General Chat

Sorry gang, Tofino is a place of beaches and sand and ocean breezes and surfers etc. The shopping is "touristy" and I seldom buy anything there.
We stayed at Crystal Cove, our favourite place and dog friendly, and had a two bedroom cabin right on the beach. If you want a peak just Google Crystal Cove Beach Resort, Tofino and you can see inside the cabins, see the beaches etc. Bella loves the beach and we walked and she frolicked.
First night I cooked two chickens, coated them in garlic, worcestershire sauce, dried onion, thyme and Spike. Kathy says just put some butter on them and they will be great....er!! no!! just spices and a closed lid and voila!! Made Irish smashed spuds to go with them.
Next night I bought fresh halibut (arm and a leg) and baked it in panko crumbs....oh! so yummy.
Kathy and hubby went home on Thursday and I put my back out...again. So have had two fairly immobile days in the hopes that the pinched nerve will unpinch itself. Seems a bit better today.
The stuff in the greenhouse is doing well but the garden is dismal. We had to have the furnace on for a couple of days. Very little sun, still rainy days and well below seasonal temperatures.
Our daughter helped with the yard sale...we called her Percy the Price Slasher. She moved most of our junk...great day, bloody cold we had to wear winter coats BUT not much junk left at the end. In the evening we all went out for curry...yea!!
Enjoy the weekend.
Lesxx

Morning all,Nice to hear that you had a good time in Tofino Les ,it sounds delightful,plenty of open space ,and peace and quiet if that's what you want ,[roll on ,but i won't get that down in Oxford lol,not with the runways less than half a mile away ,he he.
Sean passed his latest exams ,and is now back at Lyneham until October when he will be away on a new course at Brize Norton.
Sean's wife ,Marta has also passed all her exams in the uni,in Poland too ,quite an accomplished couple it would seem ,hopefully we will see her before we come home ,as she is coming over for a couple of weeks before the new semester starts.
Yes ,you are right Mary ,the ozone layer is rapidly repairing itself with no help from mankind ,and the scientists now agree that once this has finished it's present cycle ,the global warming will culminate in another ice age,all happened five times in the past and has more to do with the earth tilting on it's axis every few thousand years than anything mankind has done.
All the green parties in the world ,and all the do godders are a waste of space ,mother nature is in charge ,and that's it ,end of story ,all man has done is bought it on a tad earlier .
The chucks sound lovely Les' [smacks lips] my sis' used to do the same sort of thing ,but using the old country way ,of lifting the breast skin carefully ,and shoving all the spices up the jacksie he he,but i reckon it would taste about the sameat the end of the day.
halibut ? what's that ,lol, havn't seen one in years ,and the last time i did it was far too dear to contemplate buying,and that's from a fishing area ,where our government allow the E E C to dictate fishing policy ,banning our own trawlers from our own fishing grounds ,and allowing the Spanish ,and Portugese to run riot and overfish everwhere .
I,have to content the wife and myself with Mackeral arctic Pollack .and haddock [when we can get it].but never mind,you can make any fish taste really lovely with a little care,and we can get hold of Hoki, and two sorts of Trout which i can catch myself,allare great with a little rosemary and basil stuffing.
We are doing great now ,we have the first head of Calabrese for dinner,with a brought cabbage [ours are doing well .] New and old tatties,,to go with some sliced chicken from the freezer .
We have eight cougettes forming on the plants for when we get home ,tomatoes ,and Cucumbers ditto ,beans by the score,and the peppers ,patio ,and greenhouse coming on in leaps and bounds.
My Irish mash will have to wait awhile as the kale plants have a way to go,but that will be a good standby for the autumn/winter when i will have the parsnip ,and spinach,to go with the brussels ,not bad at all for a very small veggie patch.
I could do with your daughter here Les ,we have so much junk to ship out ,and i am sick of waiting for my eldest son to get his act together and sort out his supposed ,promised boot sale .
Hope your grandie is enjoying her trip Mary ,And hope John can make the trip to visit as well as you .
Have to go ,work to do ,and cases to pack ready for the off tomorrow,take care all ,and have a good day ,what's left of it.Fred.
P/s the veggies looked soooo good that i couldn't resist a couple of piccies of them all [snigger ] xxxxx

Fred, our main catch here on the west coast is halibut and salmon, all types. We had lunch in Ucluelet (just south of Tofino) at a pub on the dock. A sports fisher came in and he had 6 salmon and 2 small halibut. He cleaned and gutted them on the big tables and Norm went down to take pics. The guide told us that north towards Alaska the halibut are up to 300 pounds....wow!! My piece that I bought was enough for 4/5 people and cost $35, guess that would be about 17/18 pouinds in England. It is expensive though.
Port Alberni is said to be the salmon capitol of the world and every year we have a salmon festival, street barbeques etc....quite yummy.
We had the gas fireplace on yesterday, chilly again, but they say we will have a bit of a heat wave next week. Now that I will believe when I see it.
Enjoy the day.
Lesxx

Hello, Another sunny day ahead, I'm afraid to say it as Les has not had a good summer so far. Must be taking turns on what part of the country to attack, as last year we had cold and wet and this year it seems both coasts are getting it. Time to make a trip to the "interior" Les. hee hee
Norm could sit in a boat on the lake and keep his camera busy with the passing landscape!!!
Hope Fred and Liz are enjoying their trip.Perhaps a few pics will be sent along later??
We had a great reunion over the week-end. Over 60 members of my husbands family attended and many had never been here before, so they got to know all the cousins. A steak dinner on Friday and a pig roast on Saturday were enjoyed even tho' a thunder storm sent all inside to eat pork and loads of salads. A fishing trip and a horse and buggy ride also
kept them all busy. They all left for home on Sunday having come from Nova Scotia in the east to Alberta in the west and even 2 states in the U.S.
Time for breakfast so will say bye for now. Edith XXXXX

Moooorning to all,from Fred in holiday mode in sunny Lyneham,[not] he he can't complain though because the trip down was nice and sunny,as was the first day here.
Fred was enjoying a sit on the patio with a cuppa the day before we left ,when a huge police helicopter arrived over the house ,and started to hover over the roundabout which is the junction of the A1/A69 as i have mentioned before ,and as this is a frequent thing ,i thought ,huh ,yet another accident which happens at least twice a week ,and carried on supping my drink in the sun.
A couple of minutes later i heard the sirens coming from every which way and i thought,wow ,a pretty BIG accident this,but i found out later ,that someone had been shot a couple of streets away and they were trying to catch the gunman.
This maniac ,had been released the day before from Durham ,less than twenty miles away after stating that he was going to hurt his ex ,boyfriend AND the police ,and they still let him out? beggars belief dosn't it,two communities now living in fear ,not able to leave their houses ,because of the incompetance of the prison authority and the so called medical experts in the jail,all paid far too much for sitting on their butt ends,huh ,they all need sacking and charging with wasting public money and putting peoples lives at risk.
Anyway ,on to the holiday he he,we spent yesterday in Chippingham [my old stomping ground of early R A F days] Where i found much to my suprise that the cafe where i used to go for my toasted cheese sarnies was still there,so the wife and i had our cuppa in there before we strolled round the old market place.
The car behaved very well ,despite a very tight engine ,by the time we got down here the average mpg was up to 53.5,so later on it will be a lot higher still,as the engine frees itself up, already more economical than the Note was ,and comfortable to drive, and for Lis?.bliss.
We filled the car up when we got her ,and have now covered 445 miles on half a tank of diesel ,and it will get better yet
This new T-Mobile dongle is great too ,unlocked now so that liz can do her banana lotto it is far faster than the old vodaphone one,and is easier to turn on..
Liz has found out to her dismay that her orange phone is u/s here and won,t pick up a signal till we are well clear of the village ,poorlass has to use my phone which is on a different network ,lol,i told her to make her calls ,and leave the money on the table ,he he ,i was only joking but she was NOT amused and the aaaaarg stick came out ,muuuuuummy ,lol.
Must shove off now peeps ,the trouble and strife wan't on my puter to do her games bless her little cotton socks ,catch you later ,Fred, in holiday mode.

Morning all, Fred, I was listening to BBC radio 2 and they were talking about the escapee when I read your account. Small world hmmm.
Maybe this time they will put him away for good.!!!
The weather in Les's part of the country is heating up at last, Hope her garden recovers. The lettuce I planted as a border is now providing all the folks here with salad greens. One with a red tinge to the edges is very good.Makes a lovely tom sandwich.
All of my herbs are thriving and I will have to make more basil pesto tomorrow.Also pick some thyme and oregano for drying.
Les, that fresh salmon sounds great, must get out there soon, my Aunt is always asking for a visit.!!
Time to get moving so it's bye for now. Edith

Hi Guys, I am away for a week to visit the kids...may pop in if not, chat later.
Lesxx

Morning Edith Fred Has a few minutes before we go to Chippenham on the local bus ,the car can have a rest today,lol.
Yes ,i was gobsmacked myself when i found out why the chopper was hovering over the roundabout ,nothing like that ever happens where we live [i wish] but it never has until now.
I must have been well relaxed though,because the incident was only 50 yards as the crow flies from our back garden,and if i had been alert ,i would have heard a shotgun going off ,being well used to the sound from years of shooting,so i must have been dozing ,he he.
I am now waiting for the wife to get the washing out ,being sat here ,shorts and sandles [my Cyprus ones] on ,rarin' to go ,he he ,it's market day and i love browsing the stalls ,hmmmmm,wonder what i can find for dinner while we are there,we too have been enjoying our salads for teas since we have been here ,local produce aplenty sold at the side of the road.
Back later peeps,time to be off,Fred.

Hi Gys, Here I am in Langley at my daughters. We popped over the line yesterday and had a retail fest. Coming back across the border with all our goodies we only got a warning and no duty to pay....yippee!!
Weather is hot, hot. Summer is here. Off today to the graddaughters for a a couple of days and then home. Nice break
More later
Lesxx

Morning all. Happy to see you are getting some good weather at last, Les.
We have been lucky this year,at least the cold has stayed away. My balcony garden is doing really well, the best ever for toms and cucs.The herbs are outdoing themselves so I will have a lot of work drying them all.I can also make some vinegars for gifts as well.
The bluberries are doing great and the open areas in the bush are blue fields. The bears will now stay at home and eat to their hearts content.At least it beats having them walking the streets looking for food. hee hee.All the berries seem to be ripening at the same time so those who pick them will be busy.!!! A busy day ahead so will get moving. Stay well all. Edith XXXX

Yes, everyone I am still in the land of the living. We are on an extended visit to the UK at the moment and I thought I would pop by to say hello.

Right now we are staying at Castle Keep in Reigate at the home of one of Bob's cousins. They also have 2 homes in the Calgary and Canmore area. It is fantastic to sit here surrounded by a moat and the old castle, quite different and much more luxurious than anything else we have seen since being here. We are off to Kent tomorrow, then London and then to Hanley Castle in Worc so I can see where my ancestors came from.

We return to Canada on the 29th of this month so soon will be back to normal.

Bob is good, no problems with his last doc's visit. We still love small town life and all that it offers.

Off to explore.

Love to you all, I try to keep up with what is going on even when I don't always have time to add to the thread.

Teresa

Morning every one ,and a special one for Teresa who looks to be enjoying her visit to the old country.We got through to Bristol airport ,eventually ,cor ,what a nightmare Bristol town centre is to drive in ,give me Manchester ,or London any time ,lol,you can't move in there for red light camera zones,and speed cameras ,you can see where Bristol makes a lot of money,this tale of cameras being there for safety reasons is pure baloney ,tis all to do with money and screwing motorists silly,if all the cars went on strike for a month the city coffers would be empty and the city elders would be getting no pension money he he.
The trip into Bath was lovely and the two hours we spent there was not enough ,so we have decided to stop off here on the way down to Cornwall for two days ,and spend a full day in the city.
I enjoyed the bus ride in too ,seeing the buildings way up on the hillside ,the curved crescent glistening in the sun [all of the buildings seemingly granite built].
The whole city seems to radiate out from the centre ,in straight lines of the streets crossed by lots of narrow alleys with loads of little shops and cafes ,all showing their wares in the windows ,it reminded my a lot of a huuuuuge shambles like the one in York.
The city centre park is like The Dingle but only half the size ,except it is right on the Avon bank with lots of stone flower troughs with the flowers hanging over the grass lawns ,and the water.
This city is lots better than London for tourists ,open ,clean and well organised ,open topped buses ever where ,and sightseeing walking tours complete with guides.and even a few boat tours along the Avon showing the buildings and sights you can see far better from the water.
Time to go now ,my last visit before going home tomorrow ,to make sure i am home for the main event ,lol,besides ,i am missing my little furry buddy a lot ,
Hope everyone is looking forward to their weekend,Fred.

Hi everyone..Seems like the Brits and the Canucks are all on holidays also..lucky butters...Enjoy yourselves and make the most of the lovely weather..
Not much happening here. and life goes on its normal way..Took john to the club across the road today for lunch just to get him out of the house,,He must get very bored with only me to chat to..
Teresa Lovely to see you pop in..Enjoy your holiday,,Hope you are both well..

Fred.. Sounds like you had a good time driving around Bristol..hee hee,,love your roundabouts..they are huge and you could be in 2 counties by the time you get around once..well thats what they were like near Hertfordshire,,We went around the same roundabout 3 or 4 times before we found our way out..LOL

We are having a lovely winter and no frost here in Sydney.

Les Enjoy your time visiting the kids and Edith are the bears out yet...

Have a lovely weekend

Love mary xxx

Morning Mary ,looks like your weather and ours arn't so very different ,lol,we managed to get up to 19c by ten this morning ,in the middle of July ,lol,and i am thinking we up here in the frozen north are in for another lousy ,cold winter.
I have ordered another two gas cans for the emergency heaters ,just in case ,i have to keep the missus warm at all costs.
I froze down four calabrese heads this morning after seeing that they were ready while looking around the brassica ,but i have left on on a plant for todays dinner ,and will leave a little for this afternoons tea [stir fry.again ] ,best time of the year for us ,all veggie apart from the carrot and cabbage coming from our own produce.
One courgette was a bit too large for a stir fry ,or frying ,so i have left it on the plant to grow marrow size ,it will be nice stuffed with peppers ,tomato, and rice ,and maybe a little minced beef or pork ,yum.
All the beans are covered in flower so i reckon it's a bumper crop this year all round apart from the leeks ,which i will get at least a few ,he he ,win some loose some ,and this year it looks to be the leeks and onion that are iffy,but ,you can't have it all ways.
The weather was not good yesterday so i landed up getting the health grill down from the kitchen cupboard top and did the two pork and apple burgers and the two beef burgers on it ,in the warm ,lol.
I did some onion rings too ,sweated down with a stock cube,and side salad,so we did okay.
today is a Fred lazy lunch ,two pieces of toad ,in the 'ole ,steamed calabrese ,steamed tatties with a sun dried tomato dressing ,all done in the steamer along with green beans and chopped carrot.
Another stir fry for tea completes todays line up all gear apart from the tatties and cabbage straight from the garden ,the best time of the year folks ,the only thing better than the growing of ,is the eating of ,lol
Going to go now and sort my new pics out by adding the captions to each one .
catch you later peeps,Fred.

Morning all we have a lovely sunny day..going up to around 19c today..went down to 9c last night. lovely.....

Fred What you call calabrese we call broccoli..love the stuff and its very good for you..your garden is a picture and those veg are growing so well..great pictures..love your lawn,,so green and lush..nothing like the aussie lawns with our water restrictions now it is hard to keep them green,No rain to talk of for ages.Your pictures of Bath brought back memories of when we were there 25 years ago..great photos..

Hope all are well and enjoying the holiday season..had to go to the bloodsucker this morning and now feel at least a kilo lighter after all the blood she took..just checking on my thyroid..it plays up every now and then..

Love Mary xx

Morning Mary ,sounds like you could do with some Astro turf out there ,a fella at the allotment had some ,lol,all over the paths on his plot ,which is artificial but looks just like the real thing but never needs trimming,he was a green grocer by trade ,and used all the cuttings off his shelves in his shop to very good use .
Your comment on bloodsuckers brought to mind an old sketch of Tony Hancock's from years ago about the Blood Donor that was on the television ,don't know if you ever saw it ,but it was so funny it had me in stitches even thinking about it.
I have nearly finished tagging all my pics of Cyprus now ,and will have some nice ones to share with peeps before long..
Sounds as though Teresa is having a good time over here on holiday,so i reckon she will have loads of pics to share as well by the time she gets home.
Time to get some work done now ,starting with going out in the rain and bringing the bins in ,sniffle ,wah ,Mary ,i issss loosing my tan ,sob ,me nobbly knees is going all pale and 'orrible he he .Fred.

Morning all, So sorry about the knees Fred,my my we can't have that. You may have to get to a tanning bed!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am so pleased with my wee garden, yesterday I had a lovely tom, lettuce and onion sandwich . Sat out there and ate my lunch and cup of tea and enjoyed every minute hee hee.
Mary, yes the bears are out but happy to say they are in the forest, the bluberries are fabulous this year as it's been so hot so they are munching away just where they should be. A neighbour has been out picking them and says for the first time ever she saw gulls in the patch also having a feed.
I agree with the broccoli Mary, I steam it for 3 min. and sometimes with grated cheddar others just salt and pepper. Love it!!!
Fred, several years ago I had a go at a funeral director about Asto turf. When my Dad passed and I got the bill I noticed a $35 rental charge for the bit of turf around the grave during the service. Thinking about the number of times said turf is used during the year I got to thinking the stuff must be worth a fair bit by years end.So being me I phoned and ask for the turf as I had paid for it. Well, a hornets nest is nothing to the controversy I unleashed. Letters to the local paper all demanding payment for same turf etc. A long apology was sent to all and the turf never charged for again!!!!! Sometimes even tho' the injustice is small it pays to holler about it. Enough from me for to-day. Enjoy the day everybody. Edith

Eening Edith ,lol, i would love to have been a fly on the wall when the funeral firm got your letter ,he he ,i have a vision of you ,stick raised in the air shouting No Prisoners,no Prisoners ,lol,i bet the ingrate had nightmares for years after that episode ,and rightly so.
The waterfall you mentioned is a weir on the Avon, in Bath Edith,and i am in the process of getting together some more pics ,of the trip ,and some of Cyprus too.
We have a little steamer here ,with four tiers in which we steam all our veggies in ,i think boiling leads to loss of taste and overcooking,the only veg i sometimes do not steam are the tatties ,sometimes i nuke them ,and sometimes roast ,but don't even boil them for mash, 'orrible that way yuk.
Carrot & Apple soup for tea today ,lovely with a little Parmesan cheese and a tad of black pepper.
The sandwich sounds great too ,you have talked me into one for tea tomorrow ,he he,catch you all later ,Fred.

Morning all, Another bag of mixed weather, little sun, little rain etc.
The note about the onions Fred, my Gran told me never to save onion way back in the late 40's. She was a great cook and had a lot of do's and don'ts. Over the years her advice has helped me for sure.
The toms are now ripening faster than I can eat them so the other folk here are getting a treat as well.Have also made my 4th batch of basil pesto and shared it with the neighbours. I tried the herb basil this year but the pesto is not as good as the sweet basil. Cucs are doing well and should be ready to eat this week-end yaaay.
Time for breakfast so it's bye for now. Edith XXXX

Can't complain abhout the weather at the mo....hot and sunny. My vegies while not tall are flowering and starting to produce. The peppers and toms in the green house are coming along nicely.
Meanwhile our house seems to be this years "place to visit"!! More and more guests the next lot arriving early in August for a week. Please book early if you plan to visit....LOL!!!!
Fred I have recently discovered the joy of sesame oil, dunno why I had never used it before. Have a great recipe for a sweet and sour sauce, will post if anyone is interested. My next project is to make samosas with filo pastry and then bake them in the oven.....however in this heat a nice salad seems to be the thing!!
Off to cut the grass before the noon heat settles in.
Lesxx