Yawn Yawn Wakey Wakey 2025

Afternoon folks.
I hope you are all doing ok. Gin is a delight!
Having a cuppa outside watching a woodpecker. There’s drizzle in the air but nothing much. Just tried my steamer thingy on a pair of curtains that were creased from storage and they’ve come up a treat! They are cream ones (handmade by MIL) for my snug patio door, so they will be good through Autumn and I may hitch the linings from those to the original curtains for Winter. Whilst the steamer is out, I might give the bathroom a blitz…

Have a good day everyone, hoping internet mending, trips, lunching, decorating, gardening, or anything else goes well.

 

Update, the builder had sent me a text apologising for the delay in arriving but I had put my phone on charge just before so didn't check it again till later - oops. The good news is that he has solved the drainage problem and will move the downpipe further along to vent it into the kitchen sink drain. Simples!

 

We have had an unscheduled dribble and a bit of unmentioned thunder and the forecasters have now taken away the 28mm we were to have on Monday. It does not seem like a fair exchange. I have young trees and shrubs planted 5 or 6 years ago which have suddenly gone crisp in the last two days so I'm watering every evening to try and keep the roots alive and hoping they'll green up again next spring.

That's good @lizzie27 but those birch roots will still go wandering so you should still ask the council to remove it. You certainly have a fine mess there at the mo but it will be much better once done.

Well done bringing home Gin @Penny_Forthem. I hope he settles well and you all have loads of fun.

I need a blitz with my steamer too @AuntyRach but not before I've done all the sewing projects for the new patchwork season. I need them for displaying at the start to show members what we have in store for them. If we ever get any rain I have some urgent planting to do too.

 

Finally. trapped the little feral female cat. got her fixed yesterday. She spent the night in a larger carrier with clean sheets, and towel covering. Ate well a good mix of canned cat food and water last night and this morning. She talked to me often, still cannot touch her she backs up. it is what it is, released her this morning, did not bolt out, hung on the deck for a bit, at more food. Walks well. No signs of any discharge on sheet from the overnight. this would be my 6th female feral over many years getting fixed. I am trying not to have any fur babies due to all our travels, but just can't feed someone. Anyway neighbor will bring food over when we are gone on trip this week.
Raining here. Packing for trip, car show again. Then only 4 days between next trip to California. hate packing for a plane. Then after that trip, 4 days and the car trip to Canada in September. Later.

 

Out to the seaside for breakfast and a walk this morning. I’m really enjoying the cool weather at the moment, I think OH has also had a resurgence of energy. He is planning to do some much needed painting in a corridor. Mainly finishing off round the edges, which were left till last and then forgotten about! We did another half an hour clearing the dirt pile. The end is in sight! One more go tomorrow and it should be done. I’m also shifting a pile of ‘pobbles’ that came out of the ground while we were digging. A big chunk of East Devon is protected pebble beds, remains of a prehistoric seabed. I’ve been collecting the bigger ones we come across and using them to cover part of a slope in the garden. They look nice and help to keep the weeds under control, with a bit of weed suppressant fabric underneath.
Gin is a real beauty. You and he must be so happy to have found each other! Great that your own dogs are happy to welcome a new member of the family!

 

We had a bit of thunder and a small amount of rain this afternoon. It's supposed to be raining until 10pm but the sun has come out.

I've nearly finished painting the downstairs loo. Maybe a few bits to touch up and the last wall to second coat.

Picked masses of tomatoes this morning.

 

Good morning to you all!!

Just popping in to wish you all a lovely day. 18°C this morning - rather autumnal but a very pleasant bike/run. In fact, we had the circuit to ourselves save for one very large black dog with his mistress. Respect all around!!

I hope you get connected @Ladybird4 Expecting photos @Penny_Forthem How wa the first night?

 

Good morning all.

Ladybird may not be connected before the 25th.

We had a very disappointing amount of rain, not nearly enough.

I should finish painting the loo today, just a few bits to touch up. I wish the paint didn't smell so horrible.

 

I am now walking around with a mini Belizia beacon flashing just below my collar bone. It is a bit of a pain as I am supposed to record any symptoms I may experience during the 24 hour period I am wearing it. As I have only experienced breathlessness on exertion there is not much to write on the form provided. I have to hand it over personally at the Post Office as they have had a lot go missing after being posted in letter boxes. Postage etc. is already paid thank goodness, I just need to ask for proof of posting.

I dug out my juicer, collected some windfall apples and made myself a 1 pint glass of delicious freshly made apple juice. I picked my one and only courgette, a few more runner beans and tomatoes. I almost wept when I saw what the strimmers had done with the debris etc. which I thought they were going to take away. No! It is piled up in my garden, the side of the cold frame has been slashed, what a mess. It looks as if one side of the container of sweetpeas avoided being demolished so I will have a few flowers after all, but tatty.

B***dy chickens. My neighbour's group of black bantams, mother hen and 4 chicks, with fluffy boots, have decided my garden is a haven of peace to move into. I shushed them out 3 times yesterday but I am sure they will be back, no Robbie to chase them and Poppy cat couldn't care less. They love sunbathing on top of my cyclamen that are just in flower and going under the ginger lilies for shade when the sun comes out. I wouldn't mind so much if they didn't scratch everywhere. Because they can fly, they come over the front or back gates or up over the bank.
They are so small they are not worth thinking of as chicken pie.

Did anyone watch the athletics last night?. Those poor competitors! The rain was hammering down, I suppose they train when it rains but it's potentially dangerous for the field events. The British girl did well in the 800mts, set a new meet record.

Lizzie,
I doubt if the council or their insurers will want to pay a penny if they can find a way out.
Penny.
Keep an eye on things as Bryn will be watching his P's and Q's as the new boy on the block. As the novelty of his arrival wears off there may be a spat or two between any of them.

 

Morning all
A quick hello as I’m off to do my Pilates class.
Yes, Ladybird might not be able to post for a few days, but she is ok - internet issues.
Hope you get your painting completed @Busy-Lizzie .

 

I’m back.
Sorry they made such a mess with the strimming and left you with all the debris to dispose of. I guess that you won’t be using them again @Goldenlily26.
What a gorgeous looking dog Gin is, @Penny_Forthem. Are you keeping that name or changing it? I rather like it.
It is very autumnal now isn’t it? It’s supposed to warm up a bit over the weekend, but it’s considerably cooler than of late, but still very little rain. I noticed that lots of leaves on some trees are on the turn. I suspect an early start to autumn this year.

 

Hello all, just been catching up with you all, @Penny_Forthem Gin looks as if he will fit in very well! @Goldenlily26 I know how you feel about the neighbour's chickens, we had a lady renting next to us who had chickens - free range, they certainly did that! I was always shooing them out of our garden, thankfully she has moved on now and taken her chickens with her, but she did contact me earlier in the year to ask if I could look after a baby chick as she had to go away and the mother had died. She said it was very tame and she kept it indoors, needless to say I said NO thank you very much please find someone else.
It's lovely to have the cooler weather and we are having quite a lot of heavy showers, long may it continue. OH has been waiting all summer to do outside tiling but it's been impossible with the heat, and now it's gone the other way and it's too showery!

 

Quite a nice day, weather wise.
We'd planned to go to the van today, but with our surprise trip away on Tuesday and Gin's arrival, we're behind schedule. We will go shopping and take some stuff up there and do some prep, so that when we get there tomorrow, it's 'plug and play'!! At least we're not forecast any rain till next week, then we'll be definitely be ready for it.
Thanks for the word of caution @Goldenlily26. So far, he's been quite a self contained little dog and hasn't tried to muscle in to Bryn's territory. At the van, we will be extra vigilant, as both Bryn and Anu have their own spaces. We hope he'll sleep where Maisie used to.

 

Morning all, cloudy and definitely cooler today which is very welcome. Had our usual walk, which I rather think the builder was grateful for as I wasn't there to keep interrupting him with more questions. He's done a lovely job of making and fitting the first Venetian panel at the end of the terrace - I really like that modern style of fencing and the narrow slats will allow the wind through whilst also giving us more privacy.

My sis has gone out for the day with an old school friend which leaves me free to do some gardening, probably shredding a pile of the pruned apple branches.

Hope all goes well at the van for the weekend @Penny_Forthem and that all your dogs behave themselves.

What a nuisance about the bantams @Goldenlily26, no easy answer to that one other than asking their owner to keep them caged. Are you supposed to sleep with the heart monitor on as well? Hope it's not too uncomfortable. I should contact the strimmers and ask them to come back and collect the bramble debris, I think you said it was quite an expensive job so should be included?

Glad you have some rain at last @floralies, wish we had some here - but not today please as the builders are laying concrete this afternoon!

We noticed the the chestnut trees turning brown this morning @Blue arbour.

 

Greetings. We finally had some proper showers last night but only 3mm so I'm still watering the young trees and shrubs which suddenly turned crispy overnight. No more rain due till next week but at least we're not due to get any hotter than 31C on Sunday and Monday.

We've done the weekly shop today so I'm planning to stay clean and carry on sewing my new top this pm.

Well done with the painting @Busy-Lizzie. I tend to leave that sort of job till autumn or winter when it's cooler and maybe too wet for gardening.

Glad you've had some rain @floralies. Don't do ladders anymore so we need to get a man in to check our roof and maybe re-point the chimney stack. Haven't found one yet by asking in the neighbourhood so will have to call a few on spec and see what they say.

Pity those bantams are a PITA @Goldenlily26. Our brown speckled hens loved wandering round our whole plot and had fun re-arranging all the bark chippings on one big bed or, one ahot day, cooling themselves on our kitchen's tiled floor. The current white ones are happy to stay in the veg plot and don't cause any bovver unless they sit o the fork or spade when I'm digging.

How's Gin settling in @Penny_Forthem? Hope he enjoys the caravan.

Good luck with all your projects today everyone, especially building work and garden stuff.