Stormy Weather

[Petrushka]

... we might have some warm evenings to enable us to sit out and watch the sunset without donning a fleece and boots.

You'll be lucky! The problem with an Indian summer is thst their are only a few hours of real warmth usually in the late morning/early afternoon. In any case by this time of the year the sun is in the 'wrong' direction missing the back garden entirely but now frustratingly coming through the window to shine on my books and CD's necessitating the drawing down of the blind. It will be like this now until next March.

[Nick Armstrong]

And my Jalapenos are crying out for some warmth!

Have you tried Ralgex and a hot-water bottle, Anna??

[marthe]

Some neighbours in the road at the bottom of my garden, asked if they could pick up some Bramleys from the grass verge the other side of my fence. I said yes of course and so far I have a promise of some help in the garden from one girl and a really lovely fruit cake, apparently boiled in a saucepan, from her ma in law. If you all lived nearer there are apples and to spare this year. I'm afraid they will all rot if no-one wants them.

Would that I could sal! At least you've got the promise of some garden help and the fruit cake to boot!

[salymap]

Yes marthe, I think the journey wouldn't be worth the fruit, if you see what I mean?

Petrushka, I remember we discussed the sun problem on the old boards. I have sun in the back of my home all day, come evening it shines fully onto my computer and TV which can't go anywhere else and face North/West.

[Anna]

My garden faces due South and WSW which has the disadvantage of being baked during the Summer and having the full force of the prevailing SW wind/rain as they sweep in with nothing to stop them. The advantage is that I can always catch the last rays of the sun and grape vines do very well, we have two vinyards locally.

Edit: Does this Indian Summer include Monsoons? It's rained all night, steady drizzle now, and forecast heavy rain by lunchtime.

[aka Calum Da Jazbo]

well it has not arrived in the Middle Kingdom today grey and chill .... i live in a narrow but deep terrace house with the front south facing and the yard and rear north facing, since most of the windows are at the rear light is at a premium in winter ... mind you terraces are snug in winter and cool in summer .... time to lop the hollyhocks and clear the pots i fear ...

[BBMmk2]

We going for a heatwave down these soputhern parts this week!! Not too bad today!!

[Serial_Apologist]

It seems central London must've been it by a pretty big storm at around 6 this evening, to judge by the blackest, most threatening cloud I have ever seen.

Tomorrow looks good for my 3-gig jazz cycle ride: Croydon's Green Dragon for 12-2 pm; the National Theatre for 5.45; and the Golden Lion in Sydenham for 8.30; followed by a 2 mile uphill stretch home. Around 26 miles in all, and probably a lot of beer consumption along the way!



Cheers to all!

[marthe]

Heatwave here. Afternoon temps reached 82 F. We're all looking forward to those crisp, cool days of autumn but they haven't arrived yet. It's not quite time to put away those summer dresses.

[Serial_Apologist]

Heatwave here. Afternoon temps reached 82 F. We're all looking forward to those crisp, cool days of autumn but they haven't arrived yet. It's not quite time to put away those summer dresses.

It's expected to arrive here by Friday, marthe. I'll have to check my records, but I don't recall October temperatures in the 80s Fahrenheit in the Uk since the early 1980s.

[marthe]

I'll never forget arriving back in Boston, Mass. from Cambridge, England in late November 1975 and walking off the plane into a wall of heat...80 degree plus temps. This was after spending some weeks in the cold and damp of Cambridge, with freezing fog at night, room heated by a very small gas fire etc. Quite a contrast! Of course, the stateside heat wave was immediately followed by an early blizzard...just in time for Thanksgiving weekend! As they say here in New England, "If you don't like the weather, just wait a minute." It's ever changeable and always a topic of conversation.

[aka Calum Da Jazbo]

well the Indian Summer is here in the Middle kingdom, a right scorcher .....

[mercia]

it must be Autumn, 3 daddy-longlegs have turned up in my bedroom
where do they come from? where do they go? what are they for?

[Chris Newman]

it must be Autumn, 3 daddy-longlegs have turned up in my bedroom
where do they come from? where do they go? what are they for?

Where do they come from? The lawn.
Where do they go? The lawn.
What are they for? Wrecking lawns.

[Anna]

it must be Autumn, 3 daddy-longlegs have turned up in my bedroom
where do they come from? where do they go? what are they for?

They hatch from leatherjackets. Where do they go? The lifespan of an adult is only about two weeks and their purpose is to mate and to die within a few days and provide a tasty snack for birds and spiders and frighten humans!!

So nice this morning, able to leave house first thing with no jacket, about 22 (72) here, sudden burst of farming activity as tractors are cutting last crop silage