MRS B

Two of my favourite things tonight, listened to the last call of the blackbirds and fed and watered my large hedgehog. Time for a Bacardi and coke now.

Have just put some more food out for my hedgehogs, there’s a lot of activity out there tonight!

Nice pics. I really can’t think of any other deterrent then.

Rog, I put bean poles about a foot high in my pots in the garden to deter cats (mostly my two) from using them as toilet facilities which works and I’ve always got a supply of broken poles so good recycling. Maybe you could try that, would be a bit more hedgehog friendly than netting as they’ll just avoid them.

I make a years supply of passata every year so I grow fleshy tomatoes like San Marzano, Coeur de Beau and Iraqi. The Iraqi ones are from Mosul originally and to prevent the seed from becoming lost, some bright spark in the Iraqi war collected loads to keep them going.

When hedgehogs hibernate, apparently their brain remains dormant so they wake up thinking they are in the same place they were when they went to sleep. I think it’s a great idea, I would quite happily hibernate in my duvet over winter.

Jill, have just been watching it eat, it’s huge! Maybe it is the one I had last year.

Food gone tonight Jill, excellent as you say.

I can remember Peter Barrie.

Well done PP for your successful seed saving and germinating. They sound like a strain of “Black Russian” which has the same qualities. You can save seed from your own now this year. I am on my 7th generation of a cherry tomato called Piccolo which I originally had from Tesco and saved the seed. I dry them on a sheet of kitchen roll and then put them in an envelope over winter and sow the kitchen roll then on top of compost in a half seed tray and put a thin layer of compost on top. Water and cover with a top Perspex, put on a sunny windowsill and wait for them to appear. I always pot them on

Jill Sparrow, Jill Sparrow, we have a hedgehog! Just spotted it and have put some food out. Whoop whoop. Will keep you updated.

Finally managed to get in to see a doctor about my knee problems after completing an online form over 4 weeks ago. He did a very thorough examination and is requesting an MRI which he says will take a couple of months to come through with a date. Onwards and upwards

Zoff it is then.

Barrie get some Zoff wipes from Amazon or try nail varnish remover.

Beekay, you just make me want to go back to Firenze. Your perspective is really good and Brunelleschi’s Duomo. Love it.

Barrie, Florence is my favourite city of anywhere I’ve ever been. Do you know where she stayed to take the photo? I have been many times with my History of Art daughter which for me is like having your personal tour guide. I would love to see the finished product.

I spotted this today. It’s a bee fly which mimics bees. It is very clever and lays its eggs in solitary bees nests. The larvae when ready will then eat the bees eggs after it has gorged on the pollen which has been left in the bees nest for the potential little bees. It loves purple, pink and white flowers so I’m not surprised that it was in my garden as I have lots of pulmonaria to attract the real bees. How fascinating. If you Google bee fly you can find out lots more info.

Oz I agree, the simple things to change are easy, wall ovens are a pain in the neck and I can’t abide clocks of any sort being different to other clocks in the house. Maybe because working for an airline, the clocks had to be correct. Always mystified me though what happened between 2359 and 0001 because there never was a 0000 time in aviation. I watched a programme years ago about changing the clocks in the museum. There is a set way of doing it but it takes ages. Also, why do microwave clocks gain a minute every so often ?

Kev I’m like that most of the time, let alone when the clocks change. I spoke to the Sheelagh woman on your Midland leaving card at the allotment today and she can’t remember you but said that the print room used to be under the finance “umbrella” which makes sense as she worked in cashiers. Small world eh.

I’ve been busy all day, making use of the good weather. Washing out all day on the line and dry. Been at the allotment planting onions and mending the strawberry bed. Also watching a buzzard and a kite making use of the thermals above. What joy. No such weather now till at least Sunday so back to the charity knitting and housework I guess!

I’ve been on watch tonight but no sign of them. Have left some water out but not food it’s too bloomin wet for just in case. Will have to think of somewhere in the garden out of the rain to put it.

I have a few to remember. Etam, Biba, Bus Stop, C&A, Image, Fords, Cecil Gee, Paul Smith, Dolcis and Stead & Simpson shoes. I used to spend my Saturday job wages from Boots on the corner of Wheeler Gate and Friar Lane on shoes every week after I’d been to the Flying Horse at lunchtime.

Jill, that’s fantastic news, will have to keep an eye out if you’ve already got them. Bit chilly overnight for them I guess though now?

It’s so difficult to judge when the best time to sow and plant out tomatoes is. If you do them too early they bolt and it’s still too cold to plant out. If you do them later you’re then caught in the “will they ripen or not” scenario towards the end of the summer. I tend to do 2 sowings to account for either but am very lucky that I have a greenhouse and polytunnel at the allotment. All mine on my first sowing are now germinated within a week inside. Very interesting about the sweet peas Oz and the cooler months for both of us for starting them off. I won’t be putting mine outside in the g

Before my “fix it again Tony” I had the most amazing purple KA with cream leather upholstery and a 6 cd changer 06 reg which Mr B bought me when he came out of the Army brand new. I really loved that car which I part exed for my Fiat cos it got to the point where it was costing me an awful lot of money with bodywork repairs on a yearly basis. It is actually still running but took 3 times to pass its MOT last year with exactly the same problems I had with it. Structurally dangerous was the comment (as I had previously). I do really miss it though.