What are you all up to
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My day isn’t going to plan. Had planned a day working in the garden but needed to phone the Dr surgery, this is only the second time in 14 years I’ve wanted a visit. This is the surgery that 20 years ago I and many others were on first name terms with our 3 brilliant GPS, you phoned in the morning and nearly always got appointment that day. Admittedly many more housing estates built here now, but also more GPS in surgery, we don’t know any of them. So, the receptionist was on the phone for 20 minutes asking me questions. Did I want the emergency team to call back as no Drs, me ‘no it can wait til Monday if I can get an appointment then’ apparently no appointments until June! As we are away then and it can’t wait that long I agreed to the emergency call back. Surprisingly a Dr called back, 35 minutes of questions and answers. ‘You need a blood test but we don’t have any appointments until middle of June’! So now I’m off to the hospital for a blood test! She has put me on tablets, which I have to get today. And I’m booked in with a registrar for an emergency appointment at the end of May. All this time and hassle and I’m sure she’s wrong, if only someone had looked at the problem I think it could have been diagnosed straight away. Covid started all this remote stuff but it’s time wasting and wrong. The time with the receptionist and then the Dr a face to face appointment would have saved so much of their time, and possibly another appointment. Sorry rant over, off to drive, try to park at the hospital, instead of just walking to the GP surgery.
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Oh, we sympathise with your rant DEBSC! My OH had an eye infection before we went away to Macau. After completing the complicated on line triage form he was told GP’s don’t deal with eyes anymore so he had to contact the specialist regional eye centre in Whitby (about 40 miles from us). They requested a photograph of his eye and they forwarded to someone in Manchester who phoned him next day about the eye problem. They did a diagnosis on the basis of one photograph and advised swabs and drops to purchase from the chemist for a total of £20, for a condition that he didn’t have. These items did nothing to improve the infection! He then went to see his optician who mentioned some antibiotic drops but advised you may not be able to get them over the counter. After a bit of hassle and a couple of white lies the chemist reluctantly handed over some antibiotic eye drops for £5 which cleared up the problem within 2 days. I do understand the problems with too many antibiotics but sometimes they are needed and it would have saved so much time if he could have just seen a Doctor!
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Glad to hear that your brother has settled in ok, OP, obviously the move down there went well. Good that you were able to get the problem with your car sorted, we too had a sensor problem with our Volvo when we were away, which was soon sorted out at the dealerts at Dereham. Nice that you were able to hear the nightingales.
Another hot sunny day, too warm to leave Flyte in the car had we decided to visit any of the castles in the area, so just took a couple of walks from the site. There are even less units on tonight, down to 4 occupied ones, less than on the CL we left yesterday.
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It started off fine again but did cloud up during the afternoon, with the sound of distant thunder for a short while, although no rain and still warm. We went to the Muir of Dinnet Nature Reserve and did the way marked walk around Loch Kinord, with our picnic dinner half way round near The Kinord Cross, pictured below. After getting back to the van I went for another walk up to the Tomnaverie Stone Circle.
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It's definitley not No Mow May here. It's perfect weather for mowing - for silaging. We started yesterday afternoon with my son mowing 50 - 60 acres (maybe more - I missed what he said). Then this morning my husband started "rowing up" (putting 2 rows into one). And now my son is following on with the Forage Wagon (picking up and chopping) and taking the loads back to the pit where my Grandson is buck-raking - using the tele handler to pile the grass up. Team effort.
My part is feeding the team - empty ice cream boxes filled with suitable food to rattle around in the tractor.
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I’m sure you are aware Goldie, but No Mow May is not about a total abstinence from mowing, it’s about finding some areas that can be left unmown for the benefit of nature. There are those species which depend on close grazed/mown habitats. It’s about finding those areas that can be left un mown for those species that depend on that very different habitat. Some being crucial to our agriculture. We just need to strike a balance wherever we can. It’s in our interests and those of nature to do so. Unfortunately, not all folk understand the concept of NMM.
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Rather cloudy today, and a fair bit cooler, so ideal for a castle visit, Crathes this time, with being able to leave Flyte in the car when we viewed the property. Firstly walk around a small part of the estate before lunch then we went round the castle and the beautiful walled garden and a final walk before heading back to the van.
Looks good weather in Cumbria, Goldie, hope that it continues for you, and hopefully for our builder too!!
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Lovely photos again nellie. Great to see Flyte as well. You seem to have been lucky with the weather this trip.
After 3 days of rain the weather picked up and yesterday especially was lovely. As our garden help didnt come this week because of the rain our garden was beginning to look like a jungle so we have spent most of the weekend cutting the grass and generally cutting back and tidying it so it looks a lot better. I am off to the osteopath this morning.
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My post was a bit tongue in cheek - I'm very aware of the need to spread the word that tidy is not always good. The grass mown today is feed for the winter. All grown without fertilser, but with equally organic muck. Not all our fields are meadows and pastures. We're fortunate to have wood pastures, wetland and ancient wood and a 2 acre pond.
Click here to read more about "Nature Friendly Farming".
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Two weeks now of on and off, mostly on, gardening. It’s now looking ok. Most of the newly purchased plants put out. Yesterday OH cut the grass in the back, it’s the only thing he will do as he hates gardening, it’s amazing how once the grass is cut it suddenly looks so much better. The bank at the back of the garden is becoming a bit of a problem as I try to negotiate getting back down it, I may have to think about getting some help there next year, but have put in some ground cover for now. A whole green bin full of finished bluebell foliage, that always makes it look tidier. Beautiful weather here, wall to wall sunshine, such a change. I’ve put weed and feed on the front lawn so thursdays forecast of rain won’t be unwelcome from me as the hose won’t reach that far. It was so lovely that we sat out last evening to eat our evening meal, rather than the dining room.
Our new neighbours seem very pleasant, including their dog, the previous ones were also nice but I can’t say that I’m sorry that the 4 cats have gone, my garden already looks better without them and now all the fledgling birds at least stand a chance.
Our granddaughter who just passed her driving test has just phoned to ask if she and her boyfriend can come over for lunch as they both have the day off work. Lovely that she can get over more often now that she can drive. Lunch in the now tidy garden then.
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Glad folks have been able to get out and about great photos Nth and Flyte as well some folk are amazing with these wooden sculptures I saw a lot done with a chainsaw at the RHS Malvern show.
Hope your family manage to get all the silage done Goldie146 there has been some done over here but been held up by awful storms.
Wish I could get in the garden as everything has grown so lush whilst we were away and shrubs need trimming back but weather looks better next week so hope we can get grass cut (could do with your tractor Goldie as it is so tall), your garden sounds good DEBSC and being able to eat outside just to wet here and very dark clouds about at the moment not our usual May weather.
OH hoping to get the car washed today as it got a bit dirty whilst away and white shows all the dirt.
It is Pentecost here today so yet another holiday and with all the days off this month and bridging them with the weekends they have had 10 days off not all folks though our local Carrefour is open until 1pm today and have noticed supermarkets are staying open on the holiday dates more this year and last year they need the revenue, so not allowed to use any noisy garden tools ie. lawnmowers, strimmers, ride on mowers, DIY with noisy tools etc because of the holiday a bit different to UK.
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We have had a cracking weekend, assisted by some lovely weather. Our new Sun terrace is coming on, new linear bed along fence has been planted, water butt moved and re set up, bit of mortaring around joints finished, sink pond emptied, scrubbed and ready for refilling.
Saturday night we went to a huge rock event at Sheffield Arena, Bryan Adams was in town! Love his music, first saw him in the mid 1990’s, and he’s just as good now. Haven’t been anywhere this packed since pre COVID, and you forget what huge events like this can be like. Fabulous concert.
Up again Sunday, and off to another Classic Car show, this time at a Garden Centre. Plenty of lovely cars, mainly Mini’s, MGs of all types and Morris Minors, but some good examples of other marques as well. Came home via a good water gardens nursery and stockist, got a new solar pump for sink pond. Couple of hours more in garden, putting bark chippings down, splitting water plants, then catching up with Giro D’Italia on TV. Fabulous race so far.Hope those not so good are on the mend, others enjoying being out and about at home and away. Fields around us are a bit less water logged, greening up. Not seen and silaging yet though, although there were a few tractors flinging around on the roads.
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Thanks for sharing the lovely photos.
Good to read folks news, wishing those under the weather better.
Still got workman in on refit of bathroom and cloakroom. The guys are great and very hard working and clean. Apart from fine dust...... We chose the same large oblong tiles for both rooms, they're going on the walls diagonally in the bathroom and straight in the cloakroom. So far we're on the 5th day of 'man hours' on tiling and no it's not a huge bathroom. Literally bath length and wide enough for whb and loo. We do have boxed in internal sewage pipes so not just straight walls.. Today it's fitting round the window. It's obviously added to the cost 😱😱,and it wouldn't have occurred to me to have them done this way if it wasn't demonstrated in the showroom..... However we both love the effect. And as I've told himself, often, there's no pockets in a shroud......
The cloakroom has been fully stripped out except from the toilet and currently all pipes are being channelled into the walls. They managed to get the bathroom pipes under the floor. No idea why they weren't in the first place! So it will be a very neat tidy finish.
As milliehull has said we've had more miserable wet days but had a decent weekend weatherwise and again today. We gardened for a couple of hours this morning, but have adjourned to the sun loungers after lunch. In fact we've got out the sunshade up 🌞.
I hope everyone is enjoying decent weather. Nelliethehooker we had a few weeks travelling where you are now at this time of the year and had wonderful weather. So much to see there,I'd love to get up there again.
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We've had a great day today. It's now 19 months since my stroke and, whilst I had a 10 minute spin around the village at Christmas, this is the first time we've managed to have a bike ride.
Decided not to attempt to overdo it so chose a local route which started in Wales but ended up on the Wirral, conveniently at a cyclists cafe. I have lost a lot of my previous energy so decided to play safe and engage the electric from the start, albeit on minimum and things worked out great. It was lovely listening to the birdsong as we spent all of the ride near nature. Spring flowers out including Orchids.
In the meantime MiL behaved herself at home and did some exercises of her own. Tesco shopping when we got home whilst the ladies went for a village walk.
Had guests over the weekend as my brother and niece dropped in on their way to a funeral. So I was mostly confined to the kitchen and garden yesterday. Good to see people have been making the most of the glorious weather over the weekend.
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Thanks goldie, I realised that your post was tongue in cheek. However, today is World Bee Day and many don’t realise the crisis that may be just around the corner for all including our farmers if folk don’t understand or pay no attention. I saw a lady today wearing a T-shirt which read ‘No, pollinators, No food, No future’. That message needs to be highlighted me thinks.
Thanks for the link.👍🐝
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Pleased to hear that you both got out for a bike ride WN, and the MIL behaved herself while you were out!
You certainly have had lots of work done B2, will you ever get to the end of it I wonder? We too have usually had decent weather when visiting this region at this time of the year. Maybe you will make it back up here again, fingers crossed.
Grand photos from the concert, tda, it looks like a super occasion, glad you enjoyed yourselves there and at the Classic Car Show.
Hope the weather improves for you RK, and you can get your garden sorted out next week.
Good to read that you have managed to get some work done in your garden, Debs and that the weather has picked up for you.
We had a run out today to a number of ancient sites; Cuish Earth House, (a Souterrain); Craigivar Castle; Peel Bog of Lumphanan (a minature Maidens Castle); and Tomnaverie Stone Circle. It has been fine and sunny all day, good enough to get the washing dried outside.
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You certainly have had lots of work done B2, will you ever get to the end of it I wonder? We too have usually had decent weather when visiting this region at this time of the year. Maybe you will make it back up here again, fingers crossed.
nelliethehooker you're not wrong there! The joys of moving house. All looked and surveyed OK, but not had so much in the way of tlc, which was hidden and only discovered as you go along. I think we've condensed everything we did it 36 years into the last 2. Hopefully, foot off the gas now 🤞and we can enjoy everything life has to offer knowing that the major jobs are DONE!
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Fingers crossed that no more major problems rear their ugly heads, B2, and you can go on some of those trips you no doubt have discussed.
Last night the site was the quietest do far, with only 3 units on, one German caravan, a Dutch M/H, and our ourselves. Tonight there are at least double that number. Today has been rather mixed weather wise, with clear skies first thing before it clouded up, and we even had a very light shower of rain at lunchtime at Aboyne, just as we were finishing our picnic on the Highland Games field, and then bright sunshine in the afternoon before clouding in again. We had a walk around the estate grounds of Aboyne Castle, see below, in the morning and a second one through the woods back at Tarland.
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Rained quite heavily during the night but has reduced in ferocity and is now, in the words of my MiL, "The type of rain that makes you wet". Takes a good one to get passed her.🤣 Actually it's the type that gardeners who want some rain would like, steady not heavy.
Indoors today as we finally managed to get a painter and decorator in. First couple who promised dates cried off after leaving us waiting for months. This one fitting us in on odd days which we have no problem with as long as he keeps to it. Has many a local as clients so am assuming he'll not want to spoil any reputation he has. Wish we could do it ourselves but sometimes you just have to accept what you can and can't do. Can't believe prices though. Shows what happens when you turn your back doesn't it?
The ladies are off to view paint for bedrooms in a minute or two.
Your trip really going well Nellie.
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I think we have your rain WN😕 Bucketing down here, but, as you say, good for the garden. We were out while 9pm last night pottering around in the garden. Have set up my new solar fountain, but I doubt it will charge up today.
OH off for a routine (for him) blood test, pooch will need his 200 metre amble, I look like being on enforced inside tasks today, unless I can whisk through the downpour into greenhouse.0 -
If anyone knows Newcastle well, looking for a good car park central, preferably on Metro line to get to St James Park? Not a city we know. Intend arriving mid afternoon for evening football match, needs to be open late to get home after match. Wondering if parking at Metrocentre might work, as easy access from A1?
Thanks for any help. (Using car, no pooch involved)
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Off to take Carols mum out for her 92nd birthday. Weather not looking good!! Just heard Alexander Armstrong on Classicfm, telling us that it 'hoseing down' all over the UK except for Penzance!! Evelyn want to go to Abbots Bromley - to a little tea shop close to Blithfield reservoir called 'Cobwebs'. Hope it stops raining a bit soon. Just stopped off at Sainbury's for a bit of shopping, on the way.
Keep dry everyone.... and hope all is well with the work at the house, Bakers2. Lovely to see the photos folks have been sharing.... looks like some nice visits out. .
David
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Just back after 18 days in glorious Cornwall, only 2 bad days, we were very close to Perranporth i did manage a couple of swims at Godrevy beach and Crantock, a cool 10 degs in the water but a somewhat warmer 18 degs air temp so all good. We stayed on a site that we have used several times only 17 pitches, hard standing fully svcd with a very modern facilities block so all good.
cant believe how busy it was in Cornwall, St Ives was just so so busy and finding a disabled parking space is almost impossible, it was also Tunes in the Dunes at Perranporth so we gave that place a wide berth for a couple of days.
We do not do technology whilst away in the caravan so no laptops, tv's etc, radio for some light music and news, so have not read any of the posts for some 18 days and dont think i am going to have time to trawl back so i Hope everybody is safe and well, off to a Stroke club Fish & Chip lunch today and OH has a bone density scan later in the afternoon, but all good in Stubbers.
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We were shocked at how busy Cornwall was the last time we made it down a couple of years ago Rufs. We hadn’t been able to get down for around six years 😢, but had a week at Marazion. Usually quiet Hayle was absolutely rammed, as was Penzance. We never went into St Ives in the Summer anyway, as it was always busy. Glad you had good weather👍
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We are having a respite from the rain at tge moment. Don't tell anyone..... It began to rain about 4pm and has continued in one form or another until about 20 minutes ago. Yes Wherenext, the sort that makes you wet. Love it. I often think that of the very light stuff which you find soaks you!
Another wet walk this morning. On days like this I drive to a nearby village, too wet to cross the clay fields 😱😱 so we can do an offlead walk on a old disused road. Lately the feisty goose has been allowed out of its nearby field. For the 2nd time this week it was guarding my car on my return 🫣🫣. 1st time I got Dora in and managed to jump in the driving seat without incident. Not so today! I waited in the passenger seat for the little blighter to get bored. It didn't happen. Poor Dora shaking with cold so I had to manoeuvre across to the drivers seat. Modern cars aren't designed like older ones. And I'm not as agile as I was! Made it in my wet weather gear. B goose wouldn't shift even when I sounded my horn and started the engine and as I reversed began to chase....... Luckily no one to witness the entertainment.
Decided that was enough excitement for one day and have taken my foot off the gas. Just made a couple of fruit cakes, us and son. And apart from dinner I'm not planning on much more 😉
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That sounds one feisty goose Bakers😱It started raining here 9pm last night, and still hasn’t let up all day. We had a wet dog walk, all 200 metres with lots of sniff stops😱
Got a call from shop in town, I now have a fabulous old piece of Amber that someone wants re fashioning into something more wearable, plus some other orders, so that will keep me busy. Very nice lady, she doesn’t do tinternet or mobile phones, but turns out she lives only quarter of a mile away, so I can do this order the old fashioned way😁
I have been dipping into the live feed from the Post office enquiry all day🤨
And just heard the country give a massive collective sigh of “about ruddy time”🤨
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