Valkyrie

Yes I know. And yes I did have that issue. That is why I just use the normal emojis instead. It is only the equivalent of a Facebook like and to be honest, I really am not fussed using them now because of that silly rule.

Yes, I had that before so I tend to do the usual emojis, but they tend to make the page jump and I have to scroll to get back to the comment section. I did mention it but that doesn't seem to happen to others and I think it was Mark? dunno who it was, said nope, it doesn't happen elsewhere. Annoying though. I do think the old system was way better.

Happy Birthday Luvvie!🎂🎈🎁

Our boiler is connected to an external thermometer - it is currently reading -3 (up a notch from -4) and adjusts accordingly. It is more economical as it keeps the heating at an even temperature without needing a drastic boost so uses less gas to do so. The house has been very comfortable all year round - we do turn it off in the summer - as when we first moved in, the house was freezing all winter long. The industrial boiler (why??????????!!!!) was replaced in time for the previous winter and served us well. I gather a lot of care homes have a similar system.

Only accidentally spotted teeny ice balls on the back of OH's car this morning, not visible elsewhere! No slippers this evening! But the floor is cold in the kitchen so they get slipped on to go out there. Had about 30 seconds of teeny snowballs that the ducks tried to catch this evening but nothing else. Wind dropped too. Perhaps that's why it feels warmer. Lovely sunny day, but cold wind.

I have two rows of carrots growing along the middle of two rows of tomatoes. One row has finally been harvested and we are working through the second. Both different varieties, a couple have carrot root fly but mostly pretty darned good and very sweet. Can't remember what they were called, but the seeds came from Franchi. It was an experiment and I was so surprised - never grown well outside but I've not tried outside in this place. Time for more experiments!

They do choose their hoomans don't they! I'm wearing slippers this evening! It is that cold here at the moment!

Well for small spaces, I'd recommend Huw Richards books. A young fellow and really knowledgeable - Veg in One Bed is really good - got it for my daughter who's garden space is limited. But I'd grow a few things together. Runner beans generally don't like having other things with them, but climbing French beans can be grown up a wigwam and you can have beetroot around the bottom - this can be done in pots too. Salad crops can be grown in pots for a cut and come again session. I grew carrots in the greenhouse with my tomatoes - they did well. If you have a pot for potatoes, I'd pop 3 on a small layer of compost at the bottom, add compost and another 3 spuds, layer with compost again and put another 3 in. Cover with compost and let them romp. But as potatoes are easy to get hold of and carrots also, I'd use my limited space for things like chives, thyme and other herbs. Then the peas, beans, tomatoes and peppers. We grew melons in the greenhouse this year. Ok but I could have used the space for something else. Sweet potatoes grew fine, but they were bitter - another smallholder agreed they can be hit and miss, so I can't be bothered with them. Gherkins are easy to grow and you can pick them as mini ones or larger. Kale can be picked leaf by leaf so you only need one plant - two if you want to add some leaves for the chickens to chomp. As they get taller you can underplant with something else like lettuce. Nasturtiums are great for salads - eat leaves, flowers and the seeds - bit hot though! OH pickled the seeds as capers. Chard - rainbow sort - can be eaten small like spinach and colourful. Spinach also easy. With the small raised bed you could grow courgettes with sweetcorn and French beans (3 sisters planting). Nothing quite like fresh sweetcorn - they haven't been left in the shop for hours - those like peas, are best straight from the garden. Sweetcorn turns to starch and loses flavour the longer it is left waiting. You need to ask yourself what you like eating, and go from there. I loathe beetroot, but I grow it for OH. Then you can try for successional planting where you harvest one thing and plant something for the later part of the season. Leeks or broccoli for winter and spring chomps! Oh aubergines in the greenhouse too! Hope we've all given you food for thought! And don't forget strawberries!

Lovely pics Catsy. I do rather like your cat! What a handsome fellow - assuming it's a boy. It's darned windy and very cold here at the moment, but dry and the squelching is much reduced apart from where the vehicles churned up the orchard to the barn, but even that is better in parts. We were out this afternoon setting up electric fencing for the ducks new area. Yesterday was cardigan weather, today it is several layers!

Brilliant - very colourful Luvvy!

Looks good Catsy. Here, the ungrateful duck lads have a shelter with fence panels and a really nice roof with lots of straw - do they go in there to shelter? Nope, they sit on top of straw bales in all elements looking miserable. Those who really don't like getting wet sometimes go in their house, but the chickens would appreciate it. It's been a glorious day here and only just clouded over - cardigan at the most type weather and, if you were in a sheltered sunny spot, then you wouldn't have needed that . Started with what looked like a heavy frost, but it wasn't that bad. We've been out marking the ground for new electric fencing to go round the new duck house which was put up just before bird flu lockdown - it stands empty, but it seems to be water tight and it's had everything thrown at it to test before the birds move in. I gather we won't be getting snow, but Wiltshire might see a bit around the edge of the county. We'll see.

Our boiler room is always warm - except when the weather temperature outside falls below the levels that the boiler is set to. It works by external thermometer and if it is cold outside it either gives a little boost when needed or ticks over instead of a mega boost to warm the house up. As a result we use less fuel as the house is warm enough to keep OH happy. Which means role reversal - I now feel the heat and he always feels cold. Long gone are the old boiler days when I used to turn it on and him turn it off. I thank menopause for that and for a while I gave him a basinful of what he had done to me. We turn the water on if we need it because the solar panels charge up the heating system for hot water and anything extra power that we aren't using is passed onto the grid. Which means the money we get from the grid pays for our water bill which has seen a big rise due to filling up duck pools! We use a lot of water nowadays! We also have plenty of water butts and tanks - when the set up is finally in place, I'll be making use of the rain to fill those! The rain here has been quite the penetrating sort - and I have a waxed coat! It just takes a bit longer to dry inside the lining. Luckily those days are few and far between - it's only happened twice this winter so far. Radiators work nicely - I only dry the microfibre cloths and jumpers on them - the cats play with the rest! Otherwise everything goes into the tumble dryer - free electricity on sunny days and sometimes cloudy but bright days too.

All the plants are going bonkers. Crocuses up before the snowdrops, even the daffs are up and budding before the snowdrops appeared. Gradually they are appearing but daisies are already blooming and the primroses are out. Add camellias to that and it looks like a spring race. 2 days ago the nuthatch was gathering food in it's beak - surely not nesting yet? But a chaffinch today was yanking up moss. Well we have a lot and he needs to work harder. The ducks didn't stop laying, well, Dixie and Cooter and now it is just Dixie with 2 youngsters. Even Peppermint Patty, the bantie light Sussex laid all winter and now that Fizz has started, Patty is having a rest. Meanwhile the snow has gone apart from clumps falling off the roof and it is still misty! But warm - I didn't need my coat this morning. Just as well as it is hanging in the boiler room still drying after getting a soaking last night. Looks like rain headed for us on the radar - which times it perfectly for sorting out the birds tea later on! I hope my coat is dry by then!

Was watching the weather radar with the types showing. We had pink for snow hanging over us for most of the day while the clouds moved from the west - interesting because the wind was coming from the east! No wonder it stuck! Turned to rain eventually. Very misty.

I was quite surprised when I read that because around here, the shops do request masks to be worn and the bigger supermarkets have masks to hand to people who may have "forgotten theirs". I'm not sure about the Brazilian virus as apparently the British virus was originally from Brazil - or was it? I've heard no end of thisies and thaties that I have had enough. The changing of minds for you can you can't cancan't - so many confusing guidelines that they may as well call a dance after it all - the CanCan't where masks are whipped away showing mucho nasal hairs instead of doing the flipping up of the skirts showing frilly derrieres! This morning flights were needed to and from Brazil, shortly followed by flights not allowed to and from Brazil. No wonder the people are throwing their hands up in despair!