Hi both xxx

Baz

what a shame the weather disturbed your sleep. Hope you make up for it tonight.

Yes good news in that they discovered that drug (and I heard it is cheap to supply) to helps those poor people who catch this covid disease and are so ill with it. Not so good news, that there are another 233 dead in the figures again today though, so still some way to go. I also heard there are 2 infections in New Zealand, and thats afer they had  got rid of it for over 2 weeks, but they should control that over there, as it was 2 peoeple who bought it in from London. I assume they were put in quarantine when they arrived in NZ?

Bake Off is good, does it make you fancy cake? It does me.

Hicky

how did MrsH get on at work today? Hope the is not too exhausted being her 1st day back after such a long break.

Sounds like you have been having trouble with your Smart Meter again? Hope you can get it sorted soon.

Hot day here today, so sat outside on swingchair and took doggie a walk. OH did a BBQ again, but had to rush it in the end as rumbles of thunder arrived. However it only rained a little.

Watching the last episode the the true drama about the Salisbury poinsonings. Very interesting, and recording BB.

Have a good evening both xxx

Evening Mollie.

Yes, so hard to get in touch with British Gas, no way to contact them seems to work so sent them a couple of tweets, got a tweet back, we then started a convo in private messages, ended up chatting all night with this feller about trees growing food cooking etc, anyway he will message me when they can sort out an engineer to sort the smart meter out, it stopped working which is a pain, it seems the engineers are just getting back to visits and haven't started fixing smart meters yet.

Mrs H didn't mention work so i assume it went ok, the new Blender arrived but i don't have any fruit left, will have to build a stock in the freezer maybe, the blender feels and look good quality as well.

Had some terrible thunder here before, wow, thought it was above the house.

BB just finished, loved it, amazing how much i remember of the show.

Had eggs on toast for brekkie, took a half loaf of mine from the freezer, left it 5 minutes then cut a slice and put the rest back in the freezer, great, had 3 eggs and Chorizo, for tea had a Laksa soup with added chorizo then finished the last of my Samosa's with some nice pickle.

Hope Baz is ok today, stay safe, sleep tight.

evening All

No Baz again, hope you ok Baz and not been doing too much.

23c today, it said more or less rain all day bet, nothing which pleased me.

Made a loaf to try out the wholewheat flour i have about 5kg of, the loaf isn't too bad, i forgot to put the seeds in.

For brekkie had 2 slices of brad as i forgot to have any, for tea i thawed 2 chicken thighs and opened a carton of Madras curry sauce and had half with a rice cake and froze the other half.

One of my lads wants me to make hot chili curry sauces and post some to him, he was going to buy me a can sealing machine for christmas so i can can curries for him, where he thinks i can get cans from i have no idea.

O/H went to visit her mother today while i played around with dough.

Garden is growing flat out now, i put the watering back on as i can't trust the forecast.

I'm going to write this chili curry recipe down, think i have all the ingredients.

Looking foreward to BB tonight, can't have too much of that show.

Hoping my wood comes tomorrow so i can move a stage nearer to the turf fitting, just playing it by ear.

Stay safe and alert, leep smiling and sleep tight.

both xxx

Hope you are ok today Baz and are having a good day.

Hicky

shame about your problems with the meter but that's nice you got to chat with the gas guy about other things of interest.

What a shame you get your new blender but now have no fruit for it. Good idea to get frozen in. I have frozen cherries as they have such a short season and they are good.

We have had some thunder rumbling, but apart from a quick shower, nothing more.

MrM made a wholemeal loaf in the breadmaker for tea and me and son had it with melted camanbert, son and MrM had it with corned beef, and daughter fried some bacon to have with hers. I had strawberries and cream after.

Nice day again, so sat in swingchair and got a few washloads dry. Took doggie a walk, didn't go far as the thunder was rumbling in the background.

Watching Sewing bee tonight.

Have a good evening both xxx

Evening Mollie.

Been reading recipes for Indian curries, got a good hot one, it's called PHAAL the other the normal Madras.

This is the second time the smart meter to gas meter has failed but until they can get an engeneer out to fix it not much i can do.

I was looking on the Sainsbury's web site and they have 15 packs of frozen fruit mixes for smoothies, each £2 but don't know if any local, will get some fruit and chop and freeze if i can.

It was pouring down before with the usual thunder etc.

Glad you enjoyed your wholemeal bread for tea, and strawberries and cream, you are spoilt.

I took a walk over the road, one of the neighbours having some work done in the back, problem is they had to drop the 8 ton skip in the driveway gate entrance, to make it worse they had a ton of flags delivered and 2 ton of sand in bulk bags which were all dropped off into the skip, this morning a lorry arrived to take the skip, the feller doing the work didn't even know they were coming for it, the driver took a couple of pictures and left, he has to empty 2 ton of sand by shoveling it from one end of the skip to a barrow on the other end.

Evey chaannel i turn to it's a repeat, some i only saw yesterday and it's on a gain.

Got plenty of recording though.

Stay safe and alert, sleep tight.

Evening All.

No Baz again, wonder what is up, hope she is ok.

A rather wet day here, 16c heavy rain and a gentle breeze.

Had eggs on toast for brekkie, for tea decided to have the other half of yesterdays Chicken Madras on had it with Pasta, nice, the pasta was tubes so the curry could get in.

Only went outside with an umbrella to open the back gate so the wood delivery could come in, for some reason only 2 pieces where delivered, i rang company, he said he thought i wanted 2, i said i ordered 4, but 2 was on the delivery note, he sau=id they would deliver another 2 pieces tomorrow no charge, it's only 2x1 @ 0.70p per mtr, @ 4.8m lengths x 2 isn't a lot.

Don't enjoy staying in all day, was going to make a loaf but had o/h coming in with shopping, expecting wood delivery and was expecting Amazon with my 20 pack of pork screatching, peanuts to follow.

Too cold to make Smoothies really, hope yogurt, orange and apple juice don't go off in the fridge.

Looking forward to BB again, wish they would get rid of Davina & Rylan.

Have a good evening and stay safe

Evening Mollie and Hicky  It’s rained all day here today ....but luckily no more thunderstorms! I’ve slept better the last two days ....so yesterday I caught up on some jobs ....but today I’ve slobbed our most of the day ...apart from some washing and cleaning the kitchen Hope you are both having a good day .

Mollie , I can’t believe next week is the last Sewing I’ve really enjoyed the series ...and the thread ...I hope you have too  It was sunny here too the last two days  ....until the evening then the heavens opened ....and we had tremendous thunderstorms  Hicky , I’m fine ....I was here day before yesterday Are you enjoying BB ? I am , but it makes me realise just how much I miss it I hope C4 might consider bringing it back . Have you any idea of the viewing figures ? 

Anyway , thank you both for caring I hope you both have a good evening . Take care . 

Evening Baz.

Glad you are ok, rain rain rain here, not ideal for me, glad you've slept better, you need that, could be because it's been cooler, usually helps.

Yes, loving BB, not keen on the presenters, waste of space, need all the shows on again from the start, someone is missing a golden ticket here.

Cant find any viewing figures yet, yes, be great if C4 brought it back.

Stay safe, keep smiling and carry on sleeping well.

It's on in 15 minutes.

both xxx

Baz

so glad to hear you slept better the last 2 nights. Nothing wrong with a bit of slobbing, you deserve it after going through such a rough time with your ankle.

Yes I have enjoyed sewing Bee and the thread too. Shame Liz had to go though.

We too have had heavy rain today, but not thunder. My Morrisons delivery came and the driver said there was flash flooding on the way. Unfortunately it is the same places that were flooded last time around.

Yes it has been great seeing the old BB favourites again , it would be great if C4 got it back again. I think it was never so good when C5 took over as it was on C5.

Hicky

What a nuisance that smart meter is breaking twice.

Oh dear, that delivery at your neighbours did involve a lot of messing about. Poor fella who ended up shovelling the sand.

I agree about the repeats, I start watching so many shows, then suddenly realise they are only repeats!

Good job they will deliver the missing wood free of charge.

Yes its not nice being stuck in all day due to bad weather. We were too, even the dog didn't want a quick walk as it was so wet.We have got used to nice weather, so it is diffiult for us when we get wet days now, especially during lockdown.

So I didn't do much today, wiped all shopping down first thing, watched This Morning, then just tidied, and watched a bit more  tv, but left washing on hold until we get a drier day. Family had fish and chips for tea and I had small pizza and chips for mine.

Nearly BB time,

Have a good evening both xxx

Evening Mollie.

Are fish and chip chops allowed to open yet?, can't remember.

I got 2 packs of brown shrimps in my shopping but need to make a new loaf to make a sandwich, have bread in the freezer, just fancy, warm fresh bread.

The skip wagon came this morning and took away the massive skip, an 8 ton skip and it had a few olf flags in the bottom, 

The rest of 2 massive bulk bags of grit was still in the skip, when i was talking to the feller doing the work, i mentioned i had to buy 6 bags of grit as i ran out, he said you should have come and taken some of this, i said i can't go to a skip and start taking sand from a bulk bag, he said i got 2 bags, have far too much but better than not enough.

I have turned the watering system off again, no point in wasting water.

Don't blame doggie not wanting to go out, think it's not nice on the paws.

That fish and chips sounds good, can't remember when i had that last.

Keep safe, stay happy and sleep tight.

Evening All.

17c today, light rain showers with a fresh breeze.

The rest of the wood came, an extra 3 piece, so have 5 now, paid for 3, thought it was cheap.

Made a Phaal curry, wow, dynamite, had ir with a pack of prawns and a rice cake.

O/H had some big plants delivered from Gordale nursery with nice square outer plant pots, 1 plant is a black Bamboo about 7ft tall.

Just made a smoothie, didn't use my garage store of frozen fruit just used some bananas, yogurt, orange juice and a tine of sliced peaches, it was ok.

Enjoyed BB last night although that show wasn't one i would have chosen, Call me Jackie.

Think i will make a loaf tomorrow, need one to have some shrimps.

For Brekkie had bacon on my toast with fried tomato and of course brown sauce.

Witht he aid of some plastic box bases i have divide the spice cupboard to make it easier to find spices i want, the set used in the hot curry is all together, seeds are in another tray, its awkward without when you have dozens of those small spice jars.

Have a good evening, stay safe and sleep tight.

both

Baz

hope you have had a good day today and are feeling well.

Hicky

Yes I think fish and chip shops can open as long as they are just take away. We just made oven fish shop style cod in batter and oven chips when we had them though.

No wonder you fancy warm fresh bread, nothing nicer. We had warm bread that MrM made for tea today with mac cheese than son made. Delicous.

Don't blame you not going through the skip, it certainly would not of looked good. Did he give you the 2 bags or was it too difficult to get it out of the skip?

Looks like you will be turning the water system back on next week, as it is predicted to be hot next week but always best not to waste water. Do you have a water meter? we do, but not from choice, it is more expensive than the non metered one we had in our last house.

Quite windy and cloudy today, so just managed a quick read in the swingchair before it became too cold, even with my coat on, so had to come in. Doggie enjoyed her walk though as it was not too hot, nor wet.

Watching Vera tonight and recording Gogglebox.

Have a good evening bothxxx

Evening Mollie.

Wow, that Phaal curry was so tasty and hot, just had 1 portion with the prawns will freeze as many portions as possible.

That was nice you having fresh made bread again, one thing i enjoyed when working abroad every morning except Sunday you gor fresh bresh ot rolls for brekkie, Sunday in Germany was different as the bakers don't work so no fresh bread Sunday, you get some strange bread like a wholemeal loaf that you could use as bricks to build a house.

In the skip was 2 bulk bags with the remains of the sand the worker didn't need, i didn't know he had finished the job anyway but i think there was a lot of sand left in the bags, say 10% which is 100kg x 2 which equals 8 poly bags of 25kg each.

Yes, we have a water meter, i turn the watering system off because no point when it's been raining, i will have to put another system in for the new plants around the grass area, it has about 6 plants now but may wait to see if more are going to appear but i could add to the system, will probably do the soaker hose loops as they don't show spray jets etc, will look into it.

Had my zip jumper on again as it felt chilly in the fresh breeze.

At least Doggie got a walk, she would enjoy that.

I watched a bit of gogglebox, too ott for me, it's all put on for the camera.

Have a good evening, stay safe and happy.

Afternoon Mollie and Hicky  How are we all this fairly sunny Saturday I slept well again ....that’s three nights running  I’ve been fairly productive today ....washing , cleaning and hoovering ....but now I’m firmly planted in the sofa with my foot up  Hope you are all having a good day , whatever you are doing 

Mollie, I had homemade fish and chips yesterday Have you watched Gogglebox yet ?If you have , stay away from the cutlery drawer and the hoover Hicky , we have a water meter too , but no outside tap , so can only water garden with a watering can Mind you , my water bill should be going down as , cos of my ankle , I am having to have showers rather than my normal baths ...which I really miss ! But as of yet I can’t put enough weight on my ankle to lever myself out of the tub 

Not sure what I’m watching tonight , but whatever you are watching /doing I hope you both have a good evening . Take care 

Evening Baz.

21c here, some sunny intervals with a gentle breeze.

Glad you are sleeping well lately, it makes a lot of difference to you the next day, yes, you muxt protect the ankle, don't take chances.

You do need a tap outside, we had one in the front when we moved in as the front door is on the side, the bathroom is next so a tap was outside the bathroom, i got a tap put in the back outside the utility room as it has the sink there.

Didn't do a lot, made a loaf which is ratch nice, added a little malted flour and wheat flour the rest strong white, added seeds as well, had the first 2 rounds with Irish butter and a pack of brown shrimps, wow, that was super.

Have put the wood for the grass surround in the garage, don't want any getting wet again.

The garden fruit and veg is growing like heck, what a difference a couple of weeks make.

Been looking at a 20m black hose pipe used for plant irrigation, i can run ir around the area outside of the grass/flags etc and water any plants within that area, the pipe can follow along the side of the decking which is the slate alongside the flags where there is slate and the pipe could go under the slate as its about 7cm deep, i could put a 4mm  reducing tee piece every meter in the run with a bit of 4mm pipe and a tap on each so any could be used, add a bit of tube to the plant and turn the 4mm tap on.

We apy a lot less in this bungalow than we payed in our last house with no water meter, at least you are supposed to pay for what you use.

The shower would only make a slight difference to the bill depending on how long you are running it for, how we use the amount of water they say we use i have no idea, the last bill was for 38 cubic metres which is 38,000 litres, the bill before that was for 49 cubic metres 49,000 litres, how on earth we use that i have no idea.

Oh, forgot to say, had a half hour vid call from my lad and family in oz fantastic.

Stay safe and alert, keep on sleeping well, it all helps.

both xxx

Baz

that's good to hear you had 3 good nights sleep in a row. 

Sounds like you have had a busy day, so enjoy your tv time now.

I did watch Gogglebox, that scary film did look weird and practically filmed in the dark.

I am watching Antiques Roadshow now, then BB.

I bet you enjoyed your home made fish and chips.

Yes you must not attempt a bath until you are sure your injury is healed and strong, as it is so difficult getting in and out of a bath.

Hicky

The German type bread generally does seem to be denser. I think they use a lot of rye, I do like rye bread, but only if mixed with wholemeal. (I can get this from tesco or asda), as I find just rye too dense.

How nice you got a half hour call from Oz again. Did you see the little one? Any idea where you are likely to choose for hols?

Your loaf sounds absolutely delicous.

Yes best to put the wood away incase it gets wet as it is rather changable weather wise right now.

 I can see you have more lans for the watering system. No wonder your produce is doing so well. MrM harvested some more of his potatoes, they were really nice. Bunny got to enjoy one of the small carrots.

Sat on swingchair awhile, but it was so windy, I needed to wear my coat! Dog enjoyed her walk, she much prefers the cool weather to the heat. Looks like we have a real hot week to come too. They are predicting 29c on Wednesday! Oh dear, I won't like that, far too hot in this house when its like that.

Tv time now.

Goodnight both xxx

Evening All.

Can't find Mollie, have you been visiting?

Not too bad a day, rain was forecast then changed to sunny intervals, 18c but a fresh breeze.

Had a few Fathers day wishes from the lads, had sausages for brekkie, the last 2 in the freezer, need to restock.

O/H had a vid call this morning from Oz, i was still in bed so missed it, like a lay in Sunday.

Did some work for the turf instalation, cut the 4 new wood batons down to just over size to make them easier to manage, ran them through the saw machine and cut a 45 deg cut on one end so i could screw the right angle brackets on, which i did.

Will probably start replacing th eexisting wood that is around the grass area fitted by the chap doing the flagging, still haven't got the money back for the wood that never arrived, although they say they have paid it, but i can't find it.

Haven't got the money back for the VonShef blender i sent back either.

For tea decided on a baked potato, opened and covered in grated cheese, back in oven, then on plate with Kimchi and chili in mustard oiul pickle, rather tasty.

Found another rather nice recipe for Phaal curry, i can only eat it in small doses as it is so powerful, it is said to be hotter than Vindaloo and that is pretty hot, also it arose from Birmingham probably from the Indain population when they moved there.

I remember going to an eating house with the employees of the company i was working with, it was further South than Birmingham, i asked for a Madras Curried Beef, well, it was so hot i was suffering dreadful, it must have been because the local, population have it so hot, now i think back i bet they used the Phaal recipe, we all had the same, i went through a whole jug of water.

Have a good evening, BB on tonight in 12 minutes, sleep tight.

Afternoon Meanies  It was sunny here this morning ....but it’s clouded over now. I didn’t sleep very well last night ....thought it was too good to last But I’ve managed to do the majority of jobs I wanted to do ....just the bins to put out for collection ....so I’m now slobbed our on the sofa watching The Salisbury Poisonings....scary stuff  Hope everyone else is having a good Monday 

Mollie , don’t worry , I’m not going to try to have a bath ....I’m sticking to showers .....just hoping my ankle is strong enough by the time autumn gets here cos I do love my bath They are predicting those temperatures here too ....and I don’t like it either ....although my house is quite cool . I used to love the hot weather when I was younger , but I tend to stay out of the sun these days as I had a basal cell skin cancer a few years ago . It’s non malignant , but it was enough to make me slap on the factor 50 theses days Hicky , glad you had a nice phone call from OzI felt yesterday’s BB was a bit of a waste of a programme ....seems silly covering the same series twice ....but looking forward to bb3 tonight 

Anyway , I hope you are both staying safe and have a good evening , whatever you are doing 

Evening Baz.

It was 21c today, mainly cloud with a moderate breeze.

Sorry to hear you didn't sleep well, is something dwelling on your mind thats stopping you.

Not sure how long it takes before your ankle is fully strong, i imagine 6 months should do it.

I used the factor 20 or 30 when in oz as the sun was overhead and deadly.

I agree last nights BB was awful, why is Davina and Rylan picking the shows.

Not a lot to report, had bacon eggs and tomms for brekkie with a round of my loaf toasted.

Wandered around the garden looking for things to do but couldn't find any so diverted my attention to the new area which will be grassed, removed the temporary 3x2 wood and made a longer scraper using a paint scraper taped to a handle so i don't have to get down so low, its ready now for the new wood, rang the gardener but don't know when i get get him to help me yet.

Going to try and do more myself, just a bit at a time.

For tea decided on using half a pack of prawns with a potion of hot curry and having it over some fried rice.

Stay safe and alert, sleep tight.

both xxx

Baz

sorry you didn't sleep so good again. Any reason why? Is your ankle playing up or is it just your mind whirring round? I often wake in the early hours, but read my book until I feel too tired to any more. Plus I have the radio on quietly all night.

I too watched the Salisbury poisonings, very good series but as you say, quite a scary tale.

Hope the ankle is nice and strong by autumn but you are doing right, playing it easy right now.

I too used to love the sun, never seemed to get overheated but can only sit in the sun on cooler days now I will be indoors or in the shade for the rest of this week I think. That is not very nice you got basal skin cancer, did you have to have treatment for it? Or did they just leave it?

I agree BB3 should be good tonight, last nights not very good. I did enjoy seeing the Nikki one again though.

Emptybox

You sound well prepared for your turf.

These places certianly seem to be slow repaying money owed! Hope it turns up soon.

I know that phaaal curry would be too hot for me! (and MrsH from what you have said)... at you downing a whole jug of water when you ate one out in B'ham.

Lovely day here today as warm but not hot, so managed to sit out longer on the swingchair today and got lots of washing dried.

Son made some white sauce, added some fresh chicken pieces to it, and family enjoyed it as chicken in white sauce. He also made us all some yorkshire puds, as we all like those, and I had mine with a plate of veg. Had a bit of caramel cake with strawberries for desert, very nice.

How is MrsH coping with work? Is it very busy or about the same it was before befor covid ?

Am watching the drama Broadchurch tonight, as we missed it 1st time round, then recording BB.

Have a good evening both xxx

Evening Mollie.

You called me Emptybox in your post, how strange, he must have been on your mind.

Yes, i suppose with so many upsets in these companies the last thing they want to do is pay more money out.

Yes, going to stick to Madras now, but the restaurant one has special blends that they access from pre-made spice and spice gravy mixes which get incor[orated into any dish they are making, so in theory if i make the spice dry mix and the spice gravy mix i can make any Indian curry my following a standard Indian recipe for that type of curry.

Mrs H doesn't eat curry, spices, sauces or anything like that, she makes her own meals, she only has salt, vinegar, pepper and fresh mint sauce, thats it.

Didn't get much, if any sun today so it was a bit disappointing with all the cloud.

Your son is making a lot of meals, you'll miss him when all this is over.

Mrs H hasn't said a lot about work, she has a screen on the till and can't bag the goods like before, not sure how busy they are, she is working tomorrow, 9.30 till 1.30pm.

Think i will either be working in the garden or making another loaf tomorrow.

Watching BB, have a good evening, sleep tight.

Evening All.

Hope Baz slept better last night, you need that sleep.

Not bad today, no sun till late afternoon, 23c though with mostly cloud, also a moderate breeze which is annoying.

Had bacon on toast for brekkie from the BBQ again with my bread which is jolly nice.

, for tea decided on having xheese and tomato on toast with some Kimchi under the cheese.

Didn't make another loaf as i have a good piece in the kitchen freezer, i did a little work in the garden late on when the sun came out which gave me more light to see what i was doing, i put the 4 sections of wood frame down temporary so i could mark and cut each piece at 45deg, each piece already has the angle bracket fitted and i will join the rest together tomorrow all being well, the sides of the groove keep falling in as the wood i took out was 7cm wide and the new wood is 5cm wide which is handy as it gives me some wriggle room, any gap between the wood and the Grano will be filled in with Grano as i have plenty for that, i'm hoping the gap between the wood and the flags could let me put the end of the turf down, although it is only 25mm deep x 10mm wide at most.

Keep safe, stay alert and have a good evening, BB on again goody.

both xxx

Baz

hope you are well and had a good day.

Hicky

Oh my goodness, how weird, I can't believe I called you "Emptybox"! I even checked back to check to see where I had done that, and there it was , plain as anything, even in block capitals. Yes he is often on my mind when I come here, or when I watch a tv show I know he liked, but I wasn't conciously thinking of him when I typed in last nights post.

MrsH has similiar tastes to me sauce wise, I like mint sauce and also cranberry sauce but don't like spicy stuff.

Its good MrsH has a screen and isn't expected to bag things now.

Glad the weather meant you were able to do more work in the garden today.

Very warm here today too. Didn't take the dog a walk, MrM and boys might take her out very late as it is too hot for her until the sun goes down. She is very tired and doesn't eat much when it is hot. Poor old thing.

We had MrM's potatoes for tea, family had it with veg and tuna and I had pizza bread I made. Just had some lovely strawberries with a dollop of cream and caramel. (the caramel that comes in a tin), very nice it was.

Looking forward to seeing BB tonight. MrM watching football upstairs.

Looks like we have a couple of real hot days to come, oh dear, not so keen on that.

Goodnight both, xxx

Evening Mollie.

It just does to show, you can type things into a post and not even be aware you have done it, your brain told your fingers to type that but it didn't tell your cincious mind you had done it, thats amazing really.

I was looking into the videos of how the Indian restaurants can serve so amny different curry types so quick, well, i know now, they have 2 secret stocks of ingredients which are made up in advance, one is called a Mix and it is a tub of 8 spices of various quantities, the next thing they have is what is called Gravy (called curry base), it is a tub of about 7 spices, 8 large onions, can of diced tomatoes, the lot is then blitzed and is used as part of making the curry, it saves a lot of work as does the spice mix, the curry itself has anpther spice mix with 5 ingredients, 1 being a tsp of the previous spice mix, the Madras curry itself has another 4 spices with onions, tomato paste, cury base (gravy) and coconut milk or powder and lemon juice so you can see it takes an awful lot to make  meal in an Indian Restaurant.

Are you picking potatoes you planted this year, one patch of mine is about 5ft high with flowers another is well behind but was planted first.

Don't blame the dog not wanting to go out in the heat, i had to put my cap on and take my jumper off when the sun came out.

I had some ice cream after the meal, i have finished all the bananas and didn't want to open a tin of fruit.

BB was ok, not a show i would have picked mind.

Expecting 30c on Thursday, our weather and temps are controlled by the Jet Stream, it is up paat Scotland and Ireland just now so we get the heat coming from the South, if it comes from the North we get the cold weather from the Arctic.

Have a good evening, sleep tight.

Afternoon Mollie and Hicky  In the words of the song ....it’s too darn hot , it’s too darn hot ! I slept ok , but my ankle doesn’t like this heat , so I’ve not done a lot ....changed the sheet and pillowcases , done some washing , and spent ages plugging any possible ant routes on the landing I found two of the flying type up there yesterday afternoon , but I’ve found out where they are getting into the wall ...just above the patio ....so I’ve put down some ant bait ! It takes a few days to work , but hopefully it will do the trick eventually ! Anyway , hope you are all having a good day ...whether you are enjoying the sun or not 

Mollie , it’s the Sewing final tonight ....but I think we can probably guess who is going to win I hope your doggie is managing to stay cool Hicky , I thought last nights bb was a bit something and nothing ....hopefully tonight’s will be better ! I think they picked the wrong formula ...Imo it would have been better to have picked the best evictions , best diary room rants , best nominations etc .....that way they could have spread the programmes to cover more series . Glad they are looking after Mrs H at work 

Anyway , have a good evening both .....stay safe , and stay cool 

Evening Baz.

What a scorcher25c today, sun, sun, sun and no breeze.

Hab smoked bacon on the bbq on toast.

The gardener came midday, he started on the grass area work, got the wood all screwed and down, also the weed matting then the underfelt, quite a job to get it all nailed down, had to order more nails from ebay as all others unavailable for some reason.

Didn't think the heat would bother your ankle, thats a blow, glat you slept ok, i find it hard to sleep, i kick the covers off for a while then put them back as i feel cold, that happens all night, not the weather for a duvet really.

I have a hair appointment on July 6th, the feller you is doing o/h will do it, i would never be able to get in my usual barbers after all this time, the queue will be all round town.

For tea just made a Korean seafood noodle soup, omg, love it, just had a Mango Smoothie ice lolly, going to have another, Del Monte - Sainsburys sell them, i remember getting them 2 years ago, i got addicted, i could live on them, must put them on my shopping list as o/h shopping in the morning.

I used to use the and powder thing that i puffed where they used to walk, they soon went. 

Nippon 300g Ant Killer Powder

Yes, not a good choice of BB last night, pretty poor really.

Have a good evening, enjoy BB, sleep tight.

both xxx

Baz

you are right , it is too damn hot! Over 30c here today!

Ants are such a pain, hope they leave you soon.

Yes Sewing Bee final. so see you on forum there soon.

I agree with you about the BB format, it could of been made a lot more interesting, parts of it, I just can't see why they include it, it is so borning. It seems just like an easy method of putting the show together without the need to edit to the best bits of each show.

HIcky

Yes indeed, it was such a weird feeling looking back and seeing how my subconcious had typed Emptybox's name in instead of yours. I remember how it was a shock to Emptybox's brother when he told me about Emptybox on the phone last year and I burst into tears, and I blurbed out how I loved Emptybox and will miss him, (as his brother didn't know about us and how long we had known him for).

The Indian cooking is fascinating. My Indian neighbour certainly uses a lot of differnt spices in her curries.

Yes MrM is picking potatoes he planted about 10 weeks ago, huge plants they are now. Delcious potatoes.

That's good the gardener was free to help you today.

I didn't realise you had to make an appointment for a gents hair cut, my lads just turn up for theirs. One lad goes to one in a caravan, and the other lad drives to his fave one on the coast as he likes a chat with the lady who does his. But they are still closed here and don't know when they will open, so I cut my lads last Sunday. I hadn't cut the boys hair for years, but I have good hairdresser scissors, and had watched the hairdesser on This Morning, so I was pleased with the result. Luckily son was happy with it too. He didn't give me a tip though.

Not surprised you are enjoying your ice lollies in this weather. My Morrisons came today and I had 3 choc caramel ice lollies from them.

It was too hot to sit for long in the garden today. It is daughter's birthday, so I got up at 7.30 to start her a cake straight away before it got too hot. Did her a Mary Berry recipe, choc cake with buttercream icing and choc buttons. The family enjoyed it. MrM did burger and BBQ chicken wings for tea, which she had asked for. She likes crafts, so I bought her a 6 month subcription, where she gets a new craft each month through the post. She was real pleased with it. (hasn't come yet though. )

No dog walk today, she just had a quick stroll round the garden as it was too hot.

Sewing bee time.

Have a good evenign both xxx

Evening Mollie.

I'm hoping for some nice potatHappy Birthday to your daughter, that was lovely making her a May Berry cake, wow, well done.

oes as well, one lot is flowering, another lot has a problem, the leaves aren't right, in one tub i just covered a load of compost with spuds from the garage that had sprouted then covered them with half a bag of potting compost, they seem to be growing ok, no idea if i will get any spuds.

You don't have to make appointments for the barbers as far as i know, but have no idea how else they will be able to manage, if only say 2 people could go in you can't wait outside like a sweet shop, o/h always goes to the same feller, i have had mine done by him a few times and we chat about our fig trees etc, in fact he lent us the cases last time we went to Oz, they don't normally do mens hair but if o/h is last in on the day she asked him if he could do mine.

Good on you cutting your lads hair, hope he gave you the money, never mind the tip, cheeky lad.

Oh, forgot to say, my lad in Manchester (No. 5 Son) who was doing the Degree got an email from the team leader ahead of the official announcement on the 29th saying he has been awarded a 1st Class Degree with Honours, he can't believe it, he is so pleased, clever lad, i am so pleased to have so many clever lads with remarkable brains, you couldn't wish for more could you, but the passing out parade is cancelled but they might have a dummy one after the virus scare is over.

Thats a good idea getting a six month subscription for daughter, that will always come in handy.

Enjoyed some of BB tonight, strange task tbh, been watching Oz Love Island, seen it before but i'll watch it again, just love reality shows.

Keep safe, keep out of the sun its going to be 29c tomorrow here, sleep tight.

Evening All.

Hope all is well Baz, your poor ankle won't be liking this heat, you could wrap it with a damp cloth that would cool it for sure, as the water evaporates your ankle will cool.

Evaporation is the principle of refrigeration, thats why you feel cold getting out of the bath or shower.

29c here today, nice and warm, sun all day and a moderate breeze.

Had sausages for brekkie on my last 2 slices of the old loaf, toasted and delish.

Made a new loaf so i could have a pack of shrimps with irish butter for tea.

O/H got my shopping, 2 kg of big onions, to start making the Indian Madras curry sauces, might start at the weekend, got everything now, Tomato Passata came with my shopping, also Cumin seeds that i needed.

The gardener came, we tidied a few bits then laid down the turf, of course it is too big which i knew, the problem is it needs to be paid by a carpit of fake turf fitter we can't do it we would mess it up.

I'll see if i can get a price to fit it.

Made a nice fruit smoothie using some of the packs of frozen fruit i have in the garage, just took a selection, added some apple juice, a little water and some ice, nice, the seeds in the raspberries are a pain.

Didn't do much else, too hot to do a lot, have got some nice fresh fruit, Strawbs, Bananas and Kiwi.

Last BB show tonight, (I like Blinking I do) have a good evening, sleep tight.

both xxx

Baz

hope you are well today and your ankle is not too swollen.

Hicky

hope you do get some good potatoes when you harvest them.

That's handy you and MrsH can both go to the same place for a hair cut. And it was nice of him to lend you the cases.

Congratulations to your son, he couldn't of done better than a 1st class with Honours. Shame they can't hold the usual award ceremonies.

My lad might put off his last year of Uni due this September, as he doesn't fancy doing a lot online, he hopes to be a sound engineer, so most is practical support he needs for his last year in Uni. He was supposed to go to Japan this spring , so might go there instead to help his Japanese  language skills.

that's good MrsH got your shopping,so you can make your curry sauces.

I too am not keen on the seeds from raapberries in a smoothie.

Far too hot for me today. Over 30c here. So didn't do a lot. Mainly sat in front of the fan. The pets are exhausted too. So no walkies tonight again. Too hot to sit out in the swingchair too. Just had bread rolls/salad for tea as the kitchen was sweltering hot. We get the sun on the kitchen in the afternoon.

Watching BB now. I remember Helen from all those years ago.

Good evening both xxx

Evening Mollie.

I used to go to that hairdresser with Mrs H and she used to pay and go to her Mothers, it's only 100 yds away down a side road but then she started dropping me off at a barbers and i had to get a taxi home, but over the road from the mens only barbers was a food caravan so i used to get a nice brekkie takeaway and ring for a taxi home, so it was good.

I think they are going to have an award ceremony when this is over which will be good.

I think if i use more raspberries for the smoothies i will blize them first and strain the seeds out like you can when making Jam as it plays heck with my teeth and so hard to get out, my tooth picks are 100mm  black cable ties, the best tooth picks ever and you get 100 in a pack for a few quid, have used them for many years as its a thing i always had with me at work or at home.

Its 26.8 by my computer now, it was 31 in the summerhouse.

On watching videos on growing grapes i suddenly realised why my greenhouse is called a cold greenhouse, it means it's not heated during the winter, grape vines need a cold winter before they will produce fruiot the year after.

We don't really get the sun in the kitchen, the kitchen has a utility room between it and the sun, so the sun hits the utility room as it's almost South.

We have double doors between the back area and the Living room, the living room is at an angle to the dining room, Mrs H doesn't like the sun coming through th blinds onto the floor or the back of the settee which is a couple of feet away from the doors, the blinds are virtical and you can open them or turn the leather slats to any angle.

The main side of the bungalow is the Front door which faces North East, the front garden and bedrooms are facing North West.

Stay safe, enjoy BB and sleep tight.

Afternoon Mollie and Hicky  Still warm here , but we have had some rain so it feels fresher than yesterday....and no thunderstorms , yet ! Which is just as well cos it was stifling and  I didn’t sleep a wink last night Needless to say I’ve not done much today ....just a couple of loads of washing , and cleaned kitchen . On the plus side , I’ve not seen any ants outside today , so fingers crossed the bait has worked . I will leave it there for a few days though  , just in case Hope you are both having a good day , whatever you are doing 

Mollie ...don’t suppose there Is any cake left My ankle isn’t too bad ....but despite me doing the exercises , it still get very stiff and swollen . I wasn’t really happy with the Sewing result ....mainly because it became obvious a couple of episodes ago that she would win ....but I have to admit she was probably the best of those left . Will you be joining us for Celebrity Masterchef next week ?  Hicky , sounds like you've got your haircuts sorted I was sadly disappointed with the so called Best of  BB Given all the stand out clips they could have picked , like fight night , Mickey ( bb9) doing the chilli challenge , Belinda Belinda doing the overnight bike challenge , Mario the Mole , to name just a couple ....I felt it was a total waste of repeats 

Anyway , Gogglebox tonight So have a good evening , whatever you are doing .  Take care 

Evening Baz.

24c today with light rain and sun with a moderate breeze.

Did a few jobs, made a nice brekkie, mended a leak in a hose pipe, a joint i made last year, think i had been pulled to a kink so the coupler pulled out, i got soaked as i spotted the spray from the utility room window, wondered what it was as it was raining, i got an umbrella, we keep 4 handy and went out, problem was, the rain coming down and the leak coming across, i tried to shield myself from the spray while i turned the controller on the tap to off, that as quicker than turning the tap off, i mended it later with a hose joiner section.

I then had another go at the kitvhen UPVC back door as it is catching again, but now i know how to adjust it i got the 2 allen keys and set about having a go, thats sorted for now.

Decided to have sandwiches again for tea with my bread and Irish butter, then 2 with shrimps and one with ham and tomato.

I have just been trying to get a little bird out from the greenhouse, they arent very good with doors, after 10 minutes i went to get my helping hand from the summerhouse and in 2 minutes it flew out the door, must hqave watched me come in.

I found it hard to seep last night, it's so hot in the bungalow and i had no cloths on and nothing over me, its 26.4c now by the computer, the window is open we have loads of vent throughout, still boiling.

Hope your ants stay away, its amazing how they all pack up and move elsewhere.

Yes, this hair sure needs cutting, it is driving me mad, it gets in my eyes and its so hot.

Yes, the BB shows selected could have been chosen a lot better, maybe some of what they wanted to show they weren't allowed to for some reason or another.

I didn't like the chili challenge, i don't like any food challenge anyway and i hate to see people stuffing their mouth with food for a bet.

Stay safe, stay in stay cool and sleep if you can.

Evening All.

I'm running late, well walking, had a busy day, 19c today, light rain showers and a fresh breeze.

Had 2 rounds of toast for brekkie as was expecting a vid call from Oz, that was great.

Then made phase 1 of the Madras curry, i made the spice mix, that made a cup full.

Then one of my lads (No. #2 son) said he was calling in after he he been to Parkgate for ice cream and fish and chips, well he was too early for chips anyway but i doubt if they are even open.

He came in his Porsche Panamera 4.8cc 8 cylinder Turbo S, omg what a car, he was with a step daughter and his young son, his Mrs was getting jobs done while they are out, he was going to put flowers on his mums grave and hissonw grand parents grave also.

One of the people living in the cul de sac over the way was letting children 2 up riding around the block on a w wheel Quad bike, each time changing who is driving and who is pillion, none wearing any protective gear, stupid people, o/h rang the local 101 or whatever it is and told them as she was sared they may get injured, there is no license plate so it won't be insured, i have it all on video as my front and side camera record every minute of the day, i can see who is driving and can zoom in, this happened 6 times then the owner was sitting behind a 4 yr old teaching him how to drive as they went round the block.

For tea i made some mash, fried some hake and for a sauce i had the pepper sauce, very tasty.

Stay safe and alert, sleep tight.

both xx

Baz

hope you are still ant free today, and hope you slept better now it has cooled down.

I am  so glad to get rid of that 30plus awful humid heat, it is very windy and showery today, but cant' complain.

You had a nasty injury and a correction op, so it will take time to heal, you have done really well though with all the jobs you manage to do now. Are you still self isolating, or does the family come to visit? Me and my family have not been anywhere other than a walk round the estate with the dog since March. But here in Wales we can still travel no more than 5 miles anyway. Not complaining though, as this awful disease is still with us, the numbers were not good again yesterday.

Yes Clare was the best sewer there and seemed to get at least one excellent item each week. I think she came over as odd beause she was so intelligent. Personality wise, Liz was my fave though. I will miss that show next week.(and the forum).

Hicky

I can understand why that would of been great for you, a barbers right next to a food van. Very handy.

Yes good idea to strain the seeds out of the raspberries first, I saw James Martin do this last week.

Not nice getting them stuck in your teeth.

Its lucky in the very hot weather that you don't have the sun coming into the house.

Oh dear at you getting soaked today, but hope the leak is fixed now, and well done sorting the kitchen door out too.

I wonder if your little bird was a baby one?  We have had lots here using MrM's bird table, I have seen baby house sparrows being fed by their mother and today, 3 baby starlings being fed. So sweet.

Yes the heat has been unbearable, but hopefully you too got the cooler weather today, like we have.

We managed to walk the dog inbetween the showers, which was nice, as we hadn't been out with her for 2 days as it was too hot for us and for the dog. Daughter bought herself a scooter from Halfords as she was so bored with nowhere to go, so she came out with us on that. She enjoyed it.

MrM made a nice wholemal loaf which we had for tea with dip in camabert cheese, delicous. Then we played a funny card game, and took the dog a walk.

Not much on tv tonight, so will watch something recorded.

Have a good evening both xxx

Evening Mollie.

You have missed my post, i was late on tonight.

The bird in the greenhouse probably was a baby, had one in the last house greenhouse but it wouldn't come out, don't think it could fly, think it was a wood pigeon, i gave it water and food for a few days and it got stronger and flew better in the greenhouse, there was loads to land on, the mother came and that was trying to encourage it out, one day it had gone so it was fine.

Wholemeal love is good for you anyway, it's just too heavy to have for sandwiches i find.

Will have to watch recording, watching Love Island Oz.

Keep safe, stay dry and sleep tight.

Here's a live webcam of Ospreys nesting.

https://www.woodlandtrust.org....wildlife/osprey-cam/

Evening All.

Cooler today at 15c with light rain showers and a strong wind.

Had eggs on toast for brekkie, started on the next phase of the Madras curry 3 part recipe, this phase is collecting a string of spices to go into a big casserole pan of 2.5LB's peeled quartered onions & water, after cooking for an hour i add a tin of tomatoes then cook another 20 mins, then cool and put through the blender in batches till all done, i now have a rather large quantity of gracy (curry base) to store and freeze when its cold enough.

I'll leave phase 3 for another day, the final phase is getting together more soices, adding some of the original spice mix and also adding a load of the gravy  (425g) i have just made.

For tea had a couple of fried chicken thighs with a jar of curry sauce from the cupboard over a rice cake i made.

Going to the farm shop in the morning, getting low on certain items, sausage, bacon bacon ribs and some fruit depending on whats on offer.

Had to watch some recording last night, all i could find was repeats, same today.

Have a good evening, stay safe and sleep tight.

Hicky

that's nice your lad called in yesterday with the youngsters too.

Hope MrsH's phone call stopped them going on the roads on a quad bike. Facny doing that with a 4 year old!

That was marvellous how you managed to save the last little bird by feeding it and giving it water.

Thanks for the osprey link, they are so interesting. They look like a big ball of fluff, the mother is certainly keeping a close watch over them. I wonder what age they leave the nest?

Looks like you are enjoying making your madras curry.

Hope you enjoy your visit to the farm shop. Is your OH driving there?

I know what you mean about constant repeats, every time I think I have found something to watch, I realise it is a repeat! So annoying. Oh well to be expected as they haven't been able to film for months now.

Nice and cool here today, had a few rain showers but was able to go walk with doggie. Had cooked brekkie today, so just had OH's bread with cheese on for tea.

Watching Antiques Roadshow, but just reaised that too is a repeat!

Hope Baz is ok today.

Have a good evening both xxx

Evening Mollie and Hicky I’ve had a couple of disturbed nights , so had a reasonably lazy weekend And what a change in the weather ....from the sublime to the ridiculous It’s been very chilly , we and windy here this weekend ...but thankfully no thunderstorms. 

Mollie , yes , I’m still in lockdown ...and not intending going anywhere , anytime soon . I think people are going to regret being so blasé and recklessrecently ....they seem to think it’s over , and it’s not I’ll miss sewing and pottery now they are finished. How are you feeling these days?Hicky , I never got into Love Island ....too contrived ....and contestants are too “plastic “ for my liking ....bit like Bb on C5 . How are your teeth/eyes doing ?

Anyway , take care both and have a good Monday 

Evening Mollie.

Yes, hope Baz slept better last night.

People were riding around on the quad bike all night, well till 10.30pm don't know who as it was dark.

we saw many in 2's on the bike, not going slow either, and with no protection at all, madness, noone tuened up to check anyway, but i have it all recorded, i can even zoom in.

Just watching a program about the Aztecs Pyramids and the human sacrifices, 20,000 a year, oh my.

Yes, Mrs H will drive to the farm shop, i've made a shopping list out.

I got my Lad, No. 2 son to send me some pictures of his Porsche, what a car, he is a company director so he's not short, his Hip is fine now, remember he paid £12,000 for the op, he is booked in for the other one as well.

Keep safe, sleep tight.