Where is everyone?

[Icemaiden]

Is it something I said? 19
Are you all socially distancing yourselves from the forum?

 

[LadyA]

[emoji112] I guess Summer is a busy time for a lot of people.

So, let's hear what everyone's been up to!

I've been trying to get anything from my garden because of the late spring and very cold, wet May. Broadbeans and climbing beans are coming on, as are courgettes. Very slow though.

I've also been taking care of mum, doing usually two visits a day, taking her out for walks in her wheelchair, etc. It's a half hour drive to mum from here, so a lot of driving. I've also been trying to spend time with my grandsons (4 and 20 months).

An odd thing has happened - neither good nor bad - just, odd! Over the Winter, I found I couldn't eat red meat at all - literally, just couldn't even put it in my mouth. No idea why. All other meats were fine - just red meat.
Since then, however, it's gradually got to where I can't stomach meat of any kind! Not just can't eat it - sometimes, if I even see it, my stomach heaves! In fact, recently I almost threw up in Tesco at the sight of a pack - and it wasn't even real beef! "Plant based mince". But it LOOKED like minced beef. It's very odd, and it's not from any scruples about meat - just can't stomach it. Not really bothering me at all - I was vegetarian until my 30s - but I've never come across anything like it before.

And now, I must go and rack my rhubarb wine!
So what's everyone else up to?

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[dianefairhall]

Similar with me. I've been mainly gardening in my new polycrub, raising veggies from seed. I also have outside beds so it's quite a lot of work and it won't wait. Most things are getting on nicely now although I've had a few failures because of the cold spring (and summer so far) so have had to buy in some plants.

I'd happily go back to being veggie, it's only OH that stops me as he does the cooking here. I just ask him not to put too much meat in my portion. We have, though, cut down on the amount of meat we eat and buy only quality stuff.

 

[LadyA]

Similar with me. I've been mainly gardening in my new polycrub, raising veggies from seed. I also have outside beds so it's quite a lot of work and it won't wait. Most things are getting on nicely now although I've had a few failures because of the cold spring (and summer so far) so have had to buy in some plants.

I'd happily go back to being veggie, it's only OH that stops me as he does the cooking here. I just ask him not to put too much meat in my portion. We have, though, cut down on the amount of meat we eat and buy only quality stuff.

That's what happened to me. Happily vegetarian since a teenager, but when I married (in my 30s), my husband didn't like vegetarian food. It was easier to just cook one meal.

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[Hen-Gen]

No problem with meat. But then I’m a roughie toughie, street fighting heterosexual for whom vegetarians should be shot!
Anyway, returning to reality, I’m currently at that time when I have to decide which cockerels to save and which will end up as bird food. Perm two from three, a Mottled Orpington, a Barred Rock and a Black Jersey Giant. They all look at me with big, doe like eyes. I wouldn’t mind if I had some kind of resolve but each day I have a different master plan. But I’ve got to decide soon. All these cockerels, eight in all, are eating me out of house and home.

 

[LadyA]

Ah, but maybe you'll have the last word, and get value for the feed by in turn eating them? [emoji6]

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[bigyetiman]

Just busy with work and my mother, who is being quite difficult at the moment. Lucky if I get in before 9pm every day.

Strange how you go "off" foods. OH suddenly found she just couldn't face cheese in any shape or form, she never liked melted cheese anyway.

Our veg patch has been under water for the last week so everything is pretty much dead

 

[LadyA]

Just busy with work and my mother, who is being quite difficult at the moment. Lucky if I get in before 9pm every day.

Strange how you go "off" foods. OH suddenly found she just couldn't face cheese in any shape or form, she never liked melted cheese anyway.

Our veg patch has been under water for the last week so everything is pretty much dead

Goodness - I'm praying for some rain here!! It's hot, and very humid.

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[dianefairhall]

I thought you'd all been having a heatwave down south? Surprised you are waterlogged, BYM. We've had our share of rain but not to excess. Just been so cold. At least we are into double figures during the day, now.

 

[LadyA]

I thought you'd all been having a heatwave down south? Surprised you are waterlogged, BYM. We've had our share of rain but not to excess. Just been so cold. At least we are into double figures during the day, now.

21C here today! Hotter in other areas, I believe. However, they're saying it's to be more unsettled from the weekend, with showers.

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[Hen-Gen]

One of the reasons I moved here was to escape the heat that you encounter down south. Last years highest temperature was 19C.
Locals here swear that global warming is already noticeable with the snowfalls of yesteryear no longer happening.
Last week I had to go out and spray a clump of Japanese Knotweed with a foliage weed killer. This plant was unheard of here until very recent times.
On Thursday we’re having a talk from SNH on the dangers of introduced species. We live in a fragile world and must be aware of what’s happening locally. I’m watching for herds of Wildebeest roaming the hills of Fetlar.

 

[LadyA]

There's a sort of park built on the former landfill site here - not a neat and manicured park, but an "eco" park, where native species were planted, and there's no mowing . There's a 2km walking path around a central high hill with a couple of paths going over the top of the hill. On one side, there's a short drop to a small river, which can't actually be seen, because the steep bank is overgrown with brambles etc. Unfortunately, the river is also choked with invasive species - Japanese knotweed and himalayas balsam. Pretty when in flower, but not good for native species.

Climate change is noticeable here too. Even in the 20+ years I've been growing veg here, I've noticed the Climate has shifted. Seasons have inched forward by about a month, snow is a rarity and we seem to get more frequent and stronger storms.

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[dianefairhall]

I'm not sure I'd recognise Japanese knotweed without looking it up but the awful Himalayan Balsam was a real problem in parts of Lancashire and Yorkshire when we lived there. It grows by water and its seedheads are explosive and the eeds distributed by the rivers and streams. I assume the knotweed is bird-borne or comes in on imported plants, Hen-Gen?

 

[Margaid]

About two years after moving in I identified a single plant of Knotweed in the garden. We kept watch on it and every time it got to about 6 inches high, when we could positively identify it, we pulled it out and destroyed it. Some four or five years later when we did some alterations in the garden there was no sign of it, and it didn't come back but we had no idea how it got there in the first place.

One problem with Himalayan Balsam is that some people like to pop the seed pods with their fingers as you get quite a tingle when they explode. I plead guilty to popping one pod about 15 years ago.

 

[bigyetiman]

It was warm and dry in March/April, then got hot until mid May, then it started raining, a really hot week in June, then rain again with torrential downpours and thunderstorms for 3 nights last week, and today has been first dry day, then rain again from tomorrow

 

[Hen-Gen]

I'm not sure I'd recognise Japanese knotweed without looking it up but the awful Himalayan Balsam was a real problem in parts of Lancashire and Yorkshire when we lived there. It grows by water and its seedheads are explosive and the eeds distributed by the rivers and streams. I assume the knotweed is bird-borne or comes in on imported plants, Hen-Gen?

I don’t know Diane. It was on a bit of rough ground so it’s hard to see the garden plants route. In fact no rational explanation seems likely. Perhaps human devilment.

 

[LadyA]

It was warm and dry in March/April, then got hot until mid May, then it started raining, a really hot week in June, then rain again with torrential downpours and thunderstorms for 3 nights last week, and today has been first dry day, then rain again from tomorrow

Been scorching here for a while now! A bit of rain last weekend, but nothing significant. I'm hoping for a bit of rain over the weekend. I can't handle the sticky, over 90% humidity, heat we've been having!

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[dianefairhall]

Where has my post gone?

 

[LadyA]

Your post about not recognising Japanese knotweed? I can still see it!

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[dianefairhall]

No, I replied to Hen-Gen and BYM and when I pressed 'submit' I got a message 'someone else has posted, you may wish to reconsider' and my post disappeared!