Morning all: Check back the last page of the previous week to catch up with bits and bobs of news.
We put our clocks back tonight - and I also pulled out the space heater as my feet are cold and I haven't dug out my toasty slippers yet. We had more lovely showers today, but it's supposed to warm up later this week for a few days. We're in this in-between stage when it's quite warm during the day but decidedly cooler at night.
OG; Thanks for letting us know Diane is expecting snow; I hope it's not too severe. My NY friends are dreading a repeat of last winter, when the temps dropped sharply early in the winter and stayed there all winter.
Take care all.
BRENDA - Have you ever considered using gutter guards onto your gutters to keep out all leaves - see web sites for examples, but B&Q have them usually in the section where gutters and downpipes are found. Reasonable price too - I had a very cheap sort of netting cover put on my carport guttering a few years back and it has been very successful no further leaves or blockages since. Be careful where to buy them from if you go online - delivery costs can be more than the items!!
AQ - seems really early for the fires to be starting in the Blue Mountains and very sad to hear of a death already in fires in S.A. Have enjoyed all your news of recent trip and photos - interesting to see you have egg and bacon plants too. Also your reference to Albany was all the more timely in the recent remembering of the embarkation of ANZAC troops to Europe to enter WW1.
ANNETTE - enjoyed all your trip news and photos - train journey sounded really interesting and it was probably appreciated not to have to think about where you were going, as you were being driven (so to speak)
DIBNLIB - Good to hear you are getting some time off later this month.
Liz LFW: Great to see you! We have a sort of mesh covering our gutters, but two somehow got dislodged earlier this year and they're still sitting on the potting table. I suspect they'll go back in place when OH goes up the ladder.
Hi, all.
Heather: I hope you have a wonderful time on your holiday!!!
Lindy: I think you're away now, but I hope you have a great time! Your new grandson is beautiful!!! Congratulations to you and your family.
AQ: Love the buff banded rails. I've enjoyed reading about your trip and viewing the photos. Stay cool!
OG: Nice you were able to see the little frog. Hope he's comfortable for the winter.
Brenda: I love pansies. All colors. Your daughter picked a bad time to be in Chicago. Snow, heavy gales, and the highest waves on Lake Michigan since 1984. The main super-highway downtown was flooded. I hope your daughter was able to travel okay.
Liz: Nice to see you.
Margo: Lovely to read your good news. Best to you.
Annette: I've enjoyed all of your photos. Well done! Very interesting. I especially liked the train pics. I would love to take one of those cross-country train journeys.
Our Amtrak service from my local town to Indianapolis/Chicago has been de-funded and cancelled, but the end of service has just recently been postponed until end of December. We no longer have bus service, either.
I was so happy to read that you've received a good gully-washing rain. I know how badly your region needs it.
All: My area did have its first snow, gales, and unseasonably cold temps on Halloween. It put a damper on the local festivities for the kiddies. All well here, though.
Take care, everyone.
Good morning all and very wet and soggy. Lot of rain over the weekend so work in the garden wa curtailed. I spent a couple of hours each day tidying up our spare bedroom, putting clothes away that had just been stacked up on the bed, going through my wardrobes and throwing lots out. It was something that I have wanted to for ages but had not felt well enough to do. Really pleased to see it looking so much tidier. Just got to go through a chest of drawers now and once everything has been sorted there will a lot more room for new clothes recently purchased. OH took all the rubbish up the tip for me. Doesn't sound very exciting but I am just so pleased to be able to do something constructive again.
So pleased that some sensible voting took place on Strictly. Scott had improved slightly but is so far behind it would have been a travesty if he had remained. I have been a bit naughty over the weekend enjoying several glasses of red wine and thorouhfgly enjoying it. That will be all for a couple of weeks as chemo starts again a week today.
OG thanks for giving us news from diane. I think weather all over is a bit mixed. I have noticed it seems a bit cooler this morning. Nice to have a frog in the garden. When we had several trees cut back a few weeks ago a frog popped out. Hope he found a new home. We do have a pond in the garden and see frogs now and again but this one was down the end of of ip our very long drive a fair way from the pond.
Heather very good of you to attend Sheana's review but very remiss of the nephew to get involved. Good to read improvement has continued. I agree always a bit difficukt to know what to pack. I always took too much away. In fact I incurred a huge overweight penalty one one occasion (won't say how much) but OH was not amused and I was always careful after that. Hope you enjoy your week away and manage to,relax.
Brenda it really was a miserable weekend although we do not seem to have had as much as you did. Most of our rain fell during the nigh Saturday and Sunday.
Dibnlib your OH must be so pleased that you are able to go with him. Hope you will be able to get Benson into your preferred kennels.
Annette so good to read that you have had some long awaited rain but would think you will be hoping for more. I am not making a Christmas pudding, making a cake which we will start next Saturday. I have a Woman's Own cook book which is nearly 50 years old and always use the Christmas cake recipe as it is so nice. I have a Kindle but do actually prefer a real book. In our house I watch the news while OH shouts at various politicians.
AQ how tragic that a young farmer has lost his life. Can't imagine how his wife and children feel.
diane always nice to see a post from you. See you have already had a blast of winter. We are only just getting Autumn temperatures after an incredibly mild October. Keep warm and safe.
Sill very dark here and it has started to rain. Was supposed to brighten up by now.
Have a good day all and take care.
glad to say Benson is booked into our first choice kennel. This will be his 2nd time and for 6 days. Oh well, it has to be done. Friends in Fife have offered to look after him any time. They live way out in the sticks in the nost beautiful listed building, but the garden isn't fully fenced in, and besides it is way off our route. Friend has her work cut out anyway as her Mum is in a care home 50 miles away and Friend tries to visit 2 or 3 times a week. Add to that her brother fell off a ladder some time ago and she feels she has to visit him as well.We all grew up together so know the family well. I am so glad she has a delightful husband for support.
Good evening. Shopping trip went well, despite very wet weather; even Ducks on the pond at Loch Arthur looked miserable when it rained! We enjoyed watching them during our leisurely lunch of soup and sandwich followed by really indulgent waffles – I had the “wee waffle” version, but OH had the “muckle waffle” – both with maple syrup and whipped cream cheese! We had a list of three items to buy, but ended up with about ten, including some of their organic meat to freeze.
Dibnlib – so pleased you got the leave you wanted so that you can both go down south – a long journey, I know, but glad you can go together. Pleased too that you have booked Benson into the preferred kennels.
AQ – early for bush fires; I hope they won’t be so prolific this year. Terrible about the young farmer who lost his life, leaving a young widow and children; good that the community will help her. Enjoyed the Rails.
LizLFW – good to see you popping in again; Diane too.
Margo – you are getting enthusiastic about catching up with jobs: but don’t overdo it! It is rewarding when you can see a difference in a room you are tidying.
Not much activity on here today – no sign of Brenda, and I assume Linda must still be away!
We shall be out again tomorrow, at a lunchtime lecture at a Carlisle Museum, about the Quintinshill Railway Disaster in 1915. It was a terrible tragedy, with the loss of many soldiers who had been on their way to Gallipoli.
Ospreys Rule OK, but Goldfinches come a close second!
Where is everyone?
First frost here this morning - ice warning on untreated roads after yesterday's rain - typical.
Good morning all-
After yesterday morning's temp of 2.5 when I got up, today it is a positively balmy 7 degrees. Yesterday was wet,quite heavy rain at times. No, OG, I don't think all of the falling leaves will be raked up before we go away, it seems that there is no really good time to leave a garden except for bleak mid winter! That won't happen for us because we have missed flights etc before now due to ice,fog and snow!
Sheana wasn't very bright again yesterday but perked up enough to talk with the Social Worker who was a very pleasant young lady with bright pink hair. Apparently Sheana had a nasty fall at the weekend. I asked what the Home's policy was regarding notifying NOK about events such as these. A bit of waffling followed during which I was told that I could be registered as NOK for this type of call since I am geographically closer to Sheana than her nephew 600 miles away! That didn't answer my question so I have asked her nephew what he thinks about the whole thing. I think that NOK should be told about significant events. Luckily S wasn't injured, they got a doc in to check her over. This was her first fall since going into care and she has been asked to ring for a carer now, if she wants to move from her bed.
Thank you all for your news, I will miss you when we are away.
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HEATHER - I thought informing NOK of any incident was part of the "Duty of Care" of a care home; don't let them get away with it (care home or nephew!). Pleased S was checked by a doctor, but I guess she was still a bit shaken by the fall, so good that she engaged with the Social worker. Have a good time away and leave your cares behind!
Good Morning ALL. We had visitors yesterday, who were coming for lunch, but because of the heavy rain, decided not to go visiting various gardens and historic sites, so they were still with us for dinner last night. We didn't mind as we haven't seen them for a few years. It got so late that I offered them a bed for the night but they had booked a hotel about 30 miles from here and were meeting other friends this morning.
Going for our flu jabs this afternoon, which are later than usual.
I need to catch up on all your posts.