Yawn Yawn Wakey Wakey 2025

Good evening all. Today has been very pleasant here as we didn't get anywhere near the temperatures many of you have mentioned. I did have a busy time at the tea/coffee morning. Last time I had had a request from one of the 'regulars' to make some parkin and I have to say it went down well. I cannot eat it as oats do not agree with me so I was glad it all disappeared - no Jack to take any 'left overs' to now.
Thank you so much for the explanation @redstar. Seeing the word 'riddler' just made me think of Batman! That is an impressive drop in water level @Penny_Forthem. Could get worse if the forecast lives up to its pronouncements. I am signing out for this evening. See you all tomorrow.

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Good morning everyone. The start of another busy week. First task of the day - apart from getting scrubbed, polished and dressed, has got to be a check on which plants in the garden are flagging due to lack of water. I may be some time! Lots of leaves have fallen from the trees so that makes it look like a premature Autumn. The temperatures are due to rise but not quite to the heights of those experienced by our friends in France. Have a great day everyone.

 

Good morning all.

We are now on red alert for a heatwave, 42°C. I've never known it so hot here. Water restrictions too. No watering of flowers and shrubs between 8am and 8pm. Vegetables can be watered in the morning, not between 1pm and 8pm. Shrubs and trees under 3 years old can be watered. At least most of my roses are under 3 years old. Glad I did a load of watering last night.

I don't think I posted yesterday but I did read what everyone had said before I went to bed.

It was quite a busy day, church, church coffee morning, finishing the curtains I was sewing for the study, cooking for my son and watering.

We are going to my son for the day, Daniel the dentist. My older daughter and son are staying with him so we'll see them too. Younger daughter is away on holiday.

Daniel asked me to make chicken liver paté and pork pies so I did that yesterday. Had a fan on in the kitchen.

We had a fan on in the sitting room too while we watched David Attenborough's programme about parenting. Fabulous photography. I'm recording the programmes so we can watch them when we want.

 

Good morning @Busy-Lizzie. I, too, am enjoying David Attenborough's 'Parenthood' but I had to record the last part of it because a new series of Ridley started last night (with Adrian Dunbar of LOD fame playing the lead role) and there was a slight overlap. Any spare pork pie left over would be welcome here. Love them with a pickled onion! Have a lovely day with the family.

 

By the time I got around to thinking about watering it was too hot. I retired indoors and stayed there.
The evenings are definitely drawing in.

 

G'day. Hot here and expecting 39C tho it will feel hotter. Soil temps will be 43C so no planting and much watering after 8pm. We don't have fans or A/C but find the judicious use of shutters helps keep the house to a supportable temperature with no windows or doors open on the sunny sides.

Sewing for me then.

Exciting to see a kite @lizzie27. No stream but our pond is very low now @Penny_Forthem a,d the frogs and toads have been strangely quiet this year. However, I did find a coupl eof young ones hopping about in the moister areas of my nursery and dahlia/clematis beds which get regular watering.

Love Parkin @Ladybird4 but definitely an autumn/winter cake. Pity about your oats problems as flapjacks are a favourite here too.

We're enjoying Parenthood too. Beautifully filmed and, as ever, great commentary from David Attenburgh, unlike The Americas commentary from Tom Hanks who made it sound like a Disney script. Ended up deleting them all.

 

Hello all, feindishly hot here. We went out early to pick up a parcel from the "point relais" and OH needed to go to the builder's merchants for various items, he his waiting for the weather to cool down and do some outside tiling, fat chance of that for the forseeable! He is still getting over his bad back so probably not a bad thing.
Nothing else to to today except to stay indoors and refill the bird baths when it cools down later, the birds do like their evening baths!

 

Not been quite the morning I planned...
First thing, poured the hot water into the cafitiere and there was a loud bang and hot coffee was spewing everywhere!
I had to resort to a coffee bag.
Second, checked my Tesco receipt; 12 immodium unavailable and no substitutes (presumably, they couldn't figure out that 2 x 6 packs = 12?) I hate going away without it.
Third, it's hub's turn on the watering rota - where's his wide brimmed hat?
So, all in all, we decided on a quick trip to the van to collect the cafitiere, some immodium and his hat.
Ironically, the sun isn't shining!
Kids coming for supper - salad.

 

Afternoon all, shame about the cafitiere @Penny_Forthem , it's a good job you were not scalded though. I always take Immodium away with us after once having an 'episode' whilst staying in a hotel.

I like parkin and flapjacks as well. You're making me feel hungry @Ladybird4!

Fortunately it's clouded over now so not quite as hot as it had been earlier. We haven't done much apart from our usual walk so I ought to get out and start shifting stuff again out of the builders way. I had to steel myself last night to cut back my lovely 'Blue for You' rose which was having another flush so I cut the blooms and am enjoying them inside.
The builder's just uncovered the original 'coal holes' under the paving on the terrace. I felt sorry for the original coalmen who would have had to park the lorry at the bottom of the drive, heave the sacks of coal on their backs, carry them up our steepish drive, then up 6 or 7 steps and tip them down the hole! They were a regular sight in my youth, their faces covered in black coal dust, does anybody else remember them? We're not sure why the original owners didn't just have a coal bunker like most people had in those days.

 

Started warm and sunny today, so down to the coast for a few hours. Annoying, our usual short cut through the neighbouring village took us to the main road, where there was a big road closed sign. No warning notices, and it’s the main road from the local town to the coast. We had to retrace our journey and take the long route round, pausing at the frequent passing places to advise those who had pulled over for us, that the road was closed. They were all as equally surprised and annoyed as we were.
Almost decided to abandon our trip, but went anyway. Glad we did. Despite arriving a good half an hour later than we should have, there were plenty of spaces in the car parks, and the seafront was relatively quiet. We walked the length of the prom, then had coffee and pastries in town, then walked the length of the Byes, a lovely park alongside the river. It cooled down a little, and clouded over, which actually made for a more pleasant walk. There was an alarming update for heavy rain heading up from Plymouth via Exeter, but we’ve been home for over an hour, and it hasn’t arrived here yet.
I also popped into a shop I often frequent, and bought a top I’ve had my eye on, for half price! Very satisfying! I also went into our branch of a high street pharmacy chain, to buy some make up. I didn’t have enough points to get it free, and was struggling to work out whether it was worth buying something else in a two for one, or three for two, but my brain wouldn’t work, so I just took the makeup to the till to pay. The absolutely delightful assistant, asked if there was anything else I wanted, to take advantage of an offer. So happy to help, and with plenty of suggestions, and assuring me that there was no rush to decide. Upshot was that I’ve come home with the makeup I wanted, plus a tube of the lip cream I use at night, usually £10, and somehow paid 5p less than the cost of the makeup alone! And she has given me a voucher for £10 off my next purchase of £20. Brilliant! I must commend her to her manager!
Bought two pasties which we have just eaten for lunch, delicious. I feel as if I’ve been away on holiday again!
Yes, I remember the coalmen, @lizzie27, faces black with dust, wearing leather jerkins to protect their shoulders and backs. Must have been exhausting work.

 

Good afternoon to you all.

Inside games this afternoon. I have bottled 2 bottles of (water-based) Kefir - a friend gave me some starter last week and I have also made some Kimchi with some rhubarb from the garden - some small Pak Choy, carrots and a salad onion. It is marinating now. My sourdough is also rising in a warmer bedroom.

Yes, I have the air con on and it is only 32°C outside - yes, it's hot (I wouldn't bother to venture outside) but much cooler than yesterday. Fizz is inside with me having exciting dreams, it seems!! No bunny pictures. The sky is hazy, it is so hot.

I have some chicken livers in the freezer @Busy-Lizzie so I will make some chicken liver pâté later this week. Have a really good recipe given to me by a Welsh girlfriend in NZ. Original writing on a card with a Welsh girl on it. Have you got a speciality for pork pie? I have a ragout de sanglier in the freezer - could I use that?

I wish you all "keep cool" during this hot spell - hopefully after the mid August weekend and with the nights drawing in (@Goldenlily26 ) we will have some respite and hopefully a pleasant Indian summer in September.

 

I also remember the coalman delivering @lizzie27 , @Ergates. We had a coal ‘ole in the house until it was removed to widen the kitchen. Then a bunker was built in the garden.

 

Good afternoon all,

It’s a very warm day here, about 28 degrees, but with some cloud cover so I’ve managed to do a bit of deadheading and general tidying up. The ground is parched, it desperately needs another good soaking. If only we could have some overnight downpours and sunshine through the day.
Yes, I’ve noticed how the evenings are pulling in. By 9 pm it’s looking decidedly dusky.

I do indeed remember the coal men @lizzie27 - we used to get regular deliveries as my dad was a coal miner. Their trip to our coal house was considerably easier than those bunkers you describe. It certainly was hard, physical work, but we used to have the same team delivering ours so we knew who they were, and they were very good at not leaving too much mess. I occasionally see a coal lorry even now, but it’s a very rare occurrence and I’m not sure where the coal comes from as all the NCB/British Coal pits are closed - there might be a few private mines, otherwise I imagine it’s imported?

 

I remember coal bunkers @lizzie27, and the chaps who brought my grandma her supply. She had a coal bunker near her back door and they would bring up the sacks up the garden path from the alleyway at the bottom of the garden. I remember being fascinated with the bunker ….a secret hideaway??

 

My first flower memory is of the forget-me-nots growing around our coal bunker, probably late 50s.