Stormy Weather

[mangerton]

Is this your Summer holiday? If so, bon voyage and have a lovely fortnight!! According to the BBC tv forecast first thing the heavy rain on Sunday is unlikely to reach the S.E. so you should be alright. We really could do with it here, very heavy soil and the small amount of rain over the past two days has quickly been evaporated by the winds, ground needs a good soaking so I can attempt some digging/weed clearance (especially the creeping buttercup) without breaking the spade/my back. However, my geraniums, marigolds, verbena, tomatoes and beans I put out seem to be putting on a growth spurt and are looking happy.

Yes, it is. Thank you for your good wishes. An annoying colleague of mine once said that there's no such thing as bad weather, only the wrong clothes. While there's a certain amount of truth in that, it's more pleasant in the dry. I'm not too bothered about very high temps. I'm glad to hear your garden's doing well.

[Petrushka]

Very strong winds and torrential downpours yesterday so donned Berghaus in expectation of more of the same today but turned out to be reasonably pleasant so felt over-dressed!

Council have put this awful 'surface dressing' on our road this week. Why do they persist in putting this dreadful rubbish down every summer? Thousands of loose chippimgs all over the pavement and drivers taking absolutely no notice of the 10mph limit. I was hit on the arm by one of these loose chippings a few years back and my brother had his windscreen smashed twice in the same week last summer!

[EdgeleyRob]

Some heavy rain at times in Manchester today,but still quite warm.

[Anna]

They do say 'be careful what you wish for' Yesterday afternoon I said I'd like some rain to make the soil easier to dig ..... at about half-midnight, half-two and half-four I was woken by howling wind and torrential rain lashing against the window. In total we had 6.3mm (1/4") in quite a short time. Luckily the wind has gone, but it's only 12.8° and, assuming rain keeps off, I must commence digging as tomorrow is supposed to be rainy again.
In the market - 2 large punnets of English strawberries for £1. That's over 2lbs in weight. As I've got a friend coming, and as I bought a large pot of Rians fromage frais (on offer at half-price) I thought I'd combine the two into a strawberry cheesecake or some sort of strawberry fool. Also bought two more geraniums for kitchen windowledge, one of which has lovely chartreuse and bronze coloured leaves - £1 each and full of buds.

[BBMmk2]

Ah, we know who to blame now!! :)

Rather like sunny intervals down here today.

[Serial_Apologist]

In the market - 2 large punnets of English strawberries for £1. That's over 2lbs in weight. As I've got a friend coming, and as I bought a large pot of Rians fromage frais (on offer at half-price) I thought I'd combine the two into a strawberry cheesecake or some sort of strawberry fool.

That's going to be a very large cheesecake, or fool!

[amateur51]

That's going to be a very large cheesecake, or fool!

Anna has an understanding with her mate up the road who has a cement mixer, S_A.

Joking aside, a veritable bargain and it sounds dee-lish Anna

[Beef Oven]

3.45pm, 15th June, London and I have the lights on!!! I have three huge windows in my lounge!!!

[Serial_Apologist]

3.45pm, 15th June, London and I have the lights on!!! I have three huge windows in my lounge!!!

Yes, some pretty big storm clouds crossing the capital right now - the London Eye has disappeared from view yet again.

[salymap]

I expect in years to come cheesecake will be able to be sent on line and, if I ask nicely Anna would send me a piece. :Smiley:

I've just realised I haven't had a strawberry or any other fruit this year, apart from bananas, apples and oranges.

[Serial_Apologist]

I expect in years to come cheesecake will be able to be sent on line and, if I ask nicely Anna would send me a piece. :Smiley:

I've just realised I haven't had a strawberry or any other fruit this year, apart from bananas, apples and oranges.

The range of fresh fruits available at most supermarket branches nowadays is so vast it surpasses my knowledge! At the same time, what's available tinned has narrowed down to a fraction of what could be found a few years ago. I had to cycle 3 miles to find a can of lychees this morning.

[Anna]

I expect in years to come cheesecake will be able to be sent on line and, if I ask nicely Anna would send me a piece. :Smiley:
I've just realised I haven't had a strawberry or any other fruit this year, apart from bananas, apples and oranges.

Saly, one day we'll all have those printers than can do such things (how they work I have no idea?) I don't think a jiffybag would work, but I'd willingly send you a slice if I could.

I didn't need to buy so many strawberries, but at that price it's foolish not to, they are packed full of vitamins and minerals and I never buy imported (tasteless), it has to be UK produced for me for certain fruits so it's a short season.

For everyday fruit I generally buy bananas (they're cheap and lower blood pressure) and apples. Summer is the best time for UK fruit - I love raspberries best of all (far better than strawberries), cherries and red currants (the house I grew up in had red and white currant bushes and also loganberries - the latter I never see for sale and white currants are not easy to get although the greengrocer sometimes has them) My neighbour grows a lot of rhubarb and always offers it to me but that, and gooseberries, are the two fruits I really don't care for. However, I see in The Guardian today Hugh F-W has a recipe for rhubarb and strawberry crumble .....

Ontopic, I got ready after lunch to garden and the heavens opened and it was very squally and cold so put on another layer, then it started to rain again and dark (but not needing the lights on) so I thought - maybe digging can wait!

Edit: didn't see S_A's post. I love lychees too!! I don't buy tinned fruit but did a couple of days ago buy a small tin of prunes, which I love with Greek yoghurt.

[BBMmk2]

FoR3 Online Mail Order Service. Click and Send!! :)

[Serial_Apologist]

Well now, it appears that we are probably in for 3 or so days of stifling, thundery weather down here in the Home Counties, according to today's week-long forecast on BBC 1 at 12.15, as we encroach on a heatwave taking place over the Continent - followed on Thursday by a temporary return to the cooler cloudy conditions elsewhere, before things start warming up more comfortably for everyone not in western Scotland by the weekend. Simon's predicted pretty good weather from then until the end of the month, barring a few minor lapses. Oh, and he's replied to my "challenging" him on global warming!

The sun's trying to break through the high cloud veil now - let's hope they'll put the live jazz out front at the Grape & Grain this afternoon!

Have a lovely day, everyone!

[salymap]

I've been watching Queen's Club for the tennis final. So far just Sue Barker rabbiting on, [sorry, Sue] but no tennis at all.

They bought the match forward to beat the rain but the rain has triumphed so far.

Not a good outlook for Wimbledon it seems.