Diary > Friday 5th June

[Roobarb]

Well what a day, talk about four seasons in one day!

Rained heavily during the night and this morning, dried up later.

Zoom meeting with the art class this morning, all worked perfectly, hooray! Looks like I made the right tweaks, changed to HP camera instead of the other one that came up.

Couldn't decide whether to go for my walk before lunch, decided to go out in the garden and put some more of the bedding plants in pots. I managed to plant one before the heavens opened, came indoors and the heavy rain turned to hailstones, what a difference from last week. Had a chat with a friend after lunch, it hailstoned again while I was talking to her.

After it dried up the sun came out, nice and warm so I decided to go for my walk then. Wasn't taking any chances though, put on a long jacket with a hood. A few dog walkers emerging but I had the woodland path to myself for a while. Timed it right, I just got home and down it came again. Did some housework instead of gardening.

A quiet day really. TV and a glass of wine tonight, can hardly bear the excitement!

[Caw1]

Roobarb - Your day weather wise sounds similar to ours only without the hail! Glad you got your planting done and managed a walk..

It must have rained in the night here too as the ground was quite wet this morning ...
Not quite sure what I did this morning really... not much I don't think can't remember 😱Must be suffering with something I'm not usually that forgetful!

I remember now....OH got down to bread making but not very early which meant we had lunch quite late but it was definitely worth waiting for.. very naughty had butter in the crust.. yummy it was too... then had couple of slices with cheese, little white pickle onions, celery and some apple...

Decided to carry on grading the patterns for the scrubs so I'm ready when fabric arrives...
I'd forgotten how long it takes and brains a little rusty as it's been some time since I did any pattern making..
 Decided I'd try these new patterns out on some duvet scrubs to make sure they're all ok so crawled around the landing cutting out...
could have done it on the dining table but to much of a faff running up and down the stairs...
so good for the knees crawling round... whatever happened to all that padding that used to be on the knees... where did it all go..
still all that bending and stretching was good work out...
Had enough by mid a/noon so we had a game of scrabble.... I was loosing by 90 points at one point then I got some good high value letters created some decent words and beat him...🎉🎉by 5 points in the end... 12-8 to O.h still!
As we were having a curry and I make it all from scratch I got all that ready and decided to also pickle the radishes, found nice recipe in Good Food with lots spices, white wine vinegar and ginger...
After dinner we watched a programme narrated by Bill Nighy about the train journey from Auckland to Wellington which we had actually done only other way round... it was wonderful to relive the journey but of course they do so many shots from the air that gives you a completely different view and you realise how stunning the scenery is... well it was from the train too but sadly in the 11 hrs it took we had a lot of rain! Such a beautiful country... we were quite sad when our son and wife, after 10 years there, decided to move to Brisbane.
Carried on with my knitting and I've now done 6 little baby blankets just waiting to find out where they'll be going once it's safe for these items to go into the hospitals...
Off to bed to read ... new book for book club I belong to.. 'Where the Crawdads Sing  by Delia Owens... only read three chapters but it's already got me hooked the language is just beautifully written ...

Hope others have had a good day despite the weather...

Caroline

[louisa maud]

My neighbour a  keen gardener showed me from a bottle the colour of the rain water that  she had collected yesterday from her water butt, it was a strange colour, almost orangy, considering we haven't had rain for months  and hardly any pollution she was a bit surprised

Louisa Maud

[Mowsehowse]

Orangy rainwater,  well that is a bit peculiar.  No dust brought over from the Sahara?  I remember that happening in London in the 70's and we had orange rain.
My H suggests possibly it could be algae?

How nice to see Caroline and Roobarb had good and positive days. 

It was very cool and windy most of the day. We had 2 coastal walks as usual. Saw the Elf off the shelf dangling from someone's rear bumper!  After the evening walk we returned home about 5 minutes before a mighty downpour. Luckily the soil had been dampened by the more gentle persistent rain on Thursday.

Wrote a letter to my pen pal.  That always takes at least an hour, but quite difficult scratching around for things to say while nothing is happening.

The neighbour downstairs called a plumber as a damp patch has appeared. The plumber came and had a poke around but couldn't find a likely cause. He will be back on Monday, and heaven knows what might ensue.

Spring Watch and Monty Don was really soothing.

The full moon was SO beautiful, lit up the sea. I always wish I could go fishing in a rowing boat when it is so gorgeous, which is mad as I don't row, or fish, or swim if I can help it, but the compulsion always resurfaces when conditions look so perfect.

[Roobarb]

Mowsehouse, that must be one of those moments "I must go down to the sea again, to the lonely sea and the sky"  I can never resist adding the Spike Milligan version to that - "I left my vest and socks there, I wonder if they're dry" 
Seriously though, I think there's often a mystical quality about the sea, it changes so frequently. I love to walk on the beach, I think it's good for the soul.

Louisa Maud - presumably it's not a metal water butt? (rust!) Sounds very strange.

Caroline, I phrased my sentence badly about the planting, I meant I got one plant put in, not one container planted!  Not much chance of any more today, it's been chucking it down all morning.
I'm even more impressed with your sewing when you say you're making patterns, brilliant!

[Caw1]

Mowsehowse -
I agree you ought to get some antibiotics to sort out your tooth problems. At the very least phone your dentists on Monday to see if they're open and can give you any advice...  not sure why I'm making these suggestions when you as a nurse will know what to do!

Roobarb - sorry I picked up the wrong end of the stick with your planting.... you're right its not a day for doing much outside.... although OH has gone off to play golf... mad fool!

I have been in the rag trade all my life and when working had my own clothing factory making sports clothing for schools and also for lots of designers during non school times ... interesting life that I loved but retired now so don't use my skills as much as I used to which is why I'm so pleased to be able to do my bit for the community.

Louisa Maud - that water indeed sounds a funny colour.... we've got plastic water butts and the only thing we get out of them, as well as water, are mosquitoes! OH puts something in them to stop them going funny... not sure what as I'm not the gardener, just like looking at the plants, doing dead heading, edging... planting not so much as most of what I plant doesn't do well...
Fortunately daughter takes after OH with green fingers and can grow anything... very frustrating... even my house plants don't stand much of a chance except Orchids... they sit on the kitchen window sill and flower year after year... probably because I don't do much to them!!!

Caroline

[Roobarb]

I'm even more impressed now Caroline, what a career! It's great that you can put your skills to use now in such a helpful way.