Yawn Yawn Wakey Wakey 2025

@Busy-Lizzie I have repeat flowering Malvern Hills and Lady of the lake and I just prune out any dead or damaged stems then the ones that have flowered this year. Can't do that just yet as, now we've had some rain and its still reasonably warm, they're both having a late burst of flowers.

 

@Obelix-Vendée thank you. Chevy Chase flowers just once a year for about a month. It flowers on stems from the previous year, not new ones like repeat flowerers. It grew great long stems when we weren't here this summer.

 

The pruning is the same tho @Busy-Lizzie - take out the old ones so the new can grow and flower next year. That system keeps my pair from getting too big for their supports.

 

Hello all.

Continuous rain last night and this morning, forecast to last until tomorrow afternoon... I think I'll be doing a lot of tidying & cleaning (OH is in the UK this weekend), and will attempt to write a Christmas letter and some cards.

A second food dish has gone missing from the garden, but this time it's a plastic food tray from the recycling, so less precious than the cat's dish. (Not that we have a cat at present, but we'd use it again if ever we got another. And I'd prefer not to litter the countryside with plastic dishes, obviously!) No sign of the hedgehog, which I hope means either that it was too wet for him to bother getting out of bed, or that he was still full from the previous night's feasting. But we had two foxes, first a shy one with two working eyes, who ate only pieces of cooking apple - and then the one-eyed vixen, who made straight for the food dish and walked off with it. I'll reinstate the hedgehog feeding house, given we've not seen a cat hovering round at night, which will hopefully be fox-proof and give the hedgehog a share of the food, and put out some kibble on the concrete path for the dish-stealer.

That's a beautiful photo, @Ladybird4 . Would you consider putting it in the December photo competition (theme: light)? I'm sure others would enjoy it, too. I also loved your squirrel story!

Great news about your sister, @lizzie27 . Fingers crossed all will now be well.

I can't put off the housework any longer...

 

How lovely to have a hedgehog visiting, @Liriodendron! We have foxes and badgers, whoever turns up first gets the supper I’ve put out. Wholemeal bread and peanut butter sandwich, cut into little squares, some cheese if there are any slices of Gouda well past their ‘use in three days’ date, plus a mini cocktail sausage chopped into pieces. We do spoil them!

I had a busy day yesterday. My friend from the village and I had both arranged to meet our sisters in Salisbury! We travelled up on the train together, then each spent the day with our sister. Had a great time, browsing the shops and having lunch, then back to the station for slightly tearful au revoirs, then home again. It was fun having company on the train too, so lots of chat. I was almost hoarse when I got home!
Rather annoyingly, I got tempted by a pretty pair of boots, less than half their usual price, and not made in China. However, when I got home, the first thing I see on the news is that war criminal Putin enjoying a hero’s welcome in India. You can probably guess where the boots were made, so they are going straight back.
And today, I am on a train to Oxford to visit my daughter for the weekend! A trip to a Christmas fair is planned! Funny how my social life can be non existent for months, then everything at once. Next week I have a coffee and mince pies morning, and a Christmas lunch to look forward to. I shall be shattered!

 

We went to Peter Beales roses. I met one of the rose experts who had been an instructor on the day course I went to in February last year about pruning. He remembered me! Now I know what I will do with Chevy Chase and it's a lot more severe than the websites say!

I had sent back to pretty red shoes that were too small. The replacements have arrived, a size bigger that I usually take and they fit perfectly.

I've been doing Christmas cards again. Had to buy more stamps.

 

I met a 'friend' this morning for coffee. I say friend, but we've only met twice before, both times with our hubs. However, we got on like the proverbial house on fire, so we'll meet again.
Then I took OH for one of his regular checks; it was pouring with rain and the hike from the car park to the hospital was long, so I elected to stay in the car. I'd taken my heated 'poncho', but I was still cold. Luckily, they run to time, so the wait wasn't too long.

 

Good evening everyone. We had an absolutely wonderful meet up today and the food was delicious - just excellent pub grub and everyone of us agreed that we would go back there in a heart beat. Lots of cards and pressies exchanged. The drive home - even though it is so close to me was a nightmare as the traffic was humungous. It was a relief to be home - on my newly inflated tyres too. At least I know how to use the machine at the petrol station and all I have to do now is how to work out how to get the stupid tyre pressure light on the dash board cancelled.
Thank you @Liriodendron for your comment about my picture but I have absolutely no idea how to enter a picture on the December photo competition.
What a nice way to plan a day out @Ergates. Good to have a friend's company both there and back on the train. Pleased that the shoes fit @Busy-Lizzie. Hope all went well with your OH's check up @Penny_Forthem. I think I am going to haved a look at a heated poncho - its sound like a good idea.
I need an early night tonight as tomorrow is setting up the Hall for the Christmas Fair on Sunday and it is also the Christmas Market in the village. I only intend doing an hour at the hall. Good night you lovely people and I'll see you all tomorrow.

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You can treat them like summer raspberries @Busy-Lizzie - take out all the stems that have flowered this year down to the ground or base and tie in the fresh new stems. I always take at least one big stem back to the base on mine.

I'm using heavy crockery bowls (old chipped ones) to feed our not-poorly-anymore hen @Liriodendron as she has a habit of stepping on the edge of the plastic ones and tipping them up. Maybe that would work on foxes too, or put their food in a spot they feel safe enough to eat it there and then. I've had to wedge her water bowl under the door of Rasta's old cage so she can't tip that up too.

Great to make new friends @Penny_Forthem and they all start with a first and second meeting then a third.....

Exceedingly soggy here today so sewing all morning then out for Covid jabs follwoed by the weekly shop this pm. Never again. Far too many people who can't drive their shopping trolley and/or stop and chat in the aisles with their trolleys so badly parked you winder how they drive their cars - and all the offenders were the male halves of couples catching up! .

@Ergates I'm off India too. What are they thinking? Enjoy your weekend. We shall be going to the Xmas market in Nantes on the 23rd. It's the biggest in western France and good but still not as good as Leuven or the German ones we visited from our home in Belgium.

 

all I have to do now is how to work out how to get the stupid tyre pressure light on the dash board cancelled.

@Ladybird4 I have a small button in the glove box (in my Toyota) that clears my tyre pressure symbol. I had to look it up in my hand book to find out how to reset it.

 

@Ladybird4 this is the link to the photo competition for December. Each person can post up to 3 of their own photos taken during the month concerned. There is a theme, chosen by the previous month's winner. It's "light" this month.
https://www.gardenerscorner.co.uk/forums/photo-competitions.60/

 

Evening everybody.
It got very wet and windy here this afternoon so no more gardening for me. Not that I had the time as busy sorting and tidying the house ready for the tribe to descend tomorrow. Just a last minute clean through to do tomorrow before they arrive.
I've spent some time wrapping their stocking filler presies and writing cards - so exhausting, I've collapsed onto the recliner with a glass of wine!

Enjoy the Christmas Fair @Ergates, Bath is already packed out with car parks full by 11 am and cafes heaving. My DIL and her lot were hoping to fit that in sometime over the weekend but I don't think they will have time.

Sis is ok today and is just taking it easy.

My damask rose 'Isaphan' is also getting out of hand so I must follow the advice from Obelix and cut out the older stems at ground level. Easier said than done as it involves crouching under the nearby magnolia tree and angling the pruner between the rose arch supports. I might try the pruning saw this year.

The sparrow hawk is making almost daily visits to get the smaller birds at the bird feeder so they've got very cautious. How he manages to fly right through the magnolia at speed baffles me.
Have a good weekend all.

GW tonight, hope it will be as good as last week's.

 

@Ladybird4 look for USB rechargeable ones; mine has seen me through 4 years of hospital waits. Nowadays, I don't think they provide the charger, but I have 2 old faithfulls.
Cards and wrapping await tomorrow. I'm just so cack-handed.

 

Evening - just flying in as I’ve been in the hospital all afternoon having tests. No fun being on the other side. I’m ok and glad to be home.

I think I’ve read back so I hope everyone is ok and has a good weekend to come.

 

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Good morning everyone. I am bracing myself for putting my tree up next week once the Christmas Fair is over and done with. Setting up for a short while this morning then off into the village for the Christmas Market. This will most definitely be weather dependent. @Little_Weed I will have to look at my handbook. I was most annoyed when I found out the makers of my car no longer issued a hand book but I had to download it online! I have not got further than page 1 out of several hundred so far! Thanks for the link @Busy-Lizzie I will take a look at that. So sorry to read you have been on the 'receiving end' so to speak @AuntyRach and hope that everything is OK.