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suzysunshine7
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Aug 04, 2019 07:56AM
We have got an annoyingly endless supply of Wasps coming into our Kitchen, day in and day out - and lots of Moths too both big and small. There's noticeably not been many Daddy Long Legs around so far this year - and I've seen lots of various little Bees but sadly only a very few Bumbles.
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This gave me a bit of a giggle today ;o> ...
Midges are our big problem at the moment. A bit disappointed, we haven't seen a single butterfly this year but a few moths knocking on the window of a night time. Mostly dry with the occasional brief cloudburst and thunderstorm for variation. Been busy today taking up the dining room carpet in preparation for some vinyl flooring, we've gone for grey granite as neither of us can abide the wooden look variety. Add some tasteful rugs later and hopefully we will be good for a few years. Still need to replace a couple of doors, this side of Christmas fingers crossed, next year replace kitchen which badly needs doing. Tea tonight, Chinese sizzlers with small roast potatoes covered with mayonnaise and grated mozzarella.
Suzy I saw that you haven't got the cats anymore,have your flood victims moved on?
We are still pretending to Moo and Tee that it might smell to them like we have Cats in the House, Anita, and there might be the occasional strange Meow-like sound, and even be the rather mysterious sight and smell of Bowls of decidedly delicious Cat Meat being taken upstairs for some very odd reason too ... but no? - if there were any Cats in their House then Moo and Tee would NOT be at all happy about it ... and so as far as Moo and Tee are concerned there are absolutely no Cats in their House! - LOL!!! ... ;o> ... ;o> ... ;o>
And I'm wondering if buying the Cats a Bunny Hat and a Lion Mane disguise off Amazon might possibly help to convince Moo and Tee even more that there are no Cats in their House ;o>
Martin wrote: "Tea tonight, Chinese sizzlers with small roast potatoes covered with mayonnaise and grated mozzarella"Okay, I just have to know now, Martin ... what are Chinese Sizzlers?
theDuke wrote: "Blastronaut Mk2 wrote: "Oh just keeps getting better! Just been clipping the hedge at the top and muggins here cut through the 'lecce cable! Did a cowboy patch-up on said cable and upon resuming cl..."Never crossed our minds to get in a cordless trimmer Duke. Duh!! Yep, reckon the next one will certainly be a charge-up kinda affair; much less messing about and even a bit of piece of mind when trimming. Thanks for the reminder cos like I said, never crossed me mind.
No doubt I'll be giving the old 'Blue Peter Patch' trimmer another outing once fuse is acquired tho first. Could try to borrow someone else's extension cable just to finish job but tbh they'd be barmy to lend us anything that's gonna be connected to said cowboy BP tool. By the time we get round to getting a fuse, the whole bloody hedge will need doing again! : )
Talking of insects and such, we went up to Ashover Rock* t'other day with our youngest two and the place was infested with flying (queen?) ants. Couldn't even get back in the car without a bunch accompanying us. Tough enough J negotiating those dodgy roads (one car's width) in the area without tackling these flying little beasties too! I don't think they bite but J was convinced they do/did.* Semi-famous local place to visit that does just what it says on the tin and is simply a nog of rock that's been chucked up by volcanic goings-on waay back when Dick Van Dyke was a lad. : ) Rock itself is only about ten ft high but is situated right on the tops with incredible three-sixty degree views. Can apparently see five counties from there.
They can't bite you whilst flying around in mid-air, Blastro, but if they land on you then some Flying Ants can indeed give you a sharp nip. It isn't anywhere near as horribly painful as getting a Bee or a Wasp Sting? - but it can feel a bit sore and leave a mark all the same and so any huge swarms of Flying Ants are best avoided.
My first holiday abroad with my friend was to Austria, and although it was September, it was really hot and we had bare legs and arms. We went for a walk on the edge of the woods where it was cooler. First we encountered a snake - neither of us had seen one before so we hurried on. Then when we got to the trees we were suddenly caught up in a swarm of ginormous flying red ants! You could see their little faces!We were sure they must be vicious but luckily we escaped with just a few minor punctures.
I did get badly bitten by dozens of horseflies when walking near Loch Morar. They didn't go near J., and midges didn't like him either. Really annoying.
We have millions of endlessly fascinating wood ants up here. The woods have loads of ant nests all through them and ant "motorways". They are much larger than "normal" ants and you can see them carrying stuff (food, slaves, nest material) about. I have seen them taking a dead shrew apart and carrying a live caterpillar back to their nest, amongst other things. They climb up favourite pine trees to "milk" aphids and also get resin. They go so high up the trees you can't see them. They get you with acid if you get one on you (feels like a bite, but isn't really).
suzysunshine7 wrote: "Martin wrote: "Tea tonight, Chinese sizzlers with small roast potatoes covered with mayonnaise and grated mozzarella"Okay, I just have to know now, Martin ... what are Chinese Sizzlers?"
A sort of processed pork steak thing with that red Chinese flavouring from Farm Foods. A quick and easy meal when I don't have the time or energy to cook properly. Made up for it tonight with some nice fillet steak, Jersey potatoes, mushrooms and broccoli with a white wine and cream sauce.
Ahhh, a quick and easy Char Siu? ... Oooh, I absolutely love Char Siu ;o>
We've just had a very late Tea of Chunky Fish Fillets Butties as it's been a long warm day and so no-one had much of an appetite.The wonderful news though is that the Forecast of yet more almighty Thunderstorms and heavy rainfall that was predicted here for Sunday through till Monday never happened ... and so we have had no more flooding and it has bought more time on the Emergency Services working around the Clock in trying to shore up and stabilise the Dam at Whaley Bridge ;o>
Is anyone else finding Amazon getting even more and more obscure and completely random with their Recommendations Emails? They head each Email with ... "Here are personalized recommendations for you based on items you purchased or reviewed. Click 'here' to see why these items were recommended"
... so I clicked on 'here' and got shown various items that I've bought off Amazon over this last year ... things like a double-walled Glass Travel Cup, Buscopan, Wheat Free Dog Biscuits, Rennies, Kitchen Food Storage Containers, Furrybaby Pet Blankets, Chocolate Nibbles, PVC Electric Tape.
And, apparently based entirely on those Purchases, Amazon have decided that I might also be interested in buying ...
5x Tree Tie Straps Supports - Heavy Duty Shrub Ties with Adjustable Interlock for Shrub Rose / Tree / Plant Support
LEGO Harry Potter Knight Bus Toy - Triple-decker Collectible Set with Minifigures (includes cheeky Shrunken Head and Harry Potter's Chest containing a Wand, Letter, Chocolate Bar and a Potion Bottle)
Envii Algae Klear Xtra - Pond Algae Killer for Submerged Blanket Weed and String Algae (treats up to 20,000 litres)
Set of 3 Large Natural Dried Round Rattan Handmade Garland Wreath for DIY Xmas / Wedding / Home & Garden Décor
And a ... Bridal Crystal Rhinestone & Pearl Tiara Crown ... !
I'm not into Harry Potter but I must admit the Bus looks like great fun! ;o> ...
I never get any recommendation emails from Amazon - must have my preferences set differently :)
Based on recent purchases of a new tablet For Mrs Grizzly, Purina cat food, Andrex toilet rolls and a Shark hoover, what do you think they would recommend for me?
Based on recent purchases of a new tablet For Mrs Grizzly, Purina cat food, Andrex toilet rolls and a Shark hoover, what do you think they would recommend for me?
I dunno? - but you can bet your last Penny on it that THAT bag of 'Professional Compost Bag - 80L for all potting needs' would be on it somewhere ... as they've been trying to flog it to me in every daily Recommendations Email for several months now! ;o>
I'm still bemused by the Bear Bell! - I wonder how many they sell in the UK?!! ;oO
A quick look at the reviews shows that people are buying them to attach to the collars of their dogs so other wildlife can hear the dogs coming!
On that basis, I bet they sell quite a lot in this country :)
On that basis, I bet they sell quite a lot in this country :)
Dog Collars?!! ... our two would be hysterical with fear and driven mad in wondering where the Bell noise was coming from and why they couldn't get away from hearing it so close to them! ;oO
Dinner today was slow cooked fillet steak served with garlic mushrooms (cooked in same pan), roasties, stuffing, peas, carrots and half a grilled tomato each and drowned in gravy - my compliments to the chef, as always :)
We are alternating between bright sunshine and short, torrential downpours with a bit of thunder thrown in for good measure and quite a stiff breeze.
Still managed to get two lots of laundry dried on the line earlier - we just got back from shopping in time to get the last lot in before the heavens opened for the first time :)
We are alternating between bright sunshine and short, torrential downpours with a bit of thunder thrown in for good measure and quite a stiff breeze.
Still managed to get two lots of laundry dried on the line earlier - we just got back from shopping in time to get the last lot in before the heavens opened for the first time :)
We have very fast moving Clouds ranging in colour from white through to almost black, in between frequent flashes of blue skies with lovely warm bright sunshine, yet it hasn't rained a single drop ... which is just as well as the Washing Machine has been in almost non-stop use since 7am this morning and the Washing Line has aired and dried about 11 loads of Laundry so far! ;o>
Grizzlygrump wrote: "Dinner today was slow cooked fillet steak served with garlic mushrooms (cooked in same pan), roasties, stuffing, peas, carrots and half a grilled tomato each and drowned in gravy..."Gravy? On grilled tomatoes and garlic mushrooms? Blimey! I'll pour pints of gravy on most things, but...
But with Slow-cooked Fillet Steak it would surely be such a terrible shame to waste any of those delicious Meat Juices by not turning them into Gravy?I would only drizzle a generous amount over the Meat and the plain-cooked Veggies though and not on the Garlic Mushrooms, Grilled Tomatoes or the Roasties.
I always perch my Roasties where they can stay high and dry on the edge of my Plate as I simply can't bear my Roasties covered in any kind of Sauce or Gravy ;o>
Clarification - Mrs Grizzly drowned her dinner in gravy (I sometimes think that she would be satisfied with just a cup of gravy and nothing else!), I just poured a small amount over the top of my steak and mushrooms to avoid, as you say, turning the roasties soggy.
As both the steak and the mushrooms were cooked in garlic butter, I elected not to add those juices to the gravy :)
As both the steak and the mushrooms were cooked in garlic butter, I elected not to add those juices to the gravy :)
Is Mrs Grizzly a Northern Lass by birth? ... it often seems to be almost impossible not to get a lot of Food served up covered in copious amounts of 'Gravy' up here in the North ... including Chips - which is something that I've never been able to understand or manage to cultivate a taste for ;o>I say 'Gravy' but, to be honest, it rarely is any kind of real Gravy as I know and love it - usually just brown coloured goopy stuff that is quite remarkable in itself for it's utter lack of any flavour.
suzysunshine7 wrote: "Is Mrs Grizzly a Northern Lass by birth? ... it often seems to be almost impossible not to get a lot of Food served up covered in copious amounts of 'Gravy' up here in the North ... including Chips..."
Not unless Andover is up north! :)
My own personal theory is that she likes gravy so much as she was so used to putting it on everything she had 'cooked' to disguise the taste - I'm feeling brave so perhaps I'll ask her :)
Chips 'n gravy is a fantastic meal, especially with mushy peas and trumps chips 'n curry sauce, but only just :)
Not unless Andover is up north! :)
My own personal theory is that she likes gravy so much as she was so used to putting it on everything she had 'cooked' to disguise the taste - I'm feeling brave so perhaps I'll ask her :)
Chips 'n gravy is a fantastic meal, especially with mushy peas and trumps chips 'n curry sauce, but only just :)
No, you'll never convince me that anything goes on top of Chips except for just some Vinegar and Salt - or maybe a tiny Bowl of Tomato Ketchup alongside some of those string-thin French Fries for dipping.
We had some good news here last night ... the A555 Manchester Airport Relief Road reopened after being closed due to the flooding for the last six days. Now, perhaps, the endless heavy Traffic that has been causing hours of almost gridlock throughout our Village every day will ease off ;o> ...https://www.manchestereveningnews.co....
suzysunshine7 wrote: "No, you'll never convince me that anything goes on top of Chips except for just some Vinegar and Salt - or maybe a tiny Bowl of Tomato Ketchup alongside some of those string-thin French Fries for d..."
You can keep your tomato ketchup - if I'm dipping chips into anything, it'll be the runny yolk of a fried egg (or two) :)
You can keep your tomato ketchup - if I'm dipping chips into anything, it'll be the runny yolk of a fried egg (or two) :)
Fried Potatoes with Egg Yolk? ... no, I don't get that one either - LOL!!! ;o>
This gave me a giggle today ;o> ...
suzysunshine7 wrote: "theDuke wrote: "I used to do with my old hedge trimmer, yonks ago, Blastro.In the end, i plumped for a new battery powered one...mainly cos the cord on the old one had been 'repaired' so many tim..."
I have some of those loppers myself..but i could never cut my hedges square and straight with those...the hedges just looked like a manic had had a go at it!
suzysunshine7 wrote: "We had some good news here last night ... the A555 Manchester Airport Relief Road reopened after being closed due to the flooding for the last six days. Now, perhaps, the endless heavy Traffic that..."
That must be really welcome.
Whenever the village bypass here is closed, normally for roadworks or accidents, we get all the traffic that it carries coming through the village on what used to be the main road through to Norwich resulting in almost instant gridlock. On one occasion, it took me twenty minutes to travel half a mile across the village to get home.
That must be really welcome.
Whenever the village bypass here is closed, normally for roadworks or accidents, we get all the traffic that it carries coming through the village on what used to be the main road through to Norwich resulting in almost instant gridlock. On one occasion, it took me twenty minutes to travel half a mile across the village to get home.
suzysunshine7 wrote: "This gave me a giggle today ;o> ...
"
Where's the 'No Ball Games' sign? :)
"
Where's the 'No Ball Games' sign? :)
If I was walking past and saw that Sign? - it would surely take every last ounce of my willpower not to go over and stand on that Grass! - LOL!!! ;o>
suzysunshine7 wrote: "It says you just squeeze the Paws to make the Ears stand up! ;o>"What the Sweet Mary Fu........??!!
Why does this even exist??!! :-s
Grizzlygrump wrote: "That must be really welcome.Whenever the village bypass here is closed, normally for roadworks or accidents, we get all the traffic that it carries coming through the village on what used to be the main road through to Norwich resulting in almost instant gridlock. On one occasion, it took me twenty minutes to travel half a mile across the village to get home"
It's been terrible here for a good few years at Rush Hour times of the day - we can queue for ages just to be able to get into and out of our little No Through Side Road. The Bypass and the A555 was supposed to help solve this issue in this area but all we've seen is a slow but steady increase in the number of Cars that are now using the Roads.
suzysunshine7 wrote: "This gave me a bit of a giggle today ;o> ..."
They clearly haven't seen the error their logic, have they?!
*rolls eyes & tuts*
theDuke wrote: "suzysunshine7 wrote: "It says you just squeeze the Paws to make the Ears stand up! ;o>"What the Sweet Mary Fu........??!! Why does this even exist??!! :-s"
'Cos it's cute? ... and I want one! ... ;o>
Blastronaut Mk2 wrote: "theDuke wrote: "Blastronaut Mk2 wrote: "Oh just keeps getting better! Just been clipping the hedge at the top and muggins here cut through the 'lecce cable! Did a cowboy patch-up on said cable and ..."Takes a while getting used to the weight of a cordless hedge trimmer, as one's biceps and wrist do start to ache after a while...and the battery runs down quicker than i'd like....but..for ease of movement, without having to drag an extention lead around..it definately an improvement.
In recent years i've gone nearly all cordless with me gadgets. Got one of those G Tech battery vacuum cleaner, priceey but really effective, battery lawnmower, drills, strimmer, wood sander, planer..and so on.
The only downside is this.....one needs a lot of power sockets and space for all the bloody chargers!
suzysunshine7 wrote: "But with Slow-cooked Fillet Steak it would surely be such a terrible shame to waste any of those delicious Meat Juices by not turning them into Gravy?I would only drizzle a generous amount over t..."
I love drowning my spuds in gravy...Mmmm yummy! :)
Grizzlygrump wrote: "suzysunshine7 wrote: "This gave me a giggle today ;o> ..."
Where's the 'No Ball Games' sign? :)"
I once saw a sign that said "No Graffiting" And yep..guess what..it was covered with it! :)
Mashed or Boiled ones, yes, of course ... but why go to all of the trouble of roasting off Potatoes in a tasty Fat until they are all deliciously crispy and crunchy ... and then pour Gravy over them rendering them all soggy and tasting only of Gravy instead? Nope! ... I don't get it?
Gravy on mash is fine but I prefer just a bit of butter on boiled potatoes.
Or just let some Boiled potatoes go cold and add a splash of Mint Sauce and some Salad Cream to make a Yummy Potato Salad out of them ;o>
A funny one for Anita ;o> ...
suzysunshine7 wrote: "Mashed or Boiled ones, yes, of course ... but why go to all of the trouble of roasting off Potatoes in a tasty Fat until they are all deliciously crispy and crunchy ... and then pour Gravy over the..."they don't go soggy for me Suzy...cos they don't stay on the plate long enough for that to happen! :-D
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