Enjoying the Sunshine!

[ideasguy]

My spring and summer schedule:- Computer in the morning, gardening, fresh air and exercise in the afternoon (weather permitting) and more computer work in the evening.
The SUN has been shining this past week, and my office window faces the rising sun. My desk is beside the window, computer screen at right angles(ish) to window.
If I open the vertical venetian blinds (or whatever they are called  ) I'm squinting and finding it difficult to see the screen.
It would be a shame to have to close the blinds on this rare commodity (sunshine and warmth!)

My solution? A baseball cap - with a long rounded peak. Brilliant!
I can adjust blinds to let most of sun in, turn monitor to optimum position etc.
The rounded sides to the peak play a big part in making this work. Shielding the direct sun to the eyes makes it much easier to see the screen.

I do get rather strange looks from others

[roiphil]

unfortunately for me i have been put into the corner  and i have no window view of the countryside and the room does not get the sun till late afternoon, which means no sun

[NightHawk]

Well, I'd like to be out enjoying the sun today (yes, it's shining here too at the moment), but alas I've come down with a 'cold' 

It started a couple of days ago (caught I know not where) and has developed a bit more now.  So I'm feeling a bit miserable.

Having a laptop for my computing moments, I can sit anywhere I want to.  But the most comfortable position, and the one I use the most, is in an armchair in our front room looking out onto our front garden.

Had a very foggy start this morning though, but the sunshine soon burnt it off.

Very inventive solution to your sunshine problem George 

And I remember your little 'naughty corner' only too well Phil.  Maybe you need to do some major grovelling to your good lady for a promotion to a room with a window    Good luck with that!

[roiphil]

i did have my own room all to myself  , then the son moved back home so i lost my room  and now i am banished into a corner again  still kids come first

[ideasguy]

No need for the baseball cap this morning
Grey, overcast, half hearted attempt to rain.

Nevertheless, I have my veggy patch rotovated, limed, fertilised and ready for sowing. Ive raked up drills and beds awaiting the arrival of the garden team (my sons, their wives and kids). All very keen this year
I'm leaving the sowing to them

PS: I bought this beast last year:
http://www.thegreenreaper.co.uk/Cutivators_Tillers_Rotavators/Petrol_Cultivators_Tillers_Rotavators/Grillo_Princess_5.5hp_Cultivator.html
James and I call it the Gorilla and Jamesey says it feeds on petrol .
It pulled me off my feet the first time I put it in motion
Didn't take long to master and boy, am I pleased.
The veggy patch hadn't been worked for 3 years. I had it turned over in an hour, and big stones ripped up and kicked onto the top of the soil.
This is a REAL mans toy.

[NightHawk]

A 'beasty' bit of kit there without a doubt George.

I wouldn't want to get near to that unless I was covered in Kevlar from head to toe and then chainmail on top of that 

Maybe I'm just being a wuss, but if it gets the job done then it's well worth learning how to use it safely.

Boys and their toys - BIG TIME!

Weather not as good here today either.  Dry at the moment, slightly overcast with sun trying to break through the clouds.

Still nursing my 'cold' though so not going very far at all 

[ideasguy]

Its not that fearsome Laurie.
I explained to the owner of a local business which supplies and services (and fixes!) lawnmowers etc.
I explained what I needed it for, the size of the garden etc and he recommended the Gorilla!
We had a giggle when he explained that the tiller type rotavators were for tilling patches that didn't need dug.
He had to deliver it on a trailer (too big to fit in my car boot).
Initially I was alarmed, but its exactly what I need.
When the Gorilla hits a stone, it digs it out. Smaller tillers would hop into the air.

Sorry to hear you have a cold. My wife had a bug before Easter and it took more than a week to shake off.
Get well soon - the garden needs you

[Eric Hardy]

PS: I bought this beast last year:........This is a REAL mans toy.

Gosh, George, I couldn't manage that these days. I am afraid I will have to keep paying Paul to dig mine over.

Eric H

[ideasguy]

You might not have to pay Paul as much Eric! He would love the Gorilla
It would have taken a long time to dig my patch with a spade - twice!.
After the first pass, I spread a coating of lime, then about 8 large bags of compost over the soil and rotavated again.
That left it mixed uniformly, soil broken up fine and ready for sowing.
I applied artificial fertiliser after rotavation. I was in two minds about that - I had considered applying it as before the second pass with the Gorilla.

I prepared a few drills and a wide bed on Wed evening knowing rain was forecast. It rained half heartedly on Thu am.
Naomi arrived after picking James up from school. It was quite cold, but we went out and made a start.
Naomi sowed 2 varieties of lettuce and Broccoli on the wide bed. Then the rain came and spoiled the fun.
We had intended to sow Beetroot and Parsnip but that will have to wait!
Today? Simon has a day off and arrives with his boys around 10:00 am. That should be fun in the garden!
It was misty earlier, now its grey skies and dismal looking out there.

No need for the baseball cap this morning!

[Eric Hardy]

You are getting on, George. The ground here is so cold still and we are at least a month behind. From our little office window I can only count six daffodils fully out and there is normally a mass of blooms long before this. It really doesn't look like mid April at all. It is grey and damp this morning. The office window faces east as well so no need to try out your trick of wearing a baseball cap 

Eric H

[roiphil]

thats a might machine there george and the link you gave also helped me i have been looking for a scythe/sickle bar mower suitable for brambles etc and they sell them on the website a lot cheaper than places down here  , as for hats for outside use woolly hat for cold, baseball cap for for warm and sunny,

[janjack4]

Having the luxury of living in the south of Spain, I have to say that it has been very sunny now for the last 2 weeks and the temperature right now at 10 00 a.m. is 20 degrees in the shade, lovely!!!

[ideasguy]

Hi Janet
Its good to know someone is enjoying sunshine and pleasant temperatures
Do you have a garden with your property? We had a lovely holiday in Malaga a few years ago. I recall the beautiful Hibiscus,  and the most magnificent Brugmansia I have ever seen - at least 7 ft tall and wide, in full bloom and everyone was taking photos of their friends with the plant in the background. Theres another commonly grown plant over there - the name escapes me - remind me please someone Many colourful varieties, climber, sweet pea like etc (cant look it up at present).

I rotavated the last plot yesterday and the soil was noticeably wetter and heavier than a week ago.
Just before dark, the rains came. It was lashing it down between 10 and midnight.
Not very encouraging for us gardeners in the UK:(

I wonder - how are the spirits of our other members?

[NightHawk]

I wonder - how are the spirits of our other members?

Pretty low at the moment here George 

I'm still getting over my 'cold' and now Kathy's got it 

Stuck in the house nursing our misery, but the weather has been iffy anyway.  Getting lots of rain showers each day - again    The only good thing is the temperature has warmed up slightly.

Needless to say the garden is getting neglected, but not much we can do about that yet.

As the saying goes - "April showers bring forth May flowers".  Well the first part is certainly true to form.

[ideasguy]

That cold is dragging on Laurie. Wishing you both well!

RE:

As the saying goes - "April showers bring forth May flowers".  Well the first part is certainly true to form.

But only if you have them planted
I think back to this in March

[Palustris]

Amazing how much one can get done in just a few days of sunshine. Trouble is the pain kicks in long before all the jobs which need doing are done.

[ideasguy]

After two days and nights of heavy rain, I was considering growing Rice

Tried the old famous spring saying "Ducking and Diving" yesterday afternoon - out when the rain stopped and run for cover from the numerous spring showers. I tired of the muck and gave up at 6pm - I was doing more harm than good!

However, we had sunshine here today as well, Eric - unfortunately I was in Belfast all day but I guess it would need a day for the garden to drain and for the soil to warm and become workable.

I admire your courage to work through the pain barrier in the name of gardening. It would be easy to succumb to it, but in my opinion there is nothing like gardening to keep you fit and healthy.
I agree, its very satisfying to get a good days work done on a sunny day when you are motivated and filled with enthusiasm.
Keep up the good work

[ideasguy]

...and today? Started off sunny and got progressively worse
As I write, the wind has risen to gale force and we are enjoying a heavy shower of hailstones
I blame myself, as I had just changed to go a-gardening - that does seem to have an uncanny effect of provoking the elements.
Temperature outside is 3 degrees. Back to the computer it is

[NightHawk]

Rained here overnight, then sun appeared about 9am, but the inevitable rainclouds moved in and by 2pm the rain fell.

Heavy showers for about 20 minutes, then sky cleared and sunshine again.

Dry and sunny as I write and temperature is 10 degrees C 

[ideasguy]

I could get some work done in that

[Eric Hardy]

Bad luck George. Here in the Chilterns we had a lovely sunny afternoon and I actually did some lawn mowing (in the absence of Benji whose job it normally is).  This evening is glorious with a cloudless sky. 8:15 pm and still bright.  just waiting for Monty Don on the telly.

Eric H

[ideasguy]

I'm looking out for Santa

[janjack4]

Sorry about the delay in replying George, I think you must be referring to the bouganvillia, the flowers of which do look a bit like a sweet pea.  Yes they do come in many shades of red, pink orange and even yellow but have fearful long thorns on them and are a bit of a nuisance when the wind blows as it takes ages to rake them up.  Still musn't complain as the flowers here are so pretty. 

[ideasguy]

Yes, that's the one Janet! I didn't know they had thorns

I think they would huff a bit if I tried to grow them here in Ireland. Yesterday afternoon was sunny and warm when working in the garden. Today its back to winter gales etc, otherwise known as April showers