What are you all up to

Very bright start to the day,but in places there was quite a heavy frost,and with the sun low in the sky some wonderful light beams coming through the trees

Grey  and  damp  day  up  here  in  the County  Palatine,  alas.    Not  cold  yet  but  that's  supposed  to  be here  in  24  hours  or  so  --  nasty  blue  area  on  the  TV forecast .  No  nice  light  thro'  the  trees, JVB,  the  large  willow  across  the  road  had  a  good  trim  this  spring   and  yesterday  it  got  the  "Big Chop".  7  foot  fence  blocks  the  view  so  cannot  yet  see  if  its  been  coppiced  or  taken  right  down to  root  level.  What  ever  they  have  done  they'll  never  get  all  its  roots  out -  don't  think  the  council  would  like  the  road  being  dug  up 

Not so bright here today but still ok to work outdoors, so 1 of the beds in the back garden was tackled this morning. I gave the big Buddleia a half way chop to stop it getting rocked with the winter winds. Then a tidy round of the rest of the bed loads of leaves from the Buddleia and the 5 Silver Birch trees we have in the back garden. Only got 2 more beds to do and the big border along the back of the house. Once its all done we can think about going away again 

We both got our Flu jabs this morning, we have to go to the GP's surgery up here can't get them done at the Pharmacy unless you are paying for them. The surgery was busy but they had 3 nurses on and each took a different age group so we only had a 25 minute wait. Unfortunately I have to go back again next week as I have to get the Pneumococcal, they were only doing Flu jabs today 

This afternoon we went out to get something for Mum's birthday  got a variety of things which I think she will like  also got a small cake.

Happy birthday to your Mum TG! I am busy knitting some fingerless handwarmers for mine! 

Another lovely day here in Cornwall, our last sadly. Gorgeous afternoon out with MH down at Caerhays/Porthluney Beach. This is where a smaller MH comes into its own, down some tight lanes, but park up right on the beach side, lovely picnic, stunning views and a paddle!

We start to head North tomorrow, but Tavistock will be our main aim, with a CL somewhere in Okehampton area, so we can drive over Dartmoor. Our aim is to avoid the M5, but use other roads where we can and head up to Cleeve Abbey and Berkeley, then on into Cotswolds.

Titter of the day was a huge articulated lorry stuck just outside Par Docks, way too high for low bridge! Not English of course, nuisance for locals though!

A fine day in S.E.Dartmoor, but there was a cool wind blowing for some of the time, warm in the sun though. We drove up to Haytor Moor and did a circular walk taking in all the tops and quarries, ending with the short scramble onto the top of Haytor Rock its-self.  Lots of families out together which was good to see.

Have a safe trip up to Okehampton, tda.

Glad that you managed to get your flu jabs, TG. We'll have to arrange to get ours done when we get back home in mid November....hope they haven't run out of stock by then.

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I gave the big Buddleia a half way chop to stop it getting rocked with the winter winds.

TG 

We had a speaker from a nursery at one of our pensioner meetings who said the if you cut it down to near ground level you will get larger flowers. What I can't remember is whether that should be the spring or autumn! At least cutting it down now won't have all the seeds blowing everywhere. Wish my neighbour would take a leaf out of your book as they all blow into our garden and I spend the next year pulling up seedlings!!!

David

We give ours a trim about now, again really to protect it and the stuff around it from the winds, then a hard pruning - cut off about the top 3/4 at about end of February. Seems to work pretty well! 

Goldie sounded like a good price 😉. Lots of the diary cows in NZ are very spare and I thought they looked underfed 😲. But looking at your girl maybe it's the breed? I'm sure yours are properly cared for otherwise they wouldn't be prize winners 😂. I've been used to freesians and Holstein which appeared to be better covered. I expect she'd be pleased to be milked after the ring. Your milk or the new owners?

We do similar and it works for us too.