Monday 7th June 2010

[jane jackson]

Summer has gone for today although it's still warm enough. It was raining slightly when we took the dogs on Long Rock beach at 7am but since then it's been pouring quite steadily all day. I'm sure the garden needs it just so long as it doesn't batter too many of the plants and break tall stems. It doesn't seem possible that on saturday I was sitting on a beach enjoying the sunshine. I spent half an hour sitting in the car parked on The Prom reading my book from 10am as I had to give Bryan a lift (due to the rain) for a Coastwatch photo by the Harbour with a man from The Cornishman. I couldn't even have the window open slightly as the rain was blowing in ~ sea looked good though. He's on watch later on from 4.30pm until 8pm so will have to be the taxi service again or he'll be soaked before he gets there.
I don't suppose there'll be much to see from the Tower either as nobody will be on the beach or out in the Bay on windsurfers ~ there again some might as they'll be wet anyway. As I went past the Jubilee Pool this morning there were 2 people swimming in the pouring rain ~ had it all to themselves.

For the first time ever we've used a Launderette today! When our washing machine broke down after we'd moved here we replaced it with one with a smaller drum thinking that now we weren't doing B&B we didn't need a larger one but hadn't thought about our bedspread which is king size and padded. I just cannot fit it in the washing machine which is a real pain. It gets grubby as there's not much room between the end of the bed and the wall as the stairs for the loft conversion took up part of our bedroom space and the dogs are continually walking past apart from the cats sleeping on it. Previously I've tried hand washing but it really does make a wet mess everywhere although it does fit in the tumble drier. So it's off to collect it on the way to Bryan's Watch later ~ double yellow lines everywhere so Bryan has to get out and do the delivery and collection while I drive around!:offtopic::washing::rain::rain::rain::washi ng:

[pauline]

Monday 7th June 3.35pm

No one owned up to having a thunderstorm yesterday evening, so I must surmise it decided to empty itself out on top of our house! No rain so far but a few dark clouds up there. Wish I had the ability that the older men have in the village to read the sky, and they are usually pretty accurate.

Occasionally I have used a laundrette for washing the duvets as it is cheaper to buy a new one rather than have it dry cleaned.

Is the Jubilee pool the one on the sea front, a bit like a lido? Hardy enthusiasts!

[Gill Bilcliffe]

We had a thunder storm Pauline but then we are in East Anglia also. I don't hear thunder unless it cracks overhead but the lightening I certainly saw. Saturday night there was flashes of lightning but no thunder or I would have been asked "did you hear the thunder in the night?" NO!! There are some advantages to being hard of hearing.

[Kath Mulligan]

It's been raining here too Jane. Started out dry and overcast but warm so I went off to Buxton to get some tombola prizes for our RNLI stall next month. I had taken a showerproof jacket, but left it in the car as it was quite bright when I arrived. An hour later I glanced at the sky and decided I had better scoot back to the car rapidly! Literally just got inside when the heavens opened, real thundery rain so I sat waiting for it to ease off a bit before driving home. I drove out of it again within a couple of miles, but then it followed me home and has rained quite steadily, but gently for the last 4 hours, although it seems to have stopped now.

Pauline, if we did have the thunderstorm you were sending our way during the night, all I can say is .... it didn't waken me!

The Jubilee Pool is the Art Deco pool on the seafront at the harbour end of the Promenade. And I suppose, logically, if you are swimming you are wet through already so it doesn't really matter if it is raining, does it, so long as it is reasonably warm. It just looks a bit odd!

Sounds as though Bryan could be in for a pretty boring watch, Jane, if there is no-one out in the bay.

Kath

[pauline]

Gill, pleased to hear you had a storm being "up the road" from me. I was beginning to get a persecution complex!

Kath, thanks for the info. It's not far from Camellia House, on the bend of the promenade? Last year it looked in need of a facelift and was fenced off when we visited in March so maybe it's been spruced up.:fish2:

[gloria townsin]

I would love an industrial size washing machine, although I suppose I really needed it a few years ago when the boys were all home. Duvets are impossible to stuff into an ordinary size machine with enough space for them to swish around and as to a king size, forget it!! I hate launderettes have no idea why, just really dislike them and the one thing I really miss when at Bryher is a washing machine (we can't see the point in buying a cheap one as ours will move there in time). I must be addicted to washing things. I have hand washed curtains there and also the dogs vet bed but do love to see grubby clothes swishing in the tub.

No storm here but I wish it would and get it over with........just heavy, heavy, heavy, feels as though the sky is pressing on my head.

[Linda]

Sorry to hear about the heavy rain and just hope no-one suffers anything like flooding from it.

Another glorious day here, no rain...so we decided to do another patch of weed control at the top of the lane and along the side where the brambles are getting out of hand..along with rushes....did it in an hour and now it mustn't rain until mid-night. We certainly are being blessed with some fantastic weather...makes up for the awful winter. My fingers are crossed for summer hols....but if not well then I shall do things indoors instead...only three weeks to go..if it does stay generally dry I have asked Jeff to get the tractor ready with topper so that I can go topping across the fields during the holidays...tractor has air con so no fear of being too hot.

I bought a washing machine with a larger front opening so that I could get the duvet in and wash it...bought much lighter weight duvets ie 4tog, I think they are, which can be attached to each other to make a thicker one, exactly for the purpose of being able to wash them, no launderettes here! Used to wash them by hand in the bath! It was good exercise...up down up down... :)

[adesmith]

Raining quite heavily here now. Became cloudy and dull at lunchtime and was starting to drizzle as I left work. Its actually quite nice to hear the rain falling after such a spell without it! At least I didnt have to water the garden this evening.

Did I read right and that your summer holidays are starting in three weeks, Linda? It was back to school today and everyone is counting down the days. I think it is 6 weeks for us but the last one is Skills Week so not as bad! Its going to be a very busy few weeks and I signed up for GCSE exam marking this year. Its good money and good experience but considering the extra work, I am not sure it is the right thing for me to be doing after feeling so poorly with the bp tablets and the stress I have felt. Cant do anything about it now though so I will just have to get on with it. I will need lots of Cornish talk and Minack encouragements! :shout:

[Kath Mulligan]

I will need lots of Cornish talk and Minack encouragements! :shout:

I'm sure we shall all be ready and willing to help you out there, Adrian!

After a short dry spell late this afternoon, it is now raining again, but like you, I am quite glad as my veggie plants were in need of a good drink. I have been watering twice a day with watering cans but it is not as good as a steady downpour.

Had a spotty daughter come home from work this afternoon! We thought yesterday that she had just been eaten by the midges, but now it is looking more like shingles, so she is off to the docs in the morning. Keeping our fingers crossed that it is some sort of allergy but not too hopeful, especially since the receptionist at the surgery told me that chicken pox is doing the rounds.

Kath

[jane jackson]

Oh dear poor Elizabeth, hope it isn't shingles. If it is then I hope the sun shines for her so she can sit outside and "enjoy" her recovery in the garden.

Rained all day today until about 10.30pm so the garden is well and truly watered. Bedspread is wonderfully clean and smells great so a worthwhile £8 exercise.
The Jubilee Pool would have been closed in March Pauline and has been spruced up before it opened at the end of May when it celebrated its 75th anniversary. The cafe is very good there with great coffee and cakes to go with the views AND dogs are welcome.

[gloria townsin]

Shingles is rotten and quite painful. A neighbour of ours had it some years ago so I hope it isn't. Paul had chicken pox when he was around 18, why he didn't get it at the same time as his brothers I don't know, but as an older lad he was pretty ill, I had to call the doctor home twice to him his temperature was alarming. Wish Elizabeth well soon.

[tricia2ws]

It's raining here now, have woke up to it this morning, it did start last night, my garden sure needs it, it's looking very dry, i love the sound of the rain too Adrian, and you can't beat the smell of fresh rain, lovely, looking at the forecast, they are predicting heavy rain for the west country and wales, hope none of you suffer any nearby floods, the down side to the rain is the pesky slugs and snails, any good tips for getting rid, have tried all sorts, but they just keep on coming. x tricia :dance3:

[Janet Swan]

the down side to the rain is the pesky slugs and snails, any good tips for getting rid, have tried all sorts, but they just keep on coming. x tricia :dance3:

My suggestion for getting rid of slugs and snails from the garden is to collect them up in a bucket, go for a short walk to some waste ground, tip them out and let the birds, hedgehogs etc. have a feast. I was once told that they find their way back, but don't believe that as it would involve crossing roads! I really hate to kill any creatures, believing they are here for a purpose (e.g. food for birds, hedgehogs, frogs etc.) and it's US who have upset the natural balance. In the past, I've also actually put out leftover cat food, salad leaves, fruit etc. for the slugs and snails - they prefer that and leave my plants alone to munch through it - before being taken for a walk! One of my neighbours insists on using slug pellets, which I loathe because the poison then gets into the food chain and kills birds and hedgehogs.

Janet

[Annette]

Its been pouring here all morning but the garden really needs it so I am not complaining. I have three very wet labradors here in the kitchen with me at the moment, thank goodness for mopable tiles !.

Our foal hasn't arrived yet. I did wonder whether the pony would think this morning in the rain would be a good time so I have been watching her closely but she is just munching away. Hopefully it will arrive at night in the comfort of her stable.

Shingles is nasty. I have had it twice and it really pulls you down, takes a while to get over too.

[gloria townsin]

When we were expecting foals from the mares we found they waited until the weather was good and night had fallen. I think only once did we have a foal during daylight. Also waited until we weren't looking. In fact we had been closely watching one mare and she just kept looking right back at us, so we went into the kitchen for a coffee, must have been around mid-night or later, crept out and there was the foal. All to do with the best time for a foal to be born and on it's feet before daylight and enemies........
Let us know when the foal arrives and pics would be lovely.

[Kath Mulligan]

Elizabeth came back very disgruntled from the docs having seen a young, fairly newly qualified one. His surgery was running late and she says she was in and out within about 3 minutes! He took her temperature, had a cursory glance at the rash, said it could be an allergic reaction to something and gave her a prescription for antihistamines! She tried to tell him that she is already taking those for her hayfever and they haven't made the slightest difference, also she is experiencing a line of pain around her waist/midriff in keeping with the nerve pain that you get with shingles but he just wasn't listening. She's going to see how she feels in a couple of days then if it is no better she will make an appointment to see our own GP. She is owed lots of time off work following all the overtime she did at year end, so she is going to take some of that time back now. As she says, working as she does with vulnerable elderly people, she is reluctant to go into work until she knows for sure that it isn't shingles. The last thing she would want would be to infect some of the clients, most of whom have got complex medical problems already.

Steady rain again here this morning, although it is showing signs of drying up a bit now. I haven't seen too many slugs this year but plenty of snails. Having a henpen over the hedge at the bottom of our garden, I tend to scoop them up on a shovel and lob them over for the hens to enjoy! I have to say though that there are not as many snails as last year, wonder if some of them got killed off in the cold winter.

Kath

[jane jackson]

That visit to the Doctor sounds most frustrating and not at all helpful. Just as well Elizabeth has some time owing to her. Hope she improves soon.

Slugs and snails: we used to do the same as you Kath and lob them into the chicken run when we had the chickens. I'm afraid Janet we do use slug pellets but mostly in the troughs and tubs when newly planted and every morning without fail I go around collecting them all up and removing them from any livestock. If I didn't use the pellets there would be no slugs around come the morning as they would have disappeared having eaten away at my plants all night. We even had a slug trail on the lounge carpet each morning for days before I could find the culprit. We have stone walls around our garden and when we first moved here we couldn't believe the amount of slugs and snails that were living in those walls, they were destroying every plant. The previous owners were not gardeners and had let things get very overgrown so they had had a field day.

The other evening I saw a toad in the front garden, it was on the path and disappeared into the agapanthus plants.

[gloria townsin]

That's so annoying for Elizabeth and such a waste of time to be seen for a few minutes and not to be taken any notice of. I was amazed when Matt said the GP had said he didn't realise Matt wasn't on the urgent list to be seen for his back problem. He has been off work for around three months now and his flat goes with his job so if he loses the job the flat goes as well. There is only one specialist who visits this bit of Herts once a fortnight which takes in Watford and surrounding areas so no wonder the waiting list is long. His appoitment on the 23rd of the month is only the first time he will have seen him so who knows how long this will all take? In the meantime he is taking strong painkillers but still cannot work.
It's for sure if Elizabeth isn't feeling any better in a day or two she needs to go back. I was given antibiotics I am allergic to once by a new GP - it's on my records and I told her but she still gave me a medication that contained similar ingredients. As soon as I put the tablet in my mouth I knew I was in trouble - makes my mouth tingle and tongue swell, quite frightening. Now I repeat it over and over like a mantra if I am prescribed antibiotics.
I'm afraid Eddie takes drastic action with slugs and snails........and that's all I'll say about that!!

[pauline]

Re Slugs and snails, I have found the best time to hunt for them is around 10pm, a torch might be handy, when they are all comming out to play!

I stopped using slug pellets a few years back after finding a lovely large toad in the garden who had obviously eaten some and it was upsetting to see the suffering.

On the question of the chicken pox virus, ten days after I had started working at a junior school I caught chicken pox at the age of 32yrs which left me with some nerve damage in my leg and back. It's a devil of a virus so it's really better to get it in our early years when our immune system is strong. I'm sure Elizabeth will be on the mend soon! Sorry to be SO cheerful.

[tricia2ws]

I hope Elizabeth goes back for a second opinion, the doctor didn't sound very good, i wish her a speedy recovery, hope it's not shingles, they are painful so i've been told. Re slugs, don't use pellets either as they are poisonous to cats etc, think maybe the best way is to go out slug and snail catching at night, how funny, i can remember doing that with my mum, we used to get bowls full of them, we have a little brook at the back of us for lobbing them over, i'm sure the birds will enjoy them, we have elephants ears in the garden and they just love them, they are a snail hotel i think. x tricia :laugh:

[pauline]

In fact Tricia it's very theraputic to have a good old snail hunt. After a day of rain we once found 40 in the evening and hating to destroy them, took them to waste ground the next day. SO soft hearted!:meeting:

[Sybille Weber]

My suggestion for getting rid of slugs and snails from the garden is to collect them up in a bucket, go for a short walk to some waste ground, tip them out and let the birds, hedgehogs etc. have a feast. I was once told that they find their way back, but don't believe that as it would involve crossing roads! I really hate to kill any creatures, believing they are here for a purpose (e.g. food for birds, hedgehogs, frogs etc.) and it's US who have upset the natural balance. In the past, I've also actually put out leftover cat food, salad leaves, fruit etc. for the slugs and snails - they prefer that and leave my plants alone to munch through it - before being taken for a walk! One of my neighbours insists on using slug pellets, which I loathe because the poison then gets into the food chain and kills birds and hedgehogs. Janet


Good suggestion, Janet. :thumb: I don't like to kill any creatures either. (Have to admit I even pick up smails or slugs from the road sometimes so that they won't get overrun by a car, and if there's no open country nearby, off they go onto public lawns or into someone's front garden. :secret: )

[gloria townsin]

We had huge quantities of elephant's ears when we came here (the bungalow in Croxley that is!) we had to dig a lot up to alter the front garden and side entrance, which was no bad thing as there were far too many and as you say Tricia the slimeys love them.

[jane jackson]

, off they go onto public lawns or into someone's front garden. :secret: )

So it's you Sybille popping over from Germany that's bringing the slugs and snails into our front garden!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Caught one this morning which has eaten the top out of a sunflower and was having a rest on the bamboo cane which was attached to the plant. I'm putting it in an envelope and posting it to Germany......................

[Mary Young]

Think the snails thought it was 'open day' at our front garden yesterday. Dave picked up 102 snails from the front garden and the garden isn't very big!

Mary

[jane jackson]

Wow Mary, I thought we had a lot of snails here especially when we first moved but 102 is amazing ~ just think of all the plants you've saved.

Absolutely pelting down just now which is why I've come inside from the garden. Bryan had just got the mower out and down it came so he's now soaking wet!

[gloria townsin]

As I'm not good at handling these creatures my score is - Nil!

[Gill Bilcliffe]

We have a very large elephant ears plant which is home to a host of snails slugs frogs and Katy who has made a bed in amongst the plant. The main purpose being she is on hand to evict the odd frog she comes across. Thankfully she doesn't hurt then just likes to see them hop. I don't!!

[Kath Mulligan]

So it's you Sybille popping over from Germany that's bringing the slugs and snails into our front garden!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Caught one this morning which has eaten the top out of a sunflower and was having a rest on the bamboo cane which was attached to the plant. I'm putting it in an envelope and posting it to Germany......................

Lol, look out Sybille, don't open any envelope with a Penzance postmark for a few days!!

Kath

[Kath Mulligan]

Gill, you should be happy to have frogs and toads in your garden because they love to dine on slugs and snails. Whilst I am very squeamish about snakes and spiders, I love frogs and really miss the friendly little chap who used to live in my garden. He disappeared when my jungle was cleared out.

Kath

[Sybille Weber]

So it's you Sybille popping over from Germany that's bringing the slugs and snails into our front garden!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Caught one this morning which has eaten the top out of a sunflower and was having a rest on the bamboo cane which was attached to the plant. I'm putting it in an envelope and posting it to Germany......................

Well, Jane, an envelope might not be the suitable packing as the snail might get hurt during transport. It will have to be a sturdy box with peepholes, and a few green leaves inside as well, please, so that it won't get hungry. :whistle::lol!:

[Sybille Weber]

Lol, look out Sybille, don't open any envelope with a Penzance postmark for a few days!!

Kath

I won't be here to open it anyway, Kath, as I'm just about to pop over again on one of my regular trips to Penzance to drop snails and slugs into Jane's garden!
:haha:

Sorry, Jane!

[jane jackson]

Pity you're not really popping over to PZ Sybille ~ minus slugs and snails of course! It would have been lovely to see you.:tea::welcome:

[Sybille Weber]

Thanks, Jane. Maybe one day. I still haven't given up hope.