Has this forum died?

[Flo]

I look in regularly but not even the mice in the attic are posting.

[ina]

Not yet dead... Just always knackered after work.

[ina]

Beautiful, frosty, sunny day today. The snowdrops are out - I bought the first British daffs this week - and just as well I hadn't planned on cooking anything with leek in it, I couldn't get them out of the ground no matter how! But spring seems to be on the way. There's traces of daylight in the sky when I get back from work at my normal time (5:30).

[Flo]

Yep will give you the frost - it lay deep and white, crisp and even first thing. Then there was a smattering of snow on top. Seems to have lifted a bit now. Not that I'm going out on either the zimmer or the crutches as the replaced knee isn't steady enough for that sort of ground.

I've been sat at home for nearly six weeks (well 6 on Wednesday coming) bored to death but knowing that there's nowt can be done on the plot anyway with the wet, snow, wind, frost and it's fairly tidy anyway. Am about to drop a few tomato seeds into some jiffy pellets that came in a mystery parcel I bought from Suttons Seeds. Not sure if they will grow but anyway - if I don't use all the seeds I have some left for a tray of proper compost.

[ina]

I'm terrified of falling on the ice... Can't afford to end up in hospital - who would look after the cat? She's so antisocial; runs a mile if she sees anybody other than me.

I keep thinking I should be doing something for the garden, but I've got lazy over the past few years. My friend always grows too many seedlings, so I benefit from her surplus. Means that I don't always grow the things I might have chosen for myself, if I'd been less lazy, but I always grow plenty for my little space. Sometimes I've been able to give her some of mine, too; for whatever reason it generally seems to be courgettes.

[Viper254]

I check in once a week and generally have a dig around. But it is quite quiet.

Been trying to dig out couch grass and nettle roots whilst nothing's growing, but it's a long job! :)

[ina]

Hey folks - are you all snowed in? Advantage of living on the coast - no snow so far (none to speak of, none that stayed), but plenty of wind and miserable weather. Don't think I'll be doing anything in the garden this weekend apart from pulling a leek while it's daylight and picking a little parsley, if I can still find some.

[Green Aura]

None where I live, but the hills are white. I had to take a cat to the vets yesterday. This was on the way back - half the loch was free flowing and the other was covered in thick ice.

Loch shin2.jpg (603.26 KiB) Viewed 27325 times

[Flo]

We have plenty of this on the local roads. And lots of potholes as a result after the fire service pumps things away. This is on a major bus route so does get cleared sooner than that.

[ina]

Nice photos. Wish I could be bothered to get my camera out and working...
Just been and done my weekly butcher's shop in Stonehaven - just drizzle, with the odd bit of white mixed in, and cold wind. A day to stay at home (like so many others ). Made the coffee, time to put my egg on, and then breakfast!

[Flo]

This is the river down the slope towards the railway station. The bridge is one of two "of historic interest" - too narrow for most traffic and replacing is not possible - would have to demolish the village hall at this end which is a listed building for starters (and the land owner at the other end wants a ridiculous amount for a derelict patch). Anyway the river is not dangerously due to flood as it did in 2015 - taking out a lot of small business units on the far side and a few houses on this side.

[Weedo]

I think we are going to skip the balance of summer and move straight into autumn - nearly 130mm rain the past few days (25% of annual average) with temps down to mid 20's c when we would normally expect mid 30's to low 40's.

every "winter" seed has shot at least two months early, onions and leeks left to seed have produced daughter bulbs and these are 50-60mm high but seed heads have collapsed without setting.

[ina]

I stayed home today... Unfortunately I can't work from home (lab), so I took a day's leave. Have to see tomorrow morning how the roads are; buses have been running today, but late, and not in the evening.

How are things with you all?

[Flo]

Hah the local Facebook is a mass of snowed under road reports, stuck cars, information on stuck buses, the local farmer who clears the uphill town roads saying it's coming down faster than he can clear, appropriate pictures to prove that going nowhere is the only possible option ....

Trouble is that the uphill town is built on a north facing hill and the snow just comes in and brings everywhere to a halt. Mind the surrounding villages seem to be little better and of course said township is on the main route to anywhere (doctor, dentist, vaccination centre, vet, work, chemist, supermarket ...)

[ina]

The local bus got stuck on a road downhill towards the village yesterday... I'm staying put another day. The main road should be clear by now, but this morning nothing was moving, and I didn't want to stay on twitter waiting for updates for hours, only then to find that I had to stand at another bus stop in town (Aberdeen) for another hour to wait for my connection! There the buses were having problems on the slopes as well...
Nevermind, I'm sure we'll be back to (almost) normal tomorrow.