Yawn Yawn Wakey Wakey 2025

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Hello there everyone. How did it get to Thursday so soon? Glorious start to the morning here. Once both my green bins are emptied today I can start to fill them up again, so I hope that the refuse collectors are early.
@Busy-Lizzie I always think that left over food tastes even better the next day. When we were little, we used to love getting up early (still do of course) after Mum and Dad had had a cocktail party on whatever base we were on at the time, and we were like hoovers clearing up the leftovers and yes, that include any small amounts of drinks too! Happy days!

 

@Liriodendron, I forgot to say yesterday how lovely I thought your picture was. So calming to look at. Thank you for sharing it with us.

 

Good morning all.

Going for a walk this morning with the walking club then we'll end up at a French village restaurant for lunch. Not sure how wise it is as it will be hot today. I may only do the short 3km version. 35C this afternoon is forecast.

 

Yes Lizzie, I have gone for a Myrtus communis ssp. tarentina. A dwarf myrtle, compact, evergreen, glossy dark green leaves that smell lovely when crushed, fragrant pink tinted cream flowers with conspicuous stamens followed by edible white berries. Flowers July/August, fruits August. Frost hardy but can be damaged in severe winters. (Should be OK on the Isle of Wight) Slow growing, height after 10 years approx. 2 metres, spread 2 metres. (So not a tree as stipulated by the manager of the Memorial Garden) It cost £27.90 incl. PO and I bought it from Bluebell Arboretum and Nursery. It arrived a few days after I ordered it and came with good planting advice and after care notes. I am impressed. Now it is up to me to look after it properly until my niece collects it in Oct. when she comes to visit me.

Yesterday I went to the local GC to buy compost and poles etc., I planned on treating myself to a snack lunch in the tea room but by the time I had found what I wanted and queued to pay I began to feel iffy so came home. I even managed to walk around the reduced corner and not buy any plants. That is a first for me for a long time!
I was up and out in the garden watering at 6.30am this morning, topped up the pond so ready for breakfast and a sit down now! All of the doors and windows are open, curtains drawn, a lovely cool breeze blowing through. It is supposed to be hotter today so I think it will be more tennis watching. A load of washing is just ready to put out, will not take long to dry today. The temperature is predicted to reach upper 20's so not as hot as further upcountry thank goodness, upper 20's is more than enough for me.

 

Morning everyone. It’s a proper Sunmer day here - going to be very warm!
I’m just watching a Wood Pigeon carry twiggy bits back and forth so she must be making a nest! It’s in a tall Yew hedge which borders my garden - South-East facing. Much activity!

Off to meet a carer with Dad to see if they can do a daily visit for him just to make a sandwich and help him with a few tasks. I’ll make sure he has cold drinks in the fridge and the curtains are close in the sun etc. too.

Have a lovely day all - keep cool and hydrated if you are having this hot spell.

 

Morning all, your lunch for friends sounded super @Busy-Lizzie. Hope you like the new parasol.
I bought a new smallish tiltable one a few weeks ago which is also portable as it stands on tripod legs. Not quite what I anticipated but I needed to be able to tilt the sunshade against the sun by the Lutyens bench in the back garden.

We had another very sudden ant invasion last night in the living room - it seemed like thousands pouring in by the French door and front windows. It was ok at 8.30 pm when I went out to water the front garden but by 9pm it was like somebody had flicked a switch. We dusted the carpet with the ant powder and OH has been out and bought some ant bait stations and antkiller gel - such a tiny container. By 10 pm they all suddenly vanished. Weird!

I hope the Myrtus communis does well @Goldenlily26. Mine is still surviving (it must be a good ten years or more) in a very hot, dry spot. It's been exceedingly slow growing and is now about 4 ft high and maybe 3ft wide. It's very pretty. I really ought to water it more.

I don't envy you having to work in this heat @AuntyRach. Hope the carer for your Dad works out well.

Enjoy the walk and lunch @Busy-Lizzie.

Thanks @Ladybird4. I expect my sister is still exhausted this morning as she has AF and it's so very hot. Not a good combination but at least she is retired now and can rest if needs to.

 

Good evening all. Wow but it has been warm today. I've just watched the conclusion of a marathon tennis match. Carlos Alcaraz - super star! Something - and I can only think it is slugs -has completely devastated my mini dahlia plants to the point of no return I think. Thing is, I haven't noticed any slime trails. Maybe I should wait until it is dark and go out with a torch.
I hope you enjoyed your walk @Busy-Lizzie and the restaurant at the end! Did the carer come up to expectations @AuntyRach?

 

I am signing out for today. I have to rescue a live pressie Cricket has just brought in for me! Deep joy! See you all in the morning.

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Evening folks. It’s lovely outside now so I’m pottering in the garden (ok I’m mainly having a cuppa and just looking). The hydrangeas are living up to their name and indicating that they need water!

The care company seem excellent (the same company as his cleaner) so we’ve fixed that up to start next week @Ladybird4.



Little Dorrit Sunflower, first one opened today.

 

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Hello everyone. Great news there @AuntyRach! I hope that everyone has a super day whatever is on all the 'to do' lists!

 

After watering first thing I spent the rest of the day indoors, too hot outside for me although we have had a lovely strong breeze blowing. It is almost chilly this morning. It was 29o when I looked at the thermometer in the conservatory at lunchtime, no idea what it went up to. More expected today.
I also watched the men's tennis, a brilliant match.
Surely it cannot be good for the human body to run around playing tennis at the standard the top players do in the heat like yesterday. I am surprised they do not have steam coming out of their ears! I think the commentator said they had 69 heat casualties amongst the spectators at Queen's on Tuesday.

 

Hello all, from Enonkoski, a little town in the Lakes area of Finland. We know it well from previous visits, & if we were 50 years younger, would learn Finnish and come to live here...

Today is beautiful, warm and sunny.

 

Hello all.

I went on the walk yesterday but they changed it for a shorter walk in a wood because of the heat. I enjoyed the walk but not so much the lunch. They sat us on a terrace in the shade but it was too hot. The chicken was tough. The car said 34C on the way home. It got to 36C. The sitting room is cool though I had a nap on the sofa then watched the GW Live flower show. Then did watering.

By evening it was cooler so we had salad outside.

Washing is on the line and I've been weeding, deadheading, edging and cutting back geraniums in the round rose bed. I can't finish it, it's too hot. Forecast is 37C for 5pm. There are things I want to do in the garden before we go to catch the overnight ferry on Sunday, but it's too hot.

 

That looks beautiful @Liriodendron. Glad your having a good day.

Here it is hot but overcast and feels very humid so I wonder if we've a thunderstorm brewing?

It's Friday, so it's CAKE DAY. I had half a Danish pastry with coffee earlier and will enjoy the other half for lunch. I didn't eat anything yesterday from breakfast to dinner so quite pleased at my willpower. Mind you, I did sleep for a good two hours in the afternoon which helped!

OH has finally got through to the insurance company about our leaning terrace and they have requested photos which he has just taken. The rebuilding might - or might not be covered. Fingers crossed it is as will cost a considerable amount to rebuild.

I've got some more washing on but don't think I'll be doing much in the garden today again.
Fortunately the weeds seem to be tired as well!

Enjoy your Friday folks and for the poor unfortunates who are working, the day is nearly half over.

 

Another absolutely stunning photograph @Liriodendron - thank you! I can understand why you would have liked to re-locate but have you been there in the Winter?? I was sorry to read that your lunch was a bit of a let down @Busy-Lizzie - and after all that walking too.
I do hope that the insurance company comes good for you @lizzie27 as I'm sure that sort of job can run into scary money.