General Chat

Morning to Mary,Les' and all the others who happen by from Newcastle ,where we are back to autumn again ,lol.
As Mary says Les ,be very careful,and keep the jalopy handy and tanked up ,just in case,hopefully it won't be needed in a hurry.
Saw a pic of Mary's local bridge in the harbour this morning ,covered in fog ,so i reckon the weather there could do with being better than it is as well.
Time to get a couple of extra bags of flour in peeps ,the fires in Russia have destroyed most of the wheat crop over there and all exports have been banned,so .along with the shortage already in oz due to the fires and drought ,there could well be a world shortage.
India is in dire trouble too i see ,most of the food crops have been destroyed in the punjab ,so what with that ,and the drought in china ,followed by flooding rice may be the next to dwindle ,what is the worlds weather coming to.
Think your Ollie ,and our Hissy would make a great pair Les ,i have had a pic taken three days ago,unknown to me ,of me tending to the brussel plants out back supervised by my grandson ,and the cat ,lol,can't do a thing in the garden ,or in the house without her there watching every move i make,.If i am a few minutes late with her grub ,she will come to the chair ,sit down and stare at me ,and if that has no effect ,she then pats my leg with her paw until i give up and get up,he he.
Think with these two felines ,together with Mr D ,cast's are very much in control,and can be very demanding if they don't get their way
We are out to tea this afternoon at my sons ,to see our Lewie into his Fifth year,my ,how time flies by ,seems only minutes ago that his aunty. Mary ,bless her ,sent him his tea shirt.which alas ,no longer fits him,lol.
I have been ordered to take the camera ,so there will be a couple of pics of the [not ,so little any more] man he he,quite the gentleman now too ,and doing very well at school.
My son at last got round to trying your recipe for the aloo.Les ,and he says ,thanks very much ,really ace ,and added to his list,,and that's from a chef ,high praise indeed.
Oh,Mary ,before i forget ,try Les's red onion in oil ,really bonzer,and the carrots too ,this lady is one hell of a cook on the quiet ,with her sewing too ,this is a person of many talents.
I am on a veggie day too ,and am off to make that potato dish i mentioned earlier ,so simple ,but should with the help of a clove of garlic,a little cheese ,and milk ,be veeeery tasty
As Our Mary says ,have a good weekend all ,and please ,stay safe .Fred.

oooooh! Fred, you make me blush....LOL My veggie meal was my old trusty veggie lasagne. It is really a winter dish but easy to eat and is enough for two days so no cooking tonite....yippee!!!
Well we can see the sky today but there is still an air quality warning in effect. They are calling for rain yet again this afternoon. Hmm! they keep on calling day after day but does it rain...nah!! Obviously not calling loud enough...LOL!
Daughter is the lower mainland told me last night that Vancouver was gripped in grey smoke yesterday. She lives further out in the valley so it didn't seem to be quite so bad.
Did you guys know that Port Alberni is the home of the Mars water bombers?? You can google for a peek, they live out on Sproat Lake just west of town. Anyway the Hawaii Mars is in the Interior for the next while and that makes everyone a bit tetchy here in town in case we do get a fire. The Phillipine Mars is still awaiting parts to get her in the air so virtually useless at the mo. And Mary your lot are trying to put together a contract for your summer months and have the Mars in Oz.....wow!!
Oh well another day another pinny or however the saying goes. A lady contacted me yesterday and asked my to do the Woman's Business Show so I must keep at it.
Have a great weekend
Lesxx
Oh BTW Fred we have a Welsh lady here in town who is making welsh cakes and victoria sponges and selling them in the farmer's market. I asked for a Bakewell tart and tomorrow it will be mine...yummy, yummy!!

Morning all, Another sunny day. It seems we in middle Canada are having the good weather while east and west are going to pot in some way or another,
Yes, Mary go for toms on the patio. I have a large pot with good soil and drainage and they are doing very well. A total of 31 toms from 1 plant I think is "great". Also the cucs climbing the wall are doing well, this is the first time I have tried growing them up . Space is limited so it works.
Getting to like this type of gardening after having a huge garden at ground level. Every year I have added something new and am happy with the results. More herbs this year so I will give loads away to friends for winter use.
Les,here's hoping your weather changes for the better soon. Are you still having bear problems?Ours are too busy slurping all the blueberries so are staying away from town.
Have a good week-end everyone, I'm off to the festival to help with the kid's craft day etc. Edith XXXX

Just a quick rescue job before i go out to the dentist this morning oooooer ,he he.
I didn't come on at all yesterday ,spending the whole afternoon up til 7 pm getting squared up in the gardens ,knackered but hey ,it was well worth it ,all looks pretty pristine again after i had finished.
I have now started collecting my seeds for next year ,finding three packets at half price at Tesco's.one packet of tomato.one parsnip ,and one packet of dwarf french climbing beans which i was looking for.
Already have 8 bags of runners frozen down ,and the plants are still full of flower,so if the climbing french do as well next year i will be well chuffed.
We are doing the courgette cum marrow for tea ,seeing as i will be missing a molar when i come home ,and besides ,i love my stuffed marrows ,very tasty they are too .
I might just do a few stuffed mushrooms to go with it ,using a packet of piri piri flavoured cous cous on them ,Bu**** the expense ,lol.
Have to go now ,time to get ready ,catch you later Fred,xxxx

Morning all, Where are all the folks hiding????
Did you get buried under the fabric Les? I've had a busy week with all the volunteer stuff, but that will be sorted later to-day and I can get back to a regular schedule again. My wee garden needs some attenion as well. I left one cuc to see how big it will grow and it is now time to harvest it.
The others can then grow bigger too. Have to get all the herbs in soon as we usually get frost in early Sept. and I don't have room on my window sills for the pots.
Hope everyone is well and it would be nice to hear from you. Be back soon, Edith XXXX

Cutting and cutting and watching out for Ollie and his quick paws....why does he like the sound of the scissors. He can be anywhere in the house and be on the table a second after I start....cats!!!
Fred, my runners don't have any beans?? Lots of flowers but now I see that they have either died off or been eaten....no beans. Well there are maybe 6 and they are skinny like a green bean...woe is me!!! I love runner beans. Ate my first zucchini last night, made it into zoo sticks with a mustard dip..yummy.
Going to get my locks cut off today, new hairdresser, sure hope I don't end up like Shawn the Sheep shorn...LOL
You are right, Edith, where is everyone???
Lesxx

Morning Edith ,Les ,and all the ghosts ,lol.well ,we do have a real mixed bag of weather here this morning ,as windy as hell yet again ,cool ,down to 16c ,yep ,the typical August weather .
Sorry to hear about the beans Les ,sounds to me as though you had an invasion of the dreaded little beatles,that had a go at mine last year if the stalks of the flower sites have little grey brown spots ,you have a problem ,sometimes ,like it or not you have to use an insecticide on the young bud tips before the flowers open, i forgot last year and paid the price ,bur now use Doff bug spray which you can spray on ,stuff is safe to eat the day after ,but it works aa treat.
The tiny little beans that shrivel can be lack of water ,or mildew ,you get hit either way water wise i'm afraid sort of damned if you do ,and damned if you don't .
Give the scissors to Ollie ,he can cut your hair for you ,no doubt after watching you using them lol, though i don't think the finish would be puuurfect ,he he.
Yes Edith i think i will have to ensure that next year we have all female cucumbers,ours taste okay ,but i spend a long time picking off the male flowers to stop them going bitter ,i think the extra for the seeds is well worth it
I havn't found the big pot for the orange tree yet,but i will give it another try after i have dropped the stuff off at my sons later this morning.
Everyone looking forward to the weekend ? yeeeees .supposed to be a good one here ,maybe even a chance to do a small B B Q .Fred.xxxx

I am shorn....and red to boot. I don't think the colour was supposed to go this reddish colour...but hey!! it isn't grey any more. The lady said if I didn't like it she could fix it free...so we will see. I will try it for a couple of days and then may have to go back.
I have four more lengths of fabric to cut and then it is off to the sewing machine....hmmm! I wonder what our Ollie will make of that.
Meanwhile I was surfing and found this web site for a woman in the States who makes "gourmet aprons". Now, as trusting as I am, her cocktail aprons have the same design as mine and she set up shop the year AFTER me...hmmm! anyway she sells these little half cocktail aprons, made of organza and tulle like mine, for $2000...wowee!!! I am under priced or a good deal??
We had deli salads and meat last night, it was a hot day yesterday. I got Norm a scoop of mixed olives to try. There were maybe 6 different kinds, all colours..he liked them..me...yuk!!
Off to the cuttery..LOL
Lesxx

You leave Norm' alone Les ,he shows real taste ,lol,i like ALL pitted olives ,and they are good for you to boot ,so there .
Glad to hear it is nice and warm there,nice for some ,he he ,we are promised 14c tomorrow ,August ? Humph disgusting I calls it
We had a lovely stir fry for tea ,made with all stuff out of the garden ,and a few chicken strips ,out of the freezer,and for afters ,a nice fruit scone ,with Cream and our first strawberrys from out back..
Have to go ,Hissy is demanding that i take my coffee onto the patio so that i can sit with her ,no peace for the wicked ,he he ,Fred.xxx

Hello all, Fred, What have you done?? The rainy wet cold weather has arrived here. Woke up to a temp of +7 after a week of +30's.
Hope it goes as quick as it came as it is too too early for fall!!!!!!
Must run this a.m, laundry day and lots of chores. Bye for now,..Edith
(ducks in case a shoe comes flying by)hee hee

We are in the midst of another heat wave, up to 32/35 celsius most days here in the valley and about 40 on our back patio. The house is like an oven and Bella and Ollie are both fed up!! The heat just imobilizes me and I'll bet the electricity bill will soar thru the roof, we have that many fans awhirling.....however I amsure when the rainy season and winter start I will b..ch about that as well.
Starting to get all the chores done as we are off on Thursday, wedding on Saturday. Gotta wear my new shoes around the house for a few days so that I don't hobble too much...never attractive!!
Fred, my inbox is now really empty, wanna try those pics again?
Lesxx

Hi all We have sun and a lovely cool day..Going up to the mid teens..my sort of winter..LOL

Well a trip to Canberra to visit our daughter has to go on hold,,Took John shopping for clothes and walking around the Mall finished him and he couldn't walk by the time he got home so we decided to wait a couple of weeks for the trip..next weekend is voting day for a new prime minister..and that will be enough exercise for John for that day so the weekend after is a better shot for travelling..

Les.. You want to put a copyright on your apron patons...not fair when other people copy them,,and what a price,,Put yours in a site near hers and undercut her..the cheek of her..

Edith. Have you got a licence for your market garden..boy you do well for a balcony garden..when I get back from Canberra I am starting on my pots..We had a big storm on Sunday and I just got home as the big hail the size of big marbles came down..and the rain came in buckets..All over in half a hour..then the sun came out..blurry stupid...

Took John to lunch today at the bowling club across the road and that was a outing for him,,brought home a Chinese meal which we will have for dinner tonight,,yyyaaa no cooking,,

Well better go and do some work..

Hope all are well

Love Mary xxx

Good morning to all ,back to normal here he he drizzle again ,,and as i said to Les' in an aside ,looks like all My Remaining B B Q s will be indoors on the electric grill he he Fred Is fed up ,cheesed off ,and wet after he went out front this morning to bring the bins in.
I agreed with Mary Les ,you should find out if you can protect your needlework and designs to make sure your ideas arn't pinched ,ruddy cheek,just typical of a yank,can't trust most of them an inch.
Edith Lass sorry lady ,not my fault honest ,i wouldn't foist our Brit weather on anyone ,just threaten too sometimes in jest he he ,so ,you will have to find another scapegoat this time.
Watch the chinese meals Mary ,mostly the dishes that contain Tumeric,my son had one two nights ago,and it had a bad effect ,heavy dizzy spells ,palpitations,and feelings of hot burning sensation,but ,he says he also had a samosa that had far too much spice in ,so that may have been the straw that broke the camels back ,so to speak,
this is mainly why i stick to Chinese ,and not Indian meals the Indians seem to go overboard with their spices in every meal you buy,and lots of people feel unwell after eating them .
Yes ,it's suprising what you can grow in a large pot Edith my cucumber has thrown 10 fruits so far ,and is still hanging in there ,and the courgette is keeping it well supplied.
Not so with my leeks though ,my fault for putting three leeks into each pot ,hmmmm,next year i must remember ,two is the max,he he,my leeks are about two feet high as they fight for light ,and have started to bolt [sniffle ] serves me right for being too greedy,lol
I enjoyed the unintentional pun too Edith ,wet ,duck ,he he ,oh ,never mind , i thought it was funny anyway.
Well ,time to go and do the dusting ,then it's off to the shops ,but ,says Fred cheering up a little ,i took the first of the cabbage out this morning ,big enough for four meals for the two of us ,and it will be far tastier than the shop brought crap .lol.
Catch you all later,Fred.

Well we are in the news again. We were the hot spot in Canada on Sunday at 36.4 celsius...wow!! And yesterday I suspect it was even higher altho the actual has not been posted yet. Ollie now has given himself the job of walking up to me and then throwing himself upside down on the floor...yes!! Ollie it is bl...y hot!!! The garden is at a standstill and I am sure that the evening watering mostly evaporates. There is supposed to be a gradual return to normal temps by the weekend. That would put us at about 26 celsius, still hot but at least not scorching.....and once again the smoke from the forest fires in the Interior have us on an air quality advisory. Must be all kinds of soot in the air because every day Norm wipes off the patio table and it is always brown...yuk!!!
And Fred, we don't bbq either at the mo because it is too hot on the patio to stand out there and cook. Ah well, soon it will be winter!!
Off to do a little housework and then find a cool spot to read a book......the life eh??
Lesxx

Morning our Les ,did you get all of the pics okay?you should have gotten 9 in total ,i as k because once you have got them,i can wipe the pics off my desktop and put others up to send.
Looks like we all have our weather problems don't it .and after what you say,i think i will stick to mine ,lol,i would rather cook in the damp and cold than suffer your fate ,couldn't be cooking in those conditions even a cold salad would bring me out into a sweat he he.
Mind you ,i woke up to sunshine this morning at 6 a m,and at 9-30,it is still sunny my tomato's out back are shouting yippee and shaking their leaves in excitement ,lol.
Sounds as though you could have done with the downpour we had last night ,with the raindrops bouncing back off the ground about a foot in the air it would have dispersed a lot of your dust for you.
hope things sort themselves out for you very quickly,but the weather seems to be arse about face all over the world ,poor Russia,scorched for over a month ,and now a deluge flooding vast areas, am i glad i live on a hilltop,hundreds of feet above the valley floor,yes ,perishing cold and windy at times ,but at least able to keep the feet dry[mostly].
Poor Ollie ,isn't it a pity that he can't unzip his coat and take it off ,i bet he will enjoy your fall ,when it comes
Well ,i am off to cut the lawns while it's dry out there ,loland at last the sons car is off the drive ,yessss ,i can get into the shed again at last ,he he.
Catch you later all .Fred.

Morning all, Sorry to hear your too hot again Les. More sorry because I know it will reach us in about 7 days. I know everyone talks about the weather but this year it has taken over all conversations !!! As Fred says it's turned around wrong end.
Have started to hang my herbs for drying and hope to get more done to-day. All ready for the winter soups, stews etc. Still waiting on 3 cucs to bulk up ready to eat, by then I can pull the plants.
Mary, the "market "garden is so tiny I don't think even the name fits, but it is fun and have enjoyed the produce. Hope you try pot gardening as it will
keep you out of mischief He hee.
Enjoyed the pics Fred and the surf does look inviting. Thanks.
Time for my breakfast so will say bye for now. Edith XXXX

Thanks Fred I did get all the pics so wipe away...LOL
Today has started off cloudy but they say it will be hot by afternoon but not as hot. Now the government is banning all backroad activities....just too many forest fires.
So my chickies I am off to Vancouver tomorrow and will not be back until next week. I may find a moment to post but if not, be good and enjoy the weekend.
Lesxx

Hello all Thought I had better get us on board again.
Weather wise we are O.K. short bursts of sun and cloud and temps in the 20's.
Harvested some of my herbs for drying and now my apartment smells real good. Thyme especially lingers in the air. I am going to try and mulch some of the pots and see if I can keep them over winter. The balcony is protected from the wind so if I put enough on top of the plants they just might make it. The sage is hardy and I do use it a lot in meat dishes in winter. So if I can keep pinching it off under the snow I will be happy.
Hope Les is enjoying the big city. Those fires are a real worry and I can understand her leaving the island. We evacuated our town in 1967 and the memories are still clear.!!!The sight of all those flames are scary to say the least.
Hope Fred and Liz enjoy their day shopping. See you all soon. Edith XXXX

Hi Guys, we are at the daughters. Did a 5k hike thru a lovely provincial park yesterday...bella was in her glory. Meanwhile today we are going shopping, painting our nails, not normie...lol, and generally getting ready for the wedding tomorrow. sure hope my ollie is ok.
later lesxx

Morning our Edith ,yep ,snap ,i too am starting to dry some of my herbs,but of course ,i will be hanging mine in the greenhouse ,lol,the wife can't stand garlic at the best of times and i dare not hang those indoors.in case the wife throws a wobbler he he,i did suggest it was because she was a part time vampire ,but got a clout round the lug for my trouble ,he he ,ooooo ,it did smart for a while ,lol.
I was out really early to water and feed my veggie patch ,but looking up at the sky i was awestruck by the sight,cirrus clouds on a deep blue background,and i sank into a patio chair ,drink in hand for a good ten minutes,yes ,it is a beutiful world out there folks,only spoilt my God/Allah's' one mistake,adding man to the the flora and fauna,a mistake that will be rectified one day ,one way or another.
Noticed that the Asparagus fronds have started to seed ,and wonder if i can save some of these ,and try to start some off in the spring,worth a try?.
I may also try cutting the broad beans down to ground level to see if they will come away again next year but will have new plants in cups started ,just in case.
Every thing else is doing fine ,and we are really enjoying eating the results of the hard work during the early spring ,through to the summer ,[sic] he he.
I only wish the back was a bit larger ,i would really have loved keeping my own chucks for eggs so that i knew just what they were fed on,but ,hey ho ,you can't have everything.
We have to go out again this morning ,who is the daft git who forgot the bread ,and eggs ,aaaaaagh .Fred ,that's who ,lol,so anyway ,i will have a look for a marinade for the chicken we took out of the freezer last night,and make up some kebabs for the wooden skewers [don't like the steel ones],find a pack of muffins ,for the four burgers ,two bacon ,and two beef,a half dozen ranch buns ,for the sausages,and a few pittas,for anyone else who turns up,but my top dish of the day is ,the sea bass which i will be putting into foil ,stuffed with red onion shards ,rosemary ,and thyme out of the garden.
Yep ,you guessed it ,another B B Q ,while the weather holds .
Have a nice weekend all ,take it easy and chill out ,with apologies to those who are in the grip of winter ,Fred.