good morning +

[scullion]

good morning, all.
overcast and a little bit windy.
nowt planned but i feel like watching old, black and white films and eating comfort food.
just to show how different the north and south coast of this end of the country can be check out here and here .
the carbis bay camera from the webcam drop-down shows the most difference from the minack one.
guess you can tell which way the storm is coming from!
have a cosy day, everyone.

[Herbidacious]

In the south east, a number of lines were closed due to flying trampolines... surprised that's not happened on the Penge to Victoria line. There's a stretch of back gardens visible from the train between West Dulwich and Herne Hill where clearly a very large trampoline is an essential accoutrement to urban living.

[Seatallan]

Must admit I enjoyed the 'trampoline blocks line' stories very much.

No trampolines here but local river has burst its banks and is well in spate. Glad we're living at the top of the hill.

[Herbidacious]

Mytholmroyd is in a mess

[Herbidacious]

Morning. Sun out, brisk breeze this morning. Trains on my train route are all cancelled, so I will either have to do a nose pressed to glass journey (because so many people on the alternative trains) or go in a bit later. It's a pity that there are no trains for 25 minutes after my usual train...

Basil is outside squirrel watching, and the squirrel is busy eating food from the squirrel proof cage.

No non-work plans for today.

I hope everyone has a good day.

[scullion]

good morning, all.
ovecast/damp and still windy, although it's moved round a bit so less noisy in the front windows.
we are having a chat with our son. the decision is that he may be more useful than the pope.
have a good day, everyone.

[suffolk]

Good morning all ... almost

Good decision Scully

Hope everyone's not too windswept. We seen to have escaped relatively unscathed but the empty house next door has had the cladding on the front gable end ripped away and 20ft of pvc strips are waving around in the wind. I've phoned the late owner's daughters and told them that it's going to cause damage to the windows if its not dealt with asap and that it needs weatherproofing otherwise rain is going to get into the wall cavity ... one daughter is in Scotland and the other is in East Anglia but a bit reclusive ... but I've done all that I can do ...

I've also nipped down to the shops and bought bread flour so there is dough proving (not sure how we managed to run out ... we usually keep that pretty well stocked up )

Now to see if there's any soup left for lunch ... otherwise it's cheese on toast

Have a good day folks

[Herbidacious]

Got philosophy back from the Publishing Director (make or break meeting, even at this late stage of the book.) Apart from a couple of things, it was a very postive response. Phew!

Blimey, Suffs. That's quite dramatic damage. How stressful for the daughters. Am going to ask our neighbours in France if they would mind popping up the orda to look at our house.

I cam recommend freezing Welsh rarebit mixture for impromptu cheesy lunches.

[scullion]

good morning, all.
it sounds windier than it has been for the last couple of days. it's moved round to the wnw. it's also predicted to rain all day.
i will be indoors. yet another training day - and another on friday. they're a bit like buses but years between rather than hours. if the farm is expecting me to do any of the other one to one care sort of stuff they may find themselves disappointed. that isn't the reason i go there. just because i will be trained to do it doesn't mean that i will. quite a few of the courses have been irrelevant to the farm, anyway, but as a big concern, the company has to put everyone through the same training, relevant or not. i suppose i shouldn't complain too much, getting paid to sit in a warm room doing very little - and i can pick up some potting compost on my way home.
have a good day, everyone.

[Herbidacious]

Hopefully it won't be too boring. I find it hard to sit still and listen for more than an hour these days, without a break

Bright and sunny here, but still quite breezy. I should put the mimosa back outside I don't want it to flower premturely indoors and then suffer for being back out. Should also give it a water.

Need to ring the doctor's later. I had a text to say I couldn't get a repeat prescription until I had had my annual review... which as far as I am concerned I had in December. I emailed them to tell them this and ask if they could update their records, but they replied just repeating that I need to have an annual review...etc. The blood test results are there for me to see on the NHS online patient thingy! Clearly they don't have integrated databases. Anyway, this will probably eat up half my lunch hour

I hope everyone has a good day

[scullion]

well, that was a waste of my time.
i got to the venue to find that there was no training day - nor one later in the week for which i'm rota'd.
i had queried it with two people last week - one of whom had written the rota.
the up-side is that i'll be paid for the day and i'm now back home, after a trip to homebase and buying potting compost.

[suffolk]

Yay! A paid for day off Scully
Still very windy indeed here ... branches waving quite alarmingly and large twigs snapping and littering the garden.
Nevertheless I must go out and pull rhubarb ... I’ve promised OH a crumble ... the rhubarb is very forward this year. I’ve already been out there once to pick rosemary ... if I don’t reappear OH will be attempting to rescue me from the branches of the ash tree ... you may need to send reinforcements!
Have a good day folks and stay safe

[Herbidacious]

Morning. Bright and sunny and breezy and a bit cold - again. I can see a deep pink camelia flower is coming out down the garden.

On going slog with philosophy corrections today, but hope to finish this morning.
Not much else.

I hope everyone has a good day.

[scullion]

good morning, all.
the wind has dropped back to an ordinary breeze and the sun is out at the moment.
we have been in full on camellia mode for the last month or more, here. i have realised (at last) that the best way to enjoy camellias is to pick them in bud and bring them indoors otherwise they are a disappointing brown mess a day or two after they open, outdoors. we only have one large bush in the garden, that i planted from a single twig many moons ago, but it is one of the most beautiful i've seen. it's the palest pink you could get, just short of white and not quite as flat, when open, as most that you see.
i took a couple of cuttings of one in our son's garden last year. they're still green so i'm hoping they may have taken. i'll try and remember to take some from mine this year - i always manage to get the timing wrong.
our son is in flight at the moment. his armed guard starts when he lands. i will be trying to distract myself for the next two days.
i spent much of yesterday reading; it's nice being paid for doing nothing. i've agreed to drive the bus tonight so i'll be paid for sitting, chatting and drinking coffee for an hour or two in the middle of the session. it's a shame it's minimum wage but i suppose i shouldn't complain - at least i don't need an armed guard.
have a good day, everyone.

[suffolk]

Good morning all
There was a time when an armed guard might’ve been handy down there in the far southwest Scully
Hope sons trip goes well
Bright and blustery up here in the east ... OH is at home and I need to get on with some writing ...
Have a good day all

[scullion]

his first couple of nights was in the poshest hotel the city had (not in the north), the next, half way up, was a very different kettle of fish, it seems.
tonight is in an armed compound in the far north.
roll on friday, when he starts the flights back.

[StokeySue]

Good morning
We have sunshine, which fortunately is flooding the kitchen as I will be spending time there today cooking for cook book club tonight

Let’s hope the armed guard has nothing to do - that’s probably the most likely thing, everything crossed

Have a good day everyone

[nursemimi]

Good morning raining here this morning
No rhubarb or camellias here.
Housew##k here today.

[Herbidacious]

Is it cold where you are nursmimi? I know it's a long way east from you, but my cousin in Georgia had snow earlier this week.

[scullion]

good morning, all.
last night's wind has dropped a little and moved round from the south to the north west, thank goodness. the sun keeps peeping out, it's due to come out fully for a couple of hours, soon. we are predicted no rain until tomorrow midday.
we went for a coffee at the blue bar, yesterday, after trying to secure a couple of fence panels that had been blown down by the wind. i wonder if they're still standing after last night's onslaught. we may have to go and see.
our son's visit included the dangerous bit this morning, for which he says he had eight armed guards, a six man security team, three armoured four by fours and two pickup trucks.
all just for him.
i've asked him for his autograph.
i wonder how much his trip has cost in total.
roll on tomorrow - my nail file has been a constant companion as i know that as soon as i find a rough bit the nail will be gone!
nothing planned for today.

[suffolk]

Good after morning
Glad the worst of it is over Scully
The wind has dropped today ... hopefully it’ll stay calm tomorrow as I’m heading south for lunch with my friend. Then I understand we have to batten down the hatches again.
Interesting news from Downing Street ... does the former Chancellor have real principles, or is he re-positioning himself in order to take over when Boris has crashed and burned ... or both ...?
Have a good day folks.

[StokeySue]

Good noon
I don’t seem to have done much this morning
He’ll be back soon to give you his autograph in person scullion!

I think SJ is probably repositioning himself, but also how do you work in practical terms if someone takes away your trusted team members and replaces them with substitutes? Probably also making a bit of a stand against the “presidential” style?
Must go and look at Morrison’s, have a good afternoon

[PatsyMFagan]

ust go and look at Morrison’s, have a good afternoon

I'll be popping along to my local Morrison's this afternoon as I will have about an hour to kill before a physio appointment at 4. I have 3 problem areas that need seeing to .. all on the same side of my body ...

[earthmaiden]

scully - . You'll be able to breathe normally soon!

Just woke to the SJ news. My immediate gut reaction to anything like that is to admire the principles but then wonder what the principles are and if there are any . It is through such actions that whistleblowers whistle, if that's what this is, then good for him. We'll have to wait and see.

[Herbidacious]

Sunak sounds a bit gauche. Ceratinly young and inexperienced.

[Herbidacious]

Morning. Very cold - icy - misty but sunny here. Another storm this weekend...

I just got a note from a neighbour across the road to say that they thought one of their recyling boxes had blown into our front garden so they've taken it... I just wrote back to say I think it is ours, but we still have one left so they can keep it and we can order another. (We need more than one.) Went across the road to deliver the note and when I turned round to come back, saw that they have four boxes (inluding ours), all one quarter full, lined up like soldiers (and obscured from view of our house by a car) I suppose technically none of the boxes is either of ours, but the council's. It will be interesting to see if they give it back...!
edit: just got a street email to say that no.56 has had two spare boxes blow into their garden. I am not sure if the neighbour who took our box is on the mailing list.
There's not been this much excitement on our street since the biker threatened the street party with a knife!
Nothing planned today other than work. Leaving earlyish.

I hope everyone has a good day.

p.s Scully, one of those jostaberry cuttings I took for you is flowering!

[scullion]

good morning, all.
overcast and breezy.
wow! however i'd be inclined to take the flowers off as they tend to inhibit root growth.
our son is at an airport that he says is less well equipped than truro bus station. four more flights and he'll be back in the uk tomorrow, phew, maybe i'll sleep better tonight.
better shift, i need to be ready to go up to the village at short notice.
have a good day, everyone.

[Herbidacious]

oh ok! Will do.

I hope your son has a safe journey home.

[hickybank]

Morning bright here but chilly, went to the docs yesterday as my chesty cough will not go away, turns out it is a viral infection so on anti biotics & steroids, I did question if these were necessary but she was adamant they were so took her advice.

So Feb 14th Valentines day, do you still celebrate it, ( this is bound to cause an argument )

We have been married 53 years & still do.
I hear all the arguments' It; too commercialised, it's just another day, I do not have to prove I am in love etc.

We still enjoy it.
No need to go over the top, bunch of roses £20 no,no.
A card from the Card factory for less than 2 quid.
A nice home cooked meal tonight with wine & chocolates', happy with that
Or perhaps I am just a 77 year old romantic.
Please tell me I am not alone

[Badger's mate]

do you still celebrate it,

We exchange cards and use it as an excuse to go out for a meal.

[hickybank]

do you still celebrate it,

We exchange cards and use it as an excuse to go out for a meal.

[Herbidacious]

Just a card. We have our getting together anniversary not long before it anyway. We've gone out for meals in the past, but often you get a Valentine's menu, which can be annoying if you are a vegetarian as it can be a bit hit and miss.

[Busybee]

We exchanged cards and a bar of my favourite chocolate appeared- Old Jamaica.

BB

[Seatallan]

Jamaica.

No, she went of her own accord!!

[StokeySue]

Chip shops round here used to sell bright yellow pasties (Patties)with a spicy filling
The sign said

Jamaica pattie?
Yes we do!

[nursemimi]

Herbie we have had some cold weather a little bit of snow. But mainly cold rain

[Rainbow]

Chip shops round here used to sell bright yellow pasties (Patties)with a spicy filling
The sign said

Jamaica pattie?
Yes we do!

[scullion]

good morning, all.
wet and windy.
all's well with the world otherwise.
the airline our son is on at the moment does the best airplane meal he's ever had, he says - and it has wifi.
i think the only thing planned for today is to stay indoors. maybe some hswk - i've been avoiding it for too long.
the cat has started snoring.
the coffilepathy isn't working.
have a cosy day, everyone.

[Herbidacious]

Morning. A bit windig. No rain yet. Still not dressed and not sure what to do with myself today. I really ought to do some housework I could also do with a reboot on the cooking front, and thus do some research for new things to try. I am not sure what appeals at the moment, though. I am thus as a preliminary flicking through the Guardian Food suppliment - cooking for one is the appropriate post-Valentine theme of the week I don't know about this as an idea... When I am on my own I always cook for two so I don't have to cook two days in a row. Anna Jones and Signe Jhansen are the only ones who have entirely sussed this with theit can't really reheat dishes.

I hope everyone has a good day and doesn't get any storm damage. (BBC headline a bit unnecessarily scaremongering?)

[StokeySue]

Good morning
Good to hear the wanderer is returning scullion, and well fed

Waiting for the storm to arrive but not really here yet, so I’ll go out soon, need to catch the post

Got my roof terrace tidied yesterday, I’m abit worried I thought I’d put in many more bulbs than are coming up, I think the wet may mean they have rotted in the pots.
May have found out how I’m killing sage, friend thinks they don’t like multi-purpose potting compost, too soft and rich.

Have a good day everyone

[scullion]

yes, a bit like other mediterranean, woody herbs they like a loamy, free draining soil.
potting compost probably holds too much water and runs out of nutrients too quickly for them.

[hickybank]

Just about to be hit by storm Dennis, I am sick to death of crappy weather, we need some sun.
Crappy nights sleep last night, I think too much rich Valentines food, Steak, Chips, breaded Mushrooms with spicy dip, Strawberry Meringue, & Chocolates.
Enjoyed them all though
Feet played up all night, but the new socks really helped so got some sleep at least

[Herbidacious]

I have put sage in multipurpose. Ok, but not flourishing as well as the plants in the ground when I think about it. (My herb patch never gets fed.)

wifi on a plane. Is that a good thing?! Probably yes, on a long haul. I think they have it on some BA flights but you have to pay, of course.

I hope he has a safe flight home.

[scullion]

should be landing in an hour - unless they get diverted from heathrow!

ps. just checked - looks early , says arrival time is in just under half an hour rather than half twelve.

[suffolk]

Good morning all (well, not quite, but almost)

Bread's out of the oven ... all the little jobs done ... OH is at work and supper is prepped so I might find a film to watch this afternoon.

The wind's beginning to pick up a bit here ... keep safe and warm everyone

[StokeySue]

I did add potting grit to the compost for the sage but it died nonetheless

Current weather should be ok for plane landings near London local travel bulletin 10 seconds ago said only short haul currently affected.

[hickybank]

Steadily getting worse here, it has already hit Devon so Somerset will be next

[nursemimi]

Good morning the Sun is shining it's face today.
We are going to look at a house today the field across
the road from us goes up for auction March 5. It will probably
go to a house development. We don't want to live next to that
many people.

[Seatallan]

Chip shops round here used to sell bright yellow pasties (Patties)with a spicy filling
The sign said

Jamaica pattie?
Yes we do!

Brilliant!!

Good luck with your house viewing Nursemimi. Do you intend to make a bid if you like the house? How exciting!

Storm Dennis has arrived and is blowing a hooley. We're eating out tonight at fab local pub so rather hoping rain has eased off by then. Ah well- so long as pub doesn't (a) flood or (b) lose power or water supply (we've only just got back to normal following Ciara) we should have a splendid time...

Stay dry Wildies

[nursemimi]

Not sure Sea. This is the first one to go look at.