Afternoon all. Have been outside cutting a small hedge, weeding the herb borders and raised bed and generally farfing around. A bit too hot for that now so I've come in for a shower and hair wash (which also doubles up as a manicure - best way to clean out finger nails!) before lunch.
I then need to clean the paint brushes and roller used for decorating before friend comes round for a drink mid afternoon. It would usually be tea but we might stretch to something cold with ice cubes today.
BL - I thought of you and OH when I heard the new restrictions for France. I think they're concerned about the Beta variant which is prevalent in France (but never really got a grip here) especially when we're already having so many issues with Delta. Vaccine resistance in France probably helped sway the argument as well. Whatever - it causes all sorts of problems for you and yours. Would it be possible to delay the christening (or even for you to not go) if travel is so difficult at the moment? Hopefully it will all get easier - although we seem to have been saying that for a long time now...
We're still not minded to plan any trips abroad at the moment - except a biggie booked for next summer - wildlife / geology / geography based cruise west coast of Canada and Alaska. Been booked since December (ie 18 mths ahead) so fingers crossed it will happen.
Heaven is ... sitting in the garden with a G&T and a cat while watching the sun go down
Topbird, I read your " farfing around" as something else!🤭 Even the iPad read my mind lol!
Hazel! Behave! 😉🤭 It's a bit of a Norfolk / Suffolk expression I think.
It's a bit pleasanter here - about 24C. Bit too hot for energetic work but ok for gentle pottering and sitting in the shade.
As BL said it wasn't really that warm in these parts last night. I even woke up and closed the window a bit. A heavy dew as well first thing this morning. Warmer tonight I think and forecast to be around 30C tomorrow so I'll be finding indoor jobs to do.
Was thinking about trying to get in and cut back some of what I usually refer to as the jungle (ie rather overgrown) border in the cool of the evening. However, the sounds and sights suggest at least 2 blackbird and one robin's nest in the shrubs. Probably wrens too as they always seem to like those bushes. Might have to just do the front bit until the babies have gone.
Also have sparrows under the garage tiles and more robins and blackbirds in the beech hedge on the other side of the garden. A very juvenile robin was getting very close as I filled the compost bin this morning. I put some water in the lid which he had a dip in before diving into the bin and flying out with a couple of small brandlings in his beak.
Very lucky to have so many birds around us.
Heaven is ... sitting in the garden with a G&T and a cat while watching the sun go down
Hazel, perhaps that will make them reconsider keeping mask wearing compulsory, but I doubt it. Still very hot here, but nice in the shade of the oak tree. We have lots of birds in our garden too. Last night I heard one singing for quite awhile, it was beautiful, not heard it before have no idea what bird it could be.
I finally have some free time to relax and say hello to you all. It has been raining for two days and it's perfect for all vegetation here. Fortunately rain is not like in Germany and Belgium. My sister went with her fiance on two day trip to south Croatia, so I'll have more time to finish some chores.
Have a nice evening. I'm going prepare something for dinner.
Ante ante it’s good that you have had rain for two days. Good for the plants and vegetation. Enjoy your free time and I hope your sister and fiancé enjoy their time in south Croatia. I’m just having a cuppa and looking at the old trees and grasses. Enjoy your dinner.
Good afternoon everyone. The temperature inside my house has slowly gone up and up today. It is now 30.1°C and my melting point has passed! Busy I am sorry that these changing restrictions are messing you and your OH around, especially as you had everything meticulously planned. It is so frustrating.
T'Bird it is interesting you mentioning a heavy dew on your plants first thing. When I first got up this morning there was a mist outside - a bit like looking through the steam from a kettle. Not lying like a blanket as it did a week ago. Many of the plants outside had beads of water on them as if it had been raining and my legs got soaked walking to the GH. My little birds are eating me out of house and home and I'm having to fill the feeders every week. I love having them around and the youngsters pestering their parents non-stop for food. I haven't seen too many butterflies lately either but I do think the cold wet Spring has put paid to a lot of them, plus the fact that my flowering plants are not flowering at the moment.
Good to see you Ante. Glad that the rain is saving you some more work to be done. Let's not talk about harvesting yet! I hope that you can make the most of your free time before your sister and her fiancé get back from their trip. It would be nice to think that they escape the rain whilst they are away
RosieBB, the trees look particularly nice in the sushine.
Cacoethes: An irresistible urge to do something inadvisable
To add to the wildlife tales.... I have leafcutter bee(s) making nests in my table top sempervivum trough. It's tiny - goodness only knows why she / they thought it would make a good home. Fascinating watching her / them journeying back and forth with circles of leaves. Here is the trough so you can see just how small/ shallow it is. If you expand the pic you can just about see one of the entrances - there are at least 4. Made for good viewing this afternoon 🥰
Heaven is ... sitting in the garden with a G&T and a cat while watching the sun go down
....also - I'm not too much into lots of pastel shades in the garden but I'm currently really pleased with this combination of 2 clematis and D A rose Wisley 2008 (which needs dead heading I see - oops!)
Heaven is ... sitting in the garden with a G&T and a cat while watching the sun go down
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I then need to clean the paint brushes and roller used for decorating before friend comes round for a drink mid afternoon. It would usually be tea but we might stretch to something cold with ice cubes today.
BL - I thought of you and OH when I heard the new restrictions for France. I think they're concerned about the Beta variant which is prevalent in France (but never really got a grip here) especially when we're already having so many issues with Delta. Vaccine resistance in France probably helped sway the argument as well.
Whatever - it causes all sorts of problems for you and yours. Would it be possible to delay the christening (or even for you to not go) if travel is so difficult at the moment?
Hopefully it will all get easier - although we seem to have been saying that for a long time now...
We're still not minded to plan any trips abroad at the moment - except a biggie booked for next summer - wildlife / geology / geography based cruise west coast of Canada and Alaska. Been booked since December (ie 18 mths ahead) so fingers crossed it will happen.
It's a bit pleasanter here - about 24C. Bit too hot for energetic work but ok for gentle pottering and sitting in the shade.
As BL said it wasn't really that warm in these parts last night. I even woke up and closed the window a bit. A heavy dew as well first thing this morning. Warmer tonight I think and forecast to be around 30C tomorrow so I'll be finding indoor jobs to do.
Was thinking about trying to get in and cut back some of what I usually refer to as the jungle (ie rather overgrown) border in the cool of the evening. However, the sounds and sights suggest at least 2 blackbird and one robin's nest in the shrubs. Probably wrens too as they always seem to like those bushes. Might have to just do the front bit until the babies have gone.
Also have sparrows under the garage tiles and more robins and blackbirds in the beech hedge on the other side of the garden. A very juvenile robin was getting very close as I filled the compost bin this morning. I put some water in the lid which he had a dip in before diving into the bin and flying out with a couple of small brandlings in his beak.
Very lucky to have so many birds around us.
Still very hot here, but nice in the shade of the oak tree.
We have lots of birds in our garden too. Last night I heard one singing for quite awhile, it was beautiful, not heard it before have no idea what bird it could be.
I finally have some free time to relax and say hello to you all. It has been raining for two days and it's perfect for all vegetation here. Fortunately rain is not like in Germany and Belgium. My sister went with her fiance on two day trip to south Croatia, so I'll have more time to finish some chores.
Have a nice evening. I'm going prepare something for dinner.
I wish the government would heed what the medics are saying .