Here we are again

[caddyman]

Good morning, everybody. Happy Monday, if such a thing exists at work.

Y’know, it’s bad enough having to work for a living and doubly so when the train you’re on in a morning is running late (delayed finish to engineering works was today’s excuse), but I could live with that. What made the trip in almost superlatively annoying was the girl sitting next to me applying gallons of dollop to her face (I’d like to say it’s an Essex thing, but it’s not). It wasn’t the fact that she seemed to be determined single-handedly to keep the international cosmetics industry profitable that was the problem, it was her iPod. Partially the fact that it was loud enough to hear as far away as Brighton, but specifically because it seemed to have but one track on it on eternal loop. I had to look the song up on the interwebs when I logged in this morning and now I know that the song I never want to hear ever again in my life is California Gurls by Katy Perry. Specifically the bit about ‘Daisy Duke’s bikini’. Luckily she got off the train at Stratford while I was still mulling over the possibility of cutting the wire to the earphones…

Anyway. I’m here, now and provided that I can get that earworm out of my head, I shall be happy. And to think I was getting fed up with Metal Mickey a week or so ago.

A busy weekend, then. fencingsculptor paid us a visit on Friday evening, crashing overnight full of authentic South Indian Curry (my, but it was spicy) and cider. Saturday was more nattering followed by a trip to HomeBase for shelving and a very nice pair of Lilies, courtesy Mr Sculptor.



There was some gardening and so on done, too.

Yesterday we decided to fiddle with the garden a little more and then hang pictures and mount shelves. We were partially successful: I need to buy screws and hollow-wall mountings for the living room shelving. We were saved from utter failure by the arrival of westernind with a proper mortar bit for the drill, without which the sturdy 1867 bedroom wall would have resisted our attempts to do anything other than chip the plaster work. Of course, by the time we had finished drilling and eaten, it was too late to completely finish the shelves, so there will be a bit of hammering to do tonight before I can deploy the necessary tranquilments above my desk.

The place is beginning to look a lot more homely; next step is to buy a stone Moai for the bottom of the garden, near then place we intend to dig a pool. Placed in the shrubbery at a jaunty angle, within a year or so it will be wrapped in plantish tendrils and a couple of years on from that attract moss. If all goes to plan, we will have a little frog pond, with the air of a lost civilisation, down there. I think I shall call it Innsmouth Pond.

Still no name for the house, sadly.

Comments

[littleonionz.livejournal.com]

Durn it I have a Moai style plant pot, looks ace with 'things' growing out of its head, bit too big to post however. Good luck with the gardenin, lillies rock.

[mr-h-r-hughes.livejournal.com]

I'm right in thinking you aint cat-owners now because the pollen on those lillies is, I believe, toxic to moggies.

[caddyman.livejournal.com]

Correct.

[geekette8.livejournal.com]

It's not "Daisy Duke's bikini"! It's "Daisy Dukes, bikini on top". Referring to Daisy Dukes as in very very very short shorts, named after the Dukes of Hazzard character.

Ahem. Sorry. I've had that song as an earworm for the last five days solid.

[littleonionz.livejournal.com]

swhy we have then in the front gardin where the mogs don't go.

[caddyman.livejournal.com]

I fully realise that anything we do to our garden will cause ruffles of disapproval, but in addition to the Lilies, I note that to my knowledge, we also have Cherry, English Ivy, Ferns, a Madagascar Dragon Tree, Onion and several Tomato plants. All of these are poisonous to moggies.

I suspect come Autumn, there will be mushrooms. Those are death to moggies, too.

I may plant Daffodils in the Autumn ready for next Spring. There is a strong chance of potatoes going in, too.

Cats should be aware of and avoid all of these, which will do nasty things to them.

[caddyman.livejournal.com]

I think the pond, as soon as we have worked out the whys and wherefores is pretty much a done deal. We just need to research the techniques and materials etc.

We are also pondering (hah!) the possibility of a small 'wetland' area near it, where froggies and newts etc can mudbathe and strange, exotic fireflies can raise families.

[caddyman.livejournal.com]

I just wish it would stop walking through my head..! ;-)

[littleonionz.livejournal.com]

I'm not ruffling anything dissaprovingly gov. I have fairly limited knowledge of plants myself, I just got told about lillies from one of the grands. Surely noone will give a rats what you do in your own yard?

[caddyman.livejournal.com]

Sorry, Ms Onionz, that wasn't aimed at you; it was a more general comment based upon conversations both Furtle and I have had with people and comments received from time to time. I should have been a bit more careful with the wording.

We have inherited a very nice garden. Now we are going to customise it; moggies are very welcome to wander through as are the foxes that do the rounds. However, as carnivores, I recommend they don't eat the plants. The only way we can have a poison free garden is to hit it with a flame thrower and concrete it!

[w00hoo.livejournal.com]

Surely it's sashaying through in over tight shorts and then giving you a come hither wink about 5/6ths in to the loop...

[smokingboot.livejournal.com]

Very ready to help with the building of Innsmouth!

[caddyman.livejournal.com]

Hurrah!

[snorkel-maiden.livejournal.com]

Apparently (according to the fount of wisdom that is my Mother) the surface of the pond should be 2/3 to 3/4 covered with lilies or other surface plants; this helps to keep the water clear.

You won't be able to introduce frogs yourself; moving them around at the moment seems to be frowned on because of that virus they have. But they may well find it themselves anyway. Also, forgs and fish don't mix unless the pond is very large.

[catpooka.livejournal.com]

Crickey that was loud if you could make out lyrics *shudder* As someone who had no choice about losing her hearing so young that kind of behaviour makes by blood boil. I have to remove myself or I really would cut the wires, I have thought of printing out some kind of 'hearing advice, you'll miss it when its gone, how sexy do you think hearing aids are' kind of leaflet but idiots like that dont have the brains to understand the effects their actions have until it is to late at which poin they will try to blame others and sue them 'no win no fee' Grrrr!!

So glad you are settling in, I am so embarressed not only have I not been around to say 'hello how you doing?' but you sent me a sympathy card, and your new home card is still at the flat! *blush* I am a neighbour of crapness :-( sorry!

[catpooka.livejournal.com]

my dad has lots of those lillies, luckily my two cats just ignore them!

[mr-h-r-hughes.livejournal.com]

Was just mentioning it, I wouldn't expect anyone to go out of their way to protect cats if they wander into your garden well, it's not your job to look after them. The reason I mentioned it was unlike leaves the pollen can easily get attached to the cat who then licks it away while cleaning. I wasn't sure if Elle was a cat owner, as you are probably all to aware I am *no* fan of cats.

[mr-h-r-hughes.livejournal.com]

Barley straw - a bundle of it occasionally put in the pond will keep it clean (it sucks out the excess nitrogen)

[november-girl.livejournal.com]

Ah - that explains it. I've been getting increasingly aggravated as I thought it said "Daisy Duke's bikini's undone" and kept thinking "but the Dukes of Hazzard was set in Georgia, so what's it got to do with California".

I shall find it SLIGHTLY less annoying now.

[w00hoo.livejournal.com]

I'm willing to make a 'ready for frogs' sign to go next to it, although it may look a lot like a laminated bit of paper on a lolly stick so possibly not the ambience you're striving for...

[w00hoo.livejournal.com]

And, quite a different mental image too, really not the Daisy Duke way. (Although guitarist in the house did walk up to me a few days ago and announced he'd just realised what a player Uncle Jesse was...)

[caddyman.livejournal.com]

Oh, it really was THAT loud! I am lucky that I have good ears, but sometimes it's hard to think of it as a blessing!

Don't worry about not having been around - it's not as if you haven't had things to do...

If anything it's us who should blush - we've not been around to see you, either. Will sort that this week - I texted James for confirmation of suitable times etc.