The Cybergarden - Midwinter Edition

[shodatin]

Hope this is Post No. 1001 equivalent, having just used up the thousandth space and feel I shouldn't ask Madmouse to organise the next one again.

Have just looked into summerhouse to check fire is burning gently, tray of [brew} organised by upward to turn into one's favourite hot drink of the moment is standing ready for visitors, along with a few pounds of chocolates from huge box sent by DSis. (Before DB eats any more today)

It's usually tianc, upward and hob who remember to be hospitable and also remember to send good wishes to previous visitors, including said madmouse and mouselet, kizzie and family, NanaNina, Butterpie and another name which eludes me just now, but am hoping you'll find your way to this new part of the Cybergarden
and continue visiting in the New Year, along with hob's time-travelling cat Her Felinity and her welcome associate ndt (next-door's-tom), who visit us quite often, bringing gifts of when they remember, instead of the usual dead rodents which they know are unwelcome in the cybergarden.

Have just had lovely large lunch, plus Skype visit from rest of relatives, so will have a little potter round RL garden, hoping all is well and welcoming now in cybergarden's summerhouse.

Morning all - anyone else snowed in? So grateful for heating system, remembering mornings like this in my youth, when only kitchen and bathroom were heated first thing, then we had to leave warm house to wait at bus-stop, really wintry weather. Hob, I don't think you mentioned where you lived before UK, but always had impression it was a great deal warmer, so you must find these mornings a bit of a struggle. (Thai friend came into house last cold, snowy day chanting "warm,warm,warm,warm"as she got into hall, obviously moved from centre of being!)
(Makes usual tray of drinks and snacks, but only opens window until kettle has boiled, prefering warm fug to really fresh air)

And here comes the sun! Hope we all have a good day. Am expecting to have email or similar from elderly friend in care home, because her son sent email yesterday evening, advising me that the care home had now arranged computer-time for residents using something called simplyunite, which sounds really good - people may remember I'd not spent nearly enough time researching something suitable for a stroke victim, because of the difficulty writing/understanding jargon, and am really a newbie myself. It could make such a difference to our communication, am really pleased.

Morning all What brilliant news , shodatin , I must look it up . You worked so hard to help your friend , & it's confusing when you're a newbie as you say . How lovely that it might help your friend , Nilgiri .

Sorry so very cold & snowy for you .... laughed at fug instead of real fresh air & at your Thai friend's heartelt words ( I came from jungle climes , so similar temp )
Hope you've planned little indulgences as distraction from your horrible tasks , Nilgiri < gets our sets of waterproof mittens and materials for placard>

We did have a totally unexpected midnight snowfall here , & as DH not due to st art work as early as usual , were able to have a little walk out in it - quite magical , but all melted now - poor children .

Met next-door's- tom in white blanketed garden , guarding his territory , not put out by his human !- so , a perfect end to the day , made yet more joyous by Nilgiri's post featuring tipsy robins < ladybirds very relieved wildlife felt well enough to return home this morning > Sorry dozed off befre posting , yet again .

Greatest respect to your courage & determination , Nilgiri -" but I'll sell my defeat very expensively indeed" , cheering you on and thanking you , as will have a direct impact on so many of us . Agree with shodatin , this fight will make a great difference to the struggle . Extremely sorry at the sacrifices it must be costing you .

Perhaps we could have our home made firework display this weekend using our trebuchet , to cheer those having a long hard struggle
Thinking of you upward , hoping dosage increase not too grim , and will soon help you .

Glad the news of computing for elderly might be useful, and wish I'd known earlier of course. Am happy to have home-made fireworks this weekend hob, assuming there are no bangs to frighten animals (and old ladies), but wouldn't have a clue about how-to, so will retreat to Catering Committee and pour hot drinks/collect any cash for good cause.
Have just driven to village for change of scene and fresh bread, and it's surprisingly busy with dry pavements and lots of people, although some of the cars look abandoned and surrounded by snow. Sun still shining and good weather for outdoor sports, so hope children get home from school in time to enjoy it. Hope you enjoyed winter sports hob, arriving here as a child (without experience of snowballs or tin-trays for sliding down hills).

during our efforts , plus a new medal for shodatin , for venturing down path , hopefully in her snowboots to feed birds and thaw water

Just realised, shodatin , that you put out "elderly apple pieces"- those will make for far sqiffier squirrels even than your boozy bread

Oooh , missed your new post shodatin , and will be back for sedate snowball fight when finished this task

Is that true hob? Wildlife can get drunk on old bits
of apple? I do remember seeing film of inebriated elephants who'd eaten ripe fruit, but these were just old apples I no longer fancied from fruit dish - no wonder the blackbirds always pounced on these as rare delicacies.
Am sure beer in bread is no longer alcoholic, through being cooked at 300-odd degrees, and would not knowingly give animals (or birds) any alcohol at all, particularly during the winter when they need to have as regular a temperature as possible.
Am now feeling too shaken to enjoy snowballs, and yes, I did use proper non-slip snow-boots while outdoors.
Please reassure me about wildlife, if possible.

Oh no shodatin , so sorry to have distressed you and of course you would not knowingly do it - what was I thinking of to joke about it Have looked up a few sites , and so far it seems a ) only fermenting berries can cause this , though I don't know if this definitely applies to non -tropical berries - and b) it seems largely a myth about other fruits- theoretically possible , but "the sugars are one of the first substances to be metaabolised & they are turned into fats before having time to transform into alcohol "

news.softpedia.com/news/Elephants-don-t-get-drunk-15393.shtml

So sorry ... I must have been on autopilot , as I did think there may have been a drop of alcohol in the apple , but like you , would be appalled to allow birds to get drunk - I wasn't thinking

Many thanks hob for kind post about alcoholic bird food.
I should have known better too, as there was no sugar in/on apple bits, therefore probably wouldn't be enough to produce alcohol, I hope. Sorry to have taken up your time with this, and hope you're not too tired at end of the day.

Actually, I felt fine until DSis skyped me half-hour ago, but now feel exhausted again, and have only done some sitting and chatting.

Really hope that upward and Nilgiri are feeling pleasantly relaxed this evening, and not worn out either.

About to wander off to bed again, stopping to view lovely stars on the way and adding a log to our fire to (hopefully) stay in overnight in case any other gardeners are out and about later. Night all, sleep well.

Ooof , just missed you again , shodatin . Apologies again for having worried you . I certainly thought it was possible for some fermentation to occur , but highly unlikely . Took up no time at all to heck facts , & Ive often wondered about the subject

Saw some puffed-up sparrows today , quite round

Thank you for another lovely evocative post about busy village in sun & snow ... cars snowed right in ? Blimey! Hope you feel better after sleep- I too find Skypeng retc incredibly tiring

Moon very striking here , very yellow - hope upward can peek at the stars
< fills hot water bottles and warms rugs for Nilgiri and snow-and-star gazers >

Oh, sorry for my tipsy jokes as well. Wasn't at all serious - agree all the alcohol long gone from bread, and not present in merely wrinkly apples.

I once grew a marula tree from seed, visions of tipsy elephants much in mind. But I did wonder, and that article's clearly right about it being v unlikely. They're such a small fruit, mostly stone - an elephant would be rattling before getting drunk. Now people getting drunk on marula, that's a different matter...

Morning all, another sunny day - hope we all had good sleeps (and that Nilgiris companion kept the snores down, before leaving early so as not to miss breakfast at home). Summerhouse left tidy and shining as usual after one of Nilgiri's visits, with fire blazing quietly ready for new day - just as if the fairies had been in overnight).
Makes usual espresso and tray of assorted hot drinks, wondering where biscuits and snacks have got to and suspecting four-legged friend again.
Hope you feel alright on increased dose upward, and have something good to look forward to this weekend.

Local friend posted on Facebook that temperature reached minus ten in village last night - it was certainly coldest yet, with icy "ferns" on inside of garage windows, and of course bird water frozen solid despite floater designed to keep it moving and therefore icefree. Lots of footprints around feeding area, but no sign that wildlife were inebriated, thankfully, so can all stop wondering.

Afternoon all < dormouse > Glorious sun here too but am not surprised at your icy "ferns" , shodatin. - -10 !

You've grown a little marula tree , Nilgiri - my joy is complete < baby elephant pads happily about into summerhouse and nuzzles familiar shrub contentedly >

Heh at our vanished snacks shodatin* -, beagles eat wrappings too ...

Oh nooo Nilgiri at the thought of ou doubting yourself during your struggles . < comforts the brave placard waving snowwoman that you are > Thank you for picture of alter ego & what interesting websites

Hope you aren't suffering dreadfully from sideeffects , upward , before what will hopefully be a strong improvement for you. Hope there are some friendly staff to help you at this difficult time - I don't suppose you feel up to socialising with fellow guests at the moment ?

Thank you all for amazing support as ever with MIL- she was taken yesterday for a 2 week stay in a nursing home & SIL is visiting around now . Am worried about her sense of security but confident the extra attention will boost her greatly .

< sets out snacks in alrmed , tightly - closed tin with and miniatures of amarula for those who cant resist > alocohol free amarula >

Is this our evening for launching our hommeade fireworks from Nilgiri's invaluable trebuchet ? We could hope for results as pretty as these www.lookandlearn.com/history-images/XB008450/A-View-of-the-Fireworks-and-Illuminations-at-his-grace-the-Duke-of?img=4&search=M%20Monday%20May&cat=all&bool=an

Have finally got around to looking up your links Nilgiri, and have to say I admired both snowmen but can understand why you prefer the first - that's exactly how I meant to make your image, but undecided about words for the placard. Now the sun's gone in and it's feeling colder even in the house, will once again postpone making any kind of snowman, and continue boring chores here in order to have a clear day tomorrow (and to be able to find stuff, of course).

I had another increase yesterday. Sounds like lots has gone on hob, hope you're managing with it. shodatin and nilgiri and hob it's been good to read how you are doing. :)

I feel I can manage myself at home now, will ask next week.

< pins on cybergarden medal for perseverance to upward's lapel >
< loads trebuchet with first of our homemade fireworks >

You've done amazingly , upward - and thank you for giving us such a good review ! This thread makes life alot more fun for me too

It will be fabulous to see you go home , and I'm sure staff helping you will feel the same

< adds applewood log to fire >
< gears up for our display >

Yes , the snowman with placard is Nilgiri , shodatin , the snow has brought out another layer of youre storytelling genius

Hope your chores are largely ver with & thatNilgiri has had a day with a reasonable amount of frivolity to reward herself for stressful efforts

Hope kizzie and madmouse* families are all well and enjoy half term

Wonderful news from upward! Am so pleased that meds are finally working, and look forward to your discharge; you have been so very patient during this long period at the hospital. Am going to suggest we keep a few of hobs home-made fireworks back until we have your going-home date, as I'm sure we'll all feel like celebrating with you. Hope madmouse and kizzie
drop in soon to hear about your success - well done.

On a completely different level, have just woken up for second time this evening, and am cross about losing so many hours from my life with pointless dormousing....
Better have a look at night sky and calm down again, or will maybe read upward's news again and cheer up.

Just rushing in to say goodnight. Unaccountably busy day without actually having done anything (how?!). Sorry, will do better tomorrow.

Fantastic to hear you're feeling better, Upward! I shall cross everything that you get a discharge date this week.

hob's magnificent fireworks perfect for the occasion, as ever (and I'm sure she has some more up her sleeve, so to speak!).

Oh dear, sorry you're dormousing so much, shodatin. I have visions of you going nose-down in your . Hope you're safely in bed by now, and properly asleep.

Off to do same. Hope we all get a decent night's rest, and tomorrow is a good one for all.

Goodnight all (much too late tonight)

Another beautiful, sunny morning, and hoping upward had a good night and is feeling refreshed, relaxed and symptom-free now the meds seem to be adjusted - such a big relief now the going-home-date is in sight.
Hope everyone else has something good to look forward to (or receives a nice surprise if not).

Before I forget, beagles certainly can eat confectionery wrappings, usually just spitting out string from roasts etc. and can produce some amazing metallic-poo effects.
Sweets and biscuits safer in tins, even cats co-operating by knocking item onto floor are frustrated by tins.
Just making some s, as fairies seem to have been in here and done usual clean-and-tidying job.

Have just missed note of hob's new tins for our sweets and snacks, so should be safe now. Also meant to enquire about MiL, and hope the stay in care home is relaxing all round, seems a good idea.