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🐌CURMUDGEONS' CORNER XIV🐌

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  • fidgetbonesfidgetbones Posts: 17,618
    Jack  Russells are genetically programmed to respond to a squeak and rip it to pieces.
  • Singing GardenerSinging Gardener Posts: 1,237
    We used to buy our Siberian husky a squeaky toy for each birthday and Christmas and time how long it took her to kill it. Usually only a small number of minutes!

    We also had a border collie but the husky definitely won out on intelligence. One time I was throwing a ball for the collie. She brought it back and dropped it at my feet then gazed fixedly at my face waiting for me to pick it up and throw it. Meanwhile the husky snuck in, picked up the ball, took it down to the bottom of the garden and buried it. The collie never noticed a thing!
  • NorthernJoeNorthernJoe Posts: 660
    Our border terrier one took 10 seconds to kill a squeak. I know because I no actually timed it on my watch out of curiosity. I'm certain it'll be quicker for a rabbit, mouse or squirrel if it ever catches one again. Oh and cats are just play things for it except the big ginger Tom it cornered as a puppy. That one was prey and if hadn't managed to get the lead on it well... It was like a mongoose rocking back and forth waiting for a gap between the cat's scared swipes.

    I once saw a tiny, black cat at a campsite that looked like a kitten but was years old. It once got attacked sand gripped by a dog as a kitten but now it took the offensive to the dogs if they go near. Our dog had a go before we knew the cat was there. We pulled her away and the cat basically chased us away, following us for a bit. A nearby dog owner had to do first aid on one of hers.

  • wild edgeswild edges Posts: 10,497
    I just went to fill up a watering can and found it was already full... of pine cones*  :|  It's surprisingly hard to remove pine cones from a watering can.
    My border collie can't have squeaky toys. He goes a bit nuts with them and we have to take them off him before he overheats. He's always a bit wild eyed after playing with one. Well meaning friends and family will insist on buying them for him and when we're out walking he's very good at finding ones that have been thrown into the undergrowth, presumably by dog owners who were also sick of the squeaking.

    *because this is a horticultural forum I should probably clarify that there were fir cones and spruce cones as well.
    If you can keep your head, while those around you are losing theirs, you may not have grasped the seriousness of the situation.
  • NorthernJoeNorthernJoe Posts: 660
    So, garden hose out yesterday, too short to reach the patio from the garage. Attached to the patio tap I just noticed and it simply blows off. Yellow screw on attachment that takes a hozelock style attachment. We got a cheapo Tesco's hose kit so I don't know if it's the tap attachment or the Tesco hose attachment that's dodgy.

    I'm tempted to simply buy a 40m hose and trolley kit from homebase and have done with it? I think our garden is 30m so that'll be enough I think.

    Also got a big gap cleared, time for plants to fill. Is it possible to have acidic soil if the area is mostly limestone bedrock not far below the surface in many places around the village?? My partner read nettles indicate acidic soil. Have been gifted a nice hydrangea with the beginnings of nice big red flower bunches. It's acidic soil which is great if we're alkali soil. We have a lot of bracken and ferns, aren't they acidic too? Anyone got a clue on this?

    BTW the label of the hydrangea says 1.5m tall and 2m spread. How realistic is that? Could we just cut back each year to limit it if needed?

    BTW the gap to n be filled is more than 2m  in all directions, as much sun as this garden gets such means partial shade for part of the day and full sun for part. What would do well? We've got trees b and talk shrubs around it and it's sloping ground with paths b and rock terrace in the area? It's where a conifer was cleared except for a 2 foot high stump that's probably going to be left and hidden by plants. Euronymous one sude towards the front that's bare one side due to the conifer. I'm not sure that'll stay but we're giving it a chance to grow back the other side. If no sign by Spring it's probably a gonner
  • KiliKili Posts: 1,104
    We got the kids paddling pool out today and it got filled from the water butt. D'oh!!!

    I got the hose out but the back garden tap wouldn't hold it as the press on fitting screwed into the brass tap wouldn't hold the hose. I have ahozelock type end to the hose and this tap had something similar. Our hose is a cheap one from Tesco's but we know it works well with hozelock type quick release tap parts. So I kind of understand but the hose reaches from the garage tap that does work. It would have meant holding it up to make it or filling it bucket by bucket from the hose. But no, empty the water butt.

    In really need to supervise people sometimes.

    pansyface said:
    They are the same sort of people who give their kids a drum kit for Christmas.

    You want to put off whoever filled it from the butt with this reason.

    At certain times of the year my water butts are usually full of mosquito larva, not something you want the littluns swallowing. Its very easy to not notice them as they are tiny and you can just see them moving in the water if you disturb it.

    'The power of accurate observation .... is commonly called cynicism by those that have not got it.

    George Bernard Shaw'

  • NorthernJoeNorthernJoe Posts: 660
    Hose is now slipping off the garage tap. Is it just cheap Tesco hose? We leave the tap fitting on the tap in our old house.

    There's a 40m homebase hose with 8 pattern gun, fittings and 60m capacity trolley? Is that going to be any better or is it worth buying a main brand like hozelock or is it gardena?

    Just been surveying the wildlife garden at the top. There's a patch of ground that gets a lot of sun which screams veg plot. If we raise the crown on the beech tree by taking the lower, green leaved branches out that patch can be extended further. There's one shrub in it that we'd have to move or cut down. It's established and maybe 2m across and 1.5m high. It's got fanned out branches with very small leaves such that the branches are very prominent. It currently has very small, pink flowers almost like b they're just buds of even berries. Any idea what it is and if it can be moved ok?
  • B3B3 Posts: 27,505
    Gardena is better than hozelock if you're going for a main brand.
    In London. Keen but lazy.
  • KT53KT53 Posts: 9,016
    The type of hose won't make any difference but matching the connector on the hose with the part on the tap may do.  I haven't experienced any problems with mix and match of components apart from a hose end connector with the bit in it like a valve that didn't work with a different with a non-Hozelock spray head.
  • NorthernJoeNorthernJoe Posts: 660
    Just noticed the tap end but comes in for different diameter hoses. It is
    likely that the tap connector is too small.
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