General Chat

Tec ...............

I like that as well :-)

Hello everyone :-)

It reached 22 degress here today :-0 very outlandish for the time of the year .

Linda , it sounds as if your knee is still giving you problems . It is not nice when pain disturbs your sleep :-( I hope you have a better night tonight .

Sylvia , the Apple Fest sounds interesting .

Persie , the exotic birds also sound interesting :-) I was just happy , first thing this morning , to hear a lovely robin singing fom the top branch of the rowen tree in my garden .

Tec , I hope the Duchess is soon feeling better , sleep is always good when one is feeling ill .

we have a nasty problem off the coast ...................

a Russian container ship lost power during a wind storm on Thursday, and drifted to within 25 km of the coast of Haida Gwaii (or Queen Charlotte Islands) ................ a very rocky coast.

The captain has been injured and winched off, 10 crewmen are trying to re-start the engines.

A Canadian Coast Guard ship got a line on it last night .............. and was moving it away at the speed of about 1 km per hour. But the tow broke early today ............. and the tugs have not yet reached the ship.

It is a container ship, but it is apparently carrying bunker and diesel fuel, and some other "noxious" substances :-(


We're all keeping our fingers crossed


It is of course an example of what might happen if companies are allowed to ship the tar fuel from the Alberta tar sands from our coast.

Apart from the interesting unknown varieties, many very old rediscovered in orchards around the country, I also like it that they are not supermarket "perfect"

We have apple trees on the allotment and in the garden. One of the allotment ones is a cooking Apple, I have already used those. The others are eaters, we are steadily chomping through them, they are stored in the garage.

OH brought the green tomatoes back, so I will make some chutney this week

Tec


sorry to hear the Duchess was no better. Hope the antibiotics begin to work soon.


The lovely thing about the Apple Fest is that they only sell unusual and unknown varieties ................. it's all organised by the Friends of the Garden, and they buy the apples from mainly local orchardists who are trying to preserve old varieties, plus developing some new ones.

They also bring in some young apple trees for people to buy, and one of the Garden staff is usually on hand to demonstrate how to espalier the trees, or how to graft more than one variety on to the same root stock ............... very handy for city dwellers with small gardens.


They also have some people selling baked goods, candied apples, etc

Last year, OH found a guy selling some wonderful pies, and his pastry did not contain butter :-) I enjoyed a wonderful raspberry and apple pie :-)




Linda ............. do take care. It's very easy to overdo things.




One of our smoke alarms goes off occasionally ............... and we usually find that an insect has managed to find its way inside.


I hate it when that happens ............... we can't turn off the alarm, we have to turn off the power at the fuse box, and that also turns off or bedside lights and our clock radio alarms. :-(

I was saying hello to the fred - being silly - it is allowed.
and I noticed my post was 80,888.

Sorry that you had a bad night, probably your knee complaining because you moved. I was woken up at 4am by heavy rain battering on the porch roof behind my head. Will be so glad to get back to my proper bedroom.

Maybe you are trying to do too much on your knee :-0

Who is Fred and why the eights, unless you were watching Strictly of course.

I ended up doing far more then I intended too this morning of course, so my knee was aching by the time we got back this afternoon.. I keep waking in the night, probably when I turn over. I had a very bad night last night, not helped by the fact that one of the smoke alarms went off just after I had dozed off. No reason to go off, it seems to get dust in it from between the floors. oH has to take them down from time to time and clean them, they are electric ones, so are not easy to disconnect.

I went to sleep on the sofa after I got back, but I am still very tired, so will be having an early night tonight.

I am sorry the Duchess isn't any better, but at least she isn't worse which is a good thing

Four eights in my last post :-D

Good Afternoon Sylvia,

There is a National Trust house near to where we used to live that holds an apple festival at this time of year.
I visited twice and was interested in all the non commercial varieties on show, some for sale. Some very unusual flavours among the very old varieties.

I am so envious of the birds they have in Australia, so varied and colourful, especially the cockatoos.
Don't remember seeing too many birds in NZ, but I did google the Tuis that Persie mentioned - very attractive little bird, an unusual song too.

I did more tidying in the garden this morning. I was quite warm and dry.
This afternoon I visited the Duchess. She is no worse, about the same as Wednesday.
Didn't stay too long as she was obviously tired and wanted to sleep.

Hi Sue, and everyone


Persie ....... it sounds as if you are really enjoying your "new" place :-)

I remember being so excited at all the new birds that I saw when I came down for that 2 months.



It is the Garden's Annual Apple Fest this weekend ................... OH is out there all day today, and then again tomorrow afternoon.

It is cloudy, with some sunny periods, but hopefully the rain will keep away.


I am having a peaceful time on my own :-)

Hello fred :-D

Thank you Elizabeth - I hope you have a restful weekend too.

I did not buy one single plant.....and only a little pot :-D

Take it easy Linda <3

A glorious day today, Persie.

Been raining in Huntly, we went into the little township for a spot of late lunch.. hardly anyone about though several cafés were open. Our little suburb of Sandringham would have been busy.

It really pelted down when we came out of the supermarket.

Later when I looked out the kitchen window I counted eight tuis in the kowhai tree and then two more arrived. I was excitedly counting them and himself was around the corner wondering what I was up to. I have never seen so many in the one place before.

Sorry I missed your post Persie as I shut down. When I say wardrobe, I meant the old cardboard box I left her to put her things in :-D


Thank you for your good wishes Elizabeth.

I am just looking in before we set off for the cinema workday, it is dismal and raining outside

Oh dear. I hope I'm not too late to send ESP to Sue ........Be firm Sue, .. be firm.
I wonder what plants and pots she will have with her when she gets home?

Pleasant day here. Should reach 24 soon with an expected night time low of 10. I can live with that - I'm not going anywhere. Sunny outside.

Hello

Hope you all have a good weekend.

May you have contentment and feel rested.


Take gentle care
With good wishes
Elizabeth,
xx

Goodnight Linda and Tec <3 <3

The tent we had in Linda's backyard wasn't posh :-(...... :-D

I must be off too - I'm getting the "are you ready" look from OH :-D. Enjoy the rest of your day, Persie <3

They do have posh tents in Yorkshire Persie :-D Goodnight, enjoy your day.

You will have to find a sitting down job Linda,

Goodnight, sleep well.

I am off to bed as well now,

Enjoy your day at the market Sue - hope you find irresistible plants and pots :-D

Goodnight,
Tec :-)