Oh, Pat, that sounds soooo familiar.....that's what our hols used to be like!!..At one time there were three families of us, on a footpath(so my hubby assured us) down in deepest Wales, and a farmer, with a shotgun , on the other side of the gate yelling at us to get off his land.
The kids were all hiding, some in tears, hubby argueing and pointing at his map.
We were only trying to find the scenic route to the local pub for a meal. And guess who was there at the pub when we finally arrived....yep, the farmer, and all his cronies, didn't make for a pleasant evening. Even the local kids were being hostile.
I've always defended the Welsh, when people said that they were unfriendly to visitors, up till then I've always found them great.
Northener, how do you go around finding venues to tell your stories, do you approach places such as schools?Or is your name down somewhere so that people can invite you?
I think it's such a shame that the art of story telling is sliipng away, kids now are more used to interacting with the t.v. or computer, instead of real live people.So sad.
What's occuring in the backyard?
Hello sueone! Yes, I will be approaching schools directly, on an individual basis. I am however already starting to network. I should eventually be doing some voluntary work with rhe local library and a SureStart nursery. I have already read a story at the library (it was just before I learnt how to tell them), and I have been to several events organised by SureStart
I am on Melanie Brown's mailing list for SureStart - she is their reading development officer and we get on famously. She noticed my interest in storytelling and has invited me along to some of their storytelling things. I was able to tell her today that I have finally learnt how to tell a story. She was really pleased - "Well done you!" I've told her that I'm not yet quite ready to tell stories to the children yet as I need to build up my repertoire. But once I feel ready then I will contact her again. Melanie understands that I'm at the stage where I'm going to watch storytellers perform and to learn from them.
Tony W. from Newcastle was today's storyteller. I've seen him before and he is excellent. Very good with children, very extrovert. He is also very supportive of my efforts to become a storyteller. He has a great sense of humour - I asked him why he changed from folk singing to storytelling and there was a great roar of laughter - "Because I wasn't getting any work!" I had to laugh along with him!
Today the programme for the Lakeland festival has come, together with my ticket. There's some good things on the programme - I do hope I don't have too many problems regards taxis though. I'm out in Kendal, 5 miles away. I'm hoping that my friend Alison will be able to come - she sounded interested in it.
Hope you have a great time there. I could never get up and do that in front of a crowd , be it children or adults, take s a lot of guts, and confidence.Could you not team up with others at the festival, there's bound to be others staying at Kendal I would think, share rides, or at least taxi fares to and fro.
folk music was another thing you don't hear too much of now, we used to have great evenings down at a local pub, The Smugglers, when they had folk evenings, everyone singing along, I have great memories of sitting in the boat (set into pub floor! ) swaying and singing my socks off, even though I'm tone deaf...aahhhh..memories....things are so different in pubs now, huge t.vs music blaring...
Tsk..tsk..i always said I wouldn't moan about the good old days like my parents..and here I am...
Well sueone, the heady days of the folk-music revival are in the past. Some of the folk clubs set up in the 60s and 70s have folded. But there are a some still around. I have returned to the one that I went to occasionally in the 70s. It's not quite as packed as it was at the height of its popularity, but it does quite nicely and isn't in any danger of folding. What will happen when its existing stalwarts start to pop their clogs, well that's another matter.
I used to be a very active floor singer. Singing was the joy of my life. Then I had serious illness and a dreadful time with my parents and the whole lot collapsed. I haven't yet returned as an active floor singer, but hopefully that isn't too far in the future now.
/act burst into the chorus from "The Wild Rover"
A whole new world waiting in front of you Northener, you've got to go and grab it when you can.
This has been an odd year for me, lots of things happening, which includes a couple of people in my age group suddenly dying.I'm now of a mind that you have to go out and live your life,NOW, blow what other people think about what you're doing,. You're living for you...no-one else, and you only have one chance at it.
You are fighting to achieve what you want, and good for you.
Thank you sueone. Yes, I'm doing plenty of grabbing! Today I went to the Festival on the Moors and told "Sarkless Kitty" yet again - a legend that comes from Farndale on the North York Moors. Today's leg of the festival was at Commondale, a small village on the Moors. There is no bus service there but I was able to use the Middlesbrough - Whitby railway line to get me there. The countryside round there is beautiful - it's quite a way out onto the Moors and the heather was still blooming - though it has faded now to pink. The village is pretty small.
I had lunch in the Old Post Office while being serenaded by a Sicilian folk band. Excellent! Had a good chat with Ron Angel of the Sun Inn - he's interested in learning storytelling. There's a workshop in Newcastle soon - will see if we can get a third body (a drivng one) interested in it.
Then I went to the Come All Ye. This was an opportunity for the amateurs to strut their stuff. It was led by Keith K. (an excellent British singer/musician) and his guest Jerry E. (an outstanding American singer/musician). Well, it went very well indeed, though unfortunately I was quite late on in the session and quite a number of people had left to go to a concert in the village hall. So it was a smallish audience.
I was very pleased by my telling; a bit nervous beforehand but not once I'd started. I did a fairly simple and low-key telling of it, but I could tell the listeners were all watching me intently and enjoying it. Keith K. looked pretty appreciative indeed. After I'd finished Keith apologised for putting me on so late - he said it was excellent and more people should have seen it. One gentleman in the audience, called Pete asked for information on my sources - he said he'd like to set the story to music. And a lady called Chris started reminiscing about her father - he used to be the publican at the Feversham Arms, the pub in Farndale - he used to tell the story.
Later in the Come All Ye I told a Scottish riddle that my Dad used to tell - nobody got it though.
Come a riddle, come a riddle, come a rote, tote, tote,
A wee, wee man in a red, red coat.
A staff in his hand and a stone in his throat.
Come a riddle, come a riddle, come a rote, tote, tote.
What am I?
(You might like to try it!)
Jerry E. also told a story later in the session - a funny Jewish one. When it had finished I gave Pete some information to help him find the story in print. And Chris, the lady, said she'd look out a copy of her father's version of the story for me, and take it to the Sun Inn, in Stockton where I go regularly.
So, I'm extremely pleased by my day out!
You sound as if you had a great day out, networking too (isn't that the buzz word these days for it? )
I'm stumped with the riddle though, never was a lot of good at these though..don't leave it too long before you put us out of our misery ....
You seem to be expanding in fields, music writing, drama...more bows to your arrows.
Life can take some strange twists and turns, then suddenly land us where we never thought we'd ever be.
Good on you.
Hello sueone!
Yes, my life is taking some twists and turns. These are areas that I was interested in when I was younger and wish I had explored further. When I was younger I was really keen on folk-singing. Storytelling is pretty much taking its place. I've joined a drama class now (went last night) and start my singing class next week.
Answer to riddle = a cherry!
AAhhhhh...it's easy when you know the answer...it was the bit about the stone in the throat that had me beat...LOL
Pip in the cherry! Yes, it's easy when you know it. This one was a favourite of my Dad's - it's Scottish. There are quite a few riddles about the cherry, even riddle songs.
Hi
Only just found this forum but there is such a lot on this site. Joined this week and spending hours reading different forums and plant files. What a great site. I am really keen to have a go at growing the corkscrew vine which is discussed in the vines and climbers forum what beautiful flowers it has and fragrant. All I need now is to locate some seeds, I am bidding on ebay US at the moment so fingers crossed.
My garden is 95% patio with just a small soil area which is very shady. I am a container gardener, this year I have planted over 50, and used 11 large bags of compost.
Sue
Hi Sue, welcome to Daves.
What's the corkscrew vine? Think I'll have to trawl the vine forum to suss this out.
Like your displays, good idea for the climber there...
I thought i had a lot of pots!!...LOL
Hi Sueone
Take a look at this thread for info about corkscrew vine. I won ebay auction waiting for seeds to arrive, now bidding on another lot of same seeds for my neighbour.
Sue
http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/542364/
I'm impressed, especially with your tomatos, mine weren't too brilliant to start with, then they all got blight!!.....
I never seem to do too well with pots, though i do have a few, guess I don't give them enough attention....
I have an automated watering system for all the baskets, and I do mix in water granules and long term feed, but they still don't seem to quite do what I'd like to see.
Next year.....
Is that vine also one called snail vine? I did grow some from seed last year, but somewhere it vanished into the great blue yonder...slugs probably..like most of my treasures.
Hi Sueone
The snail vine from what I read is not fragrant and does not have the same flowers. There is info on both in a couple of threads in the vines and climbers forum.
Sue
Hi Sue, Welcome to Dave's,
Your containers look lovely and colourful and well cared for.
I've just got back from 2 weeks holiday and am amazed how much everything has grown. My son has been looking after things, but the bouganvillea has suffered some kind of trauma. It was smothered with lovely deep pink bracts and they have all dropped off. It still has leaves though which is a relief!
It is fruit picking time and I am deciding what to do with all the apples and pears. Some of the apples keep quite well, but I had so many last year a lot got wasted, even though I made a few gallons of apple wine. It is a bit strong though, so I am toying with the idea of making cider this year. I'm only at the reading a book about it stage at the moment.
Has anyone made cider before, and was it OK?
I make lots of fruit wines, and have even got enough grapes for a gallon or two this year - real wine (hopefully).
Pat
Well I've got rained off again. As soon as I went into the garden today it began to pour down. The slugs are rampant and all the hedges need cutting. I did manage to bring the beans in to dry out at the weekend while they were reasonably dry. I leave a few of the best pods on for seed for next year. I've been growing some Mr. Fearn's Purple flowered climbing french beans from the Heritage Seed Library for a few years now and they are very good. They don't go stringy and freeze well and are very prolific. The others are runner beans - Black Magic which have also been good. Have you tried runner bean White Lady? It is my favourite for flavour and tenderness, but some years is very difficult to germinate as the seeds rot, even when started in root trainers in the greenhouse.
The house smells like a brewery at the moment. I was amazed to have picked 60 lb of grapes from my two 3 year old vines. It has only made 4 gallons of wine, but that is bubbling away in my kitchen. I had to move the cockatiels' cage into another room so they weren't overcome by the fumes!
How are all your hens at the moment? Mine are looking very sorry for themselves in full moult and haven't laid an egg for three weeks. Still they should have got their new feathers by the time the cold weather comes. Last year one of the Araucana chose the first very frosty week to moult. It dropped all its feathers over night and looked like an oven ready chicken when it came out in the morning. Poor thing looked like it needed a little jumper to keep it warm.
I'm taking minor steps to avoid bird flu being introduced from any wild birds. Scrubbing and pouring boiling water on the bird bath( the hens occasionally get out and have a drink out of it), and the paved area where I feed my hens, and not leaving any hen food out when they go in for the night. I am keeping all the bird feeders clean and sweeping and sterilizing underneath them. I know I should do this anyway, but don't do it very regularly, and the hens sometimes sneak down there and eat the bird food, so it will help prevent them picking anything else up off the wild birds.
We'll all probably have forgotten all about it if and when it every does become a problem here. The Press will soon find some other scare story.
Good gardening
Pat
We've been having heavy downpours since sometime last week apart from Sunday when it was glorious and we decided to wash the jute rugs ............. they still haven't dried!
I have been so remiss with vegetable growing in the past two years, I had some half hearted attempts last year and a ton of veg seed to sow still. We almost always grow Painted Lady Runners, I've not tried White Lady or Black Magic. The tomotoes (good old standard Money Maker and Gardener's Delight) were grown in large pots and cropped well but they came out 3 weeks ago, can't bear fresh tomatoes myself but they aren't difficult to rehome in someone elses stomach. I'll have to get myself more organized next year.
The hens have moulted and now stopped laying, I'm pretty sure the sudden change of weather has caused it and they are both over two years old now so probably looking at retirement. We've had nothing from the White Star for 6 months now but then she did lay a couple of eggs almost every day since we've had her with only a very short break, she's paid her keep, big eggs too for such a small bird. We need a couple of POLs again, they'll keep our senior ladies warmer when the cold weather comes in as well as eggs.
The 4 sibling Black East Indian ducks may have a new home very soon, I'd rather we had more space so we could get in some unrelated BEIs but with the space, possibility of Avian Flu and an unpleasant neighbour two doors away, it's not feisible. They've been getting noisy lately too.
We've been trying to keep the birds in their pen, it's big enough but they are used to running around the garden and are not understanding why they aren't allowed out. Then there is Beetle who still lives in the house (cat carrier as his bed) at night with us (I know, I know), he needs a nice little miss duck and his own pen, the others really don't like him and today he ran away squawlking when he thought they were coming out. He won't stay on his own, he sulks big time with his wings hung low and neck all floppy, squeaking sadly to himself, I've known birds to sulk themselves into dying so it's a very effective emotional blackmail. Keeping him in during the day is not practical so we're trying to keep everything doubly clean and an extra keen eye out for any possible symptoms.
Your duck sounds very cute, I'm sure I couldn't resist his funny little ways. He must be fully grown now, but still a big baby. I've been thinking of getting a couple of point of lay pullets too as the youngest hens are about two years old now. The Araucanas are the oldest at five years, but they have been laying almost non stop from March to September. They are lovely little hens.
I'm missing my dog. I still look for her when I come home, and have to find things to keep me busy when it is approaching the time I usually take her for a walk.
I went for a walk today with my son as it was such a beautiful day. Should have walked a few calories off as we were jumping over deep rapidly flowing streams, through brambles, over fallen trees and through swampy bits where the paths had flooded. The scenery was lovely, and all the autumn colours were lighting up the trees in the sunshine.
Didn't get any gardening done though.
I'm tempted by Araucanas but their price puts me off a bit but if they are really good layers then price shouldn't be a consideration should it!
We found a nice little miss duck for Beetle today and he's currently boxed in up the top of the garden with her, he is not happy. After a bit she started to follow him but he thought she was trying to chase him so he ran away for a while until he got fed up and then told her off. She's a call duck and I really didn't want another noisy duck but it wasn't my choice in the end. It seems odd not to have him watching the TV with us but it's the best thing for him in the long run. I feel the same way I always felt when the lambs I raised went to market, the evil betrayer, I picked Beetle up to pop him in the box hut and he struggled to get as close to my neck as possible. Sigh, he and I will just have to get used to it.
It must be difficult losing your dog after so long, changing the routine of so many years can be so hard too can't it!
Bo and I went off to Mately Wood in the forest today to see if we could spot some end of the season flora and fauna, well I say we, I mean me/I since he has no interest in anything other than going for as long a walk as possible. (He's getting on in years so I really feel for you, I'm dreading the day ....... now just trying to enjoy the time we have with him). We spotted a lot of half term visitors, a darter and a Red Admiral butterfly, oh and lots of young calves, someone didn't put the bull in early enough or wanted late calves for some reason. A lot of the ponies are looking well which is a blessing since some of them look skin and bone by springtime. Rest of the afternoon was spent looking for a duck.
Oops! I was being environmentally friendly in so far as I was killing weeds with my flame gun and not using poisons this morning. Having a lovely time when I thought I would just burn a bit of dead aubretia off. Unfortunately it was under a 5foot x 3foot x 3foot clipped juniper tree and whoosh there were flames 15 feet high and it was burned to a cinder in about three minutes. The children next door were very impressed. Now I've got to decide how to remove the charred stump.
Wow Pat, nice of you to entertain the children like that - shame about the tree!
I've been thinking about buying a flame gun, (saw some in the Organic Gardening catalogue), but really know nothing about them. Can you use them on weeds on a veg. patch? Or just on paths, patios etc? Would you reccommend a particular make? Any advice much appreciated.
Maggi xxxx
I have a Sheen flamegun and find it's brilliant for keeping down the weeds on the gravel areas, but am not so impressed with it in the veggie patch.
It's very effective for trees though Pat?? LOL That must have been a bit of a heart in the mouth moment!
I nearly started a grass fire with mine last summer in the overgrown veggie patch :(
I've had a Sheen flame gun for years and it is very handy with a peizot (don't know how to spell it) ignition switch. So you don't have to use matches to light it. I couldn't find it, so I bought a new one - unbranded - from Lidl supermarket for about £5 so it was probably made in China. It doesn't have the fancy ignition, but is very powerful, as you may have gathered from my previous message.
They are great for clearing weeds from paths and gravel, and I ran it over some goosegrass seedlings under the shrubs. I couldn't believe they were growing already. I tried it on some creeping buttercup round some small shrubs, but don't know it it has killed them or not. Sometimes you need to go over things two or three times to completely get rid of them especially the deeper rooted weeds like dandelions. The flame is quite narrow, but intense if you set correctly, but I would be careful how near seedlings you get. I sometimes go over a newly prepared seed bed if weeds start to grow before I've sown any seeds, which gives them a chance to get established before the next lot of weeds come along. Also if you do it regularly you don't get things seeding all over and have fewer weeds anyway.
What thread was the question about the little plastic seed packets on? I've just bought a packet of 120 from a stationer's shop for £1.45. I had just gone in for something else and they caught my eye.
Yes the use on unsown seed beds is a good tip Pat. I keep meaning to but have so far been too impatient LOL I'll give it a try this year.
I have a lighter that gives a flame rather than a spark for mine instead of matches, you can buy them in the supermarkets here, not sure if you can in England. It can be a bit stubborn, but now I know its little ways it's easier ;)
OK, off to look for flame guns in Lidl .....
Maggi xxxx
I got mine sent from the UK (costly) as I think Sheen are made there. The Organic Catalogue sell them, but not with the trolley which I find very useful - saves the poor old back :)
This is the model and site where I got mine
http://www.mower-magic.co.uk/acatalog/Flame_Guns_with_Trolleys.html
editing to say it's the first one on the page - didn't realise there are more below LOL
This message was edited Feb 3, 2006 10:44 PM
Hello from Georgia, USA. In the late fall I bought a flame gun to melt ice on my steps. Last January I fell on my icy steps and sustained a bad injury. Killing weeds is a bonus factor and I've already had some fun and caused myself some trouble with it. I burned up some hated dried weeds, started a grass fire and cleared off some dried weed covered stone paving steps. I also damaged the tops of some early sprouting garlic and spring bulbs. They are continuing to grow but now have blunted brown tops. I am really loking forward to using it to keep the weeds in check this summer. I hope I can learn to use it properly and not burn up too many of the veg and flowers.
I've never used one of these before, always too worried that I'd ignite everything around me, including myself!..
A guy up the allotment though swears by his, maybe we'll look at getting one this year.
I've always had afear of firey things,(since I nearly burnt my housr down as a child playing with candles) and I still hate it when my Hubby uses a blowtorch...
These can sound quite scarey Sue - might not be for you with that history LOL
Unless you can get Hubby to use it that is - if you trust him *wicked grin*
The snow and ice have thawed a bit today so here is a hen picture. I also managed to sow some more seeds in the greenhouse in the hope that things are going to warm up soon. I'm waiting for the frosts to stop before I prune and tidy everything up. I'm raring to go, and also hoping to shed the pounds I've put on over winter.
Pat, what beautiful hens! Forgive my ignorance,(I only have the local hybrid layers here), what breeds are they?
Maggixxxx
The girls are all laying well now and looking rather smart. The large black and white ones are Silver laced Wyandotes, the ginger one is a Warren, the black one with a bit of white on it is a Daisy Bell, the two small ones at the back are Lavender Auracana which lay blue eggs. The ginger necked one with partridge markings is a surprise one from a Speckledy cockrell and one of my pure breeds, and the dark grey one with barring is a Speckledy which looks rather like a Marran. I started off with all pure breeds, but they were quite expensive and don't lay as well as the hybrids, so my latest ones are hybrids - the Warrens, Daisy Bells and Speckledy.
Have you a photo of your hens Maggi?
Pat, I've just got a digital camera, so it will probably take a while for me to learn how to use it and post pictures on DG. (I'm rather a technophobe). Anyway, my poor hens are rather old and tatty - looking - not a patch on yours! Did you get all those different breeds from hatcheries in Britain? There are no pure breeds available here - just the one type of orangey coloured hybrid that everyone has. I'd love to have some breeds that laid different coloured eggs and also looked pretty.
Maggi xxxx
There are lots of people who sell pure breeds around here. Try the Wernlas Collection web site. I think they sell fertile eggs which you could hatch, although I'm not sure whether this might be affected by restrictions due to bird flu. The large breeds are very tame and sedate, but they don't seem to live as long as the smaller ones, and some of the small breeds are very flighty. They all have their individual personalities, I think that is why they are so likeable.
It is nice to get different coloured eggs. I took a photo of a basket of blue, brown and white ones and framed it like a still life, but it was before I got my digital camera so I can't send you the picture. I suppose it would scan if I borrowed a scanner, but like you I'm not very well up on anything technical.
Well the snow has gone today and I've been in the garden for hours. I've done far too much and have siezed up completely, but I had to get something done as I'm going on holiday next Saturday and the bad weather has prevented me doing all the usual jobs for this time of the year.
So I've pruned the roses, fed them and weeded and dug the rose garden. Then I got all the budleas pruned hard. I've emptied one of the compost heaps and put ten wheelbarrow loads on the vegetable beds and I've tidied up all the dead bits round the ponds. Oh yes and then I've picked the last two red cabbages and sprouts and cleared those beds .
I really feel as though I've made a bit of an impression on things. There's tons more to do, but at least I've made a start.
The seedlings are a bit slow in the greenhouse but are slowly germinating. I thought the aubergines must have gone rotten, as they've been in nearly a month, but three have appeared over night, and the Cape gooseberries have just come up too.
Last Sunday I had a panic as we had a power cut for six hours and it was snowing and feezing outside. I covered the propagator up with newspapers and several layers of cardboard and some fleece to try to keep the heat in and everything looks OK. Then on Monday I spent a couple of very cold hours trying to get the pond pump to restart as that had cut out and didn't want to get going again.
Here is a picture of the cheeky squirrel which keeps coming to eat the bird food. He spent half an hour planting peanuts at 30cm intervals all over the garden the other day.
Pat,
Like you I've been overdoing it in the garden the last few days as the weather has finally brightened up.....I haven't done nearly as much as you though. Well done! I like the pic of your cheeky squirrel - he looks full of mischief,(and peanuts)....
Maggi xxxx
What is everyone doing in the garden at the moment? Or are you all too busy to get to the computer?
I've just about planted all the alpine and woodland plants I bought at Harrogate Spring flower Show, and today I managed to sow all the brassicas in a seed bed outside. I decided not to use modules this year as I have so many varieties. I'm also growing extra for the community allotment we run.
This year I'm trying to make better use of the greenhouse borders by planting a succession of lettuces and salad things. I usually sow too many at a time so its just a few at a time this year so we can eat them while they are still small. I'm trying a lot of different lettuces I've not had before - mostly from Real Seeds.
I've been really pleased with their seeds, they seem very fresh and vigorous and all germinate really quickly. The germination of seeds from some other companies has been quite poor. I've tried several new suppliers this year for a change. I know who I'll be buying my seeds from next year.
All the blossom is out and the garden looks beautiful. It makes me feel really happy just walking round the garden at this time of the year - I'm ignoring the dandelions which seem to spring up from nowhere.
Tomorrow will be more sowing outside if it's fine, or pricking out in the greenhouse if not.
I might make some nettle beer too - I've got an interesting sounding recipe and all the ingredients!
Hi Pat
I'm having a pond put in on some very sloping ground outside the house. It's difficult to mow or weed there, so this seems the perfect solution and will make the area usable with a little flat bit to pop some chairs on too.
While the digger was here they've dug a couple more holes too, so I'll have a pond near the veggie garden and one in a meadow (both small, but fine to help wildlife :)
Also planting the remaining things on 'death row' LOL
....and sowing lots. A few flowers but mainly veg. Amongst the more usual I'm trying things I've not grown before, such as okra, cardoons, peppers and aubergines. Got some heirloom things from HDRA bank too.
So, yes, busy busy busy.........
I agree, it's such a lovely time of year with all the promise of things to come and all the blossom after the winter. Will be picking the first broad beans any day and the peas are starting to swell
What's everyone else up to?
I can't believe it's taken me 11 months to get around to posting the photos of the border we planted up from the first post! Below is only a part of the border, this is how it looked by mid June 2005.
