Chitchat thread #24

[greenishfing]

I must say the award winning pork pies lived up to my expectations. I grabbed a new jar of chutney off the shelf and it was probably the best I have ever made. The only problem is no label. I thought I had been so good at labelling lately........ but evidently not. It was a bit like Branston with a bit of a punch. I really wish I knew what recipe I had based it on.

The elderly relative is out of hospital and back at her care home but there is no visiting as they have got covid in the home .... again. Something is not right.

The glowering and finger wagging seems to have encouraged a couple of cucumber plants to stick their heads above the compost, but nothing else yet.

[rary]

don't know if I can up load these photos if so the show the water butt and perforated base plate along with the basket that will go inside the butt to hold the plate up also shows the insulation board which the butt will sit on and also be used as a topping lid the mat will be warped round the butt, then the butt filled up

[rary]

I put the matting around the butt, then wrapped it with bubble wrap, I added some natural accelerator to the he compost, so hope it starts to heat up

[Nicos]

Nice one Rary!

I was just wondering if you might get liquid fertiliser collecting at the bottom?
If so, might it be worth thinking about adding a tap/ drainage plug to collect it without disturbing the contents?
I suppose time will tell as to how much it produces?
I’m very interested in seeing how well this works!

[Nicos]

Mornin n’alln’all

Loads of wet sploshy stuff going on here.
So glad I cut the front lawns yesterday!

More domestics for me today.
I put some sweet peas on damp kitchen roll the other day and they’ve started to germinate!..yippee!

Plans for the weekend?…mine are more domestics and spring cleaning one of the gites.
I’m also into a pre Easter diet, so no doubt my weekend will also include being hungry

Have a great day peeps whatever you get up to.

[mothhawk]

Morning all, it's a frosty one here.

In the garden the bluetit has changed her mind about which box to build in, and after two days construction in one, is now busily building in the box she uses most years. I wonder if it's a ploy to make other birds think both boxes are occupied. I've just watched her drag an eight inch piece of dead peony stem in through the hole. The male attempts to drive every bird smaller than a blackbird out of the garden, launching himself in surprise attacks from the cover of the buckthorn hedge. The blackbirds he scolds loudly.

Right, time for another brew methinks.

[Nicos]

I’ll join you MH if I may?

Its wonderful watching the birds isn’t it?
We have had magpies building a nest in the large sycamore tree at the front of our house. They snap branches off the wild cherry tree in the back garden and fly over the house.
Funny thing is that there is a black cherry tree right next to the tree they are building in. Maybe the wild cherry has thinner twigs to snap off? Some of the twigs must be more than 12” long.

8” twigs are massive in comparison for you tiny bluetit!

[rary]

Nicos there is a tap fitted, it's below the wrapping, just where the short bit of tape is at the base, that's why I put the basket in first that hopefully should hold the perforated base plate clear of the outlet

[Nicos]

Good call Rary!

[Snoop Puss]

Morning all.

I've sent some smiles round, mothhawk. They liked the sound of your blue tit. They say they'll keep out the way, just watch from a reasonable distance and not make mum or dad nervous.

Looks like a good project, Rary. Did you buy the bits as a kit or is it a mix 'n' match job?

Hope your relative's situation improves, GF. Not good.

All good in the house of Snoop today. Mr Snoop has gone off into town on assorted errands, delivering buns as he goes and picking up parcel deliveries and shopping. Among the packages, vermiculite and perlite. So seed sowing will proceed again this weekend. Phew. He's also going to order a battery-powered strimmer. The chainsaw has proven to be fantastic, so we'll try a strimmer now.

Oh, and the sun is shining. Properly. And no frost, though it was quite cold in the night.

Right, got a million things to do today, including going round to see our nearest neighbours with some buns (reduce the temptation to eat them).

Have a great day, everyone. I've left buns over by the kettle if anyone fancies one.

[greenishfing]

Good morning everybody. It's still very cold here, 2°C, but sunny. Rain, and even thunderstorms forecast later.

I hope you like your battery strimmer Snoop. I really like mine, mostly because it is so light and, as a lefthander, I used to really struggle with the heavy petrol ones trying to tie me up in knots when both starting and using. It was like playing a game of twister.

Still waiting for more seedlings to appear. Catch you all later.. off to get myself another coffee.

[Nicos]

Gf…glad to hear your relative is out of hospital….but it really is a concern about the Covid outbreak again. Hopefully she doesn’t catch it.

[greenishfing]

Gf…glad to hear your relative is out of hospital….but it really is a concern about the Covid outbreak again. Hopefully she doesn’t catch it.

Hopefully not again, she only had it a couple of months ago.

[lottie dolly]

afternoon all,nice to have a bit of warmer weather again,glad your relative is back home,hope she stays safe,thinking of FF and bramble and families,i have been adviced ,to stop taking the biotics,and am being booked in with the DR next week ,planted up the chitted sweet peas,sown more chillie,the lettuce,flowers and brasicas are looking fine,wish my energy and wil power would work with my over active brain,am also looking in my sewing den,at my model,and thinking hat can i do,them ruddy pills have knocked me of balance,not only that,but the thyroxin and others i have, must have not done anything either,such is life eh,i will rise again,my I am enjoying the sun coming in the window,remember to Bgood2yourselves

[Nicos]

Evening n’alln’all
Hope they finally get you sorted next week lottie - you’ve got too much to do to be ill!

We had a tremendous thunderstorm this afternoon. Came out of nowhere along with strong winds. All calm and clear skies now so no doubt we’ll have a frost.
I’ve been a very brave girl and decided to leave my shallots outside overnight. They’ve been hardening off so I hope I’ve not been foolhardy They have decent root and top growth and are ready for planting out - so fingers crossed they will be ok.

See you in the morning peeps - sleep well