Diary - Thursday 12th November

[Caw1]

Just putting this up before Roobarb and I cross over... just got to change something elsewhere first...
I will return....

Today was a bright day so washing out first....
After breakfast I gave bathrooms a clean...
Sadly I can’t remember what I did after that....
OH decided time to phone the police re vicious dogs... after hanging on for 30 minutes he gave up...
We had lunch...
He tried again and this time hung in for 20 minutes...
Our friends had been walking this morning and encountered the dogs again barking and growling... there were also two other ladies who they didn’t know being very hesitant too...
OH went in the garden to gather more leaves up an go to the skip
I did some more sewing of the Christmas bags...
OH tried the police again for the third time hung on for another 20 minutes and was 8th in the queue... he decided he’d try first thing tomorrow morning...
Our friends filled in the online form that took her ages to find the correct one...
They, the police, apparently take it very seriously ..... pity they don’t answer their phones!
Made breaded pork chops and baked them in the oven over new pots, chorizo, mushrooms and onions, broccoli and sugar snap peas to go with it...
Watched some tv...
Golf on for next four days... The Masters in Augusta... usually in the spring when all the rhododendrons are out looks stunning... think I might get Christmas cards started!
Hope we get the dog situation sorted as it’s becoming a real issue... think they leave them out when they’re at work...
That’s it for today...

Caroline

[Roobarb]

You beat me by an hour or so Caroline!
What a dreadful situation with the dogs, they seem to be terrorising the whole neighbourhood. If the owners are out at work all day they probably don't know how their dogs are behaving. I'm not in any way condoning their actions but I wouldn't be surprised if they use that as an excuse. It's thoroughly irresponsible of them to leave the dogs like that, I hope the police soon put a stop to it.

My day:

Yet another late awakening, I can't blame the central heating as I didn't have it set to come on. It was late when I went to sleep though.

A nice bright day, usual walk late morning, did another version of the route. It took me past a house that has lots of lobster pots on the drive. Is there a season for lobster fishing?

After lunch I drove to the nurseries to see if they had any bulbs left, I'd changed my plans about what to put in the front garden. The bed I want them for is full of begonias that are still flowering, I don't want to take them out while they're still blooming so well. My intention was to plant the tulips in a way I'd read about, you put them in a mix of soil and compost in a pond basket, dig a hole of the appropriate size and put the basket in then cover with soil. After flowering you just lift the whole thing out. I decided not to plant the new bulbs in it but some others I had, then put it in the border in the back garden. The soil was wet and really heavy, boy did it take some digging. In the process I found a lot of other bulbs that were already sprouting, they were in a bad place so I moved them, had difficulty finding somewhere to put them, everywhere is already full of bulbs. The new bulbs will go in the front flowerbed after the begonias have finished. Planted the pansies I'd bought on top of a pot that I'd previously put bulbs in.

It was starting to get cold and I was worn out. Made a Sunday dinner with some roast chicken from the freezer and fresh veg.
My brother phoned in the evening, lovely to talk to him, it's been a while since we last had a chat.

Think I need a restful day on Friday. Art class Zoom in the morning, will see about later.... have got a growing pile of ironing.

[Ruskie]

It might be different in your part of the world Caroline, but with nuisance, threatening or viscous dogs we would contact our local council rather than the police. If the dogs have attacked someone, then yes, the police would need to be involved. I just wonder if you might have more luck with a council.

[Caw1]

We’ve been in touch with our local Parish Council and they’ve directed the problem to the police, it’s a matter for them now... just hope we get a result before someone gets hurt...
Thanks for your comments though...
Caroline

[mowsehowse]

Your garden must be a picture Roobarb.... I am going to get up a coach party for the bulb season.   It is great that your walk has become a habit.
I believe shell fishing season is anything without an R in the month.... but perhaps that is when you are NOT supposed to?
Caroline I am shocked about not being able to contact the police by phone.... that is appalling on SO many levels..... RSPCA? Borough Council? Visit a police station and lodge a complaint?

DIARY: Woke to a beautiful dawn with a yellow sky.  No wind, dry ground and a quiet sea.
I had to take my car for MOT, so I scurried around, and remembered to be cautious opening the garage door, which has a tendency to hold vast amounts of water in the surround after rain like we had yesterday. I always feel a sense of victory when I manage to avoid the deluge.
After leaving my car I walked on down towards the harbour to post a card. The tide was fully out, but disappointingly there were no turnstones or oyster catchers searching for food though plenty of herring gulls making a fearful racket.
Going back up the hill I had a bit of a surprise when a blackbird broke cover in the little tree above me, and flew off chattering loudly.
After a restorative cuppa, H and I drove over to Babbacombe for a bracing walk along the Down. (Only one cruise ship there today, though still 4 in Torbay.)  We went round in a circle to return through the little secret garden where we encountered an elderly Friend of the library and stopped for a lengthy chat. He is normally so active and engaged in various endeavours, but he is obviously feeling cut off and lonely just now, like so many others of course.
Did some ironing, not that I mind it, but it doesn't seem like time well spent. I bought a good quality cotton duvet cover, but it does have to be ironed.
H still going out to 2 students on a Thursday. Education is not in lockdown!! 
I read there were nearly 33,500 new Covid cases yesterday, and that 35 schools in Torbay have positive cases. That seemed like a lot of schools for what is a smallish area.... Google says there are 34 primary and 13 secondary in Torbay, so it might have been simpler to say only 12 of the schools in Torbay do not have Covid cases.
While he was out I fetched my car back from MOT, and then whizzed around doing all sorts of things, vacuumed right through, cleaned bathrooms, dinner in the oven, etc.
Baby blanket progressing.
Have a good day All.

[Viktoria]

Well done, a good way to go about it.
If the dogs are notmicrochipped
the owners will be in trouble for that if nothing else.
If they are then there is no denying ownership .! Fine there!
Have they been seen on their escapades fouling anywhere other than their
owner’s property ? £1,000 fine there.
Hope it is solved ,it is truly antisocial in so many ways to let dogs free roam.
They might even be deemed unfit to own dogs as it is cruel to put an animal in a situation where they can be injured.
 .Viktoria .

[Caw1]

Viktoria - giving the owners the benefit of the doubt they perhaps are unaware of how tge dogs are behaving in their absence..... although I’m not totally convinced...
Tge matter is now in the hands of the  police... OH managed to speak this morning and we’ve got a number.... as they always are quick to dish out I just hope they’re as quick at dealing with the situation...
It can’t be right that villagers are scared/apprehensive of walking past their property...
it’s a circular walk and the house and grounds are on the corner of the road out of the village and the loop road... no other houses within at least 200-300yds of them.
It terrifies me that this couple have got two youngish children ....
Anyway will keep you all posted...
Thanks for all your care and advice...
Enjoy this sunny day... well it is here at the moment!

Caroline

[Annette7]

A beautiful sunny day again - I'm so much brighter when the weather is too.

My downstairs neighbour who is on holiday this week cleared all the leaves in the car park - there are 3 large trees at the rear of the car park so lots of leaves falling.   This inspired me to go outside and tidy/cut back/remove plants in the pots immediately near my door and sweep up the leaves that collect by my door for some reason (same every year).  Only happens outside my flat and not to the 9 others.   Chatted to downstairs neighbour - he'd gone in when I went out but when he heard me outside came out to see I was okay.   When I emptied the debris into brown bin the lady in Flat 5 came out with rubbish to put in the bins and we had a chat too.   First time I've seen her to talk to since September.  She told me her husband who'd been furloughed since March had now been told he's redundant.   They'd planned to go to Ireland for Christmas this year taking her mother with them - tickets been booked for months.   He (from Ireland) hasn't seen his own Mum for over 2 years but whether they'll be able to go now is speculative.   Her Mum recently had a fall and broke 2 ribs and her clavicle so even if they are able to go she won't be able to go with them.   I broke my own clavicle (collar bone) in a car accident some 30 odd years ago.   It hurt more 2 weeks later than it did when I had the accident.   Had to have sleeping tablets (only time I've ever had them) to enable me to sleep as the pain was so great. 

Came in around 4pm and the rest of the day was spent watching tv, knitting and sudoku and preparing evening meal.   Learnt from whatsapp that friend J was sent a redundancy package on Monday - there are going to be some jobs available which they'll have to apply for.   J has been working from home since March with occasional trips to other parts of the country when circumstances allowed.   They say things go in 3's - will I hear of a 3rd redundancy to someone I know?    I hope not. 

Have ordered some plants for the pots online and they should arrive next week.   Will be good to see some renewed colour in them again.   However, my gardening efforts pale into insignificance compared to Roobarb!!

Annette

   

[Roobarb]

See you in the spring MH, I'll have the kettle on.    It's all a bit random, I'll have to wait and see what comes up where, a bit like a spring equivalent of an advent calendar! 
I've Googled the lobster fishing season, it says June to September, so that's both with and without an R! I suppose if you exclude September itself it's without an R.

Sounds like a decent day for you, I'm sure that the elderly gentleman would have found your chat uplifting, you've been such a help to people this week. Not good news about the Covid cases, I hope the hospital figures are low.

Caroline, hope you've got some positive news about the dog problem.

Annette, sad news about the redundancies, I think that unfortunately this will become very widespread. Hope you don't hear of the third.