Good morning SGL, you snuckered in there. Even the word 'salad' makes me feel cooler. I hope that you get all you want in the SM. Forgot to say that last week when I was shopping, there was still no Lily treats!
Cacoethes: An irresistible urge to do something inadvisable
I find it much easier to deal with them on the phone @Ladybird4, but we rarely answer the landline when it rings now, anyway. If I don't recognise the number on my mobile, I don't answer - it might be somebody offering me a job
I enjoyed my short stay with Daughter 1 and the boys. Lots of chat and looking at photos on each other's computers. Since they came back from holiday in Tuscany they have had a complete watering ban. Her roses look fine, most are well established now, but her perennials and some of her shrubs are suffering. I think her young Cercis is dead. But thunderstorms and rain are forecast from Sunday, I hope they come and are a help.
On the way there the Sat Nat took me a new way, just as quick as the big roads and very pretty countryside and little stone villages. I wanted to take that road on the way back but the Sat Nav had other ideas and I ended up in Angoulême, just where I didn't want to go. The main road out where the Sat Nav told me to go was chaos, being closed by Firemen and Police. I went round in circles coming back to it 3 times and the Sat Nav was useless. The 3rd time there was a huge cloud of smoke above the closed road. All the signposts said "Toutes Directions" but they didn't say which direction. Eventually I found a signpost to Bordeaux and so managed to get out of Angoulême, but it was a bit of a detour.
I looked up the drought situation last night and the water restrictions changed yesterday for Dordogne. Now the whole of Dordogne is forbidden to do any watering between 8am and 8pm. I did the veg garden early this morning. It felt quite cool this morning, I opened all the doors and windows, but 36° is forecast for this afternoon.
Daughter 2 and her 3 children are coming to lunch. We may go to a local bathing lake this afternoon.
Dordogne and Norfolk. Clay in Dordogne, sandy in Norfolk.
Morning all. Very foggy & misty again first thing but all burnt off by 8am and now it's all set to be a very hot one.
Will try to get all my jobs done before lunch (there's not many - mainly putting bedding etc in the camper) and then I might spend some time this afternoon looking out some photos to e-send to my cousin in NZ.
Thanks for your kind thoughts - the drought and all the associated news reports about local farmers / wild fires etc is getting me down - but there's not much I can do about it so need to give myself a good shaking. Situation is worse for you now BL.
Here are some of the water saving actions I'm taking to mitigate what 's going on the borders: - we hardly ever wash the cars anyway so now we're not doing them at all - no baths - only short showers - I do use the hose for watering but I measured that a slowish count to 30 = exactly 10 litres of water - so I now know how long to hold the hosepipe to deep water new shrubs, perennials etc and I don't water stuff that shouldn't need it. I do a deep water once a week - different border each day. - I've changed several washers and some connectors to the outdoor taps and hoses. There are now no leaks except for one bu$$er which I just can't fix. So the watering tray aka the birdbath goes under that and collects the small amount that would otherwise be wasted - I wash up less often (win, win?) but that means the water is often too greasy / contaminated to go on the garden (could attract rats). However, if it's cleanish it does go out. - It takes an age for hot water to get through to the kitchen tap so I now use a watering can to collect the pre-hot water. That's over 8 litres once or twice a day - well worth saving and I'll continue to do it even when (if?) conditions return to 'normal'.
LB - I do hope Jack fancies a trip to the pub. It will be good for both of you. What's his favourite tipple?
Heaven is ... sitting in the garden with a G&T and a cat while watching the sun go down
@Busy-Lizzie - what a nightmare return journey for you. I bet it felt like groundhog day. I do hope Daughter 1 gets the forecast thunder and rain this Sunday (in the nicest way of course). I think we are all praying for that. Is it next week you are heading back to Norfolk?
T'Bird. I do the watering can under the hot water tap as well. Jack is a real ale drinker and he enjoys his whisky. He dislikes lager as he says it is too gassy for him. I'll be on my usual lime and soda while I'm doing the driving. I've just rung him to see if he is still keen to go - and he is. I need to nip across to his daughter's to put her blue bin back before we go out.
Cacoethes: An irresistible urge to do something inadvisable
Hi folks, Lovely day here again. Went to art this morning and popped to Bestie's to feed Creature (her cat) as she is away visiting her daughter for a few days. Then came home to find the cleaner hadn't arrived. How rude, especially as I had tidied up for her (don't want her to think I'm slovenly). Wont be doing much this afternoon as it's too hot. Hope everyone has a good day.
Afternoon everyone, goodness it's schorchio here. 🥵🥵 Far too hot to sit in the garden. Got everything in SM and back home in no time at all. Hardly anyone at the shops and only 2 people on the bus home. I've been doing the watering can under the hot tap for a few years now. I can't believe how much cold water comes out before it starts to get warm. Definitely worse since the new boiler was put in. When I queried it, was told that it's normal 🤷♀️ Have a lovely lunch with Jack @Ladybird4 a lime and soda sounds perfect in this weather 🥵
I use a washing up bowl for that water too, always hose early in the morning if I can , before 6am so the water does most good. Only usually pots and baskets though the buddleia area got a soaking and I honestly think it’s helped the butterflies 🦋 work was hard going in the heat and the bus is like an oven but looking forward to getting home now and not doing much. May sample the ice cream
Good afternoon all. Had a nice lunch with Jack - at the pub where we used to do our monthly quizzes before Covid. The lime and soda was delicious as was the Cajun chicken I had. Served on a toasted ciabatta with Cos lettuce, mayo and fries. I couldn't eat it all! Jack had fish, chips and peas and a lovely dessert which they boxed up for him to take home. I was too full for anything else! Might raid my ice cream stash later.
Took Jack home and I had to unlock the back door as the front door had swollen in the heat and we couldn't shift it. We had prepared for such a contingency.
Yvie I did smile at your post because it reminded me of the reason I could never have a cleaner - I would have to clean up first!
SGL, glad you got all you wanted at the SM. That chore is on my 'to do' list tomorrow after I feed the cats for the last time this week. Jack's daughter is home tomorrow.
Cacoethes: An irresistible urge to do something inadvisable
33° at the moment so a little cooler than forecast. Daughter 2 hasn't come, she's not feeling well. It's her birthday tomorrow, I hope she's OK. Son 1 and family are coming on Saturday afternoon. Was going to the SM for food tomorrow but they can have today's lunch, still in date. Picked my first cucumber, another almost ready. Had some for lunch. We can have more cucumber with Son.
I've done some unmentionables, lounged about, read and watched TV.
Dordogne and Norfolk. Clay in Dordogne, sandy in Norfolk.
Posts
I enjoyed my short stay with Daughter 1 and the boys. Lots of chat and looking at photos on each other's computers. Since they came back from holiday in Tuscany they have had a complete watering ban. Her roses look fine, most are well established now, but her perennials and some of her shrubs are suffering. I think her young Cercis is dead. But thunderstorms and rain are forecast from Sunday, I hope they come and are a help.
On the way there the Sat Nat took me a new way, just as quick as the big roads and very pretty countryside and little stone villages. I wanted to take that road on the way back but the Sat Nav had other ideas and I ended up in Angoulême, just where I didn't want to go. The main road out where the Sat Nav told me to go was chaos, being closed by Firemen and Police. I went round in circles coming back to it 3 times and the Sat Nav was useless. The 3rd time there was a huge cloud of smoke above the closed road. All the signposts said "Toutes Directions" but they didn't say which direction. Eventually I found a signpost to Bordeaux and so managed to get out of Angoulême, but it was a bit of a detour.
I looked up the drought situation last night and the water restrictions changed yesterday for Dordogne. Now the whole of Dordogne is forbidden to do any watering between 8am and 8pm. I did the veg garden early this morning. It felt quite cool this morning, I opened all the doors and windows, but 36° is forecast for this afternoon.
Daughter 2 and her 3 children are coming to lunch. We may go to a local bathing lake this afternoon.
Will try to get all my jobs done before lunch (there's not many - mainly putting bedding etc in the camper) and then I might spend some time this afternoon looking out some photos to e-send to my cousin in NZ.
Thanks for your kind thoughts - the drought and all the associated news reports about local farmers / wild fires etc is getting me down - but there's not much I can do about it so need to give myself a good shaking. Situation is worse for you now BL.
Here are some of the water saving actions I'm taking to mitigate what 's going on the borders:
- we hardly ever wash the cars anyway so now we're not doing them at all
- no baths - only short showers
- I do use the hose for watering but I measured that a slowish count to 30 = exactly 10 litres of water - so I now know how long to hold the hosepipe to deep water new shrubs, perennials etc and I don't water stuff that shouldn't need it. I do a deep water once a week - different border each day.
- I've changed several washers and some connectors to the outdoor taps and hoses. There are now no leaks except for one bu$$er which I just can't fix. So the watering tray aka the birdbath goes under that and collects the small amount that would otherwise be wasted
- I wash up less often (win, win?) but that means the water is often too greasy / contaminated to go on the garden (could attract rats). However, if it's cleanish it does go out.
- It takes an age for hot water to get through to the kitchen tap so I now use a watering can to collect the pre-hot water. That's over 8 litres once or twice a day - well worth saving and I'll continue to do it even when (if?) conditions return to 'normal'.
LB - I do hope Jack fancies a trip to the pub. It will be good for both of you. What's his favourite tipple?
Got everything in SM and back home in no time at all. Hardly anyone at the shops and only 2 people on the bus home.
I've been doing the watering can under the hot tap for a few years now. I can't believe how much cold water comes out before it starts to get warm. Definitely worse since the new boiler was put in. When I queried it, was told that it's normal 🤷♀️
Have a lovely lunch with Jack @Ladybird4 a lime and soda sounds perfect in this weather 🥵
work was hard going in the heat and the bus is like an oven but looking forward to getting home now and not doing much. May sample the ice cream
Daughter 2 hasn't come, she's not feeling well. It's her birthday tomorrow, I hope she's OK. Son 1 and family are coming on Saturday afternoon. Was going to the SM for food tomorrow but they can have today's lunch, still in date. Picked my first cucumber, another almost ready. Had some for lunch. We can have more cucumber with Son.
I've done some unmentionables, lounged about, read and watched TV.