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our jetstream is awol
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Posted by
campanula UK Cambridge (
My Page) on
Sat, Jul 7, 12 at 7:27
| grief, after a major 2 year drought, the heaven's opened in England and have not stopped since. 3 continuous months of rain - we are drowning here. No surcease either - for another 2 weeks at least, the jetstream has missed us completely, leaving us stranded in a permanent November. Off to spray the tomatoes (why bother though?) and the potatoes (if I can keep the phytopthera away, these should be good) and ignore the thick carpet of brownly wilted rose petals which have glued themselves to every available surface. Mood not helped since daughter has dragged me off to Fat Club (weightwatchers!) where I was forced to gloomily contemplate my 12 stone bulk on a torture apparatus I have not seen for at least 25 years (weighing scales). Also, trying to stay out of sight of demanding grandaughter (she walks, she talks, she yells and she DEMANDS - how things change from a year ago when she was a darling bundle of fluffy babylove). I used to keep a handy packet of biscuits in my shed at the allotment but all I can look forward to now is a damp pile of lettuce thinnings. Wetly discouraged - need inspiration. |
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: the torch, the bloody torch
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| and as if the rain and the dieting is not bad enough, the sodding olympic torch is on its way past our house - bugger this, I am taking an umbrella to the allotment before I succumb to ennui and icecream. |
RE: our jetstream is awol
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| Hi Suzy: What is an umbrella? We have so little rain that I forget how it looks like. What is ennui? At first I thought it's a yummy dessert made out of Egyptian camel milk, until I google "ennui":
"Listlessness and dissatisfaction arising from a lack of occupation or excitement." We had a drought here in 2004, so I put plastic edging dug down to 6" around all my gardens, and they became "swimming pools". Sure, I lost most of my irises due to wet feet, but other big plants benefit from plastic edging retaining water. I wish I had collected more of my neighbors' lawn clippings in the spring, even when they were wet and moldy, to put around trees. If it doesn't rain tomorrow, I'll have to water one birch tree with only 3 leaves left. |
RE: our jetstream is awol
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| A permanent November (shudder) and what we here in northern Michigan would call "Fudgie Season" (tourists) - on steroids! And no solace to be found in ice cream or a secret treat stash, either. I can really sympathize with you there, Campanula. And I live with my grandchildren, ages 6 and 3...sometimes I am glad there is a lock on my bedroom door. ;-) |
RE: our jetstream is awol
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| Yes, I sympathize with Suzy's putting up with her grand child. Wait until they get to the "One-question-per-minute" age. Few years ago my kid was learning all the big words in 1st grade. One night she kept asking me tons of questions. I was dead tired and frustrated so I said, "stop asking me questions or else I will die young." She shot back, "how are you going to do that? Are you going to assassinate yourself?" |
RE: our jetstream is awol
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| Oh, Camps, come to Florida. I'll put you up in my horse trailer--not the stalls--it has living quarters. No squalling babies, though. I'm too old. |
RE: our jetstream is awol
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| Heehee...grandchildren...I live with fourteen year old and ten year old granddaughters, and I've experienced it all. They do keep you young, but not thin, unfortunately, in my case. I'd love some of your rain, Campanula. We get only 12 inches of precip a year, and it's been since early May, I think, since we've had any. Now out to water...love that irrigation. Diane |
RE: our jetstream is awol
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I'm in the Cotswolds Campanula and have to agree that the rain and autumn like weather is very depressing. The only saving grace this year is I've planted two dozen roses, box borders and weeping trees and for me the rain is preferential to the hosepipe ban. It was taking me literally hours to water all my new plants with a watering can... but it can stop now, everything has put down roots nicely.
There's going to be no let up for July so we can only hope for an Indian Summer :) |
RE: our jetstream is awol
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| I still remember how cute Camp (Suzy)'s grandchild is when she posted that picture of that blond kid. The cuter they are, the more they misbehave. My kid was really cute at 3 years old, but was quite bratty. Inversely, as I get older and become a wrinkly fat blubber ball, I become nicer (hint: I'm half a century old) Floridarose: I broke out laughing at your generous offer. I'm sure Suzy would be moved to tears. |
RE: our jetstream is awol
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| ah bless, I was and all, Strawbs. dear FloridaRS, I would be out there in a flash but I have become such a curmudgeonly stop-at-home, my passport lapsed ages ago (you can breathe a sigh of relief now) A wrinkly fat blubberball, but nicer....well that does not sound such a terrible trade off, Same for me (wrinkly and fat) but I get meaner and rattier (I'm 55) So, there's more of us than I thought, several generations under the same roof. S'a good job it isn't all bad then, hey, in fact some things are priceless for all concerned, especially being able to be actively supporting of each other and it has been brilliant for Phoebe Rosa. By the way, my, erm, dieting tactics consists of not eating biscuits or icecream and 6 pounds has disappeared in 12 days. Yep, I know, early days, but unsurprisingly, since not eating a bowl of strawberry cheesecake icecream....with extra cream....and crunchy nut cornflakes on top, in bed every night (apart from when I run out and have to make do with a packet of Rich Tea biscuits instead), I have been sleeping so much better (obviously,). Far too late for my teeth but my waistline may still be saved. |
RE: our jetstream is awol
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| That's amazing, Camps. I'm dieting and exercising also (recovering from knee replacement surgery). I'm up to 14 miles a day on a recumbent exercise bike and not losing as fast as you are. |
RE: our jetstream is awol
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Oh Suzy. I hate to say I feel for you. Coming from Crete, that would sound so smug. But I remember too well, sitting by the window, for days on end, waiting for the rain to stop so that I could at last, get out into the garden.
I have to say though, I have used my umbrella this summer. It came in very handy, shading a new, very young brugmansia from the sun, until it was established.
I hope the jet stream behaves itself next summer though. I have booked a fortnight on the Isle of Man for the TT races in 2013. My other great passion.
I wish you a sunny and warm late summer.
Daisy |
RE: our jetstream is awol
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well, FloridaRS, i think i have fluked the first week or so and expect/hope to lose between 1 - 2 pounds per week, Impressive cycling though (i just run up and down the stairs - we have many).Also, i am much too mean and cynical to spend a penny on any special dieting foods, i am just eating a bit less of what i normally eat with NO SNACKING.
Very brave, Daisy, to uproot yourself from Cornwall (although it is a troubled county in many ways - no work, housing an issue) I frequently fantasise about living (and gardening) somewhere warm, or at least different, although, despite this awful year, the UK still remains a delightful place to garden - mild, temperate and culturally embedded. |
RE: our jetstream is awol
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| Don't do too many stairs, Camps. That contributed to my knee problems. When I was still court reporting, I ran the courthouse stairs, nine floors, many times a day. My doctor says stairs are very hard on knees. |
RE: our jetstream is awol
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| We share your jetstream in Scandinavia and have had record rains, too, the worst in Stockholm since 1786. Farther south roads are flooded, houses on river banks are falling into the water. It's a bit better here but not much. I am so happy I'm retired because no vacation is spoiled for me as for working people and I can catch every glimpse of sunshine and rush inside when there is a shower. Almost all packet holidays are sold out because there is no hope for better weather here in the next few weeks. Swedes normally have their vacation in July. We've been lucky with our open gardens, the rain held up on all occasions. Yesterday it started to rain again 15 minutes after the last visitor left. My husband and I were less lucky when we went garden visiting. |
RE: our jetstream is awol
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| Hi Camp, How long without rain is considered a drought in East Anglia. We spent 3 weeks in London in August 2010 and it seemed to rain or threaten to rain nearly everyday. I have never seen clouds move so quickly unless in the middle of a thunderstorm. Would that be due to a thunderstorm? |
RE: our jetstream is awol
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| Hi Sally, yes, 2010 was a challenging year - for me, rather more challenging than this year (so far). We had no rain (again) all spring but the minute school closed for the summer, it rained....and rained. According to my garden notes, it was the wettest August since 1973, although we look fair set to beat that this year. Usually, East Anglia is the dryest part of the country - low-lying, flat and open, with drying winds but 2010 was anomalous (as every year is beginning to seem). Despite the wet late summer, the earlier drought had led to shortages in potatoes and cereals - my potatoes had barely increased in weight from when they were planted as seed potatoes - hardly worth the effort of digging them up. London, of course, has its own peculiar weather but I don't imagine it was much fun for you, expecting a break from an autralian winter. |
RE: our jetstream is awol
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| Crazy Chicagoland weather here, where the temp. can drop 10 degrees in one day. Yesterday it was in the upper 90's in the morning. Then heavy thunderstorm. It stopped with some sunshine. All of a sudden the animals went beserk, scampering around: birds flew fast into the bush, squirrels climbed the tallest branch to spot for shelter. Ten minutes later, I heard some loud banging against the house, like an intruder banging with a stick. It was hailing, big chunks of ice fell down, then shrank to a steady ice pellets the size of corn kernels. We get hail storm in November, but never in hot July like this. |
RE: our jetstream is awol
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So sorry to hear about your wet weather. We had a rather chilly and wet June. There are telltale BS issues on some of the rose bushes which are usually not affected with that particular malady.
Weight Watchers you say. Well welcome. I've been a member for more years than I can count. Some years successfully and others I fall off the wagon. Last fall I finally got serious about it and lost a number of pounds. This new counting system truly works for me./ I seem to be able to count to 26. The trick is not to eat more numbers. It's 2:30 a.m. here now and I'm chowing down on a huge dinner plate salad. With a virgin tom collins to boot. ok I never did say I was playing with a full deck. Just an old deck...as in 65 and counting...
Jeannie |
RE: our jetstream is awol
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Hi Jeannie.
with the money saved by not buying biscuits, sweets or icecream, I have already ordered 4 new roses - Golden Wings, Marbled Pink, Bright as a Button (a new hulthemia) and R.Kochiana....and have lost 8 lbs - already had to sew darts in several pairs of trousers. Not thrilled with salads (a garnish) or celery but it was truly shocking how many RichTea biscuits I could manage in one session, especially with cups of tea. |
RE: our jetstream is awol
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8 lbs. That's terrific. No salad here tonight. Actually roasted veggies with a lemon/curry sauce which is quite hot. Need some more tea to cool off the back of the mouth.
So you're on a rose buying binge...good for you. I purchased Eyconic yellow lemonade this spring. It's a little thing so far. I not been able to locate bright as a button here but will look some more. The above hulthemia so far is spotless. That's a good thing.
Take care.
Jeannie |
RE: our jetstream is awol
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| Yep, Jeannie, I have a few hulthemias (Bright as a button may actually be Bullseye (Chewsumsigns)- truly, they are pristine (dolefully munching on a crispbread at present). |
RE: our jetstream is awol
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| I think you have our rain Campanula lol |
RE: our jetstream is awol
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| Just found this thread, and about pee'd myself starting to read it. Perhaps misery does love company! First campanula, thanks for teaching me two new words today - surcease and ennui (which I had to look up for pronunciation!). Cannot relate at this time to the rain scenario as we are having our standard consecutive months of absolutely no rain in this part of CA right now, and it's bone dry and like being in the desert. But - have been there before (like, this spring!) and know how difficult it is to garden in those conditions. Then, the WW. Now a few weeks into it, would you recommend it?! My work has just brought it in, and first meeting is today. I've always hated the idea of dieting and hadn't had to worry about it until the big M, which has enabled me to put on about 20 lbs that don't belong on my body. And it doesn't help that I've gone from being up and physical all day for 7 years, to sitting on my arse for 12+ hours a day typing on and staring at this little box (well, nice 24" screen in my bullpen cube). It also doesn't help that in my little company that went from 300 when I started to 1200 and rising now, is hiring mostly people who could all be my children! Skinny little hyper kids - the accurately stereotyped world of silicon valley high-tech. Anyways, the WW meetings. I'm embarassed to go in - it's like the self-confessed fatty club. Coming out in public to say - yes, I know I'm packin. All 20 of us in the company who are packin. Crud. Perhaps I should start on my own - outside the company. Now I'm getting depressed. Time to go out and dig up some more roses and encase with gopher cages and exchange my mood with mad. |
RE: our jetstream is awol
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| well, Harmony, Weightwatchers. After the first meeting, I have not been back but for me, this is the first time I have ever attempted anything which involves will power (I have none) and I am finding it easier to do nothing (eating) than to have to get up to a completely different regime. All the info we need is freely available - I know I need to keep to 1400 calories a day in order to lose 2pounds a week (only 32 to go) so for me, all i need to do is lay off the snacking, especially during the evening. Mind, actually coming out in public, so to speak, has made a big difference, especially since announcing it to the world. WW is a bit facile and, like a lot of these things, exists to part us from our cash so the choice is yours Harmony. I had imagined a public weighing with heckling but essentially, there is a discreet weighing then our 'leader' gasses on about good foods and bad foods (it is hard to keep my sarcasm levels down). Why not try it with a partner or someone you are friendly with as a sort of informal competition - you can encourage each other. If I get complacent, then I will return to face the music and a ticking off but I feel I am on my way plus my daughter is dieting too (a LOT of competition there). 20 lbs sounds eminently doable without having to keep food diaries or attend meetings....but then, many people swear by it - I would definately say that �20 a month is a pretty good incentive for getting value for money. On the other hand, I have bought 6 new roses with the money saved from icecream and biscuits. Weather still awful, more rain predicted throughout August now - this might actually be a year without a summer so if nothing else, if I can shrink my enormous arse I will be well pleased. Hyper, skinny, Californian kids....ack! (time to practice your inner crone wisdom). |
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