jo4eyes

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Well I have got barbed wire around part of my fence at the back! We back onto open, non-maintained ground....nuf said! Daft thing is though a policeman said to me one day 'why dont you use it along the top of the alleyway fence?' after some vandalism. Didnt he know? Obviously not that it's illegal if below a certain height, which my fence IS below, because the planning regs wont allow me to have it any higher!!

Have come in for an early lunch snack before I start out there, plus 2cnd wash load almost done.

BUT I'm amazed! My car DOES have a washer bottle! Durr, no not quite brain dead, but said bottle is very well hidden down at bottom of corner of engine. Now being female & not mechanically minded, I assumed that all the car had was the visible TUBE as regularly needs refilling. Boy have I called the obviously male desoigner of said car over the yrs! No idea why I leant further over just now, but there it was, hiding, just as my very puzzled mechanic said it was! Still needs refilling often though....

Ok off out. J.

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Morning all.

Cold has started, have taken whatever am allowed to, got lots of tissues everywhere in pockets/shed etc. At least can compost the used ones!

Toerags everywhere. Friend said that for a 3rd time someone had tried, not succeeded this time, to get at the cable supplying electricity to their property & neighbours. Isnt nice to think of someone hanging around eyeing up the place.

Right, sun has arrived, 1st wash load done so am of out to try & do something, but actually not much enthusiasm, drat. J.

What's the weather like in your area?

Morning Frank.

It rained again last evening but the sun has arrived just now in Manchester, along with a streaming cold! Thank you daughter.

Am waiting on the washing machine finishing, then am off out to start wrapping up pots of plants to be stored etc. Have taken tablets, have lots of tissues in pockets/shed & will cope..... J.

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I've already had my treat for today- a pudding at the pub- but there is still cake here.....

No plans for digging/moving herbaceous tomorrow. Shall be wrapping my big, & liitle, pots of Agapathus. They are already in the big coldframe, which is just open at the mo, to allow them to dry out a bit & me to crush any little snails that appear! So need to remove the smaller ones so that I can step into the frame to wrap the 2 biggest. Suspect that carrying them into there was the cause of the latest back problems, but didnt notice anything until the next day!

Then shall probably sow a couple of sweetpea pots & wrap the nerine pot. That's in full flower now on the greenhouse staging, but shall pop it into the coldframe when it's finished. Shant clean out the greenhouse until it's empty- can do anytime over the winter this yr. Do need to do some borde sorting, but unless my back being well behaved that will be left until I can safely do it.

Daughter just reminded me earlier that she's back on nights next week, so must hoover this week sometime friday maybe? as no chance next week when she's sleeping.

BTW I know am the ironing queen around here, according to Geoff, but I do NOT do underware nor socks nor bedding except pillow slips! OH just hangs his shirts straight out of the tumbler when he's done them at his little house (rented near to his work) & I havent the heart, nor inclination to redo them for him when I go over to stay! Heaven knows what his workmates think!!

He's thrilled tonight as he saw a kingfisher at the side of the canal he walks along on his way home. But as he's says only another week of doing that in the evenings as it's already almost dark by the time he gets back & he doesnt feel safe along the unlit bank path.

Drat, the pc needs an update that I'd delayed earlier. Night all. J.

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Hi all, yes I would freeze any left over sauce, why not?

Went down to swop the plant pot on parents plot today in NWorcestershire. The pelargonium was a wee bit tatty, but with some tlc should give me some cutting material for next year. It was dark when I got back home, so pot just put against the house wall by back door. Shall sort it out & start to dry it off tomorrow before bringing it inside for the winter. Parents now have violas in their 'pot'- a plant pot cover that takes a 2l pot dropped into it.

Met an old neighbour/friend for lunch & good chat before braving the M5&6 again this evening.

Am probably getting daughters' cold- ta very much- as tickly, dry throat getting worse. At least my back & sciatica not so bad today. That could all change tomorrow as am going to garden! J.

What's the weather like in your area?

Manchester- wet all last night, then dried up by first thing.

Drove down to NWorcestershire & wasnt too bad- sun a lot of the time. Still dry when back this evening.

M6 a pain though, diverted via Wolverhampton ring road late this morning & stopped at Stafford services this evening to allow the jam further up to sort itself out, which it did! J.

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Figrat- never knew that you could use the chaenomeles fruit for jam! Mind you getting at mine at the mo well nigh impossible, especially with my back being iffy. Shall consider another yr perhaps.

Ok baking final- bye.J.

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Gary, why no note on the door? Works here.

Geoff re the 'alternative personality', are you wasting your breath?

Compost bin been done & the shopping is oh so slowly getting put away. Trashy TV keeps interupting. All this inactivity today has done wonders for my back & sciatica- hmm, think body trying to tell me something.......

Right, will continue again....... J.

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10.05am my guess.

Tesco slots now just 1hr, used to be 2, so you often got a txt narrowing it down further. With the Manchester bound traffic around here certain times a 'no-no', but the store dealing with the deliveries isnt too far away. Ironically the actual store is awful- no natural daylight, underground carpark, moving walkways the lot- ugh. I go the same distance in the opposite direction to a smaller store that I can cope with.  I'd used the other store for over 30yrs, but no more unless absolutely desperate.

Just not doing very much after all today. Quite enjoying not having to rush around- only myself to please after all.

The sun has actually made it so may, just may, get down to the compost bin as kitchen bucket a wee bit full!  Actually Jo that's a good idea....

raised beds

Yes I just assumed, possibly incorrectly? that the OP meant bindweed. I'm hoping that my repeated attacks on it at the front have worked, but if not,it actually looks quite good flowering over a boring Laurel bush.

Aquilegia is easily pulled out where not wanted, although I do leave some 'choice' specimens alone.

Agree the thick cardboard layer would be good & probably quite a bit cheaper too! J.

Care & maintenance of elderly Bramley apple trees.

Suggestions for planting in a sunny, boggy site.