Cybergarden: Spring into Summer

[Upwardandonward]

Here's a new thread for us.

Afternoon all < very guiltily > Sorry couldn't get online earlier
Done political stuff , now for frivolity < packs us all into time machine >

Sorry , must have crossposted with turpentine -scented Nilgiri
Glad you did reap some sprouting brocolli ,shodatin & hope cucumber & autumn-sown seeds will prosper - enjoying all this gardening talk

Can your friend spoken to her community police officers ? There's a family party in a nearby house atm & we can't believe arrogance of inflicting music on so many others- bah
Hope all have a good afternoon & aaaaaaaapologies for mad rush

Congratulations on political stuff Merivel, am grateful to you for managing this, also for suggestion for poor noise-ridden friend (and unwell husband).
Realise you're very busy right now, but before I'm packed into HF's time machine, I'd rather like to know where and when we're heading, preferring home, as a rule.
Agree Nilgiri deserves medal for vaccuuming, and hope this was not excessive, as frequently followed by dormousing and one of us should be awake.

Good grief - thought memory-saving automatic process was never going to let me post- really sorry shodatin if you mean you worry about not having one of us around in case upward posts I will try to look in more often rarher than snoozing in steamer chair - hope you , Nilgiri & upward all OK .
Still giggling at your unreasonable wish to know destination - a village I often mention where many of Dh's forebears lived

Thanks strongly undeserved , very kind shodatin , but greatly valued from person who's always so concerned to help others . I was delighted when a man came up to buy a paper saying he'd been doing the same here 30 years ago & that anyone who plugs away at this in our town deserves encouragement

Very grateful for unexpected country drive , most calming to crabby self fretting about tasks undone & many disruptive inadequacies ... history walk in village was rained off but lovely people want to rearrange it & churchyard was full of primroses & pale violets

< HF brings mouthful of both to all cybergardeners >

Were startled to find a half a dozen huge bulls roaming loose on moorland road - Dh thinks they must have broken fre & I feel a bit guilty for not looking for a phonebox to give country police a giggle at our bemused expense
s & weekend snacks

Merivel, you're worrying too much! Was not thinking of someone being around, just hoping Nilgiri was not going to suffer for over-doing the cleaning (as I do quite often), and assure you that sitting in steamer chair is perfectly reasonable occupation and you do more than your share anyway. It must be annoying when laptop plays up (and usually makes me cross .)
I'd have been worried about the bulls too, but there seem to be fewer phone boxes around these days and one could look for a long time. I don't think it's usual to allow bulls to roam unaccompanied, or cows either, and your DH is probably right and they'd made a break for it

< tries to untwist from stressing > Thank you , shodatin, am relieved - & many thanks for reassurances but I definitely will try to pop in more often , but less wordily

Oh my , I knew we should have called someone but the bulls were very close to a police station ( not so close a car would suddenly be confronted with one , & there was a cattle grid between the two . They seemed to be of several exotic breeds & I thought of Nilgiri's bison video [grin}

Hope you've had a reasonable day & are enjoying the evenings becoming so much lighter , & that Nilgiri has recovered somewhat & has been enjoying spring plants etc

Hope upward can feel the good wishes of friends & loved ones

shall we have some lemonbalm

Visitors went well, have been crashed out most of the day since.

shodatin the mint arrived! Still perky despite a week in the post (a lot perkier than me!), and is now sitting in water. I will plant in two pots, and if both lots survive will find someone to share it with. Thank you for your lovely card, too.

Sorry, exhausted and will read properly tomorrow. Hope all well in the cybergarden. Warm thoughts to Merivel and Upward. And of course madmouse and kizzy and any other visitors.

Oh my Nilgiri , didn't realise you were due visitors today < upgrades medal > Brilliant it went well , and hope you feel better after extra dormousing ( for which many sympathies , ditto shodatin )

< asks fairies very nicely to make summerhouse extra fresh & cheery , without disturbing sleeping Nilgiri>

< adds log to fire >

< tiptoes back in > PS , shodatin , has your friend suffering long-running noise problem contacted her council about it , I wonder ? They have noise abatement offficers- will look up

Very peaceful night to all

< hears sounds of beagle dreaming vividly >

Lemonbalm 's a brilliant idea, Merivel, but wish I could remember something about Nilgiri's bison, which is not ringing any bells. Thank you for second good idea for noise-abatement, which I'll pass on, remembering that people next door sold larger house in village because of rowdy neighbours; can be such a problem.

Am amazed at mint delay Nilgiri, was address OK, and postage, I wonder? You really don't have to use all the bits, but that's the one I thought I'd lost and was so happy to find so many roots/shoots. *
You must be exhausted after all yesterday's preparations and then today's visitors, plus all the unexpected bits of mint. (Not surprised you crashed out after visitors) *This gold-variegated variety looked so good with self-sown Lobelia last year, I plan to buy a few more plants to repeat the effect this season.

Thanks to Merivel for arranging for fairies to do their stuff, keeping fire in overnight and calming beagle during his hunting dream. (Feel I've done very little today, so will make hot chocolate nightcaps - with flumps specially for upward*- and say goodnight.

< creeps in , trying not to wake Nilgiri >

Extra thanks sshodatin for your posts when you were having an otherwise unsatisfactory day with tasks - we need to create a new order of merit for your cheering & unique posts which punctuate our days in the cybergarden . Hope you find a few more spoons today , that Nilgiri will soon recover , & that upward can soon havee things to look forward to

Hope we an all hear soothing bird sounds outside window today

Oversleep then feline persons requiring lots of fuss as he's been recovering from a fight wound for over a fortnight- you know how impossible it is for a cat to keep from scratching - am sure his sunbathing will aid

Has you friend seen this website , shodatin
noiseabatementsociety.com/ - these are also starting points , ut I think the 1st site covers the infoo . I feel for her & your other nieighbours as was also forced to move from long-time home due to noisy neighbours - but led to joyous , if expensive , other lets

www.environmental-protection.org.uk/noise/neighbourhood-noise/nuisance/

www.direct.gov.uk/en/HomeAndCommunity/WhereYouLive/NoiseNuisanceAndLitter/DG_10029682

Glad mint arrived , & hope will soon settle into "rooty ways" s

sorry for typos

Thanks again Merivel for all the information about noise. I used to be a member of Noise Abatement Society for years, mainly while suffering from dawn traffic, and a Ffriend is presently involved with the PipeDown people, more attempts to limit anti-social noise, so am pleased to have and pass on the latest information.
I do have enough spoons, thankyou, and am pleased the weather is fairly dry, although during a dash to garage during rain earlier, heard an icecream van playing the music about Do Like to be beside the Seaside, which seemed inapt during dark downpour. Also have just grown another piece of Moroccan Mint, which have been able to add to my Moroccan Tea, which is very nice and something new for me.

Am assuming it's next door's tom who needs sympathy after fighting, as can't really imagine HF having scraps, and agree that the sun is probably beneficial, as my animals have always preferred to drink from puddles and slipways rather than indoor drinking dishes, and DF used to say it was due to sunlight's positive effect.

Evening all , & sorry for long gap , but had an unexpected little drive after shopping / tip etc- brilliant as Dh is exhausted & struggling & favourite places under lowering skies are therapeutic

Ah of course shodatin , sorry for forgetting your Noise Abatement Society links & your friend involved in PipeDown - I think you said you & she carry cards to discreetly leave for proprietors of places with intrusive music ?

Sorry haven't been able to post due to unexpected little drive out after shopping & errands - very pleased as Dh exhausted & struggling & a visit to favourite places under dramatic skies, was very cheering as rather
Delighted to hear you have had enough spoons to manage some activity today
I do love silly contrsts like the icecream van song I Do Like to be Beside the Seaside in grim weather - sounds mildly poignant

It is indeed ndt with the battle scars , thank you , & his human & dh & I have been fretting over the healing & (TMI -please look away if feeling fragile) then scratching etc of the sore patch for almost 3 weeks now , knowing there's not cash available for a vet visit unless truly necessary - is healing over each time & doesn't look infected , but needs to be watched
.
How fascinating that sunlight might be having an antibacterial action on outdoor water ! I have read that cats prefer still water without the chlorine taste of tap water , too

Hope Nilgiri , upward & madmouse &kizzie can all join us for a snooze in the steamer chairs

Pot of Moroccan Mint tea coming up Merivel, and hope you like it as much as I do. Sure ndt will keep his wound clean, but is probably scratching as skin itches while healing, poor puss. Vets like to give anti-biotics in such cases, which I found are much cheaper if animal will take tablets (in cheese or butter) rather than one huge injection. I think you're all doing just the right thing, and am wondering how HF's reacting to the fussing?
So glad you and DH managed to get out for some fun today; it's an escape from the chores/four walls.
What a marvellous memory you have about my noise problems, had almost forgotten myself as am personally untroubled at present.
Had a relaxing day here, with usual phoning and skyping etc, but would love another Sunday tomorrow! Hope everyone else is doing well, and that upward might be at home by next weekend.

Thank you so much for asking about DSis, Merivel. She's struggling on, and I don't know where this one will go, to be honest. Maybe they will get good rain next year and all will be well.

Your Moroccan mint is exquisite , thank you , shodatin

Glad you had a relaxing day & chatted to friends & family- is your DB managing any pleasant pastimes lately ? Am still smiling at long hikes in inclement weathder for good meal at end of it

Thank you shodatin for excellent advice on ndt , which I will pass on to his human . You are such a wise friend to felines- of course HF is very put out at extra checking & fussing ! She is getting extra attention to compensate

Yes indeed , wish everyone could enjoy an outing on demand - would be one of my wishes if I rulled the world

Apologies for being so uninspired in writing terms today - lots of chores as electricity meter needs inspecting , gas pipes needing changing in house
< hides > but am mentally stll in country lanes

Ooops , just missed your wonderful post , Nilgiri , which we all look forward to - lightweight indeed
at rolling over & dreaming beagle

So sorry about inadequate postage Nilgiri, thought I'd got away without PO queueing and parking, and have found officials sometimes have lee-way on these occasions, one had "very old scales" and overturned extra cost as borderline when queried, which I often do now.

Would be happy to send trial teabags (with enough postage) Merivel, if you'd like real ones. Am amazed at huge amount of physical labour you get through/have remaining, and wish you spoons.
And goodnight with spoons to everyone else, with cover replaced over beagle to muffle yipping noises at night.

Belated good morning all s Grateful thanks for muffling beagle yips - I made sure he got a goo drun round this morning

Hope you are OK this morning , shodatin , & am all goaty- toed Nilgiri for no delayed reaction to wildly active few days

Thank you for update on DSis - so hope she has some real good luck with rain etc ... the circs are unimaginable to me , & must weigh so heavily on you . I'm sure she finds your support essential , even if not always enacting good advice . I wonder how I would fare in a climate where mistakes can be so serious , & options are so restricted .

My first thought on seeing astonishing bulls was of your bison There were several colours of bristle & shapes of horns & my brain couldn't make nse of their presence at all ( your magnificent vieo was so memeorable , but not unbearably distressing to me , thank you)

I have indeed been so lucky to enjoy outings , shodatin but my energy for them is at the expense of basics such as grooming / sorting out medical & financial tangles /getting to bed instead of sofa ... I have so many things to change & can only do a few at a time < thinks of kizzie's inspirational improve a habit by 10% benchmark >

Very glad Nilgiri is slumbering in the summerhouse , storing up morsels to share with us later , & hope for some good news for upward when she sees doctor this week

< raises a st George's Day alcohol - free cider to shodatin's dauntless work at keeping our summerhouse chatter so regular & enjoyable >

There be a dragon in our summerhouse !!! What happned to poor Nilgiri - munched ? < flees unvaliantly , singed >

Surprised there's a dragon in summerhouse, beagle must have been even more surprised (remembering shock/awe of own hounds when walking past Australia House and all the local (stuffed) animals, a few years ago. Have no doubt that Merivel can deal with dragons, being so enthusiastic about own dragon patterns and no doubt having lots of information about Welsh dragons from DH and family. Had forgotten it's St. George's Day, although no doubt local friend has Union Jack flying again this year
and right-way-up, which passer-by stopped to inform them was up-side-down last year. Will admit to not recognising object Nilgiri found and thought it might be a prawn....

Thanks for all the weekend thoughts - I got out today! I always forget what a state the flat will be in, but never mind, at least I have time to sort it now :).

Dragons ?!??

< staggers in from searching for daragon's lair & borne-off cybergardener >

Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay , Upward !!!! Welcome home !!!! So brilliant see you - &a happy St George's Day , non-jingoistic of course

Sorry to hear flat in need of springclean - will ask our cyberfairies to whizz round for you

< hands trusty non-slaying , just stern Saint a good English>

< puts out large pot of tea & gigantic tin of [biscuits]

at my apparent expertise in dragon matters , shodatin- that is your field ! Love your neighbour & pernickety passers-by

A large, fiery prawn which sounds like seafood vindaloo.

Upward that is so fantabulous that you're out! Hope the flat is warming up nicely and you've been able to get shopping/carers in today. Do you think if we asked nicely would be helpful dealing with rubbish?