Weekly Chat (Non-Osprey), 24 June 2018

OG - I guess that you have all the fans going? I have curtains closed over and some windows open. This house faces almost East/West so I just move around as the day goes on. I gave my one and only fan to middle daughter, she was very grateful!

FB - good news, I was pleased to read it.

LINDY - Sorry about your tomato plants. I think that your OH half expected that, though, didn't he?

ANNETTE - good that all is progressing well with the house. Agree, your OH will be looking forward to some home cooked food. Have you any idea when you will be making tracks back to California?

I'm feeding the washing machine again - have sprayed some weedkiller on paths and will have to deadhead some roses, later today. I'm sorry, CHRISY, about your clematis. I haven't yet had any wilt in this garden, but did lose one or two to wilt in my previous home. I'm obviously not controlling the shrubs as well as my OH - I've noticed that the Rosa Rugosa at the end of the garden is coming out to meet me! Hedge and two ball shaped privets getting trimmed tomorrow - not by me but by garden man.

I heard last evening that Bella had had a better day, much calmer.

Regards to all

LINDA - www.theflowcountry.org.uk explains it much better than I can!  I suppose up north is the real Flow Country, but we have Kirkconnel Flow near us and other raised bog and blanket bog in Galloway.  I like your new mouse mat!  Our Tomato plants are good, and OH says we can have our first Cucumber tomorrow, but the Runner Beans are poor.  We are already pulling carrots - got there before root fly this year. so hope hey don't smell the ones that we have disturbed!

HEATHER - Keeping fans running in all rooms all the time (sure we are generating enough for it to be free!)  Pleased to see garden man will cut your hedge and trim privet balls.  So glad your Son and his Wife had a better day with Bella yesterday.

ANNETTE - I wonder why your OH has not been making himself some tasty meals in your absence?  I would love the chance to cook for just me, my own choices and the way I like them!

Will  have early dinner as if we are going out, and then decide whether we can face it in the heat!

OH finally finished painting the railings yesterday. He thinks it was about 14 hours work over 12 days. Anyway they are looking great. I came home from my swim by bus yesterday and got off at the stop just opposite Harry Gows (our local excellent baker) and bought him quiche and strawberry tart as a "well done and thank you'.

Sweltering in the heat again today. Tomorrow should be cooler.

A pic of "The Kelpies" in all their glory. Says to share.

Oooh!  I love those, Dibnlib. Thanks for posting them. Really must get up there sometime and see them for real!

OG Thanks for your link.

Heather - Glad that Bella is settling down. We did half expect the tomatoes to be casualties, no point in worrying over it, though.

LINDY Nothing does them justice, until you see the real thing.

Hi, folks. I can empathize with your suffering during the heat wave. We've just had a Heat Advisory issued here for tomorrow and Saturday for high temps and humidity.

I don't know if this strategy would work in the U.K., but here in Indiana, I find that my house stays cooler if I close the windows and curtains around 11:00 a.m. and keep them closed during the heat of the day. That way the high heat and humidity can't settle in the house. It sounds counter-productive to close the windows, I know, but it does keep my house cooler (I don't have AC anymore). But maybe that won't work with your climate and building practices.

Best wishes to everyone! 

It does work, Diane:  We often shut everything. But if there's any chance of a bit of breeze I can't resist opening a window!

We then open all the windows when it cools in the evening, to let the whole place cool down. I have a posh fan which can cool one room. 

It now looks as if this hot dry weather is going to last well into next week!  (Most unusual for the UK)

I have two good fans, thank goodness, Lindy. It's so hard to maintain the yard. The grass is too wet to mow in the early morning, but it's so very hot to mow and pull weeds in the heat of the afternoon. Yuck!

AQ - love the explanation of looking after grandkids and MissJ's comment, priceless.

OG - glad you had a nice lunch and some retail shopping to boot. Hope J is soon feeling a lot better.

Lindybird - I expect you are getting the fumes from the wildfire on Saddleworth as I expect they are at my family home in Worsley. What a to do and the army brought in to try and tackle it. Love the mousemat Lindy.

Don't much like this heat - if I could just sit and sunbathe and not have to think about having to get up and do things, great, but that is not the case. Anyhow it is too humid a heat here - everytime you move or do something you break out in a sweat.

Just had the decorator in to paint the rendering on the outside of the house and also the conservatory, looks lovely and fresh and clean now all we want doing is the rest of the house!!!

Sounds a good idea Diane except we face east/west so the east side of the house gets the sun first ie the conservatory and its like an oven when I come down in the morning so have to fling wide the doors and let some air through. During the afternoon the sun moves round to the lounge and although I have the window open I close both curtains which helps.

Diane - catch 22 with the lawns - ours are all parched now because we have not had any significant rainfall for at least 3 weeks.