Yawn Yawn Wakey Wakey 2025

​

A very good morning one and all. I had a better night last night and now I am enjoying my breakfast having fed Cricket. Oh my goodness @Ergates, those are some nightmares to be having! Its sunny here at the moment but the forecast for this afternoon is making me wonder whether I'll get to Canasta today or not - I do not go if it is heaving down.
Such very sad news about the aviation tragedy in India. My thoughts are with the families of those poor people.

 

Good morning. It's pleasant outside but I've been stuck indoors so far doing corrections to my franglais - brief descriptions of the gardens we'll be visiting next week - Knoll gardens, Abbotsbury, East Lambrook, Cannington Walled Garden, Hestercoombe, Lady Farm and Harold Hillier - in 3 days by ferry and coach.

Need another coffee now and then I'm off to plant before it rains - more plants in the new bed and the spare curcubits which weren't adopted by patch friends and some tomatoes another lady brought. They'll get horse poo in the soil and a thorough watering cos, after today, there isn't a drop forecast for at least 10 days.

Nightmares indeed @Ergates. One strategy for HW is to go out and garden so you can't see the need to do it. Mind you, weeding always seems like dusting to me as it needs doing again and again but we do have a huge pile of wood chip to spread once I get this new bed planted and thoroughly watered in.

I slept well too last night @Ladybird4 which is unusual after yoga class. Woke up to find myself pinned by the huntress and then Cosmos pussy jumped up to snuggle too.

Off out now. Have a good time everyone, whatever you're doing.

 

Yesterday was a bit of a none event.
It blew a hooley and rained all day. I "rested" all day. Made a Spicy Apple Cake and watched the womens tennis. I didn't fancy playing croquet in a thunder storm.
I am experimenting with the new blood thinning tablets prescribed. I had noticed they seem to make me sleepy so have for the last couple of nights taken them before I go to bed instead of first thing in the morning. They seem to work like sleeping tablets for me as I have not surfaced until 7.00am. I know I have been tired from gardening so will continue with the experiment as I have a tendency to wake up at 3.00 or 4.00am and not go back to sleep. It is lovely to have a proper nights sleep. No exciting dreams Lizzie, just sweet oblivion!
It is my grandson's graduation day today in Vancouver. My son and daughter in law have flown down from Calgary for the ceremony. It was only last year he was diagnosed with ADHD and Dyslexia. No wonder he struggled with his course work etc. Having an explanation for his difficulties with focusing etc., was a huge help to him.
Everyone seems to be enjoying themselves getting jobs done, visits etc. Carry on with the good work. It has stopped raining here, the cloud is clearing and the gale has eased so I may be tempted outside to crack on again. It is black sack day so I may start with them. No promises though.

 

Good afternoon from Tampere Hall! There's an hour's break in choir performances so we're about to have a sandwich, outside in the park surrounding the Hall, because the sun is shining. This is definitely better than yesterday, which was cool and damp...

 

Not quite the sunny warm day I expected, but it's not raining. Think the clothes will dry before the that.
North Wales storm watch is predicting some big bangs here tonight, but sounds like Kent and SE will bear the brunt. Looks like a good week for your garden visits @Obelix-Vendée
We are going out for lunch, then Aldi. I'd planned to go yesterday, but as soon as we took the plants and compost up to the van, the heavens opened, so we came straight home! At least I know they got a jolly good watering!
We had gammon last night and I wanted parsley sauce with it, so I did brave the elements and enjoyed both curly and flat sauce! Yum!
That reminds me, time to sow more.
Congratulations to your grandson @Goldenlily26. He must have huge determination and tenacity.
Looks very peaceful @Liriodendron

 

It does look good @Penny_Forthem - not too hot for in the coach and dry for visiting the gardens. I'll be enjoying the rest after all the planting of the last few days and the weekend to come. I shall still take a trusty bin bag to sit on for picnic lunches as we can't guarantee benches.

OH has been strimming round the pond and the breeze is blowing the exhaust fumes right over my new bed. Not nice so I retreated to the veg plot and planted 6 courgettes and squashes, one cucumber and 4 tomatoes with helpings of manure. Sprinkler now on as no sign of the rain.

Good luck to your grandson @Goldenlily26. I always think that knowing what is happening and why things aren't right helps to manage a problem or situation and I wish him well for the future.

Looks very cosy and peaceful @Liriodendron . I've discovered our 2 hens have been "nesting" quietly under my clematis caerulea luxurians and hiding 7 eggs. No idea why they aren't using the nest boxes in their shed. Maybe too warm?

I've just popped in to check the height of Miscanthus Lady in Red and find she's on the RHS list for plant of the year. Got mine as a bare root from Farmer Gracy so she's still small. Might grow her on in a proper pot for a while. I don't do grasses but did have miscanthus Zebra and another M in Belgium and they did very well so high hopes. Unlike the "transparent" molinia I planted in the bog area by the pond the M's stand up well to strong winds. No point being transparent if you're lying flat and broken!

 

That's odd @Goldenlily26, my GP was very insistent that I take one blood thinning pill (5 mg Apixiban ) in the morning and one at night, as precisely as I can manage to 12 hours apart, if that makes sense. The reason being that the effect of one pill wears off in 12 hours so you need a top up dose so that you are protected for the next 12 hours. I haven't noticed mine making me feel sleepy. I misread the instructions when first diagnosed and took both in the morning - the GP had forty fits when he found out!! Not a good idea with blood thinners.

I love spicy apple cake so you have reminded me to use up last year's frozen apple using the fresh cinnamon I've just bought.

That pic looks a lovely spot @Liriodendron, glad you're enjoying your trip.
Hope you enjoy your forthcoming tour as well @Obelix-Vendée . I've visited all those gardens with the exception of Cannington I think.

I've been gardening too, filled in the badger's hole (if that was what it was) and replanted a load of plants/bulbs I dug out two days ago - running out of room.

Looking forward to steak and chips tonight with all the trimmings - diet be blowed!

 

I gave up at 4pm after quarrying to make a deep hole for a clematis I've been growing in a pot. No idea what it is but it has white flowers and purple stamens and doesn't get very big so i've planted it next to my purple leaved cherry. That and 3 crealy achilleas further up the bed finished me off and I headed for the shower.

Been sewing since - shortening some pedal pushers for Possum as she needs black shorts for tomorrow's demos; hemming some silk trousers for me and finishing off a pale grey cotton frock that's been hanging around a while.

Dinner next - beef burgers laced with garlic and herbs, no buns, lots of salads and pickles.

I love Dorset apple cake and German apple cake @lizzie27 but haven't made the latter in a long time. Will have to dig out my recipe this autumn.

Have a pleasant evening everyone/

 

We had a lovely day yesterday in lovely garden in Charente. We had a picnic, provided, in baskets, by the Gardening Club. Lots to eat and lots of wine but I had to go steady as driving. We gave another member a lift. The garden was beautiful, divided into colour schemes with lots of grass paths between English style flower beds.

www.lesjardinsdelaussagne.com/

It's been 29C here today.

We went to the weekly market this morning. I was hoping to find asparagus but there wasn't any. I bought some huge black cherries which are delicious. We had coffee and croissants in a café for breakfast. Then we went to the SM and I found lovely fresh bundles of asparagus so I did the shopping for Tuesday when friends are coming to lunch.

Did the ironing this afternoon in front of Escape to the Country. The sitting room keeps quite cool because of the stone walls and the fan is on.

We had dinner outside under the sunshade, just as well it's fairly waterproof as it started raining. There has been a bit of thunder too, but not nearby. Dordogne is on an orange alert for thunderstorms.

 

Good evening all. That is such a heart warming story about your grandson @Goldenlily26 and echoing @Penny_Forthem respect to him for the effort and determination he has shown to get his degree. @Liriodendron that is such a delightful picture of the mother mallard with her babies. I think I can just make out the rump of another duckling on the bank below her beak. @Obelix-Vendée your trip sounds really interesting and you have a lot to do with all those visits. I hope that Possum's demo goes well tomorrow.
I got to play Canasta today as the threatened storm did not materialise. By all accounts it could arrive in my area tomorrow. There were some new members so I didn't get a game myself as I was teaching them how to play. I had a fun time - especially since they were more biddable than my last lot of scallys!
Signing out now. See you all tomorrow. Enjoy your evenings.

​

 

Evening folks.

Feet up here after work. Just booked an early click and collect for food shopping tomorrow, as can’t stand a weekend SM run.

I hope everyone is doing ok - catch you all on the weekend.

 

Help, we're being attacked - by ants! Thousands of them are swarming on our 8ft wide front windows for some reason. When we got up to have a closer look, we realized a lot were on the inside windows - cue, panic! They were originally coming in through the open window, now it's through the skirting boards, they are squeezing through the silicone beading around the windows as well. I haven't got any ant power or gel so we're trying to hoover them up and stamping on them. I've just sprayed the windowsill with antibacterial spray to try to deter them.

Think it might be the thundery, hot and humid weather that's triggered them off?

Funnily enough I was reading about June flying ant swarms last week!

 

D you have any clove oil @lizzie27? If so dilute one small bottle of essential oil of cloves in 5litres of water and pour or spray over the affected areas.

Or try just cloves - whole or ground - you can boil up to make a string smelling infusion.

Ants can't stand the smell and will relocate to avoid it.

Strong smelling pennyroyal helps too.

 

That sounds really scary @lizzie27. We get ants regularly going up the stone walls of my French house and into the roof space. Then dead ones drop into the bath through the gaps between the beams. I've sprayed, powdered and put out gel all around the house, but it only lasts 2 to 3 weeks.

 

Thanks for the suggestions. Unfortunately I cannot stand the scent of cloves under any circumstances ever since my grandma forced me to eat apple pie with cloves in it. My pet hate!
I think the anti-bac spray seems to be working.
I don't find it scary @Busy-Lizzie, just jolly annoying as I get a bad reaction from ant stings. Keeping well away!