing one and it will be a dawdle to change over as well.

This is the sort of problem that Pottie would have been all over with sound and practical advice.

Nice to hear you mention Hibou Nicos. That must be at least a couple of years since her trauma?

[Snoop Puss]

So, had a good day yesterday finished by an evening walk to collect figs for freezing for cooking later in the year with pork. The green figs are pretty well all finished - only ones left on the tree are small and hard or big and burst, so full of ants. So I've had to make do with the purple ones. Sad, I know! But I do prefer the more in-your-face flavour of the green ones.

Anyway, off out later on to meet up with a friend at a bar. Before that, lots to do. Chicken Jalfrezi for the freezer, chicken saltimboccas to eat and a chicken to joint for in the week and the freezer to save having to wash up more than one 'toxic' chopping board, as I call them after dealing with raw chicken. A bit of weeding and then some chopping down of holly oak with my new two-handed secateurs. Bought them yesterday. Frighteningly expensive, but narrower handles and much lighter than any of the others I saw, so I'm more likely to use them for more than three minutes before my arms and hands get tired. Mr Snoop knows I've got them, but I'm not telling anyone else. The number of similar tools that have got broken because people use them on twigs and stems that are obviously too thick beggars belief.

Have a great day, everyone. Catch you later.

[Nannysally99]

Morning everyone, bright and sunny here. A tad nippy out, buts early yet
I have food shopping and household chores to do today.
Boring I know, but sometimes you just have to
Laters

[burnie]

Just started raining and it not warm at all, no gardening today I think.

[burnie]

Good chance of an Aurora tonight if the rain clouds gone, level 6 could reach the midlands of England

[Nicos]

AP....3years last week since Hibou was hit by the tractor.
Boy time whizzes by.
She's not completely back to normal as she has problems drinking as well as swallowing huuuge mice...also not happy flat on her back as she chokes....but apart from that and if you look carefully her eye is set further back in it's socket, you really wouldn't realise the horrendous couple of years she's been through.
So many people at the time said she should be put down....but it just goes to show eh?
The consultant advised us to leave her to heal in her own time....glad we listened to him!
Thanks for asking x