Took a sandwich out with me down the beach

Oooo, sounds amazing PB. I hope you have written down her recipe and plan to carry on the tradition, although of course I also hope she lives to a ripe old age before you actually need to take over the task of making it yourself!

I don't get on here every day any more but hey the sloe gin talk and vodka gin might draw me back!!!!!!

Now tuwit that is an interesting addition to my sarnies, sounds just right:-)

Gaynor, You are not the only one who only dips in here every now and then--just doing a quick look myself. Yes, Sloe Gin--lovely stuff and the soup addition to marmite sandwiches sounds good as well. Might just try that (but at home--need my winter warmth indoors!)
On another matter, we have booked for Leighton Moss for part of the 3rd week in June, a week earlier than last year and that gets us back to what we did for previous years. (Will need to resurrect the relevant thread soon unless Hazy has already done it!) See you at LM again?

Hi Ann, yes I was hoping to get up to LM again this year, not so sure at the moment as am off to Crete with family in July, not sure what date they have finally booked but it had to be during the summer holidays worse luck. See how things pan out,

Will be in touch, Gaynor

I have a slightly cruel but funny story about a beach and a sandwich. It was many years ago and the wife and I were in Lyme Regis. We bought a sandwich each from a cafe on the seafront and sat outside to eat them as we had dogs. I had beef and horseradish and the sauce was so hot and so plentiful that I had to scrape a lot of it out to make the sarnie edible.

While we were eating a big old gull settled down on the next table and patiently waited for us to leave. I left a bit of crust for him but smeared it in the horseradish sauce on my plate. We walked away looking back over our shoulders to see what would happen.

The gull hopped over and immediately wolfed down the crust, followed by a loud squawk and regurgitation of the offending food item. We were cracked up laughing because he kept eating it, then bringing it back up again, then having another attempt, he was so intent on getting his scraps! Eventually it stayed down and off he flew. Wonder if he learnt anything that day?

The same won't happen with chilli.

Chillis and birds co-evolved. Birds don't have a receptor for capsaicin and capsaicinoids (the chemicals in chillis that are detected as hot/spicy in mammals). Birds are an effective seed distribution vector for the chilli plant.

en.wikipedia.org/.../Capsaicin

This is why mixing chilli powder with bird seed/nuts can be an effective squirrel deterrent.

The chemicals in horseradish are different. The plant is a member of the brassica/mustard family. Members of the brassica/mustard family of plants evolved to discourage mammalian herbivores. The same that chillis did.

I've seen chilli infused suet blocks and bird seed before. No squirrels close to my garden as there are no big trees nearby. Have to walk to the end of the road before I see a squirrel. Green woodpeckers often in the same trees, too. :-)

Gaynor, Good to hear you hope to visit LM. If your family trip is in July you should be ok for LM-the meet-up will be in June--see you there!