Woodlands World

Come & Join Me!

2008-11-26T09:09:00.002Z

It is with great sadness, that I have to tell you, that I have to move my blog!!!!!
Apparently I have reached my photo image limit! I could stay here but I have to pay £10 for 10GB of storage a year. Not expensive I know but I have been blogging for 2.5 years and have only just reached my 1GB limit!

I am sad as I had just reached my 23000!

So come and join me at my New Blog,

Inside & Out

or

paste the following into your search bar

http://insideoutlj.blogspot.com/
I look forward to seeing you soon.
Please remember to change all your links for finding me.

THE END HERE!

Giveaway Prize.... No Fear!!

2008-11-25T14:05:00.002Z

I was going to have these in my December giveaway

but

I liked them so much I have planted them myself!!!

Sorry!!! lol!!!

More Jake pics

2008-11-24T15:18:00.004Z

Not in the mood for chatting today, so instead I will show you what mischief a cat can get up to given the chance.

The tap was running , when I came back Jake was fascinated by it.

As I was clearing out under the stairs ready for the damp proof man to come, Jake decided to explore.

Resting

Giveaway Draw

2008-11-23T09:00:00.001Z

I decided to do the draw today, as I hope to have another one for December, I can start at the end of the week!
So assisted by my smartly dressed, tuxedo cat Jake, he watched as I tipped them out on the floor so he could pick one.

He sniffed around them.

Walked over them.

I thought he was going to take all day so we played a game he likes 'fishing' and he hooked one out.

The winner is Cheryl.
Congratulations Cheryl if you could email me your address. You can contact me through the 'view my complete profile' link at the bottom of 'about me'on the right. Then click the email link.

Watch out for the next giveaway, coming soon!

Another Day in The Garden.

2008-11-22T09:00:00.000Z

I know I have been abit down, I think its becuase I miss my hubby. He hasn't gone or anything he is just working exceptionally long hours. Anyway we chat, even after 23 years together we still chat and there has been very little of that going on recently.

Anyway he managed to get home a little bit earlier last night about 9pm (thats from 7am in the morning) and he had a lovely surprise for me

aren't they the most beautiful colours? Bless him. love him to pieces!

Anyway as it was due to be a dry day yesterday, and it had been dry for the few days before I decided after hanging out the washing I needed to mow the lawn, one last time. So here is before

and this is after!

There is a difference honest!!!

Having decided that the end of the world was nigh, with reference to gardening. I gave myself a good talking too. I have coped and live with M.E. I'm sure I can cope and live with a bad back! I just have to manage my time better so I don't overdo it. So with this in mind I decided to do a little bit!
The other day I showed you behind the green house, do you remember

it was in a bit of state.

Well I decided to have a go and tidy just this small area up. So all the plant pots got put into here

I shall wash them in the spring, all the rubbish got bagged up, all broken plastic pots etc also got bagged up as they can now go to the tip for recycling.

I brush tidied and moved stuff around

It was only an hours work and to be honest, not a good height for my back! I probably did too much but at least I stopped at an hour and that one area is now alot tidier than before! I am relatively happy, but you know me. Taking little steps is very hard!

Tagged

2008-11-21T07:48:00.005Z

I have been tagged by PlantBuddy a relatively new reader to my blog and although I don't usually 'do' tags I thought that I would do this as its a relatively quiet time of year. You will find my '8 Random Facts' amongst my post, so here goes.

Can you believe we have had Jake 3 months on Monday! 12 weeks 5 days to be exact. He does make us laugh, but is oh so stupid. I mean which cat happily sleeps in the basket that takes you to the vet!!!!!

1. The first snow we had after passing my driving test, my then boyfriend took me to a huge car park and taught me to skid. It was the business and I still use that skill when needed.

He idolises Tango and where ever T is Jake is close by. Tango used to get annoyed but seems to be getting used to it.

2. I have done a bricklaying course.

The plumber was in yesterday and needed access to our 'soil pipe' which is now in the centre of the house, so much furniture moving and removal of false walls ensued, which Jake thought was marvelous.

3.I used to wear a patch and glasses as I had a lazy eye!

He cannot open a door, he pushes his nose against it then puts his head through, panics and reverses at great speed and then repeats the process.

4. I was a Pixie in the Brownies.

He does love to play and has a pile of toys in T's room, he hadn't seen them for a little while due to her accumulation of 'stuff' when I uncovered them the other day and he was so pleased he rolled in them!

5. I have worn ‘Hotpants’!

He and Sassy do not get on at all and he does try very hard to dominate her he has two main positions he likes to take to do this, one is on the stairs, here he stops her from going up stairs

6. I have broken both my ankles twice.

He does not go out alot and still uses the litter tray, I'm not too worried and will ween him off it next year when the warmer weather returns. His other favourite 'power' position is just inside the cat flap so he can dictate who comes in. I must admit we find this abit worrying but I shall read my books to see what is advised.

7. I did an electronics course at college and built my own radio.

Although he is not the brightest cat on the planet, I know he adores T. Likewise she adores him. When she is in her room he sits outside her door and meows, you hear her get up and let him in, chatting away to him.
Prior to Jake she had been exceptionally unlucky with her pets, her cat was run over, her Rat, had to be put down as he had something go wrong in his head and her rabbit broke its back! He responds to her, will come when called by her he totally ignores the rest of us and acts as if we talk a different language! lol!
Anyway for more on Jake watch this space.........

8. I met my husband at a party and knew ‘he was the one’ he didn’t phone me for 2 weeks after. Apparently because he was getting rid of the others!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Now I am supposed to tag 8 other people as I like so many blogs (see my sidebar)then please consider your self tagged, and if you would like to join in I would be honoured if you mentioned it was me that tagged you. It would be interesting to hear 8 random fact about you to!

Sunset

2008-11-20T14:57:00.000Z

Last nights sunset

made me smile!

Despondent in the Garden!

2008-11-19T13:01:00.006Z

Its a bright sunny day today so I told myself I had to go out into the garden! I don't usually need encouragement, but I have totally lost the will to be out there. I could go as far as saying 'I Hate Gardening'!
I know you think my garden looks good, but to me it looks a right old mess. I remember when we first moved in and it was all lawn, so the girls could play, camp, cycle etc etc it used to look so big. Now its claustrophobic!
I had to top up the coal bunkers with the pre-packed coal so moved these bags from here

to here,

which of course I shouldn't have done becuase of my back, but I can't wait for hubby as he is having to work exceptionally long hours nowadays!
Under these bags I found three of these

I plan to put the cat trap here,

as we still have not trapped the wretched feral cat. Although I have a plan B if this doesn't work as when I tidied up the front garden there was a strong smell of un-neutered tom and I haven't smelt it in the back garden for awhile now!
So moving down the garden I raked up the leaves. Leaves and gravel do not go!

I moved this

and found this...

we have always had newts since we had the pond, I just haven't seen any for ages and ages. So I very carefully replaced the pot!
Now you would have thought it would have cheered me up to see these frogs and newts and yes to a certain extent it does.

So I moved further on to rake up the leaves from the lawn,

normally I enjoy being out looking at what is about, how I can improve on last year, what might work better etc etc. but the spark ain't there.

Behind the greenhouse is a right old mish mash of mess clutter, some of it rubbish some of it to be used again.

I think since my back I am scared to be laid up, it only takes that one stretch too many and I am on my back, so to speak. I want to do so much but I hold back, so becuase of this I am suppressing my enjoyment.
I think also there comes a time when you don't know where to start or what to do and usually inspiration will come in the shape of a friend or family member.
I have always enjoyed doing something different in the garden, but I'm wondering if it is the right thing to do. Maybe I should go back to the good old cottage garden. Get rid of the big greenhouse which does take up an awful lot of room. But I know me, the preverbial butterfly, maybe I should wait a little while longer and see.
I think I could save up my pennies and egt some help in the garden next year to do the heavier jobs that I can't do and lets hope my enthusiasum returns!

Nearly Forgot!

2008-11-18T17:05:00.004Z

I nearly forgot to blog today!!! So would have failed my self imposed 30 day blog challenge. Been rather busy. Can't say what but it was to do with Christmas & Presents!!!

Anyway I have come up with a few more designs

plus I have a few more different ideas in the design book.

Over at the Potting Shed we are approaching our Autumn Swap opening day, I recieved my pressie in the post today, but I have to be good and wait!!!!!

Sooooooo Warm!

2008-11-17T12:53:00.003Z

Woodlands World Sauna here!!!

Its mild outside and the Rayburn has gone bonkers, so I am in a strappy top and cropped light weight trousers and bare feet! We toyed with letting it out at the weekend, but with the continual rain it gets mighty damp and the washing would never dry. So we soldier on and keep all the windows open.

Mind you according to my other residents its chilly and they need to stay warm!

oh sorry did I disturb you Jake?

close enough to the radiator Sassy?

What are they like and they have a permanent fur coat!! Tango is out and about at the moment!

Whilst I was looking out the window this morning I saw this...

can you see? You may need to click on it to enlarge it. At the top of the Leylandii (Big Xmas Tree). The heron!! Didn't visit my pond as its well netted to stop the leaves haha!

Outside for a change!

2008-11-16T15:10:00.005Z

I have blogged very little about my garden. Mainly due to the awful weather we have been having! But today started of dry and bright with sunshine.

So outside I went, the veg patch is quite bare at the moment.

This bed I want to move, very little grows well here, I think its down to the high fence with the huge hedge behind it. Anyway we intend to slab it and put the bar-b-que here and at the far end by the blue chairs I shall hopefully move my Indian Bean Tree. The bed is going...

down here where the chickens where on the right

at the end of the bed on the left I thought I might put a triangular bed and use it for strawberries. My neighbour has a strawberry bed and she got loads. I want loads too!! The only thing stopping me is my back! Normally I would have done it, no problems but I'm scared about doing my back any further damage!

But look at these silly things, these are the autumn planted onions, I'm sure they are not supposed to be doing this just yet! I have never grown these before so don't really know?

In the greenhouse things are growing away cos its so mild I shall have to fight my way in with a machette in the spring!

Look at the Maureli's

they are supposed to be dormant!!!!

This was the sky just before the rain came again!!!

Alone!

2008-11-15T15:17:00.003Z

I sometimes get fed up of being alone. Don't get me wrong I enjoy my own company but I love to chat too. Being a weekend you would expect (hope) people would be around but nope! Hubby has had to go into work, again. He is so overworked its not true. I would never complain, as he is the man who earns the "Crusty Bread" but sometimes I worry as he works exceptionally long days. The company he works for has a new man at its head, he was an accountant and we all know what accountants always see....... the bottom line, not so much the care of the work force!

Tori is busy doing her homework in her room, she is quite motivated after getting a 'B' for her last assignment. All I can hear is the tap of the keyboard and 'Disney songs', she does love disney!!Lol!

So I have to keep out of mischief!!!!

So out came my bag of materials and with a cut, cut here and a snip, snip there

I made another chicken

this is for a friend, who I know does not read my blog, but has been going through a rough period having lost her job .

Looks good in a frame. They are quite fiddly to do so keep me occupied. I love them cos they seem to have a personality once put together! They make me laugh!

I want to do a cat, but I can't seem to get it right! I like the shape of this one

but it needed layers so I added the stripes, but I can't get the face right, in fact the more I look at it the less character it has. To be honest it has to many 'little' bits which means it takes an age to put together and now I've seen it on my blog I don't like it!!!
So my crafting friends, suggestions please. I love cats and would love a patchwork cat, with character, I need to simplify it, I think!

Medlar Jelly

2008-11-14T13:51:00.006Z

If you guessed Medlar to yesterdays picture you would be right!

I got 8lbs of them from a Freecycler so yesterday and today I have been busy. I took loads of pics as I was making it but for some unknown reason my camera has decided not to work with all of them (bizarre) so I'm afraid you will have to do with what I have left!

First wash all the Medlars you don't need to weigh them, just quarter them and pop them in a pan. Cover them with water, but not so much that they are floating.

Boil until they are soft, mine boiled for one and half hours.

These are the pics that are missing...
set up a jelly strainer over a container and spoon all the Medlars, juice and everything into the jelly bag and leave overnight. Do not squeeze just lift clear in the morning and then measure the liquid back into your pan.

For every pint of liquid add 1lb sugar and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice. Then boil until setting point is reached.

Only skim off the scum once setting point has been reached otherwise you waste the jelly. Pour into sterilized jars.

This is the best bit

just look at the colour, how do manky looking fruit produce this?

I think I would like curtains this colour! I digress, this jelly is good with all cooked meats, well thats what I eat it with, it is extremely yummy! So if you know of a medlar tree give it a go, just four ingredients, Medlars, Sugar, Lemon Juice and Water.

PS Don't forget to register your interest in my giveaway, two posts down, if you haven't already done so.

Jake

2008-11-13T16:03:00.005Z

Why is it that 'tuxedo' cats can have a really evil look?

Jake is such a sweetie and adores T. He is calming down alot now and eats downstairs, the litterbox is also downstairs by the door, which he uses with regularity then goes outside!!!!!!
But
The really good news is this

his tail, its got hair on it again. When he first came to us it was bald and he chewed it to pieces. Now he hardly ever has a go at it!

Now lets see how clever you all are, any idea what this is?

Well I shall tell you tomorrow and what I will be doing with it!

Giveaway!

2008-11-12T15:22:00.004Z

I have been slaving away all afternoon, well the last couple of hours anyway! I have finished the 'giveaway' as promised.

This is what I am putting in the giveaway

a 10 x 8 picture of a chicken in a frame, a yummy box of Dark Mint Chocolate Leaves and a bag of 5 Species Narcissus Baby Boomer Bulbs. These are my most favourite as they have 3+ flowers per stem.

This is a close up of the chicken giving a better representation of the colours.

So if you would like to be in with a chance of winning these then leave a comment between now and the end of November, when I will draw the names out of a hat or pot or whatever to see who wins. I thought I would do a December Giveaway too, so watch out for that!

Good Luck.

More Crochet

2008-11-11T14:16:00.005Z

My daughter loves the 'Gothic' style although is not strictly a 'Goth' so I made her a choker last night

this was fun and not so hard on the fingers as wire!

Whilst K was home last week Sassy found her again. Sassy has always been K's cat and only really comes to me when K is not around. She has had pride of place in K's room and is lovely toasty and warm

Only a short post today, lots going on!

Knitting & Crocheting with a Difference

2008-11-10T15:11:00.004Z

I was pretty bushed after yesterday's drive so after going out this morning and doing everything I had too, I came back and fiddled!
I have been trying a bit of jewellery making and I adore the effect that knitting and crocheting wire creates. The end results are very delicate. Please excuse the old and wrinkly hand as neither of my daughters where about to use as hand models!! I also use an old card table with a green baize top which has seen better days, but I can use it by the computer where the better light is!

I thought I would have a go at a ring

first you do a few chain and some single crochets,

looks a right mess! Then you do some more

until its long enough to go round your finger

pull prod, squash and pinch until your happy with the shape and then join up to make a ring!

this actually makes a nice thumb ring, but couldn't get a good enough pic. I then decided to add some beads to the next one.

Ta da!

The bracelets I have been making for awhile now, I do like them.

I have been trying out something with this, but I may tell you about that another day!

Cooking a Christmas Cake in a Rayburn

2008-11-09T17:11:00.005Z

Wasn't sure I would make it today! Been up to Worcester to take K back to Uni! I bet you want to know how the cooking of the Christmas cakes in the Rayburn went?

The big cake was done last night but silly me forgot to put the heat reflector shelf in, this protects the tops of cakes from too much heat, hence they don't form a crust! So the big cake was a little bit crusty till I smothered it in Brandy!

The small cake was not cooked by midnight last night so I set my alarm for 03.00 and got up and it still wasn't done, so went back to bed and when I got up at 07.30 it still needed more time. Anyway by about 11.00 I thought we had cracked it so took it out cooled it for 10 mins then took it out of the tin.............. Big mistake it was all soggy on the bottom... disaster.. rescuable (is that a word??) What I should have done was stood it on a shelf or cooling tray to allow the air to circulate around the whole tin. So I popped it back in and on my return from Worcester about 17.00 its cooked both ends!

What has impressed me is how soft and springy this cake is, I may let hubby eat it to see if its OK and if it is, would I cook this way again? Definately! I've learnt alot. I like the idea of using the bottom oven to cook in and the fact that it takes 24 hours does not worry me, I just need to adjust my starting time to be around and not in bed at the finish!!!

Christmas Cakes

2008-11-08T14:35:00.006Z

I made the Crimbo cakes today! I say cakes as I always have to make two, in fact I very well may have to make two more. Anyway these are our cake and hubbies birthday cake. The next two will be one for K and one to take up to mums for over Christmas!

The recipe is one I was given in the first year at Secondary School, I have kept it and used it ever since.

I then lined the tins and as you can see its all done very neatly, this is a habit I got into when I used to make and ice cakes for friends and I've just stuck with it, plus it makes icing a bit easier.

I weighed all the fruit and poured on a generous amount of brandy to soak whilst I did everything else.

Using my mixer I beat the butter and sugar

Having added the eggs and flour I then added the fruit.

All mixed up now

then in the cake tin

Now I am doing something I have never done before, I am cooking two at once in the Rayburn!

The bottom oven, the warming oven is holding around 140C according to my thermometer so I have the smaller cake in here and it may take longer to cook but I don't mind. If it works it means I can put one in here over night. The top oven on the other hand is hot and I keep having to open the door, which is how you cool Rayburn ovens. So depending on how they turn out, is whether I add to this post later or do a post tomorrow!!

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT!

2008-11-07T08:01:00.002Z

Tori has passed her driving test!

Many congratulations Sweetheart, we are so proud of you.

xxx

New Neighbours!

2008-11-06T06:46:00.006Z

We met our new neighbours yesterday.

They belong to our friends and neighbours with the chickens I look after.

They have yet to be named.

Are both girls

and are rescued 'feral' cats.

apparently there is still one left to be homed

and as you can imagine my girls suggested we went and got it, saying Dad would never notice as its so small!

Meanwhile Jake was catching up on his beauty sleep

in T's bed!!!!!!!!

Purple Chicken!

2008-11-05T09:21:00.004Z

Having spent hours and hours (yes I really did) doing housework, it had got in a bit of a state and I needed to move stuff (furniture) around, I decided I wanted to 'play'!

So got this

and created this

I have a chicken again lol!

Colours of Autumn

2008-11-04T08:57:00.004Z

In the UK we have so many different colours of autumn.

Grey days autumn, like today, alot milder than the past few days

Then the change from summer to autumn, this is my tree fern which gets hit by frost and doesn't actually change colour,

so why has the under leaf been frost burnt and not the top one??

I don't have many trees in the garden as its not very wide, but my rocket is the most amazing, this fabulous colour and still with its leaves

in the spring it is covered with blossom.

Then my most favourite days of autumn are bright, sunny and cold!

Whats your favourite part of autumn?

Trick or Treat!

2008-11-03T07:20:00.005Z

Living where we live my girls have never been trick or treating and have never had any trick or treaters knocking at the door.
T went up to Worcester to K's Halloween party at the weekend, they got back yesterday with a camera full of pictures and some lovely stories of people trick or treating. It appears that the calling trick or treaters and parents where impressed with the girls Halloween outfits!!

We have a Gothic witch, daughter number 2, a cat, daughter number 1 and a suicidal Alice, adopted daughter number 3, the lovely S who shares the house with K!

Striking a pose!

Cough! cough!

A Sassy cat!

T came back having had a marvelous time, I know K enjoyed having her. I am extremely lucky having two daughters who get on so well!!

Stash!

2008-11-02T07:14:00.005Z

Living in an 180yr old cottage there is very little storage room, (well people didn't own much all those years ago) you have to create your own, build cupboards under stairs, add cupboards etc. etc. Bearing this in mind my lounge which was once two rooms and is now one, measures 13ft wide (at its widest) and 22ft 6inches long. Has a large fireplace in it, a large sofa and two chairs, a old fashioned pine computer desk a filing cabinet and these.....

a large cupboard under the stairs, full to the brim of 'stuff' I made the cupboard doors with assistance from K, you can tell can't you!

this holds all our games and puzzles and was picked up for a bargain at a barn sale!

My mum let me have this, it is mine and my sisters old toy cupboard and now holds all the computer stuff, family bibles, paper etc etc.and a teeny weeny bit of craft stuff!

Then there is this...

from good old IKEA, you get an idea whats in it by the stuff on top! Then you open the already bulging doors to this

the red box at the bottom is full of toys for when my friend pops round with her daughter, the exercising thingy is just there! The boxes are full of magazines and things then when you pull out the bags you get lots and lots of this

now what do you do with all the left over bits of wool? Shall I tell you? You visit this blog and make a scrap scarf!

Cool huh!!!

My 30 Day Challenge

2008-11-01T14:18:00.003Z

Day one of my 30 day challenge. To post every day of November.

Here goes.........

Today I had to clear the ironing pile in K's room as she is coming home tomorrow for a week. I use her room for the ironing and whilst in there I found where Jake has been sleeping recently!

He had made a cosy bed on her pillow and as you can see I've popped some coat hangers on there!

He also likes to get under things, like the Zebra cover, as you can see that is all rucked up and then during my ironing marathon he decided to get under the pillow!! Definately not your usual cat!

Happy Halloween

2008-10-31T16:08:00.003Z

Did you know that Halloween begins at sunset on the 31st October and ends at sunset on the 1st November!

Lucky Me!

2008-10-30T16:15:00.004Z

I received a lovely parcel in the post, it contained lots of lovely goodies!

A packet of Breakfast Tea, a beautiful new tea cosy and a beautiful china teacup and saucer.

Why would I receive such a goody pack, because I read other peoples blogs and one I like in particular belongs to 21st Century Housewife who was having a giveaway and I won!!!! I admire this lady immensely as she tries to become greener in her everyday living and I often leave her blog with ideas to try my self! So pop across and take a look.

The tea cosy is really welcome especially when you look at my old one

disgusting isn't it! I can tell you the practically the day I bought this, there had been a display in the window of the Oxfam shop (now closed) in our local town of knitted items, when I asked if I could buy one they said 'yes dear at the end of the week' so 9am on the last day of the week I went in and bought it and that was 20 years ago this December! Cost me £2.50, but I thought it was well worth it, and as you can see its tatty but still does a good job, infact it out lasted the old teapot!!!

The beautiful china cup and saucer is so pretty and delicate but to be honest far too small for a cuppa, one sip and it would be gone, so I have put it on the dresser with all my other lovely little nick naks!

Thank you so much Mrs L your gift is really appreciated!

I though I might have a giveaway, so I am off to have a route round to see what I can find, so watch this space.

Then I thought for a bit of fun I might set myself the challenge of posting everyday of November???? I won't promise that the posts will be long and meaningful, but there will be posts!!!lol!!!

First Frost

2008-10-29T15:21:00.006Z

I was caught out abit today, by the weather!! I know, the weather forecast has been predicting this cold snap for awhile, but who believes a weather forecaster nowadays anyway??

At 0800 when I went out armed with camera to check if the greenhouse was alright it was pretty chilly -3.7C I think. I love these mornings especially now my Rayburn is lit and we are all cosy inside!

I must apologise for the pics, not the best I've taken, but you can see how badly the frost has hit some of my plants

The Tree Fern doesn't look affected by the frost

but it has some scorched leaves.

then the beautiful colour of the leaves of my Rocket Tree

further down the garden by the pond the Gunnera and banana, all floppy now..

The little greenhouse still to be bubble wrapped

Whilst the big greenhouse all wrapped up and with 2 Frost Stat heaters in

the plants look good, No wonder when you see how warm it is in there!!!

Even after the hectic weekend and the drive back, plus it always seems to take longer to recover from the hour change nowadays, I decided the Brugs had to be saved, they can usually take one bad frost, but I'd hate to lose them because I could not be bothered to bubblewrap the small greenhouse.

So I chopped back bananas, gunneras, chopped back the Brugs, bubblewrapped the small greenhouse and moved all my small brugs into it.

Now my patio looks like this

Down by the pond looks like this

Inside the little greenhouse looks like this.....

Off for a cuppa now!!

Weekend Away!

2008-10-28T14:44:00.007Z

Arrived back after my long weekend away at Mum's. Had an exciting journey back driving through, sleet, hail and rain. The temp has definately dropped. It is that time of year again...

Rayburn lighting!!

Last year we lit on the 19th October, so we have done well lasting so long. But to be honest it hasn't been too bad as we have had the front fire lit!

whilst we have been away hubby survived with just the front fire, he was at work most days so it wasn't too bad but look at the mess he left

can you see all the dust? This is the problem with coal fires and there is an art to cleaning, riddling and stoking and I don't think he has it! Yuk!!!

Let me re-introduce you to my Great Neice Madison,

she will be 2 in December

yep she is going to be a big girl, well her mum is 6ft 2ins!!!

Here she is in K's boots!!!

it was great spending time with Mum, Zoe and Madison, the next time we go up will be Christmas!!!

Autumn is Here!

2008-10-23T07:51:00.006+01:00

I can tell when autumn is here not only by the changing colours of the leaves, or the low hard sun in the sky but by looking round my garden

My Caster Oil Plant, I can still remember the first time it flowered, I believe two years ago on this blog, since then it has been dug up cut back and re-planted and this year yet again it shows me its different developments of its flower..

It always flowers at this time of year, and I love it because it is so different to anything else I have in the garden,

I was given a tuber of this flower Impatiens tinctoria (I believe)

yes there are other types of 'Bizzy Lizzie' lots and lots I have the book to prove it! This one is currently 1 metre tall and flowering away merrily, a sight for sore eyes at this time of year!!

My tree ferns have loved our awful summer and have grown amazingly well, I will stuff the crowns with fleece and leave them to there own devices this winter. This is the small one

and my bigger one has masses of fronds

A sure sign of colder days and nights is I can find the cats relatively easily

Jake's favourite position is half in and half out of the cat flap, I have yet to get a pic but I will

he comes and goes as he pleases now, but I lock them all in at night! Although he is timid he acts quite dominant on occasions, Sassy does not like him at all and avoids him at all costs, when they do meet everyone can hear it. Funnily enough neither Sassy or Tango have given him a swipe, Chimarnie my old cat would have, its all Jake needs, maybe its not in the nature of a Burmese?? Watching him round the house I understand how important a tail is to a cat, he is definitely not as agile.

Sassy likes to be as close to me as she can

sitting on the chair next to me when I'm on the computer. She is so sweet.

Tango is sneezing alot

and is not complaining to much about being shut in, which is unusually for him. I have checked for other symptoms of 'Cat flu' but he doesn't seem to have them, he is drinking and eating so maybe its just the sniffles.

In the autumn I come in from the garden and start to make and do in the home, I have been quite busy so have some nice things to share with you, but not right now. I am away for a few days visiting my mum so will be back next week.

Don't forget the hour changes this weekend!

Greenhouse Jungle!

2008-10-20T08:09:00.008+01:00

First of all I had to jet wash the greenhouses this weekend as they are below 'Silver Birch' trees, this is what this one looked like before.........

and I only just remembered to take a pic of it washed after I had started to bubblewrap it!!!!

at the end of each year I label and roll up each piece and then store it in the shed until it is needed again

I then use the ladders and the fiddly little green things to attach it to the inside of the greenhouse. On the roof I use extenders, well thats what I call them, they hold the bubble wrap away from the glass by about an inch, I find this helps stop condensation, which is a killer for some of my banana/ensetes as they have to be kept more or less dry over winter!

here we are all done, with some of the plants back in. You can see the heaters are in place, I have 3 in this greenhouse two fan and one tube. In the small greenhouse I have one tube and one fan heater. All for the love of tropical plants!!

One of the Ensetes is lying down to drain out all the water, I will have to keep doing this untill the soil is dry, as any water stored in the stem is a killer, when it freezes, which hopefully it won't!

I showed you the other day the bananas I had to dig up, on the patio, first you have to cut off all the leaves....

which I think is sad as the leaves are beautiful, they didn't all go to waste as my neighbour is a primary school teacher and apparently their year 3 is studying the jungle so she took a couple of the leaves in for them to see and feel!

amazingly these plants only have very small root balls considering the size the plants get!

I have them sitting upside down

draining out some of the water, fortunately they are not too heavy!

this is one of the 'Xanthosoma' that also had to be dug up, great colour!

Greenhouse beginning to fill up now!

In the pots on the left are my Egg Yams, lopped off as I wouldn't have room for everything and there leaves!!!

Looks quite colourful in here now, I wonder where I'm going to put my brugmansias????????????

Just have to show you this.........

2008-10-16T15:15:00.007+01:00

My very first ginger flower..........

isn't it beautiful......

would you like to see some more I've taken a million pics in case it doesn;t happen again!!!!!

Say goodbye to this

as its time to dig up and pop in the green house. I have to still move this

and this

and this

and this to fit in

In the greenhouse I have already chopped some back

I need to chop these back

then as you can see they are full of water I have to drain this out, otherwise it freezes and kills the tender bananas.

I have never over wintered so many before, I wonder how many will be dead before next year???

This banana at the bottom has gone balistic this year, I think it is because of all the rain we have had, but he seems quite happy at the mo. no need to cut him back just yet.

I do love the markings and colours of this Ensete Leaf

and to finish with, my favourite coloured flower

I Love My Girls!

2008-10-15T18:22:00.002+01:00

What do you do, when you don't know what to do??

You phone Mum!!!!!

I have some amazing phonecalls with my girls.......

From K

Ring, ring, ring, ring
M: Hello
K: What do you do when the toilet won't flush away mum??
M: Call a plumber!!!!

From T, a while ago

Ring, ring, ring, ring
M: Hello
T: I got on the wrong bus, I'm lost
M: Do you not know where you are?
T: No
M: Well how can I find you?

Its nice to be needed!

By the way I forgot to mention Tori is fine and has an appointment to see a specialist in December!

Cats

2008-10-13T07:47:00.005+01:00

As sunday was such a glorius day, and Jake had successfully found the cat flap, plus there where four of us here I though today should be the day when he would be allowed out!!!!!

he had an explore around and kept popping back in for a lie down! Or flop as we call it!

as you can see he is not easy to see

and after more exploring, look at the awful new fence our neighbour has replaced the ivy with!

he disappeared for 5 3/4 hours!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! not that I was counting of course!

So I tried hard to keep myself from worrying and having an early heart attack!

By moving some plants around to disguise the 'fence'! Quite pleased with this.

Sassy as you can see was not atall bothered

Eventually Jake returned, much to my relief, but then Sassy and Tango stayed out all night so I didn't get much sleep last night!!!

On the End of a Cats Lead!!!!!!!!

2008-10-10T10:29:00.007+01:00

Lovely sunny day so I decided that Jake should have another walk around the garden so popped the harness on him and out we went
sniffing and a little bit wary.

as we saunter slowly down the patio

wandering from side to side

investigating this & that, look how far we have come!!

but we went further.......... halfway down my veg patch

which I thought was quite impressive! As you can see I managed quite a few pics but the next 10 seconds was something totally different... now you have to get yourself into the situation between the last pic and this next one, the last one being taken at 1 second the next one at 10 seconds, remembering I am not a small lady

the route went something like this, through the table and chair legs

across the veg patch and through the table and bar-b-que legs!

between the brugmansia pots!

Round the table and patio pots

and in the cat flap!

I suppose the one good thing to come of it now I have dusted all the mud off, is he knows where the catflap is!!!!!! Off for a lie down!

Pickled......

2008-10-08T15:04:00.004+01:00

My mum always, always, always made her own pickled onions. Now we enjoy a crunchy pickled onion or two, so when I took K back to Uni and saw pickling onions in her veggie store I bought some!
When I have made them before I just peeled them, plonked them into the jar and filled up with pickling vinegar! But this time I though I would follow the 'Good Housekeeping' Recipe book, cos mine ended up being a bit soft!

So first you have your onions, which need to be peeled, best done watching the TV or something similar,

make a brine with 1lb(450g)salt and 1 gal(4.5l)water, brought to the boil so the salt dissolves then cooled. Add onions once water is thoroughly cool and leave overnight.

cover with a plate to make sure all onions are submerged...

I had a peek this morning and they have changed colour abit, don't know if thats good or bad?! Anyway wash them off in cold water and swing around in a teatowel to dry them off.

Pack into a Kilner jar and pour over the spiced vinegar!

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmm?????????
Not sure I have enough.......................
so go out buy LOTS more onions and repeat process!

My Good Housekeeping Recipe book was a present to me on my 21st birthday, it has been a godsend and I would not be without it.
I was looking through what else can be pickled, beetroot, Red Cabbage, mum used to make this too we used to eat it with Lancashire Hotpot, I think I liked the pickle better than the hotpot!!!!
Also sweet pickles.....
Did you know you could Pickle bananas ugh! Doesn't say what you would serve it with! Pickled Orange rings, you would serve these with duck! Melon pickle and also Pickled Melon Rind???? There is even one that takes at least 10 days to make and that is Pickled Plums I wonder what they would taste like and what you would eat it with?

Maybe its time I bought a new cook book??? lol!!!

By the way more happening in the kitchen soon!! Things to do with Christmas!!

:o)

Walkies, well maybe not!

2008-10-07T15:18:00.002+01:00

Ooo the great outdoors!

Maybe I'll sit here for awhile!

Ah ha! Thats the way in!!!!!!!!

and thats as far as we got!! But look Jake this is the way to do it!!!

All the T's....... Tori and Tango!

2008-10-05T08:19:00.003+01:00

We have had a bit of a hectic end to the week, T has been in hospital!!! She got severe abdominal pains on Thursday and they where so bad one of her friends phoned hubby (he was closest)as all the college would offer was a taxi!!! So he took her to A & E. By the time I got there they had got her in, to be examined and given her pain killers.
Anyway to cut a long story short, they thought it was either an ovarian cyst or twisted ovary!
Admitted her for a scan
continued to feed her pain killers on an empty stomach
she wanted her teddy!
Started being ill, due to pain killer on empty stomach, even though I had told them she was sensitive to this!
K came home.
T was scanned, nothing urgent found.
Discharged, even though still being ill and couldn't even keep water down!
Slept for 17 hours
Got up feeling lots better drank alot ate a little and went back to bed again, where she still is!
We are glad she is home and it was nothing urgent, although this is being followed up by a deeper scan to make sure everything is OK!

Then of course Tango does not like one person being the centre of attention unless its him!

So sitting on T with her wrist band on his head and he doesn't give a hoot!

we had the front fire lit but clearly it was too hot for T!!!

His passionate face!

I apologise for hubbies legs, but I just loved this pic, it sums Tango up, relaxed!

All of the pics of Tango where taken today, as I said he likes to be the centre of attention!

Lots of Interesting Things

2008-10-02T07:22:00.005+01:00

It always amazes me how much is going on in the garden as the nights draw in and get chilly!
I have a passion as you know for the tropical type plants and lo and behold I have quite a few in flower.
I adore white flowers and would have lots more around if allowed. When a white Brugmansia flowers it is an amazing sight

this one has the most beautiful evening scent

The cup and saucer plant is flowering like there is no tomorrow

I hope I can collect some seed from this as its such an amazing plant!

I also found this sweet little fuschia, how its survived I've no idea as it is so neglected, but up it comes year after year. Quite unfair really as my mum faithfully lifts hers in each winter and pots them out again the next year!!!

This is a bizarre pic. I'm trying to show you my 'Zebra Grass' it has grown so much this year and has the most amazing colourings on the leaves!

Should be quite a clump next year!

Due to the large amounts of rain we have had we have a large amount of these!!

T has been embelishing her jeans

I love what she does when she does these bizarre things, I wish I could photograph her everyday to show you what she wears as she has such an individual look about her. She is blossoming and it is so lovely to watch!

Jake has been feeling the cold

so decided to get into bed! It was a sad day yesterday as Jakes 'Mummy and Daddy' moved out. I shall miss them alot as they have been such wonderful neighbours! Prior to them, on both sides, we have had some horrendous neighbours, so I wait in trepidation of what is to come! But shall greet them with a smile and keep an open mind!

The trap was set for the first time last night

thats Sassy you can see the other side! Baited with scrummy pilchards. Alas nothing caught. I shall reset it tonight as he rarely visits during the day!
The good news is I managed to contact the lady at Cats Protection who has arranged for me to get an RSPCA neutering voucher, so I can get the feral cat neutered, then once he is done I think we will re;ease him somewhere far away and if I have to go through the same process next year I will!

plus

Happy Birthday 'ickle' sister!

An Amazing Lady!

2008-10-01T08:14:00.002+01:00

I managed to contact the cat rescue recommended by my new vet and I met this amazing lady yesterday, she runs the charity called 'Cats in Care'. (according to there newsletter they are in there 30th year and having looked at the registered Charity site to see how the finances are, I found out very little!)

She lives in this bungalow down a long track and I knew I was in the right place as there where cats in all the windows. She invited me in for a coffee in a way, you knew she wanted company. I had dressed accordingly and was led through a door to an enormous pen attached to the back of the house. There where beds and cats everywhere, this enclosure is so the cats don't bother the neighbours. This was her home and she kept apologising for the state of it.

In the kitchen, there where beds ontop of fridges, worktops and a plank of wood over the cooker with a cat asleep on it, what had I let myself in for. The smell was unpleasant, but bearing in mind how many cats she had (34) not overpowering and clean!

We went through to the 'lounge' and it was then I realsied she had no heating only a 'parkray'? Is that the one you light which heats your water? No TV, only a small radio. More beds with cats, along the top of bookshelves, on chairs on bean bags, again the smell was there but not unpleasant.

So we sat and chatted and before I knew it 3 hours had passed :shock: she is a well educated lady who wanted to know about my family, my girls, was exceptionally interested in T and thrilled that K was at Uni. and so it went on.

Anyway to cut a long story short at some point in the conversation I mentioned my father was a Master Mariner, so was hers. She asked which company he worked for 'Ellerman City Liners' I said, her chin dropped, so did hers! Her's was actually the commodore!

She mentioned that all her family where buried at Blackhorse Hill Cemetary, which was 5 mins walk from my home and my junior and senior school, in fact the one school I went to was .................... wait for it.........................
Blackhorse Hill School!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

She lived and was raised in Wallasey which is about a 20 min drive from where we lived and where I learnt to drive!!

Now I believe these sort of meetings, with so many connections don't just happen, there is a reason.

If I lived closer I would definately volunteer as I am a cat person and love cats. But I want to find out more, and there AGM is in October so I may go along.

In all the research I did, I found one thing they lack, a website! There is no information about them on the web at all, apart from the charities website and then again thats not uptodate!

In my days as playgroup chairperson, I did that for 5 years, I was a mean fundraiser! But before I consider this I want lots more info!!

What do you think friends, coincidence or what??

Dare to be Different!

2008-09-29T16:36:00.009+01:00

The front of my house is north facing! Not the best aspect for the plants I like to grow but you would be amazed at what can grow there! The picture gives you an idea of what it looks like.!

The two palms which you can see at the bottom of the pic I will move to the patio.

I bought and planted my Caster Oil Plant this year it was small and only cost £5 and look at the size of it now!!!

Good investment I think.
The tree ferns also a bargain buy from Wilkinsons at £3.99 each, have come on in leaps and bounds.

To over winter these I just need to stuff a handful of fleece into the crown.

I am exceptionally disappointed with my double white brugmansia's

every bloom went all brown round the edges, I think more because of the poor weather, but not one I will keep.

In the top pic you can see in front of the window some dead plants, well they were Busy Lizzies, not very exotic I know but they love this position and add a bit of 'pink' my favourite colour! I am trying to find something abit different to replace them with. That would add a bit of colour at this sometimes dull time of year.
Current favourites are Choisya ternata 'Sundance

yellow is such a cheerful colour, about three of these, with two Phormium platts black

quite effective, but, and there is always a but, the whole lot would cost me a whopping £25.54 which is rather alot of money on plants that might not make it through the winter. Mind you the garden centre said they would survive and if I bought them from them, I could take them back if they died as I would have a 5yr moneyback guarentee. But that would add about another £50 to the bill!!!

So plenty to keep me thinking!

My lovely cat Tango,

refused to come in last night and suffered because of it. I was woken at 0400 with a big cat fight going on, so shot down the stairs (yes I sleep that lightly) went to the back door and it was occuring in my neighbours garden. So charged down the garden in my (pink) nightie armed with a torch. I couldn't find them or get through the shrubs to try and scare the feral off, it carried on and on I was running up and down the garden trying to make enough noise to scare of the feral but not wake the neighbours. It still carried on, I just couldn't see them then I obviously shined the torch in the right area as the feral ran of and Tango eventually limped in with blood coming from his back leg!
So another visit to the vet, another £33 bill, but he recommend a Cat rescue who would loan me a trap. So I get the trap tomorrow and they expect me to get him neutered and release him again.
What would you do? I know what we plan to do?

Look!

2008-09-27T20:50:00.004+01:00

Tango has been going AWOL since jakes arrival. We noticed how thin he had become and because he hadn't been around much the dominant smell in the house has been Jake so recently each evening about 1800hrs I lock the cat flap so you can only come in. Basically forcing the issue of a meet. We need someone to be dominent, until they are I can't leave them alone

so yesterday they passed one another. Today Tango passed Jake a number of times

he insists on being fussed and has even rolled over and laid on his back, which I haven't managed to capture on camera as its difficult taking pics one handed!

this evening Jake has been wandering round the house somewhere and Tango has been in and used his litter tray even though he has one of his own downstairs. I think the dominance is coming through without any fights!

We are still concerned with Tangos skinnyness, he has never been this thin so I think next week I will get him to the vets for a FIV Feline Aids test, as he seems to have a piercing of his ear and has obviously been in more fights. I spotted the feral cat down the road by the equestrian centre with a mouth full of rat. I wonder if Tango does come back positive whether the RSPCA and cats rescue will be more helpful in trapping him. I bet they will, whilst I may lose a much treasured pet becuase of there lack of help! Lets hope it doesn't come to that!

Pottering

2008-09-26T07:15:00.006+01:00

The other day after hanging the washing out I decided to take a few pics. The rain has certainly helped my garden this year and had we had a bit more sunshine I think I may have needed a machete to get through the jungle plot!

The Red Tiger, banana at the back has grwn immensly, so much so I think I may have to move it as I think its a bit close to the fence!

Can you see why I love the Maurelli so much, isn't this leaf lovely!

The sedums are all a beautiful colour at the moment.

My Queen Elizabeth rose still flowering madly.

Further down the garden I have a few bananas still in

the problem being is I can't find the labels so don't know which is what?? Do you lose labels, I seem to be brilliant at it and that is not good!

In the greenhouse is one of my Alocasia's

I have always loved this one because of the markings and the shiny leaves. I moved it in as we have had quite a few cool nights!

In my other greenhouse is my very special Manihot Grahamii

I will over winter this in the greenhouse as it is so small but I need it to lose its leaves so it will have to be placed in a cooler part of the heated greenhouse!

Behind my small greenhouse my neighbour grows this

it is now invading behind the small greenhouse but my side of the fence

and I expect it to arrive in the greenhouse next year, as you can see I have quite a problem as the space is not big enough to fit a spade down let alone my bum!!!!!!

Do you remember the size of my Tetrapanax Rex when I planted it, no? Well look here to remind yourself! Now look at it.

Imagine how big it will get next year!

This corner will need sorting as yet again I have to much in a small space...

I'm glad I potted the bamboos into these pots they have really taken off

and I couldn't really complain to my neighbour about her invading grass if I had let the bamboo run free!!!

My cup and sauce plant (Cobaea Scandens) I have never grown it before and I highly recommend it if you have something that needs to be covered, fast! It is an annual, so if you don't like it you just dig it up at the end of the season. I like it

the flowers first bloom and they are a pale colour getting

darker as they age.

and the bees love the pollen

and finally the second meeting has occured, Jake has spent a fair bit of time in the cage whilst Tango & Sassy where around. Having had a very busy week trolling back and forth between home the college and the hospital. When Hubby came back from hospital yesterday he said how skinny Tango has got, and he's right, I hadn't noticed how much weight he has lost. So we decided that currently the biggest scent in the house was Jakes, as basically Tango only comes in to sleep then goes out in the morning till the following day. So we decided to push things along and T very kindly came in at about 5pm yesterday, so I locked the cat flap, Jake was in the cage and we shut the kitchen door. So Tango had to deal with it. Everything went so well we opened the cage and.................

nothing happened??? You can see Tango in the distance by the cat flap. They walked around, skirting one another, I expected Tango to take at least one swipe at Jake and nothing happened, no growling, spitting or swiping??? So we opened the kitchen door and they both wandered around, very wary of one another but it was so fine we left them to it, but kept our ears peeled. Jake stalked Tango where ever he was about 10 inches behind was Jake! He is so desperate to have a mate to play with and my two don't want to play at all! Maybe I will have to get a kitten lol! Shhhh don't tell hubby!!!!!!!!!!!!!
More to follow...............

First Meeting

2008-09-22T11:26:00.004+01:00

Well the first and second meetings have occured, it wasn't planned it just sort of happened. I was upstairs in my room I hadn't realised Sassy was in and then Jake arrived. Rather than worry I carried on nattering away to them both and basically ingnored them carried on doing what I was doing.
Sassy was curled up in the middle of a pile of bags on the floor. Jake came up cautiously at first and then saw Sassy and you could see 'stupid' written across his head as he trotted over to introduce himself. Sassy gave a typical female cat yeowl in the depth of her throat, stayed where she was, but let him know whose in charge.
Jake trotted off.
2 Hours later this occured in the kitchen

as she walked past she did another yeowl and trotted on her way!! Jake has decided eating in the kitchen is far better!!

I'm not so sure the going will be as smooth with Tango, but I remain positive!

In, Out, In, Out!!

2008-09-21T19:51:00.005+01:00

Spent the day yesterday driving round the country! We left at 0700 to travel too Warwick Uni to take T on an open day! Which was very good, its currently her favourite. We then went over to Worcester Uni to visit K as she had left a few things behind, which she needed. We then came back home quite tired out after 2000!

Anyway today was a lovely day, hubby said he would help me sort out the greenhouse as I wanted to relay the slabs again, giving me a bit more space, (hopefully)

We have made a path around the central area to allow me to bring in some bigger plants!

I have had to dig up and pot some of my more tender bananas

The only worrying thing is, I'm not sure I have enough room????? I still have 3 large Ensetes, plus another 3 smaller ones plus my brugmansias??? Mmmmmmmmm!

Just look at that face. They love being out in the garden with us!

Meanwhile Jake has found K's 'moon chair' in her bedroom. We have a cage now, a big one, the plan is to introduce the cats to one another whilst keeping Jake safe in the cage! The only problem is, my two are never in at a set time and I can't keep Jake in a cage all day! This is turning out to be more difficult than I expected. I have even shut him in K's room and left the room he sleeps in open, in the hope that mine will come in sometime and have a sniff around, mine have yet to come in whilst he's not in the room!!!

We measured K's sunflower its 10ft 11/2inches

Love the colour of this one!

Right off to pop Jake back into his room!!!

Backup!

2008-09-18T07:52:00.005+01:00

I'm back!! Some silly virus got past all my security, I ended up having to call a man in to sort it! I've yet to receive the bill!!! But what this has taught me is

BackUp

how long is it since you have backed up your computer, if its awhile, do it, do it now! We are going to buy a large external hard drive to back up too and I shall get into the habit of backing up once a week.
I realised when all my security failed that what I have on the computer could very well be totally lost.
Digital Photos, I have stored but not got round to organising.
Family Tree, both hubby and I have spent many years researching our family trees, these are BIG files!
Letters, sometimes are only copy, what happened to carbon paper!
Keep all your discs and keynumbers, know where they are as you never know when you might need them!! This I am good at and could put my hand to everything I have loaded onto the computer.
Most of my pics are stored online as well.
I use a web based email so would not have lost anything there.
So the biggy for us would have been letters and documents and the Family History files.
So if you haven't, go do it now, BACK UP!

Other things that have been going on:-

Cats

Jake is still isolated from the other two but gets out to play whilst they are outside, he loves balancing on the bannister!

Sassy has been feeling the cold and whilst K was home had spent alot of time with her, she has been missing her and I often find her down K's bad under the bed clothes!

Out in the garden, my jungle did remarkably well this year, surprisingly, I think it really enjoyed all the rain but we could definately done with more sun, I don't think we sat out much at all!

The tree ferns really loved the damp weather..

The transformation down by the pond has been amazing, a real jungle paradise.

I'll have that greenhouse hidden in next to no time!!

The T-rex as you can see has really taken off this year, so next year I'm hoping for great things!!!

Looking back up the garden, you can see the mist this morning, it was a bit nippy only 6.1C when I woke about 06.30, its now 09.00 and has only managed 7C!!!
Where the wood is will be a new veg bed, thats where the chickens had been and opposite I plan to have a strawberry bed in a traingular patch.

The Indian Bean Tree (on the left, yellow leaves) will be moved this autumn. The veg bed beyond where you can see the sunflower growing (more on that in a mo!) Is going, I have had very poor results from this bed for 2 years now so I shall be slabbing it and this is where the Bar-B-Que will go. In hope of some decent bar-b-que weather next year!!! The indian bean tree will move closer to the BBQ area so as not to cast too musch shade on the flower/veg beds as it has a very thick canopy!

The Sunflowers....

when K came home from Uni she asked if she could plant some sunflowers, I said of course. Anyway they where planted very late and bearing in mind the weather this is the best one ever grown in our garden. These pics are for you K!

Comparing it with the Rocket Tree you can see how big it has got

One of the smaller ones she planted, such a lovely colour!

Daughter & Great Niece

2008-09-13T17:57:00.005+01:00

Some pics of T opening her pressies at an ungodly hour on her birthday

then as you know I popped up to see mum and managed to see my Great Niece as well, she will be 2 this December and she is just like her mum was when she was this age!

She is such a character.

I am really busy from now till the middle of October, as we have at least 2 Uni visits a week, plus hubby has an op, K returns to Uni.
I have started to clear out the greenhouse so will try and get some picks of the goings on in the garden.
Plus
the weather forecast say 4 days of sunshine.... shock

Eighteen!

2008-09-08T15:47:00.006+01:00

My Baby will be Eighteen tomorrow

I have made her a very scrummy cake

She has one big present and 18 smaller ones to open.

and she has grown into one beautiful young lady

then I shall be away visiting my mum for a few days leaving the family to cope!

Happier!

2008-09-06T06:56:00.004+01:00

I just received this from the school the hens went too!!

The hens are doing well! my tutor group loved them & we already have lots of pupils wanting to join the chook club.
although the hens are still shy, the move doesn't seem to bother them as we have had eggs on the first day (much to the delight of the head teacher who got the first one!).
I will send you a picture of the hens in thier new spot when i remember my camera!
thanks very much for all your help as well all the little extras you threw in!
Smiling now!

Jake decided to help me with my blogging!

I think he's bored, but we have so many toys and boxes and laser lights and things attached to string its actually quite dangerous round here!!
He yowls so loudly, and it is tempting to always reply to him but it actually encourages him to yowl more loudly!
Suggestions greatly received!

Avoidance

2008-09-05T13:06:00.007+01:00

I have been avoiding my blog this last week!

Why?

After much discussion here it had been decided that I have to find a new home for the chickens!!! Something I'm not very proud of as I believe an animal is for life, but when it comes to back problems, the priorities change. Every week even when the chooks where at my neigbours enjoying a large plot of land I have to bend to move the fencing, bend to move and clean the Eglu and for two days after I suffer.
Even on a foggy morning with help, I still suffer.

So I tried to rehome the chooks seperately, but it became obvious that this was not going to happen. So I put them on the omlet forum where I received a very positive response, in fact the very first response was from a Green Flag School and an exceptionally enthusiastic teacher.

Anyway to cut a long story short they have now gone, lock stock and last bag of aubiose to there new home on the large allotment at a green flag school.

I shall miss them and there odd ways, mostly there yummy scrummy eggs, even buying free range eggs you could tell the difference. Last week I had to buy some and I bought the most expensive and you can still tell the difference look

but fortunately for me my neighbour has 5 chickens and is inundated with eggs, so we shall be coming to an arrangement!

In the meantime Jake is busily exploring places, whilst my two sleep

Sassy and Tango are aware there is another cat in the house, as they have now heard him and smelt him around, so T and I constructed a special door for her room, which is an exceptionally tight fit and means we can go out and leave her door open withour any fear of a fight occuring.
Here is T demonstrating!

I think it will be along time till we let him out, out, if you see what I mean. At first we thought he was deaf, although I still have my suspicions. K commented that he was the first cat to follow her into the bathroom and remain there whilst she flushed the toilet. He also does not respond to his name, which could be alot to do with the fact that I'm not sure he was ever called in? We tried various tests like ripping paper, jingling keys but I wonder did he see movement first? He never comes when called, is not bothered by the hoover, mine scatter and leave home when the hoover goes. When he enters a new room he searches it from top to bottom with no fear of exposing himself, stretching up to full height to reach shelves etc.

He has only one set of whiskers above his left eye and none above his right! He plays alot and has a really loud meow. So until he responds he will not be allowed out.
My two have passed the netted door, Sassy at great speed and Tango rather more slowly. On both occasions I witnessed it, Jake was sat the other side and did not seem in the least bothered. The next step will be a cage in the kitchen, my neighbour has one which we will borrow. But I think that will be awhile off yet!

In the meantime the feral is still about at night, my two will not use the state of the art, very expensive microchip cat flap I bought, unless it is in normal catflap mode. So I have to call them in at night and lock the flap.

Sad Cat, Happy Cat

2008-08-29T18:12:00.005+01:00

What a week! Phew I'm exhausted. Excitment, sadness, happiness, laughter and tears, its all happened here!

My wonderful state of the art Microchip catflap has been undone so it can just be an ordinary catflap as my two refuse to come in!

My neighbours cat has been taken to the vets to be sewn up as he was been very badly attacked by, we presume the feral cat, to the sum of £140!!!!!

Tango is feeling dejected...........

Sassy spends most of her time under our bed!

Jake is having fun provided we don't ask him to come out of T's room!

Tomorrow

2008-08-26T15:31:00.003+01:00

I will have been blogging for 2 years! I probably won't be around. But would like to thank everyone who has visited and commented over the past two years! I really appreciate the time you take to do this!

I would also like to introduce you to Jake

He has settled in remarkably quickly considering what a timid chap he usually is! As you can see he has no tail, although he came to our neighbours with one, he lost it in a fight with their other cat, at the time he was still a kitten and not aloud to leave the house, they never found the tail though???

Our house is by no means a quiet house and I think he's enjoying that and the company! If it wasn't for my other two I would let him out of T's room for a wander round, but I must take this very slowly, so maybe at the weekend, I will let him wander round the landing and into the lounge whilst my other two are off out. So his scent gets around and intermingles with the 'family' scent.

I have a feliway diffuser plugged in upstairs outside T's door and one downstairs, what amazes me is my two have trotted right past and taken no interest in T's room what so ever!!! I can't beleiev they don't know he's not there?

Olympics!

2008-08-25T07:21:00.006+01:00

Have you been watching the Olympics?? Although I have been sooooooooo busy, I still managed time to watch! Didn't Great Britain do well! 4th in the Medal table! Better than in 1976 when we got one medal (Brendan Foster)! How do I remember this well hubby used to do athletic statistics before he met me and is a mind of information!!
So the count down to the London Olympics begins, I wonder if it will all get built on time????

I must apologise for being absent, my feet have hardly touched the ground in the last 10 days and I have another 10 to go! Hectic isn't the word.

So a quick update!

Cats Olympics!

Both my cats are Gold Medal winners in my eyes, although occasionally they could easily get the wooden spoon!

We now have a new cat flap Sureflap its operated by their microchips. So we can have no more unwanted visitors.

If I had been a betting person, I would have laid bets that Tango would have been fine with it and Sassy not. It has in fact turned out to be the other way round! Sassy pops in and out, no problems, Tango hates it, to the state where he won't use it, he goes out fine, But will not come in unless someone opens a door for him!
I think its the 'click' it makes, he jumps everytime. If I kneel down and have a plate of pilchards and hold the flap open, he will come in, it still clicks but he will come in! He is exceptionally jumpy in the house, I think the cat fight the other week has really unsettled him!

I have Feliway, plugged in around the house. I can highly recommend this, so hopefully things will calm down, in the meantime he gets called in at night, then I lock the catflap, otherwise I don't sleep! I'm a real worrier!

Not the best time to introduce a new cat to the house, but we have no option! Sadly our neighbours are moving and they can't take 'Jake' with them. We have fed and looked after him reguarly over the last 4 years, he is a lovely cat. T adores him. So I have read 'The Cat Whisperer' and Cat vs Cat so we are set. This will be a long and very slow process, hopefully it will work, there is a back up plan if not! He moves into T's room today! When I have a photo of him I will post it!

Garden Olympics.

No Golds here!
To be honest this years weather has not been the best for veggie growing, and I have been extremely disappointed! The only really good crop has been the French Beans 'Trail of Tears' curtousy of Lottie! Still going strong!

Shed Olympics!

Have you got a shed, do you use it properly or is it a bit of a dumping ground! Well as our house is well, on the small side, if we can't fit something in here, the standard answer is 'put it in the shed'!
Now we have not touched the shed for a year and it had got to the stage where we:-
1. could not see the floor!
2. could no longer find anything!!
3, could no longer fit anything in!!!
So I thought it was going to be a long process, so had set aside the Bank Holiday Weekend to work on it. Fortunately for us the weather was OK ish! Now like a wally I forgot to take a before photo. But rest assured you could only take four steps, in only one direction and that path through was only about 10 inches wide!

Here is all the rubbish we took out

I am Freecycling quite a few bits!

and here is the shed now!

Look you can see the floor, and lots of it!!
So Golds all round as it actually only took us 5 hours, but boy did we work hard! Wonder how long it will stay like this??????

Weekend Away!

2008-08-18T15:03:00.007+01:00

I had a lovely weekend! If ever you get the chance to visit the Exotic Garden then do go! Sorry Lottie I didn't visit, but what was due to be a long weekend turned into a short weekend so couldn't really fit everyone in!
Anyway here are some pics

Mark bought me his book 'The Encyclopedia of Exotic Plants For Temperate Gardens Climates’ published by ‘Timber Press’ which Will very kindly signed for me!

He is also a cat lover

A Devon Rex, quite a bizarre looking cat.

His Siamese, apparently quite old.

A moggie who took a shine to my hubby!

but my favourite was this Havana, what a beautiful cat and such a lovely temperament!

So after a lovely time here we went to the seaside,

well a couple actually,

wandered,

walked,

then ate fish & chips out of the paper watching the sun set!

Whats Going on in the Rain!

2008-08-13T12:23:00.007+01:00

This weather is unbelievable! We succumbed yesterday and lit the front fire, our house had a damp feeling about it, but its OK now! The wash basket was overflowing and its never overflowing, but I have nowhere to dry the washing!! So now I have airers spread across the lounge!
Outside the rain is rotting the onions, so I have had to put them and the garlic in trays and pop them in the greenhouse!

I will have to start removing the leaves of the tomato plants to allow the tomatoes to ripen

Around the garden, the plants are lapping up the rain.
I can't remember if I told you about planting this palm

K planted it for me before she started work about 6 weeks ago, since then it has gone ballistic. Whilst it was in its pot for 2 years it only ever had two leaves! Now as you can see it has at least five with a further two coming up, obviously likes where it is!
The Paulownia TomTomentosa has also grown, but to be honest you don't get the real idea of how much

until you add my muddy hand!

The Tetrapanax Rex has also shot off with all the rain we have been having

again, you don't get the true size of it until I add my little hand!

The Red Caster Oil plant (Ricinus something or other) is now taller than me and I'm 5ft 10ins!

A few Eucomis flowers

The Tree ferns as you can see adore this damp weather, I have never had so many fronds on them!

I know I promised you an Indian summer, but sadly I may have been wrong, even my banana leaves are yellowing at the edge, a sure sign of autumn!!

Kitty Chaos?

2008-08-11T08:48:00.002+01:00

I was happily in the land of nod, when I was woken at 0200 this morning with Sassy (cat) leaping off the bed, shouting with lots of yowls! I sat up, said to hubby 'I'm putting the light on' and looked round and there was Tango at the top of the stairs, looking at me?
We sleep on the 2nd floor.
He shot off.
I knew something wasn't right, so got up and came down to the kitchen to hear the catflap going and Tango sound asleep on the kitchen chair.???? So who was the Tango lookalike wandering round my bedroom at 2am in the morning!
I went and put the outside light on and there was Tango2, under the table on the patio. Oh he is beautiful!
I have been aware there has been a 'new cat on the block' I could 'smell' him and our cats have been exceptionally jumpy for a little while now!
So we have a new feral cat, son of the one we trapped and got 'done' at least 2 years ago.
Obviously didn't get him done early enough!
He is bolder, braver and eats for England, as all out bowls have been wiped clean recently and oh so beautiful! This puts us in a difficult position???????

Been to the Library

2008-08-08T09:17:00.005+01:00

Looking for inspiration I went to the library. But it turned into quite an emotional day for memories!

I picked up these books

and brought them home, but before I had a chance to flip through them I had a meeting with my neighbour and the 'Rights of Way' Officer. Our local farmer is trying it on again.
I had never met the Rights of Way Officer (Colin) before, so it was quite a shock to meet someone who reminded me so much of my father. A big man with such a happy face...

I was quite tearful when I got in. So I sat down with a coffee and my books,the first page the book opened too was this

Picalilli, I remember dad, making this, sat at the kitchen table chopping up onion and cauliflower, he was a seafarer so a good cook and passionate about his food. I must admit his picalilli was good.

Lemon Curd, reminded me of my Nana, have no idea what she did with it, but when ever I see it, or smell it, it reminds me of her

During my blog hopping recently someone was looking for a beetroot chutney recipe, I can't for the life of me remember who it was, so if you see this let me know and I will pass on the recipe!

and finally still seeking inspiration for Christmas. Last year as you may or may not remember I was part of the Christmas in progress blog. I signed up for this year and am embarressed to admit I have done nothing, zilch, zero! I hope something inspires me soon!

It's a Jungle Out There!

2008-08-06T15:10:00.005+01:00

Although I'm well and truly tired of rain, my garden has benefited greatly. It seems to like this monsoon type rain. We've had torrential pouring rain, hot sun, steamy, humid, more rain, more sun even worse humidity and so on....

Everything is growing in leaps and bounds...

at this rate I won't be able to get down the garden soon......

this is looking up the patio from the veg patch.

Some flowers are just beginning to flower....

the Red Tiger banana has really shot up.....

The Paulownia tomentosa (Foxglove Tree) of which I have 4!!!!!!!!!!!! is really growing well, this I pollard every spring and hopefully as it matures it should grow to at least 10ft each year and have leaves which can be 3ft across!!

Isn't this amazing! One whole unshredded leaf!

I'm kneeling taking this last picture which gives you some idea of the size!

Pineapple Lilly, Eucomis something or other (I'm getting there) the flowers have spotted stems!

This last one is amazing I'll have to get Cheryl to tell us its name, it begins Cea??? Anyway the bee's love it and even the leaves have a blueish tinge!

Some tomatoes I picked today, the little cherry ones are Sungold, recommended by Sarah Raven. The taste is unbelievable so sweet and juicy its also one I can eat with out upsetting certain parts of my body. The others will either be eaten by everyone else or made into pasta sauce and frozen!

Chutney Mountain!

2008-08-03T13:11:00.002+01:00

I made even more yesterday. Date and Banana Chutney, the recipe I got from the Potting Shed Forum.

So here we have the pan with all ingredients in

stirred up and cooking, the smell was divine and not your usual vinegary chutney cooking smell, it was just like Christmas??!!

All cooked and ready to pot up into sterilized jars. Again I expected the bananas to go to mush but they didn't.

Now it is all potted up. I can't wait to taste this one, I think it will go really well with a curry and we love our curries in this house!

My Chutney Mountain!

I still have at least two more to make, my courgette one and my most favourite of favourite Spicy Apple Chutney. Then of course there maybe the Green tomato Chutney one as well.
I'm off to the library on Monday as there are a couple of books on chutneys and jams I'm interested in getting out!
I really enjoy making chutney, maybe I should turn it into a small business! Probably to many Health and Hygiene issues to overcome!

Bit of a hectic week ahead, hubby has to go in for an endescope, red car for MOT, T has an opticians appointment as well as volunteer work at the 'Wiltshire Scrapstore' plus we have to make plans for a new addition to our household!!!

Celebration!

2008-08-01T19:55:00.006+01:00

21 years ago today I was wearing this.........

that little person in between hubby and I is Zoe, who if you remember gave birth to my Great Niece Madison Dec 2006. Thats how you know time has passed, but it doesn't seem anytime since I met my man!!

Anyway to celebrate I made chutney and lots of it.
I was inundated with cucumbers and I had alook around the internet to see what else you could do with them that didn't involve pickling. You see that silly little book got me going!
You can make a refreshing drink, but I didn't fancy that.
Raiti yoghurt mint & cucumber, doesn't last long.
Then I found a Cucumber Chutney recipe, not sure if it sounds appealing but I have been assured it is very tasty even after 2 yrs.
So first weigh your cucumbers

slice them thickly and mix with the thinnly sliced onions

add the spices and the white wine vinegar and cook, now this is after 1 hours cooking, wouldn't you have thought that the cucumbers would have gone to mush, I did but they didn't!

you can see them in the jars, it did seem very 'oniony' and slightly on the dry side so the last jar filled will have to be the first eaten. Smelt abit like picalilli. Can't wait to try it!

Then came the Autumn Chutney, here are all the ingredients, including the pre-prepared frozen plums

chopped and sliced and put in the pan

being cooked

Hey Presto, Autumn Chutney!

I'm quite into this chutney making, Julian Graves has a half price sale on so I'm off to buy some dates as my next chutney is going to be Date & Banana!

lol!!!!

Diversion?

2008-07-31T15:11:00.005+01:00

After all the palava of making sure people, dishes and clothes where washed, buckets at the ready etc etc, we woke up to water? Odd? Continued getting water???? Took daughter No 1 to work, still had water, Daughter No 2 to driving lesson, still had water!! So phone the water company to find out what was going on

and the answer was.............

they did it overnight!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Hrmph!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Whilst number 2 was on her driving lesson I went and bought various bits and pieces for chutney making, all will be revealed on my blog later! I then perused the charity shops for books and bought one that caught my eye
'Ration Book Cookery'! I know, I know, I don't really like cookery but with all this hoo haa about the water it got me thinking, how did they do it. Makes for fascinating reading, just for your interest:-

Chronology of Rationing

29 Sept 1939 National Register set up. Identity cards issued.
8 Jan 1940 Food Rationing begins. Bacon, Ham, Sugar and Butter 'on the ration'!
March 1940 Meat Rationed
July 1940 Tea, Margerine, Cooking Fats and cheese rationed.
March 1941 Jam, Marmalade, treacle, and syrup rationed.
June 1941 Distribution of Eggs controlled
November 1941 Distribution of milk controlled.
December 1941 National dried Milk introduced.
June 1942 American dried egg powder on sale.
July 1942 Sweets rationed
December 1944 Extra tea allowance for 70 yr olds and over.
Jan 1945 Whalemeat and snoek (fish like barracuda) available
July 1946 Bread Rationed!!!!

It took all the way to June 1954 until there was no more rationing!

When you look at the above they are your average everyday foods. People grew alot of there own veg and some where even able to keep a pig and 'A limiting factor for many would-be poultry farmers was the fact that grain for chicken food was as scarce as for bread manufacture' so maybe I would not have been able to keep my chickens!!!

OOoooo! don't forget Spam! Who used to get Spam sandwiches in there lunch box for school!!! lol!!

I'm sorry for my diversion but I sometimes think, although I would never wish a war on us, that if we all fell on harder times and foods became scarce that we would appreciate everything more including are neighbours!

Just to prove you are still on the right blog..............

I bought some plants today!!!
This is Eucomis comosa 'Sparkling Burgundy'

and this very cute one is........
Eucomis vandermerwei 'Octopus'

Interruption To Water Supply!

2008-07-30T09:03:00.003+01:00

We have lived here for exactly 20yrs 234days and in all that time we have never had a 'major' interruption to our water supply. Because we live in a village we have the occasional day about once a year where they 'flush the pipes' to flush out the 'bits' probably because we actually don't have enough houses to keep a good flow going! That takes about 4 hours usually sometime between 10.00 and 15.00.

Last week we got a letter, so we have had about 6 days notice, which stated 'Wessex Water will be carrying out essential improvement work on the water distribution network in your area and this will involve interrupting the supply to your property from:
23.30hrs on Wednesday 30th July until 15.30 hrs on Thursday 31st July 2008
I thought, well that's not so bad, but then I thought that includes early morning and the usual early rush for the loo! Some men seem to have an alarm clock set to there bowels and when they need to go theres no waiting they have to go, well I married one of those (although I didn't realise it at the time), his morning ablutions are ridged, this I think is because he has A.D.D. Routine is paramount. I suggested he left for work earlier, No wouldn't consider, so I suggested he visited the loo once then left for work, No, he didn't like this either, so we could use buckets, this was acceptable!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
So I bought two new buckets, one for use upstairs, one for downstairs. In the upstairs bathroom I will fill the bath with water the night before and everyone can
Scoop
Bucket
Chuck it!
Easy!!!
Downstairs is just a loo and wash hand basin! MMMMMMMmmmmmmmmmmmmm!! Outside the back door is a very large water butt, so the bucket will have to be filled from there! Lets just hope its not raining like it has been the past few days!!!
Now water, just how much water does one use during this time scale? I though about filling pans and kettles etc. etc. then I plumped for the easy option, some very large bottles of water, 15 litres should be enough!
So I think we are ready, tonight everyone can shower, all animal waters will be filled all plants watered, dishes washed, uniforms washed (K has to wash a uniform each night she comes in from work).

See how easy we take water for granted, because its on 'tap' so to speak. If we always used the 'bucket & chuck it' method would we use the loo as much as we do now? What would we do differently? How did they cope before toilets?

Never too Old!

2008-07-28T07:24:00.004+01:00

To have a paddling pool!

fill it with water

get in and think mmmmmmmmm! bit cold!

after awhile its actually quite cool

obviously a bit too cool for 'T'!

Oh look K is out warming up and T is in??? But the pool looks fuller??

My girls aren't so soft, as the hose heated up it warmed the water inside it so they topped up the pool with the Hot, yes hot water from the hose!

Sassy thought it a bit hot too but likes to be close to the girls!

The chickens have been moved again, but they found it hot as well so took themselves to bed early!

When ever we go to see to the chickens, Tango always walks with us.

I Love My Garden!

2008-07-26T07:21:00.007+01:00

Trying to do a bit around the garden, but having to be careful as the last 2 weeks has taken a toll on my back. I have to move the chickens eglu and fencing twice a week, which is doing me no favours! So have booked myself an appointment with the physio for next week hopefully she can save me! My GP wants a report from her as he wants to send me for a scan to see how bad my back is, which could mean an op!!! I told him I'd had enough ops to sink a ship and maybe I could survive!!!!

Anyway, another trip down my garden to see how it grows? Do you ever get fed up of the same old, same old?? I reckon if you came to visit you could walk my garden blindfolded! I used to do lots of things, crafts and cooking etc all I seem to do is my garden but I love it so much, I feel so rested and relaxed whilst I'm out there.... I have been planning my Christmas gifts, but then I can't blog about them. I could always stop blogging!!!!!!!!!!

I don't think so...........

So lets start with a problem..... my Maurelli... a few weeks ago a leaf seemed to get stuck then since then all it produces is distorted leaves! I have asked the question on my tropical forum so await there answer.

My Red Tiger banana is growing at a pace now the weather has warmed up!

My original banana, seems to have recovered from it leaf colour problems earlier this year! It is sending pups up left, and right. I am hoping that next year the main banana may flower, we will have to see. But once its flowered it will die which is quite sad.

My tree ferns are going mental this year

especially the little one.
My Indian Bean tree has grown massively, probably a bit too massively!!

we may have to move this come the autumn, but I have just the spot!
Whilst K is home I have 'used' her in the garden, she like me enjoys being outside so we have been digging up and planting in. One of the first plants to go in was a palm I had had in a pot for about 2-3yrs and it was really beginning to suffer

since it has been in the garden which is less than a month, it has produced one complete leaf and you can see the spike of a second on its way!!

I am really glad I decided to plant my bamboos in pots

this one as you can see has gone mental!
My first aubergine!

Do you remember this

well it has grown a bit!

and walking back up my jungle patio

Must dash my sister is coming today!!!

Out for Coffee!

2008-07-22T15:38:00.005+01:00

Hubby was feeling so much better today I took everyone out for a coffee and we met a few of his friends

He has lost so much weight!!!!

We went to a place called Chief Trading Post apart from selling lovely bronzes and stautes etc it sold lots of my type of plants!!!!

Lots and lots of tree ferns

did you know tree ferns don't need to be planted to grow!

this one is just stood on the ground!! These pics are greeny coloured because of the shading!

Bamboos' too which I have become quite partial too!
The girls thought these loungers where just what we needed.

I on the other hand thought this would look good in my jungle garden.

although we would have to have it delivered and even then I'm not sure it would fit through my house!!
Hubby has always been very partial to elephants and loved this fountain

but at over £13500 I thought it a bit over the top. Why the bamboo swing I liked was only £200, far closer to our price range! So we went off for a coffee and a large pice of cake to discuss it!!!!

Home again, home again, jiggerty jig!

2008-07-19T08:29:00.006+01:00

Hubby was discharged yesterday, but came out looking and feeling awful! So I managed to get him an appointment with our GP, so the private route process has been started.
We are all feeling like doing this at the moment!

Maybe I should, but to be honest, so little has been done this week that I really have to try and play catch up!
In the greenhouse plants are growing

and this desperately needs to be potted on

but I need to buy some compost, which I'm not supposed to lift!
The tomatoes are coming along,

we need sun to help ripen them. Theres alot more than in these pics!!!
I have more cucumbers that I currently need! What do you do with an excess of cucumbers?
Although my neighbours have been feeding and watering the chickens, I feel its unfair to ask them to move them as its a bit of a 'palarva' so we shall be doing this either today or tomorrow! I also need to go to the tip as our cardboard and plastic bottle containers are overflowing!! Its all the silly little jobs that have been ignored over the last 10 days!

Plus today is the day when Calne has over 3500 motorcycles descend on it!

so no doubt hubby will want to go and have a look around!

Sleep, Cook. Eat, Drive, Visit etc.........................

2008-07-17T08:53:00.004+01:00

I have so much that needs doing and not enough time to fit it in! The jobs I need to do are BIG jobs, all day jobs, not an hour here and an hour there type jobs! The weather has been dry enough for me to do them to, which I need as I shall be using electrical tools.
All we seem to do is sleep, get up, cook, eat, drive, visit, drive back, water, maybe eat again, then collapse! Sometimes we do the drive, visit, drive bit twice and thats a 50 mile round trip each time!!

We are still none the wiser, they have still not done the scan, and oh! yes they started him on antibiotics today! What for? Who knows! As they haven't done the scan. So how do you treat something you know nothing about!!!
I am getting mad! If you looked at him and talked to him yesterday and today he looks as fit as you and I, he is taking up precious bed space because they can't sort themselves out.

I want him home, but he can't keep having these attacks!

I picked some of my French Beans yesterday, they where lovely and scrummy.

Bet your bottom dollar as soon as he is discharged it will rain!!!!

Plans!

2008-07-16T07:50:00.002+01:00

I had planned to get back to blogging full time this week, but other things have yet again taken a higher priority!
Hubby is back in hospital again, taken by ambulance Monday evening with the same pains as the previous week. At the hospital they took blood, gave morphine and we sat and waited! 3hrs 20m and we saw our first doctor who said it was probably Gallstones and he would be discharging him, but would check his blood tests first. Being close to the nurses station I was able to 'earwig' in on conversations. He spoke in person to two doctors and one on the phone.
I said to hubby, your not coming home! Back came the doctor to say there where a few problems with his blood test and they where showing 'flags'(?) and as the hospital didn't know if they where going up or coming down he would have to be admitted.
We got home at 01.30. I didn't get to bed till well gone 0200 and was up at 0700!

When I phoned the hospital I was told he had had a comfortable night. 30 mins later hubby phoned to say the pain had returned and he'd been vomiting all night!!! Thats comfortable? The hospital have still not said in words what I overheard on them talking about in Accident and Emergency on the phone 'Pancreatitus'.
We where told on Monday evening once admitted he would be given a scan to confirm whether it was Gallstones. When I went to visit him yesterday, he didn't really want visitors, so I left and asked about the scan, nothing was booked for yesterday or as far as they could tell for today either!!!!

When I spoke to our private medical insurers, apparently, because he has an 'acute' problem he can't transfer over to the Private sector (on our insurance)and has to be discharged by the specialist not by himself. But once discharged and if this reoccurs we can then go private!

So now we wait!

We are all pretty bushed, but on the plus side T went and signed up as a volunteer at our local 'Scrapstore' we have had long discussions about her getting a job, but she really only feels confident working in a library and sadly there are not many of those jobs available here, so I suggested she became a volunteer somewhere and she chose here and went yesterday and had a ball!
I can't recommend 'Scrapstores' highly enough if you craft then do see if you have one in your locality and support them!

Chickens and Peas

2008-07-14T07:36:00.005+01:00

This is just part of my neighbours paddock that my chooks are on holiday in

we had just moved them here from the top and next week we will move them to the other side of the workshop. They never use this area, he just sits on his ride on mower to keep the grass down

I really wish I had this as I can now see how much happier my hens are over here, I actually feel guilty already about bringing them back at the end of summer!

We bought the new plastic roosting bars for inside the Eglu, they are fantastic and so easy to keep clean compared to the wooden ones,another plus is theres now nowhere for the 'Red Mites' to hide!! I can't recommend these highly enough.
I have no idea the life span of a chicken, we have had them since May 2006, but when they go we shall either drop down to two big ones or four little bantams! Allotment Lady assures me that Bantams don't scratch, which means I would be able to let them out and about more!

Whilst we where moving the chickens, tango had found a lovely comfy spot on their bonfire pile!!

Everytime I go down to do my neighbours chickens at the same time as checking mine, he is there! He makes me chuckle!

I picked loads of peas yesterday, we have already eaten some

so we sat in the sunshine podding them. They make a very satisfying pop when you open them

and there are still more to come. Wonder if you can do anything with the pods? I'm sure you will tell me if there is!

all vacum packed and ready to freeze for that taste of summer in the winter! If they last that long!!!!!

Now for something beautiful

one of my Brugmansias has gone nuts flowering!!!

Holiday Happenings!

2008-07-12T08:14:00.007+01:00

Well life sort of takes over when all children and hubby are home. I'm (currently) enjoying the chaos!

We where supposed to have been on holiday, this wet and windy week, having upgraded hoping to have something decent to sit on and sleep the caravan and site was lovely

but nothing decent to sit on or sleep in. The day we arrived was glorious

After the first night I was up at 0430, eldest 0500 and youngest who can sleep for england 0750!! We took a vote and came home. I was crippled.

then

on Friday whilst out for a walk hubby was rushed (blue lights and sirens) to hospital! It was quite traumatic as we had walked about 1.5 miles and he said he had to sit down, I said do you want me to go get the car, yes he did. So eldest and I power walked our way home leaving youngest with him. 400yds from home we heard sirens I flipped but K said T would have phoned, neither of us had recieved calls. So got to the car, drove back round and they where gone, a gentleman was waiting to say they had gone to Great Western. K phoned T and said we had got the message when she got off the phone she said they had the sirens going, so we knew it wasn't good. I broke every speed limit by double and arrived minutes after the ambulance, as they where from Bristol and had taken a MAJOR detour as they didn't know the direct route to hosp
Anyway when we arrived he was in major pain and they looked after him very well. T collapsed in my arms sobbing her heart out (she has learning difficulties and considering what she had been through coped remarkably well)/.
Anyway after the morphine everything calmed down, they kept him in overnight and he was discharge yesterday, they don't know whats wrong with him but has to go back for all sorts of scans etc, etc
Since his 50 birthday, he has been to hospital every year without fail for something, once he gets the morphine he's fine is this telling me something??

The advantage to being at home apart, from the above, was I got to see this

The chooks are on there holidays, in a neighbours huge garden, and he's happy for them to be there for a couple of weeks which rests my plot!
I will post more this week and hopefully get back up to speed again!!

Busy, Busy, Busy!!!

2008-06-29T14:25:00.006+01:00

Has five days passed since I last blogged???? I seem to have been so busy, yet I'm not quite sure what I've done?? We took T to visited Birmingham Uni and it was an exceptionally long day which we are all still recovering from. We have another Uni visit next week and one the week after too!

My garden is currently annoying me!!!!! Can you believe that! I seem to solve one problem and another occurs elsewhere! Which needs alot of thought and back breaking work to sort!!!! I don't mind weeding and double digging etc, but stuff that requires lifting slabs, digging out trees is now getting a bit beyond me! Which also annoys me to pieces!

So take alook across the patio

lots of growing going on here, I've moved all my Brugmansias up here so I can see the lovely flowera and benefit from the scent. Then turning round you can see how the patio has filled up

all mu indoor succulents are now outside enjoying the weather and growing like billy oh!!!
Through the arch to the veg part

the peas on the right are doing really well,behind them I have sweetcorn planted and they are underplanted with Gem Squash, I grew these for the first time last year for hubby. They where so delicious I have planted five plants this year so hopefully will be inundated with them! The climbing french beans on the right are coming along slowly, with courgettes and potatoes behind them.

Now we come to the part that is annoying me

my flower bed area in the veg patch! My neighbours hedge, which grows over continuously (well they do don't they)the top of there already enormous fence, but I have to cut my side all the time otherwise it makes all my plants lean and fall over, which is exactly what has happened, all the alliums are lying down, as did the poppies and now the lillies.

the tree in the middle of the bed with the yellow leaves is an Indian Bean tree, these are quite beautiful and the leaves are enormous so I think in the autumn I will move it so alittle bit more sun gets to this bed. The main reason I planted it here was that it needed shelter from the wind, which it has certainly got. So I think I will move it further up the bed towards the camera so it offers shelter to the seating area but the sun can get to the rest of the bed.
Further down the garden

then over to the pond

which since we fitted the new pond pump and filter and added some new fish is looking sensational!
In the greenhouse the tomatoes and cucumbers are growing well. I also have my first ever aubergine flower

I'm growing aubergines!!!
A beautiful pink

I can remember mum growing pinks, she always had them and lots of them too, this one reminds me of a clump of hers!!!

I hope you are all OK, I will try and get round to visit you this week, but to be honest, I'm not sure I can blog for a few weeks as our diary is so full. So I haven't popped my clogs, just taking a short break!!

Fruit & Veg!

2008-06-24T07:09:00.005+01:00

As you may know I am always on a diet. K wanted to lose weight over the hols so joined me. Everyone was tucking into Choc Ices and we felt left out so here is my recipe for a slimming ice lollie!!!
Weigh and wash 1lb strawberries

Whizz them up

add some lowfat yoghurt of similar flavour, I used Muller Lite

Mix until a marble effect

Pour into lollie thingys

Freeze, then enjoy

I didn't add sweetner but you can do if you wish!!

We had some of my homegrown potatoes on Sunday

they where so scrummy, then I got the Dobies catalogue through, telling me about the winter crops I could be growing, late potatoes, cabbage, cauli etc. Now my small plot is normally empty over winter but I think I may have a go. They also mention autumn onion sets, would I have to cloche them? How successful have people been with any of these?
I wish I had an allotment, did I tell you I'm having another go at growing cauliflower, we are big eaters of cauli, its basically the only veg T eats apart from peas and sweetcorn!

Summer Solstice

2008-06-21T08:15:00.004+01:00

Today is the longest day! The beginning of summer! Woohoo!! Guess what? Its raining!

I remember as a child how the 6 weeks of the summer hols seemed endless and hot! We spent nearly everyday outside, playing in the garden, going for walks or even playing on the beach (we lived closer in those days), mum always had a paddling pool filled and warmed for our return from school! Dad loved the Bar-b-que so we had many! So whats with this global warming, doesn't that mean it should be getting hotter?
I planted my tropical/jungle garden as the plants I had where suffering badly in the hot summers.
So here we are today

Looking better than when I first planted but still behind what it should be!

It is time to order the coal for the winter all 2 1/2 tons of it and just to wind you all up its 6 months and 4 days till Christmas!!!!!!!!!!

Running off very quickly!!!!!!!!!!!!!................................

RE-Designing

2008-06-19T09:06:00.005+01:00

I am so fed up with these suckers that are basically destroying what could be a lovely flower bed that I am considering some re-designing!!!
I have taken a group of pics of basically the same area to give you a rough idea of the plan!!!
I think the plan is to extend the chicken run out towards the bits of fence and trellis and wood you can see.

Move the plant that is growing up the obelisk!

and make a path around to the left of the fence using stepping stones and grass. That way I can mow off the suckers, (hysterical laughter!!)

The 'Down' side to this is you get to walk next to a grotty and very old fence! I lose part of a flower bed.
The 'UP' side is the chickens get a bigger run and I hopefully should beat the suckers by cutting them off every week!!!
Still to be decided!
I thought I would show you some of my baby Brugs that are currently thriving!

and a little friend who watches over the pond!

Good News!

2008-06-16T07:12:00.004+01:00

My Brugmansias are fine! How brilliant is that! I joined ABADS-America Brugmansia and Datura Society and posted pics on there forum and the concensus of opinion is that they are healthy plants its probably the up and down weather temps we have in the UK!!!
Smiling broadly here!!!
I went out this morning and took pics of about 6 of my brugs that have flower buds on, but when I came in they where totally out of focus! I wasn't going out again as it was only 7C quite chilly! So far 6 seeds I bought from Ebay have grown, I shall let them get a bit bigger before potting on.
In the mean time K has been digging her heart out and has cleared all the suckers from the plant in my neighbours garden, that prefers to be in mine and because it is so rampant, we keep digging up my plants to make sure we get all the roots out so my plants never really get going!!!

you can see it the other side of the fence. This is the bags of roots and sukers she dug out

I seem to have a flying chicken in that pic!!!!
Further down she cleared out a plant that had been taking over

so now we or probably I will take the opportunity to paint the fence and even look into getting some, bamboo rhizome barrier then dig down about 2 ft and pop it in. Hopefully then the neighbours plants will remain in her garden. I have plenty of plants to fill the gaps, but today we are going off to the shops to have a browse and a bit of retail therapy.
K's boyfriend is coming for a week tomorrow, so may take the opportunity of using his muscle about the garden! Must remind her to remind him to bring some old trainers and not his white sparkly ones!!!!!!

Exotic or Cottage????

2008-06-11T06:35:00.007+01:00

We, and I do me 'we' have been extremely busy in the garden the last few days. We being K and I. She doing most of the digging and lifting and me poking my nose in and getting into trouble! I consider myself very lucky to have a daughter who enjoys gardening as much as I do.
Here she is jetwashing the patio.............

The weather has been glorious and at times a little too hot

This is my weather station, great little gadget. and of course being a 'Brit' we have this thing about 'weather'!!!!
The sensor is on the painted strip to the left of the gate near the top of the wall and as you can see in shade! But I do think with the patio being south facing it will get some reflective heat from the slabs but it still creates a great talking point! Sad or what!!!!

This was my bargain buy from Lidl and cost me £9.99. Best £9.99 I've spent in a long time. I hope they get them back again as I want to get one for my mum!

Now look at this little chap

never seen anything like him before, so had to get my insect book out and if I am correct in my identification he is a Black & Red Froghopper, apparently seen in early summer clinging to lush grass (not so sure its lush) and low vegetation, especially in Southern England (thats here!)

Now for a troll round looking across the now jet washed patio,

all the bags at the end are for the tip, I've still to set up the compost bins since the re-arrangement at the bottom of the garden!

This rose and honeysuckle are in my neighbours garden, but as you can see overhang and their scent is magnificent. This is what I really miss, from an exotic garden, honeysuckle and roses, it makes me yearn for a good old cottage garden. Although theres alot of work in keeping a cottage garden up to scratch, theres not so much lugging around of plants as there is in an Exotic Garden.

K has been working down here for me, planting and digging out, and we have been repotting together, its quite a pleasant area to work until about 12 o'clock.

These are Silver Birch Trees and are supposed to have a 'light canopy', don't you believe it, when they are planted so close together it is very dense hence being able to work in a South facing garden till mid-day!

My first Brug flower,

some of the plants are looking ok but I still have them split up as a precaution.

Tomato plants, coming along

they seem alot happier in this greenhouse, I have noticed with it being bigger the temps are more constant and theres not so many extremes of hot and cold!

My Brug cuttings

really ready for Ebay, but I want to be sure there is no virus first!

Some flowers on the way back up the garden at 7am this morning.

when I see these I often wonder what made me like tropical? I love the flowers, the amazing natural colours, why would I swop these for tropicals?

Looking back across the patio!

Right off for brekkie now!

Sunny Sunday!

2008-06-09T07:02:00.004+01:00

It got a bit warm here yesterday!

but as you can see from the weather station it says rain, didn't see one spot yesterday!!!!
Someone found somewhere shady to lie

Can you see who it is?

Sassy, under the treeferns.

A rather beautiful poppy!

I would just like to say if I get abit irratic with my posting, its because I am spending time with my daughter, who is home from Uni for the summer. I am fortunate to have a very special relationship with her and will sadly not have that many summers left to spend with her as she goes out to the big rat race.So I am grabbing every opportunity with both hands :o)
She also loves gardening so is helping me alot!

Through the Lens of the camera!

2008-06-06T06:46:00.010+01:00

The plant in the last post was an Arisaemas as is this one too, apparently they have a habit of facing away from you!!!! This one could grow to 5ft!!!

These next pics where taken by K, I sent her down the garden and said lets see it through your eyes...........
this one was actually taken about a month ago by me..

this one by K, how things have grown....

This rose is a from a cutting I got from my Dad, who has been dead since 1982, it has black spot as you can see and I can't bear to part with it!

Babs as you can see is fully recovered from her broodiness, so I recommend the 3 x 12 hours in a cage to break the habit!

Oriental poppies such a cheerful flower but a very floppy plant.

The Gunnera, gets bigger every minute I see it, I'm surprised the fence is still standing

Hubby raves about it and says it is one of the best plants in the garden.

The pond has had a bit of a tidy up, we are going to give it, its four yearly clean out in September.

My cucumbers with there new frame which attaches to the greenhouse, I think this will be alot sturdier than canes shoved in pots, just have to construct something to go across the roof, as thats how far these plants grow.

I found these seeds in focus for 49p, so bought them for K, she trots down each morning and has a chat and checks whose grown, they are sunflowers! You can never have enough sunflowers!!

The banana at the bottom of the garden!

Now some more pics by me...
This is my Egg Yam, remember it taking over the greenhouse, well it got so big I HAD to put it outside and now its really taken off....

How sad am I to be measuring leaves at this time of year!! Currently 54cm, incase your interested!!!!

Not everything is rosy in my garden,I currently have a serious problem with the banana on the patio.......

after consultation with my Hardy Tropical friends, it appears my soil may be too alkaline!!!

How soil changes in a season I will never know!! So sequestered iron and foliar feed, but how I get up there to foliar feed, will have to be worked out! I will keep you posted!

Something Unusual!

2008-06-03T08:13:00.002+01:00

Even though I am still concerned about my Brugs, I still manage to find something unusual for you down the garden!
Can't remember the name as of course I have lost the label! But I will try and find out for you!

Maybe I should get into Carnivourous Plants? I have one that has survived quite well in the greenhouse for a couple of years, with little care, maybe its time to branch out!

Maybe not!

2008-06-02T08:30:00.001+01:00

It may not be so bad as first thought, but there are a couple of definate suspects,which could create the chop for everything else. We will see!

Gutted!

2008-06-01T09:47:00.005+01:00

Why is it that whenever I start to become good at something, without fail, someone comes and pulls the carpet from under me!

Every single time this happens.

I, as you may or maynot know have a passion for Brugmansias.

I have owned alot of them for a number of years and increased my stock so I could make a small business selling cuttings

which I had started to do, quite successfully!

but recently I began to notice a change in my Brugs.

but did not know what it was,

believed it was the weather affecting the plants

these are pictures of my (past) healthy plants

now they all look like this

Can you see the mottles leaves? That is the mosaic virus! The plants can continue to grow but eventually become stunted. They all have to go. Every single one of them! Not one of them can I keep! I need to find out if this virus came in with some stock. Will it remain in the ground, in the greenhouse etc. I am gutted, totally and utterly floored. To have spent so much money and lose it all in one foul swoop is unbearable!

Hectic Weekend

2008-05-28T11:33:00.004+01:00

I have not really had time to think about blogging this weekend as all we seem to have done is just drive! We went up to Worcester Uni on Saturday to spend the day with K, as it was her birthday, which was lovely. We packed up loads of stuff and put it in the car. When we left, we left minus T, as the girls had invited her to stay there until Monday! So she borrowed all of K's clothes and had a blast!!!
It was very odd being here minus both girls!!!!
The weather has been foul, not that I'm complaining as the garden desperately needed it, so I have done very little.
But just so its not a boring post here are some pics of Sassy, enjoying a break in the weather!

Good News, Look..........

2008-05-23T08:22:00.004+01:00

Just a quickie.......
Look Whose out and about...................

this was at 08.30 this morning......

which is good because by this time the past 3 days she has been snuggled up on the nest!! So my regime may have worked? I had been letting her sleep with the rest of them, then she got up and went out and ate and drank then by about 08.00 she had been ensconced on the nest so I put her in the basket and then at 20.00 I let her out and back in with the rest!

Success, I think, I hope?!?!

I thought I would finish with my most favourite indoor plant

Oxalis regnellii atropurpurea

Why is Babs Hung Up?

2008-05-22T07:49:00.004+01:00

I have had alot of comments from you all as to why poor old Babs is off the ground in a cage?
Last year at a similar time she went all broody, she is a right pain in the preverbial, refuses to get of the nest box so the other chickens sit ontop of her to lay their eggs!!!! I checked with hubby about the chance of allowing her to hatch some bantam chicks for us, sadly he was not keen. When ever she comes out of the nest box the other chickens have a go at her! So she was dunked in cold water! Sounds cruel but apparently its supposed to help cool them down!! It didn't work!
Anyway earlier this year Lottie, had a broody chook and did this. I thought, well theres no harm in trying so did the same, using one of my cat baskets! Apparently it takes 3 days, currently it has done nothing and we are on the morning of day 3 and she is still as broody!! I will keep you posted!