Early Risers.

[Shedman5]

Afternoon, not a lot  to report, back lawns mowed for the first time using the highest setting. Nice to see the sun along with a very pleasant gentle breeze.

 

Forecast is to be dry and sunny tomorrow we will see.

 

Belated birthday wishes Neil

 

Enjoy the rest of the day folks

[Tony_S]

I cut our lawns on the closest setting. This wasn't the first cut of the year though.

I am just about to go up and measure (again) the bedroom window before ordering curtains. Aditi also wants to get matching duvet covers. I am not sure when everything was last coordinated, probably before Matthew arrived. I did suggest that a "shabby chic" look might not require coordination but it was assumed I was being silly. I tried the same argument yesterday for replacement crockery. It was fun going shopping yesterday, I did get a big slice of cake too.

No parcels today, I suspect tomorrow is more reasonable.

Tony

[Tony_S]

Oh No! The chosen curtain fabric has gone out of stock since looking this morning!

[BoD]

I cut our lawns on the closest setting. This wasn't the first cut of the year though.

 

My barber uses exactly the same priciples when cutting my hair.

[Tony_S]

My barber uses exactly the same priciples when cutting my hair.

One of the chaps who cuts my hair has really shaky hands. I think some customers prefer the other barber. However I noticed his hands don't shake when he is cutting hair.

[trisonic]

Well, the worst is over even here where we’re still under a “Blizzard Warning”

 

We have suffered, alas, from the relentless, debilitating line up of local Politicians on TV thanking their Mothers for having given birth to such heroes of foul weather as them. The worst of them: Gov. Cuomo and Mayor deBlasio of New York have mastered the art form of droning on and on without giving out any information of relevance at all.

 

I almost collapsed in front of the TV under the strain of it - all the hot air is achieving nothing....

 

Must go and recover my ears from the severe bashing.

 

Best, Pete.

[Simon G]

Moss - just use a ferrous oxide garden preparation - over the whole lawn and repeat 3/52 later - the dead moss should all scrape off.  Two other things - most important - don't spray it over any other plants or they will also go brown and don't cut the grass for a week or so ... if the moss is extensive you will need to re-seed the lawn.  The 'double' treatment with the 3/52 interval should also get rid of the spores so you should not then spend the whole of summer 'getting rid'.  Hope that helps, Peter

Thanks, Peter. I have been using ferrous sulphate every other year for the past 10 on the lawn for the moss. It does sort it out, especially if you then scarify the lawn, but it just keeps coming back. It was about 4 years ago, I hired an industrial size scarifier, and the lawn rather resembled the Somme battlefield when I had finished. Did a great job on the moss, but left a lot of space for all the other weeds to seize their chance to take over! I suspect that the soil quality is very poor and the pH is too low, which encourages moss. I might try to go to my local garden supplier and buy a couple of bags of lime to raise the pH.

 

More gardening done today, and then by chance I saw something glinting in the sun at the bottom of the drive. It turned out to be a load of windscreen glass, which had been there for a few days/weeks. It was just not visible normally. I have thus spent a lot of time trying to collect up as much of it as possible. I am just relieved that I haven't had a puncture from it, but will check the car tyres tomorrow.

[PeterBB]

Hi Simon,

 

Your account rings true, especially about other weeds taking over and needing to be dealt with before the new grass seed springs up.

[Horsetan]

... - all the hot air is achieving nothing....

 

Whoever can harness it as a source of renewable energy will make a fortune.

[Simon G]

Hi Simon,

 

Your account rings true, especially about other weeds taking over and needing to be dealt with before the new grass seed springs up.

I do keep a stock of different types of lawn weedkiller, and then use them in rotation to keep all the other weeds in check. It is a never ending battle though. Also today, I have been round the garden with a glyphosate weedkiller as a easier way of keeping weeds down as opposed to digging them out. With a half way decent sprayer, I covered a large area around fruit bushes etc quite quickly.

[Donw]

Greetings all.

 

The plumbers visit was a little more time consuming yesterday than I imagined; about 20 minutes to replace the leaking joint under the kitchen sink and two and a half hours to clear the resulting airlock in one of the taps upstairs. Eventually it was cleared using mains pressure to blast out the air lock. They ran a hose from the outside tap up through the bathroom window and into a connection in the pipework to the sink. These are the guys doing our boiler/central heating replacement work in a month's time. This gives me worries it will be a nightmare but confidence that these guys can sort it!

 

I shared a house with a guy called Roger Mee back in my student days. We didn't find it remotely amusing. Since then he has asked to be known by his middle name.

 

When plumbing I have had problems with airlocks in the hot taps where the pressure is low usually badly sited existing pipework I used to have a short piece of pipe fitted with two tap adapters (the things that were used o connect hoses to kitchen taps) and would connect them to the hot and cold taps turn both on and hope it works before the pressure spray water everywhere as the tap adaptors weren't perfect. These days with combi boilers it is less of a problem as all the taps are at mains pressure and the radiators are usually about 1.5 bar equivalent to over 40ft  head on the header tank.

Don 

[jamie92208]

Whoever can harness it as a source of renewable energy will make a fortune.

Perhaps Parliament could become self supporting.

 

An old guy I once knew in Manchester used to call the outside privy the Houses of Parliament on the grounds that a lot of time was spent sitting there but nothing but sh1t ever came out.

 

Jamie

[Donw]

Thanks, Peter. I have been using ferrous sulphate every other year for the past 10 on the lawn for the moss. It does sort it out, especially if you then scarify the lawn, but it just keeps coming back. It was about 4 years ago, I hired an industrial size scarifier, and the lawn rather resembled the Somme battlefield when I had finished. Did a great job on the moss, but left a lot of space for all the other weeds to seize their chance to take over! I suspect that the soil quality is very poor and the pH is too low, which encourages moss. I might try to go to my local garden supplier and buy a couple of bags of lime to raise the pH.

 

More gardening done today, and then by chance I saw something glinting in the sun at the bottom of the drive. It turned out to be a load of windscreen glass, which had been there for a few days/weeks. It was just not visible normally. I have thus spent a lot of time trying to collect up as much of it as possible. I am just relieved that I haven't had a puncture from it, but will check the car tyres tomorrow.

 

I wonder if the drainage in the lawn is poor and it needs aeration. Our front lawn has patches which are all moss I am leaving it for now as there is so much else to do.

Don 

[AndyID]

I think I mentioned my one time chemistry master who had to live with the name Norman Conquest.

 

And thak goodness I was not born McCann (not even Mad McCann - driver extrordinare in steam days at Stranraer) as Billy Connolly used to joke about one such son named Gengis.

 

Anyone in Glasgow unfortunate enough to be called "Lydia" was inevitably asked if their surname was "Teapot".

[AndyID]

 but it just keeps coming back. It was about 4 years ago, I hired an industrial size scarifier, and the lawn rather resembled the Somme battlefield when I had finished. Did a great job on the moss, but left a lot of space for all the other weeds to seize their chance to take over!

 

Maybe Nature is trying to tell you something. You could always opt for something like this

[BoD]

Regarding gardens.

I have always been much more adept with a broom than with garden implements.

Having said that, I seem to have a magical touch with pots, tubs, baskets and containers. My plants seem to flourish no matter how harshly I treat them.

I don't even talk or sing to them.

[Tony_S]

Regarding gardens.

I have always been much more adept with a broom than with garden implements.

Having said that, I seem to have a magical touch with pots, tubs, baskets and containers. My plants seem to flourish no matter how harshly I treat them.

I don't even talk or sing to them.

One of my aunts used to talk to her plants. Something like "Grow or get composted. "

[Ian Abel]

Update from Long Island (well, not much different actually "here", but back home some activity)...

 

Sitting in a hotel room working, drawn to leaving the TV on, as Pete was doing.

What a LOT of blowhards numb-nuts patting themselves on the shoulders for doing NOTHING but watching snow fall and telling folks to not go out on the roads - duh! I think ABC managed to find every mayor from NYC to the smallest hamlet to provide self-congratulatory bullsh!ting...

 

In other news, found a suitable, experienced tree service (well, the Mrs did) and this is the result/progress today, took them less than an hour, and they even raked up ALL the debris and broken twigs, definitely impressed the Mrs;

 

 

meanwhile, inside, it's doggy-daycare again, with Otis over for the day - looks busy to me!!

 

 

I DID venture outside here, to get the car (land-yacht) cleared of snow from the windows as it's likely to freeze overnight. Was less than 2 inches of slushy snow that brushed off very easily, then mover the car to a plowed section of the parking lot, thanks to those to left and meant some of the lot is now cleared and snow free

 

2PM and I'll probably venture out later to capture dinner as I feel the need for some fresh air, but if it's still too wet out and still sleeting, I may relent and have something delivered...

[Oldddudders]

Anyone in Glasgow unfortunate enough to be called "Lydia" was inevitably asked if their surname was "Teapot".

In Sussex it was "Dustbin". Deb had a skoolfriend of that name.

 

One of my aunts used to talk to her plants. Something like "Grow or get composted. "

 

Talking to your plants was all the rage at one time. Actress (as she then was) Glenda Jackson was quoted as saying she did that. Looked them full in the bud and said "grow you bu**ers!" 

Perhaps Parliament could become self supporting.

 

An old guy I once knew in Manchester used to call the outside privy the Houses of Parliament on the grounds that a lot of time was spent sitting there but nothing but sh1t ever came out.

 

Jamie

 

The gents was always called the House of Lords - where all the big knobs hang out. And what about the rest of us?

 

Dentist this morning filled the tooth that had broken a couple of months ago, and which had been given interim treatment by a dentist in St Marychurch. This afternoon I fettled the lawn-tractor, removing the lengths of electric fence tape it had attracted around the spindle last Autumn, and did a preliminary cut on the back lawn. It now looks truly awful, but in a couple of days another pass will tidy it a bit. In my absence Alison and Francois (her beau of choice, somewhat to his wife's irritation) planted a cherry tree in memory of Bronte. It maketh a new obstacle for when I mow that lawn later this week. I also have large tracts of moss on the lawns. I am loath to use chemicals because of the cats, but a scarifier could be good. We'll see. 

[Simon G]

I wonder if the drainage in the lawn is poor and it needs aeration. Our front lawn has patches which are all moss I am leaving it for now as there is so much else to do.

Don

 

The ground is very sandy so drainage isn't an issue. I am sure that aeration would help, but given the area of grass, it would be difficulty to do by hand, so I would need to find a mechanical aerator.

[Coombe Barton]

The ground is very sandy so drainage isn't an issue. I am sure that aeration would help, but given the area of grass, it would be difficulty to do by hand, so I would need to find a mechanical aerator.

 

Or a flock of tame starlings?

[BSW01]

Good evening everyone

 

Well I enjoyed playing with my new toy this morning, what a lovely thing it is. After I'd given it a little run, I fitted one of the chips I repaired over the weekend. Whilst I was fitting the chip I noticed that 2 of the tender pick-ups weren't always making contact with the wheels, a small adjustment and it was soon sorted. Once I'd programmed it I gave it another little run and then put it away for now, I had it running so slowly that you could hardly see the wheels moving.

 

Whilst all that was going on Sheila was having her manicure. After lunch Sheila said that she wouldn't mind going to Waitrose to pick up some bits and pieces that the local Sainsbury's don't stock, I wouldn't mind but I'd driven past the place this morning going to Walton's, Doh!

[PhilJ W]

Evening all from Estuary-Land. I no longer have a lawn in front of the house, its all stone chippings over old carpet. As the house faces due north I do have a moss problem, on the block pavior path in particular. My solution is cheap bleach as there are no plants there to worry about, just sprinkle it on the path and sweep with a stiff broom a couple of days later and the moss won't come back for months.

[TheQ]

I doubt i have 40ft of water pressure, open any tap and the upstairs toilet cistern fails to fill.

I've long since given up trying to have a lawn, deer, pheasants, foxes, rabbits, hares, and Mr mole have seen to that. Moss isn't a problem Alexanders is https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smyrnium_olusatrum

 

Evening Awl,

I'm worried , very worried....

Today all the measurements i did, worked first time....

 

So i assembled the equipment to test a measurement programme I've been working on.....And it worked first time.

 

I got home and rang a company I've been having problems with.....And got straight through to the boss not a deflecting minion, appointment made, man coming to fix job pronto...

 

Went on internet, finished something I've been working on for ages...

 

I'm now lying on the bed with a glass of red, waiting for something to go wrong......

 

Microsoft have been updating windows 10 for at least half an hour.....

[emt_911]

Another reasonable day until the 60 amp armoured cable that had been supplied for the job was found to be 3 metres short. Due to the nature of the job, tomorrow we have to pull in another length of cable. Great fun.

 

Plenty of cockwomble drivers about on my return journey. Lane 1 on the M4 where it joins the M25 was closed for a breakdown and was signalled as such. Lots of drivers including alleged professional ones blatantly ignored the closure until they found that they couldn't go any further.

 

Time to catch up on some of the posts elsewhere in RM land.

 

Back later