Diary > Wednesday 19th May

[Roobarb]

An absolutely beautiful day today, the sun was shining from the start. Set off for my walk wearing a hoodie over a long sleeved t-shirt, it wasn't long before the hoodie was removed and tied round my waist. Still lots of dandelions on the field to decapitate.

When I got home a friend phoned, it was great to catch up with her. My Tesco delivery arrived while I was on the phone, five minutes before the delivery slot. I wasn't very happy that the driver was hovering around while I was transferring the shopping to bags, I felt like he was pressuring me to do it quickly. It doesn't take me long but I'm sure there are many people who are unable to move as quickly, they must feel quite harassed by it. Put the fridge items away then phoned my friend back.

After lunch I went to the nurseries, bought three bags of compost and umpteen bedding plants. I had the plants on a low trolley and as I was walking towards the barn entrance to pay there were a couple of women with dogs on the path. I waited so they could get past, one woman stopped and pulled her dog to one side, she said that the dog needed to get used to things and that the dogs have suffered from lockdown too. It hadn't occurred to me that if people weren't going out in the public places they did previously the dogs might become a bit timid while getting used to it again. She was a lovely dog.
The next challenge was fitting it all in the car boot, I did manage it without any plants coming to harm.

I'd made quite a task for myself in emptying large pots, refilling with compost and planting. I reminded myself not to pack too many plants in, I've made that mistake before and found that some plants have been swamped by others as they grow. Took a break to sit reading in the sunshine, it was quite hot. Not all of the plants have been put in, some are for the front garden where the earlier plants are still in bloom.
My friend L phoned for a chat about the new art project and other things. Not sure how I'll get on with this one but I'll have a bash.

Watched the Sewing Bee, my heart sank when I saw one of the contestants showing off the recycled jumper he was wearing which he'd made from old socks. I could see the wavy seams at twenty paces. That was before it had even started. The presenter got on my nerves as usual, prancing about, I laughed when his innuendos were completely wasted on Daniel. Some utterly ridiculous 'garments ' in the transformation challenge but the standard did seem to have improved in the other two challenges. Or perhaps I'm just getting used to it.

[DianaCanada]

Roobarb, glad to hear you had beautiful weather today and good for you getting on so well with your gardening.  It’s hard work! We still have our daffodils out, not much else is blooming yet, but the neighbour behind us has a lovely lilac tree in full bloom.  There are leaf buds on my two Rose of Sharons now too.
Yesterday Ontario opened up vaccine bookings to everyone 18 and over.  All three of my kids and son’s girlfriend got bookings.  At first they all were fairly far away, but that soon changed.  My son and gf got theirs changed from a hospital in Ottawa to one where they live, in fact, my son was born there, just a small town hospital, who would have thought all those years ago we would one day be facing a worldwide pandemic!  My daughters booked, one for a week from now and the other two weeks.  Then I got an excited text from one of them saying a pharmacy called one, and offered a cancelled appointment.  They told her they had phoned five other people and she was the first to answer her phone. They even agreed to give her sister hers as well.  They had to drive quickly to Niagara Falls (the city, not the falls itself!) but got it done.  They are happy and so am I!
OH and I had our phone consultation this morning, not with our doctor, but with some kind of assistant.  OH said his was a nurse practitioner student, am not sure about mine.  The result of this was some concern about my borderline blood pressure, so I have to get more exercise and lose some pounds and be reevaluated in August. 
Looks like the possible solution to AstraSeneca being banned here is they will give us a choice when we have our second, AZ or one of the others.  I am leaning toward AZ.
Our weather has been quite nice, low 20’s, up to 25 today but we are heading to feeling like low to mid-30’s for the next days. Not happy!  It is Victoria Day weekend and though the beaches are closed, the powers that be are hoping people follow the rules and stay home, as we are still in lockdown.

[Ruskie]

Your weather sounds wonderful Roobarb. It obviously inspired you to get to work in the garden. I bet it will be a picture this year. 

I hadn’t considered that it would have been very difficult for dogs to get out and about due to limits on movement. Though they were probably allowed one walk per day (?), some would have been used to much more socialising than that.

It sounds like full steam ahead with the vaccinations in Canada Diana. I didn’t realise you could mix and match vaccinations. There is still much scaremongering here about the AZ, always started on the social media which then filters down to the mainstream media.

Your temperatures are similar to ours Diana -  early 20s. I hope your forecast mid 30s doesn’t eventuate. That’s far too much of a rise in temperature in a matter of a few days.

Dog sitting for me on Wednesday, so nothing of interest to report.

[Roobarb]

That's great news about the vaccinations Diana, what a relief that must be for your family to be able to have their jabs. I think the scaremongering about the AZ vaccine is disgraceful. The media (or some of them) are happy to quote figures without the comparative proportions but fail to mention the dangers if you actually catch Covid.

Lovely weather for both of you ladies, we have rain forecast later today. No two days are the same!

[jo1962]

Everybody seems to be having good weather apart from me.  It rained on and off all day yesterday, as it has done for what seems like umpteen days. I really need to get out in the garden, not because I particularly want to, but because it desperately needs tidying up and the lawn needs cutting. I absolutely hate mowing the lawn. Unfortunately the OH hates it as much as me and delays it longer than me so I give in first. I do enjoy the garden though when it has all been done. The wisteria at the front of the house is lovely this year and many people have stopped and admired it. Two years ago I had a gardner to come and sort it out as it was a mess. He hacked it back so much I thought he had killed it. He warned me the next years showing would be poor at best, and true to his word it was. I kept anxiously looking at it to see if it was going to spring back into life, but it struggled to muster up any effort. This year though I can see it was worthwhile.
Interesting comment about dogs and covid Roobarb. I have never thought about dogs lacking in socialisation due to covid restrictions. This is probably because I don't take Bob the dog anywhere but walks through the woods and down the canal. It's not because I'm mean, just that he is a pest, a friendly pest, who thinks everyone wants to be his best friend. That, and he tends to cock his leg in places where I don't want him to cock his leg.
Hope you all have a good day and the sun shines for you. It's raining here. Again.

[KGarrad]

Shouldn't the subject be Wednesday 19th May?

Having returned from UK (hospital appointment) I had my first Covid test - result 6 hours later was negative
Second test due next Monday.

I am now self-isolating, so weather is immaterial to me for the rest of this week!

Got an Indian take-out delivered in the evening. Enough food for 3 meals

[Mowsehowse]

I guess the Tesco delivery chap WAS hovering Roobarb, but what else could he do??   
I am certain if you can think of a preferable way to deal with the no bag situation, all the supermarket delivery teams will be delighted to hear from you.
I know we always think the grass is greener, and the sunny weather in Oz and Canada sounds wonderful to me.  The grass in Devon will be shoulder high if this rainy patch doesn't stop soon!! 
Although, to be fair, yesterday, as promised was a mainly sunny day here with light winds, and I enjoyed sitting on the sea wall with a coffee, and taking my friend through the family history research I had done for her recently.
She was thrilled**, and understood that the list of 20+ names she had garnered in moments from MyHeritage hadn't imparted much knowledge, as she was still unclear about who was the grandfather and who belonged to the next generation up. 
I do find it very frustrating that she and her family have seized upon some very dubious "family legends" reported on Ancestry, and they don't want to stop and think how unlikely the tales are.
After a brisk march up the hill for my lunch, there was an on-line meeting for the volunteers returning to the local NT property next week.  I have booked to give 3 days in the next month, and will then decide if I shall continue, or resign.
Evening TV was a bit of a trial: Repair shop entirely old footage; Sewing Bee, started badly and didn't improve much. Yes Roobarb,  that pullover made from old socks was innovative, but my, oh my!!!   And Glow Up makes me tear my hair, why don't they listen?  I do know there is an off switch..... obviously I really enjoy masochism!! Hey Ho.

**Many thanks to Gibel for lending a hand.

[Mowsehowse]

Shouldn't the subject be Wednesday 19th May?

Having returned from UK (hospital appointment) I had my first Covid test - result 6 hours later was negative
Second test due next Monday.

I am now self-isolating, so weather is immaterial to me for the rest of this week!

Got an Indian take-out delivered in the evening. Enough food for 3 meals

Indeed it should Sir, not that it matters much, unless one has to get a flight to the mainland for a hospital appt.   How the other half live!!   Hope all is well for you.

[KGarrad]

Shouldn't the subject be Wednesday 19th May?

Having returned from UK (hospital appointment) I had my first Covid test - result 6 hours later was negative
Second test due next Monday.

I am now self-isolating, so weather is immaterial to me for the rest of this week!

Got an Indian take-out delivered in the evening. Enough food for 3 meals

Indeed it should Sir, not that it matters much, unless one has to get a flight to the mainland for a hospital appt.   How the other half live!!   Hope all is well for you.

Our hospital can cater for most things. But sometimes more expert help is required!

For myself, I have kidney stones, which needs the expertise of the Regional Centre at Wythenshawe, Manchester.