Chitchat thread #24

[Snoop Puss]

Morning all.

We keep talking about getting a wind generator. What was your experience, greenishfing? Worth it or not? People we know who've had one say they're unreliable and expensive to buy and then maintain. But online people report very positive experiences.

Really cold night and a chilly, cloudy day. Few more days like this and then supposedly we're out of frost territory. Extremely windy yesterday and Mr Snoop needs to do some roof repairs, he says. If it rains before then, we'll be swimming in the kitchen...

The smiles set off all jolly at the thought of me getting the veg patch properly underway in a few days. But I've got plenty of work to get through before then. So better get a move on.

Have a great day, everyone. Nice to see you back, Rary.

[greenishfing]

^^^ We only had a very small wind generator Snoop, designed for a boat, and I'm going back about 30 years when we got it, when the technology was still basic, and it was secondhand (and free) at the time. It didn't give us much power and Mr GF was always fiddling with it. It just put a bit of extra charge into the batteries to power the invertor. I would imagine modern technology has improved them vastly. Eventually we had a bad storm and it blew down and broke a blade.

[Snoop Puss]

^Thanks, GF. Good to know. My impression is they still need a lot of fiddling with and tend to break. Sooner or later we'll get one, but the number of supposedly groundbreaking new designs that are trumpeted but then never make it into commercial production is another indication that they've still got a long way to go for off-grid home set-ups.

[greenishfing]

^Thanks, GF. Good to know. My impression is they still need a lot of fiddling with and tend to break. Sooner or later we'll get one, but the number of supposedly groundbreaking new designs that are trumpeted but then never make it into commercial production is another indication that they've still got a long way to go for off-grid home set-ups.

The one off grid appliance I was really happy with was the fridge/freezer that ran off bottled gas, not cheap though, even secondhand. As long as I cleaned the flue once a month it worked perfectly.

[Snoop Puss]

Yes, we have one of those and you're right, it does work well. But it gets through quite a lot of gas. We'll probably swap to an electric one, at least in the summer months when solar electricity is in plentiful supply, and see how we go.

[lottie dolly]

evening all,what a day ,i was given antibiotics from the DR last friday and they have played my insides up,i am getting a different sort tomorrow,i know i need to loos weight,but this has been a joke ,all i apparently have is a serbacious cyst,have had it for a few years,but started to really play up Friday,to cut it short,they no longer cut em out,but use antibiotics,apparently it was inflamed,but has now settled down back to the lump,hopefully thats seen it off for now,fed up with taking flamin pills,by the way,thanks for the advice ref refresh button,I just needed it ,by for now

[Nicos]

Ouch ouch ouch lottie Fingers crossed this next lot of antibiotics do the trick quickly x

Driving back home from the grory hop this lunchtime I saw loads of swallows…looks like summer is officially here then brrrrr……

[rary]

Here we go again, had printed the message below shortly after Nicos had posted, was quite sure that it had posted, evedently not
Good morning, a light rain just now which will help the garden, Nicos I remember talking to a organic fruit grower several years ago and he hung large black water containers on his trees to keep frost off the blossom, might be worth trying, at no or very little cost

[rary]

Good evening, haven't done much today, as we were watching sons two boys, they are no bother, but still think there should be someone there with them, in between light showers I did some repairs around his garden, and walked the dog, once back home, granddaughter dropped in needing her tyres blown up, she has a slow puncture in one of the tyres so checked them all, and when straitining up boy the pain in my back, this has definitely taught me a lesson if I need something lifted, get someone else to do it have everything I need for making my hot composter so hopefully will get it sorted by the end of the week

[Nicos]

Mornin n’alln’all

Dark and drizzly here but finally warmed up a bit.
Indoor jobs for me today.

Looking forward to seeing your hot composter Rary….are you following plans or just experimenting?

Right…who fancies a brew?

[Nicos]

And Flo…if you pop in, hope you are doing OK…our thoughts are with you. Xx

[greenishfing]

Morning all.

Wet and windy here, but I was up at the crack of dawn.

Hopefully the elderly relative in hospital will be going back to her care home today, but she is now bedbound which is sad. As soon as she is back I'll try and book a visit and also try and coax her younger brother to visit soon.

I filled in a questionnaire for my husband from the hearing aid supplier yesterday. He is really happy with them but they did ask if there was anything that could be improved. I don't know what they'll think of my answer of some kind of locater built in for when they get lost and they're probably too small anyway, but they did ask. Still not as hard to find as a contact lens was in a shagpile carpet however.

We never got to the garden centre yesterday, so that trip is still on for one day this week. I am being inundated with seed catalogues and offers at the moment; both through the post and by email. None of my newly planted seeds have germinated yet but I do realise I am being overly optimistic.

[Bren In Pots]

Morning

A wet and breezy start to the day, supposed to be nicer later What did surprise me was the 9c my GH was overnight thats the highest yet this year.

GF they probably had a laugh at your locater idea but I doubt you're the first one to ask. really thinking about it lots of items could do with one.

Enjoy your day.

[Snoop Puss]

Morning all. The smiles have just headed out, all of a flutter. There's a large fox about, though I'm not worried for Frankie as he's become a fearless climber.

A locator is a brilliant idea, GF, but what do you reckon? Audio and/or flashing light? Something like a key fob to set the locator off?

Really cold last night. Frost all the way up the valley sides, minus 4 ºC in the walled corral. Looks like frost tonight and tomorrow and then that's it unless we get a cold snap in early May like last year. Bright out at the moment, but so cold the seedlings are still indoors. Though I might have to start a whole new lot. The tomatoes are yellow and not growing and the onions and leeks are now coming up but white, including those from a packet I sowed last year and they were fine. Anyway, Mr Snoop is on several missions today, one to buy new compost for me, but maybe I should learn to make my own. Only thing is, I've been filling my compost bin repeatedly for the last fourteen years and only taken out about two buckets' worth. I think there must be a sinkhole underneath because I've no idea where it all goes if not.

Masses to do today. My car is off for its six-month MOT this morning. Fingers crossed.

Hope you start to feel better soon, LD. And yes, Flo, thinking of you.

[greenishfing]

^^^^I suppose the ideal locater would be something that gave out a localised signal to a smartphone that you could just home in on. But anything would be better than nothing. I once spent a morning searching for my sister in law's in her flat. She had not been out. Eventually, that evening, she found it caught up on her locket and chain under her jumper.

...as for keys!!!