Egypt4u

Sounds good, enjoy your evening
Me? well just done my weekly shop and currently doing some housework off out Saturday night for a meal as its my mates birthday, but as my son in law has just given me an 8 pint can of Hobgoblin beer and once opened it needs to be drunk, I have invited a coup[le of mates down this evening to assist in the task.

When we had the snow I mentioned that a little Campanula growing in the concrete in my back yard still had flowers on it.

Well, 2 flowers opened this afternoon and it's loaded with buds. What an extraordinary little plant

Not too sure what all I'll do this weekend. It is a 3 day holiday weekend and the weather is good. Will have to see what I can get up to.

Well we have managed to drink all the beer plus a few more cans to go with it a good job well done in my opinion

I was out in the backyard checking watering and noticed a swarm of bees on one of the bird houses. Called the local Bee Association and am now waiting for somebody from there to come and grab the swarm. Really interesting to see them all too. Have always thought I wouldn't mind having a hive or two or so but, on the other hand how much honey do I or would I ever really eat?

Going to be interesting watching this person grab the bees.

Update re: bees - apparently I have a swarm of local native bumble bees. They're really great to have in the garden but not the kind a beekeeper wants to produce honey. The hive will be maybe 40 - 100 bees tops. Come the fall the Queen will get rid of everybody except for 4 or 5 workers and for the winter she'll burrow somewhere in the ground to overwinter and then come spring she'll pop up again and re-establish another hive.

How good is that having your own Bumble Bee colony

I felt kinda silly when the bee guy came and didn't get a swarm. I'm equally happy that it is bees in this bird nest as last year it did have baby birds who didn't make it to adulthood (cause of the neighbourhood cat) so I didn't clean it hoping that would dissuade another bird nest and I think I was successful 'cept I got bees. Ahh well - will try and get some photos. The front of the bird box looked interesting with all the bees on it. I do have lots of flowers and I was trying to attract bees so I guess I was successful.

Today I have the painter guy here finally to finish painting my front door. The old door was brown and it took so long to order in a new front door last year that it didn't get here until December. Too cold to paint the frame so it has remained brown wood 'til today. Not it'll ALL be white which will look much better than it being wood colour.

Everything has just been caulked and the guy has gone but will be back around 1pm to get a coat of pain on everything.

to get a coat of pain on everything.

Or a coat of paint even

Just saw it - yup it has been a coat of PAIN (cause it has taken so long) so will be happy to get a coat of painTon the door today (if not TWO coats that is)

Mrs G was otherwise engaged this morning so I rode into town. Did about three miles and none of the 8 battery lights had gone out so I shall keep pushing to see what the range really is.

Last time I mentioned this passage under the railway for cattle to pass through.

I went down the path on the other side today and this is what was part of the 18th century farm. Now just a field for recreation at the bottom of my road.


I went to the cathedral, the Nave was filled with chairs in preparation for the upcoming graduation ceremonies next month.


At Christ Church Gate there was a queue waiting to pay their £9.50 admission. I go in by the small doorway to the left of the main arch.


On a different subject; some time ago I posted a picture of an unusually shaped tree in the Westgate Gardens.

Rumour has it that there was an iron bench around the tree in Victorian times and over the years the tree has grown to completely engulf the bench seat. Seems far fetched BUT: Looking up at the oak tree that I had cut back recently I noticed the remains of some of the hangings for two swings that I hung there when the grandkids were small. About 20 years ago. If you enlarge the image and look closely you will see tails of blue rope and that the tops of two 'U' shaped hangers are now completely engulfed by the tree.


So perhaps there is some credence in the other tree story?

Certainly is an unusual shape for a tree, at first I thought it was an African Baobab. There are lots of records that show trees growing around things, there is one example somewhere of a tree being cut open and they found an old bicycle inside that had been leaned against it and left. I did have to smile at your use of words “I rode into town” I had visions of you as Roy Rogers on Trigger.

YeeeHaaa!

Just got back from a night out with some good friends, a few drinks in the pub then a very nice Indian meal, it was my mates birthday so we treated him and his wife.

You really are getting around now Grandad

You pictures are lovely as is the cathedral

Lovely photos Grandad and I particularly like the Cathedral. Wish I could see it myself.

As for my door - the plan was to have it all finished Friday BUT while the Painter guy showed up on the dot of 7:30am and got it all caulked he then got held up and put me off 'til Tuesday when he'll show at 7am to start the painting. Wasn't too happy as I also got held up all day waiting around - well waiting 'til he called me at 1pm saying he couldn't show.

Think cruising the garden centers are going to happen today. Sun is shining so will cruise out soon and head somewhere to do something.

Met up with my son at my daughters house and he went away with 3 eggs from Nelly the Welsommer, she was hoping to have 4 eggs for him by today, one for each of his family, but Nelly was a no show today. I modified a couple of picket fence type fence panels to make one long one and then fitted it along the top of a wall for her, that should stop her daft Spaniel (Marley's) from getting past it and 'farting in chapel' as we say around here.

Today the sun is out and I'm watering (granted by hoses so I'm not standing there by hand) the veggie garden. Will poof more Sevin dust onto the tomatoes & beans as they're all poking their heads out. It is an organic and does stop the cut worms.

Yesterday I cruised the garden centers and ended up buying a 6-pack of wooly thyme - the walkable growing stuff that flowers light purple and got it placed about the garden. I have some already and have been separating it and moving it here and there but this stuff seems pretty decent as a ground cover and keeping the weeds down plus I think it is pretty.

I also bought 2 new hybrid (or new to me) dianthus that are white with a deep purple center. I quite like the way these mound and spread and most of mine are pink or red and either singles or doubles but I've never seen a white with a purple eye so got two more of these. Everything is planted so today is just checking watering.

End of a 3 day weekend here too. As the weather has been decent everybody has cleared out of town, roads are really busy with trailers and campers so I haven't been too keen on going anywhere.

I had a very productive day yesterday and kept busy until nearly midnight. Excellent day.

The bonus was that I found out after 4.00am how to stop night notifications of flashing lights and sound that I use as a rule. I must say this was after 5 very brief messages at 3.00am. Then a message from me to the sender asking for a bit of sleep. ……… Well an hour later another 2 voice messages!

Desperation brought results I won't be disturbed any more at night Hurraah!

To true, I would also put a stop to that sort of thing, very inconsiderate unless its an emergency.