It is - population of the village is about 1200 and there are lots of small satellite communities. Not much in the way of tourist-ware here. But it's a good half hour drive to any supermarket - I think that's the key point. It's a great shame the markets in many towns have long since vanished - I envy our European cousins that they've kept a lot more of theirs. We used to live near Stroud - their weekly farmers' market is excellent (or was 10 years ago). The programme they did a couple of years back about high street shops through the last 100 years or so showed exactly why the big supermarkets have taken over.
Hope the goshawk gets home soon - it's a bit cold to be out if you're not used to it
Gardening on the edge of Exmoor, in Devon
“It's still magic even if you know how it's done.”
Wow a goshawk! I really hope there is a happy ending (and a photo!).
Hope everyone ok and no snow/ice dramas?
I know that gritting of the smaller roads has been poor this week but I commended the team gritting our hospital car park and paths this morning. The one guy was chuffed as he said everybody moans if we don't do it, but nobody ever says thank you when we do. We can all relate to that in some aspect of our lives, I expect!
The 180-odd residents on Lismore, the Scottish island I've recently returned from, are peeved. Their one tarmac road, officially a B-road, is so badly iced that parts of it are completely impassible, with vehicles ending up in the ditches. There is one council grit bin, next to the car ferry slipway, which was emptied on the first snowy morning to treat the hairpin bend just beyond the slipway. When the island council representative rang the Highways department she found herself talking to a man in Glasgow who had apparently never heard of Lismore, was unaware it was in Argyll and Bute, and didn't know it was an island... there is no provision for emergency road gritting except on A-roads and roads in towns, apparently. The fact is that the islanders can only get to the ferries, and therefore the mainland, by walking through the fields and across the bog at present.
Since 2019 I've lived in east Clare, in the west of Ireland.
Lots of wet and windy weather here again yesterday and our weather station ended up on the ground as the wind ripped its platform off its tree stump. We now have some water in the pond tho.
Lots of trees and branches down in local roads, tiles off the neighbours' horse barn roof but no other damage that I know of except for having no power till midday. It came on just in time for me to shower and dry my hair, make lunch and some cinnamon biscuits and high tale it off to Olonne for patchwork.
No goshawks but I did see my first pheasant in the garden this morning and a red legged partridge in the lanes and a coypu, alive and well in the roadside verge.
Many local shops close here on Mondays too, including the bank, but not supermarkets or the PO. We've become used to it, along with lunch time closing. Except for the beach resorts at the height of the season, most places offer free parking or minimal rates. Overheard someone complaining about having to pay 5€ for an afternoon the other day. Didn't tell them about London, where I found a "cheap" one behind Oxford Street - £5 for 3 hours last time I used it in 1991!
Round here they are very good at gritting the main and faster roads but then put up signs saying "Attention - no salting on slip roads". Seems odd. Hope your OH got to the cottage OK Busy.
Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
"The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
It’s good that the rain has arrived at long last for you Obelixx. We’ve got dry heat But supposed to rain Friday to Saturday.
Chicky might be glad to be away from Adelaide this week with 36 c predicted. Whew, Adelaide can be stinking in summer! I remember leaving there on a bus with the two girls to go back to Darwin and it was 108 f on the old scale. We were greeted in Alice Springs by a girlfriend of mine with ice creams.
Posts
Wow Fidget - what a fantastic sight that must have been! Hope the bird is soon reunited with its owner.
It is - population of the village is about 1200 and there are lots of small satellite communities. Not much in the way of tourist-ware here. But it's a good half hour drive to any supermarket - I think that's the key point. It's a great shame the markets in many towns have long since vanished - I envy our European cousins that they've kept a lot more of theirs. We used to live near Stroud - their weekly farmers' market is excellent (or was 10 years ago). The programme they did a couple of years back about high street shops through the last 100 years or so showed exactly why the big supermarkets have taken over.
Hope the goshawk gets home soon - it's a bit cold to be out if you're not used to it
“It's still magic even if you know how it's done.”
Fidgetbones , hope goshawk gets home for Christmas
I've got the camera at the ready for if it comes back.
Wow a goshawk! I really hope there is a happy ending (and a photo!).
Hope everyone ok and no snow/ice dramas?
I know that gritting of the smaller roads has been poor this week but I commended the team gritting our hospital car park and paths this morning. The one guy was chuffed as he said everybody moans if we don't do it, but nobody ever says thank you when we do. We can all relate to that in some aspect of our lives, I expect!
OH has arrived, at last, at Stansted. Plane was very late. Hope the road isn't icy, A11 to Norfolk.
A bit sleety here but not freezing at the moment BL.
Sleep tight all
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Best wishes to your OH, BL.
The 180-odd residents on Lismore, the Scottish island I've recently returned from, are peeved. Their one tarmac road, officially a B-road, is so badly iced that parts of it are completely impassible, with vehicles ending up in the ditches. There is one council grit bin, next to the car ferry slipway, which was emptied on the first snowy morning to treat the hairpin bend just beyond the slipway. When the island council representative rang the Highways department she found herself talking to a man in Glasgow who had apparently never heard of Lismore, was unaware it was in Argyll and Bute, and didn't know it was an island... there is no provision for emergency road gritting except on A-roads and roads in towns, apparently. The fact is that the islanders can only get to the ferries, and therefore the mainland, by walking through the fields and across the bog at present.
Lots of wet and windy weather here again yesterday and our weather station ended up on the ground as the wind ripped its platform off its tree stump. We now have some water in the pond tho.
Lots of trees and branches down in local roads, tiles off the neighbours' horse barn roof but no other damage that I know of except for having no power till midday. It came on just in time for me to shower and dry my hair, make lunch and some cinnamon biscuits and high tale it off to Olonne for patchwork.
No goshawks but I did see my first pheasant in the garden this morning and a red legged partridge in the lanes and a coypu, alive and well in the roadside verge.
Many local shops close here on Mondays too, including the bank, but not supermarkets or the PO. We've become used to it, along with lunch time closing. Except for the beach resorts at the height of the season, most places offer free parking or minimal rates. Overheard someone complaining about having to pay 5€ for an afternoon the other day. Didn't tell them about London, where I found a "cheap" one behind Oxford Street - £5 for 3 hours last time I used it in 1991!
Round here they are very good at gritting the main and faster roads but then put up signs saying "Attention - no salting on slip roads". Seems odd. Hope your OH got to the cottage OK Busy.
It’s good that the rain has arrived at long last for you Obelixx. We’ve got dry heat But supposed to rain Friday to Saturday.
Chicky might be glad to be away from Adelaide this week with 36 c predicted. Whew, Adelaide can be stinking in summer! I remember leaving there on a bus with the two girls to go back to Darwin and it was 108 f on the old scale. We were greeted in Alice Springs by a girlfriend of mine with ice creams.