Chitchat thread #24

[Nicos]

I’m hoping chocolate will jump into mine gf!
Apparently one square of 70% or higher dark chocolate daily is actually good for you.
I used to buy Lindt chilli but can’t find that anymore- so I’ve moved onto mint or orange and almond. One small, thin square a day.
Hard to stop at one though….

I’m guessing you’ll be buying prawns… oh!….….how are you off for magnums?.

[greenishfing]

I'm back again. As if on cue it started to drizzle here about 10 minutes ago. I've been looking online for some summer weight loose trousers for Mr GF for the last hour. A pair are now ordered.

I'm calling round to see my brother in law later. I'll take him some bread pudding and I'll call at the freezer shop en route and treat him to some nice ice cream to go with it. I wonder what else might just jump into my trolley.😇😉

[Nicos]

Mornin n’alln’all

Today started with a heavy mist- and it’s reluctant to lift.
I heard the deer barking again this morning. Lovely.
It actually looks like it might rain- so whoever has got the sun today- enjoy!

Fingers crossed you get rain Snoop.
Last week we were told that our local aquifer is finally full after several years of being on yellow - red alert for water shortages.
I think I’ve got into some good habits now re saving and reusing water.
I solved the 4ish litres of cold water in the pipes when running the kitchen hot tap- I collect it in a jug and we use a Lifestraw jug to filter it. None of it goes to waste - drinking it cold or boiled in the kettle for a brew.
Water in the bathroom is collected and used to flush the loo, as is the shower and bath water.
It felt very strange at first but it’s become very natural now…and sensible.
Drought resistant plants in the garden too where possible, putting any tubs in the shade and covering the soil with gravel to reduce evaporation….and now we’ve finally got into mulching the beds. Still sorting that out as one or two things rotted last year ….

Quick grory hop for me today. We need more milk.
A rat has chewed holes in 6 x 1 litre cartons of longlife milk… Talk about a mess in the cellar. We’ve been storing it there for 16 years with no problem. Ah well…it’s probably disgruntled it can’t access the hen food anymore since we bought the treadle feeder. They’ve eaten candles before now but never cartons Yep - we’ve set a trap. Along with the one at the other end of the building near the bathroom ceiling


So…I best get a wiggle on.
Enjoy your day peeps!

[greenishfing]

Good morning all.

No rain here yet, it's not forecast to start until 11am today.

Another night of not very restful sleep. When I woke up this morning I was having a dream where I was back at school and hadn't done my homework ....glad to wake up. My school days were not the best days of my life.

[Bren In Pots]

Morning, it looks like being a dry day here today, I'm sharing your weather Flo. We've had lots of rain so good to have the water butts full.

Enjoy your day.

[Snoop Puss]

Morning all.

Bright today here. With any luck, though, I'll be swapping our sunshine for your rain. Next week is going to be wet. Phew. March and April are our rainiest months of the year. Just about the only water the ground has seen so far this month is dew. I've told the smiles to dust off their sou'westers in readiness, so it better had rain. They were quite excited at the prospect.

Have a great day, everyone.

[Florence Fennel]

Good Morning All Not sunny, but not raining and not cold! Good day to have Frank. Have a good day

[Bren In Pots]

Evening, sounds like you had a good day in the garden Nicos. We’ve had rain since this morning so no gardening here. Never mind theres always tomorrow.

I finished those crochet those finger less gloves and started on a lacy cowl. Not sure if I’ll ever make anything larger though.

[Nicos]

Wow…we’ve had a lovely day pottering in the garden. It hit 20C so we just sat in the sunshine for a while.
OH did what he could so he’s quite chuffed with himself.
I promise to share it with you when I can- sorry to hear you’ve still got rain GF

It seems that not just the grass has been going bonkers- so too have the brambles. I had to stop as I was getting shredded to bits.

OH got out the Cuprinol for me, so I’m hoping tomorrow I can give my plastic tubs a coat or two.
They were given to me by someone moving back to the UK. Not my choice tbh, but I like the idea that they can be painted , they are light enough for me to roll around to move them, and that being plastic they don’t evaporate as much as some of the pot ones do when it hits the mid 30Cs and above, and also that they won’t shatter/ shale in the frost.
I do like their shape so I’m very content. I might even have become converted apart from the fact that they will only slowly biodegrade over the centuaries and then turn into microplastics
Ah well, they are second hand

Right , I best get my PSB cooking- We both fancy an early tea - I think OH particularly so as I made a large bread and butter pudding using some of bread the neighbours sent over for the chooks pity I’m on a strict diet

Hope everyone has had a grand day?

[greenishfing]

Good afternoon.

When we went out earlier in the drizzle Mr GF was having his usual moan about the weather. "Still I suppose it is the depths of Winter", was his final comment. I told him that actually it was the Spring equinox. His comment while glaring out of the car window, "It's no business being Spring at this time of year". Mmmmmmm!

[Nicos]

This tickled me this morning

love yours MH… nice find!

[mothhawk]

Morning all.
Best wishes for Mrs NTG's recovery and Mr N's hand.

It's here! The Spring Equinox! The days are going to be longer than the nights from today - hurray!

[Florence Fennel]

Good Morning All Raining here. I've been lounging about again, so I'd better do something. Have a good day

[Snoop Puss]

Morning all.

Meant to have made a bit more progress with work than I have this morning. I got rather side-tracked by a Spanish website for slow cooker recipes... I had no idea they were so versatile. Bream baked in salt, sardines confited (essentially) in olive oil, recipes for all the bean soupy-stews I love here. Anyway, back to the real world now of next to nothing in the fridge... Except a small chicken that could be pot-roasted. Grory hop tomorrow, I think.

Sorry you had such a bad dream, gf. Horrible when that happens. Good to hear about Mr Nicos, though.

No frogspawn here. Not enough rain to fill a tablespoon recently, let alone a pond. And no cuckoos. But our plum trees are just starting to bud, as is the fig tree. Shame, as we're going to be well into the minuses next week.

Right, on with the show. Have a great day, everyone.

[Containergardener]

Morning
Oooh not a good dream/nightmare there GF.
I like Ivy too, Its on our fence , usually something nests in there
Not sure of today's plans. I should be in the office but maybe the greenhouse will get a look in at some point, well as long as it doesn't pour down again.