Re: Gardening Thread.

[lily]

That was lovely of you Sabot. He must have been very appreciative.

[Sabot]

That was lovely of you Sabot. He must have been very appreciative.

No, it wasn't lovely of me, Lily. Just paying back some of The Internet stuff he has done for me.
He found out just how easy it is to get from Roscoff to Pontivy using Public Transport, and it takes very little longer than driving. And at no more cost. It's an "I owe you, No, I owe you", sort of friendship, instead of, "You owe me, No, you owe me", which is more the norm in my experience.
Generally speaking, I find that I do the favours, and everyone disappears when I need help.
And he is going to collect me from The Garage next week, and take me back when the Van is ready to be collected. Always a problem when you live in a very rural area.
And never a hint that I am being a nuisance.

[lily]

It's always great to have a friend such as that, Sabot.

[Sabot]

Had another nice experience today. Having lost my bestest ever Garage Man, I decided to try another small garage up the road a bit. Actually the garage from where I bought my current second hand van, so I had some small worry that they might think I wasn't pleased with it.
In France The MOT has to list everything that is wrong with a vehicle, even if it is not a Fail. so I called in to make an appointment, and showed him this list, which barely made sense to me, even after Google, it all being in French. And before I could say, "See you later", my van was up on the ramp, and all jobs done, including an oil change, in less than an hour. They charged me 73 Euros. About half of what I expected. So I shall be recommending him in future.
And he doesn't appear to be short of work because people were coming and going all of the time I was there.
I really am very fortunate.

[lily]

Yes you are, Sabot. I know that you are also very appreciative.

[Sabot]

I actually got the impression that he was pleased to see me, Lily. I did feel a bit guilty about not employing him sooner because I did knock him down of the purchase price of my current Van. But there was no way I could have abandoned such a long term, trusted other Garage Man.
Anyway, he didn't seem to mind about that, and I was made to feel more than welcome.
Altogether, a nice day. And I won't need to rely on anyone ferrying me back and forward in future.

I nearly asked him how old he was, because my other man closed up shop due to being 60 years old, although he didn't look much more than 50 to me.
The only other garage around here is very busy and very expensive, and I don't need another change in a hurry.

Oh, By the way. I have long longed for a Citroen 2cv, which I can't have until I stop grass cutting, due to needing to cart a Mower around in the back. But there was quite a nice one in his garage today. But he wanted 6,000 Euros for that. Trust me to be half way to getting one when they have become a Collectors Item. So I asked him to look out for a slightly cheaper one for me.

[lily]

Sabot, I love those cars. Have coveted one too. It would be perfect for you. I so hope you get one.......

The garage man must have been happy to get your custom and he probably knew that you are a loyal person. So, what did he have to lose? Rien.

[Sabot]

Sabot, I love those cars. Have coveted one too. It would be perfect for you. I so hope you get one.......

The garage man must have been happy to get your custom and he probably knew that you are a loyal person. So, what did he have to lose? Rien.

Lily, he probably already knew where I had been taking the van, and why. Everybody knows everything about everyone around here. Such is our social life. And so he will have known that I only had two choices, other than some large, impersonal garage in Pontivy. In fact, he might even have been expecting me. This could account for the Five Star Treatment that I got. And believe me, it was good.

As for the Citroen 2cv. Such ugly cars. A bit like the dogs I tend to choose. I love them. And if you can't afford an Aston Martin then you might as well go for the other end of the scale. They are so basic that very little can go wrong with them, although I don't expect them to do a ton up the motorway. Built for French Peasants, of which I am hoping I am nearly one.

[lily]

Sabot, there is something kinda stylish about them. They are such classics and I LOVE classic anything. They look like they would be such fun to drive.

Go for it!! Glad you have such a lovely village atmosphere.

[Sabot]

The Gear Stick is a bit odd, Lily, but I don't expect that to be a problem. I once owned one of those Frog Citroens with the same sort of gear stick. Now, that was a Car. That was indeed a Classic. But the old 2cv will do me very nicely. I just hope I don't have to pay too much for it. However, I never spend any money, so I might just go a bit over the top on this.
As it happens, someone across the road from me has one stuck in their garage which they never drive. So when I am have thought about it a bit, I might just ask them if they want to sell it.

[lily]

Think about it. You will have such a lovely time driving it, Sabot.

[Sabot]

Est ce que vous voulez a vendre votre voiture? See, no flies on me. Although God help me if she understands. Her husband has senile dementia, and she is such a polite old lady. But then they all are polite. This is an ongoing joy to me.

[Sabot]

Gosh. I forgot to tell you all that I now have one very proper Sunflower. Seven feet tall and with a very big head. It has no off shoot flowers, which could be why the first one has never quite come to good. The first one has several off shoot flowers and a very small main flower. Not that any of this matters because they come as they come. You stick the seed in, and it grows, if you are lucky, and if the mice don't eat it.
The next interesting thing will be seeing them go to seed and watching the birds eating them on the hoof, as it were. But much to look forward to, even if Winter is on it's way. Again.

[lily]

Congratulations, Sabot. Oh, the birds will love that. Bless them......

[Sabot]

I have never seen it happen, Lily, but I'm fascinated by the thought. These flowers have pretty sturdy stems so I'm wondering about the weight of however many birds, and will more than one feed at the same time?
Exciting, innit. Sheesh, time I got a life.

[bb1]

Take cover! The mutant Spanish superslugs are coming!

Monster Spanish slugs that feast on dead RABBITS and grow to 15cm are invading Britain and threaten to decimate crops
Giant pest arrived in Britain from Europe and thrived in wet, warm summer months
Highly fertile Spanish variety could wipe out local slugs altogether
By KERRY MCDERMOTT
PUBLISHED: 10:24, 14 September 2012 | UPDATED: 14:50, 14 September 2012
Comments (59)
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Monster Spanish slugs that feed on dead rabbits and grow to up to 15cm long could spell disaster for British crops and threaten to wipe out local species entirely.
The giant pests - which invaded our shores in salad brought in from Europe - are mating with their British counterparts to create a mutant super-slug with the potential to overrun our back gardens.
Experts say the slimy Spanish pests can decimate whole crops, and warn they could eventually wipe out native slugs altogether as they produce hundreds more eggs than the typical British variety.


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2203104/Monster-Spanish-slugs-feast-dead-RABBITS-grow-15cm-invading-Britain-threaten-decimate-crops.html#ixzz26StHUGtd



1. If they are so threatening, how come Spain produces so much fresh fruit and veg?

2. If they, as claimed, eat dog muck and dead rabbits, isn't that good - if revolting?

[Sabot]

We've got a few of those around here. I just lob them over the garden wall. My lawn mower pushing arms can lob a slug a fair old distance. And I haven't lost a single plant to Slugs of any kind this year.
However, I do use a couple of old plastic dust pans to clean up the dog shite, which I don't always keep clean, so I was interested to see that they were cleaning themselves, apparently. It didn't take me long to work out that The Slugs were doing it.
And they appear to dispose of dead, drowned mice which I heave out of my water buckets. And when I went back the next day to move them they were gone. But apart from relief, I didn't think about where they had gone to.

[bb1]

Well, Circle of Life then, isn't it? And if people insist on putting down slug pellets, they are doing harm to everything else in their gardens.

[Sabot]

I have never used Slug Pelletts. I just can't. Not even the eco friendly ones. They make Song Birds sterile.
I did have a couple of bad years in the beginning, but now, I can't rememer the last time they were a problem. It just takes me about fifteen minutes each dusk to get rid of them. But this is only necessary for about three months. And I don't kill slugs either.

I expect I told you that I scoop up the empty Sunflower seed husks from the Bird Tables and scatter those around the vegetable plants. Slugs like dead vegetation.
I am not actually an Eco Freak. I just don't like killing things if there is another way.

[bb1]

I don't use chemicals of any kind either, Sabot. I'd rather suffer the ground elder than poison the soil, and Lord knows what else.

[Sabot]

Fortunately, people are becoming a bit more aware of the damage, Bonny. I just keep on talking about it. Who cares about Slugs? But what about the birds and the hedgehogs? And then they eat this chemically infected stuff. God, it makes me feel ill just thinking about it.

[bb1]

OMG!!!!! How's this for scary weather?





Fire storm: A filmmaker in Alice Springs, Australia shot some video of a fire tornado that happened on Monday


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2204468/Pictured-The-frightening-FIRE-tornado-whirled-Australian-outback-40-MINUTES.html#ixzz26kkuPhbT

I don't care what the rational explanation is, if I saw one of those, I would be convinced the gods were about to strike me down...

[bb1]

It's a bit wet and windy in the UK today....



Nature's wrath: Gale force winds create spectacular scenes along North Sea coasts as waves crash against Seaham Harbour lighthouse in County Durham

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2207427/UK-Weather-Roads-turned-rivers-THREE-inches-rain-70mph-winds-lash-Britain-day.html#ixzz27QsowQ6e
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[Sabot]

Funny you should say. Romulus is doing anything in his power to avoid getting his feet wet, and I am having to drag him out of the house to pee somewhere else. This is the dog who always wants to go for a walk. So instead of him dragging me up the road, I am now dragging him. And he is not a happy bunny.

But my Sunflowers have gone a bit droopy, and I don't know what to do with them. They haven't gone to seed yet, but they aren't looking good, although too soon to cut them down because they won't go to seed if I do. At least I have learned that. They have to stay growing if you want seed.

Lots of other shit going on, but as ever, always for next year. If I live that long. But who cares anyway.

[bb1]

My sole surviving sunflower is looking very sorry for itself, poor thing.

The weather's wild today. And there is a bit of a problem with the London - Edinburgh railway line....



North-East England seems to be getting the worst of it, with fears of buildings collapsing, but it's horrible everywhere.

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