🦞 The Lockdown Gang still chatting 🦞

So funny about your cactus though ixion.
Made me smile.
Xx

...I hope he either gets out or is able to be rescued on Tuesday.
😬

The cactus came from a guy at the side of a road selling from a truck apparently. I think it was in Arizona.
It arrived here totally dry wrapped in newspaper.

Sorry, crossed posts.
Perhaps if I typed faster or wrote less.

Have a good sleep over the do-er upper.

You poor pigeon is in for a rude shock on Tuesday😢

Gosh, NS, your picture of the cactus brings me out in a cold sweat.
For many years, my father had one banned to in his greenhouse. It was particularly unprepossessing and really only of interest for its great (5'+) height.
My DM was thrilled when DF gifted it to DS1 in his cactus and succulents phase, tho' transporting it back 200 miles in the footwell with 3 small children was challenging.
You couldn't even kill it by ignoring it.

Despite a concerted attempt to off load much out of fashion brown furniture, I have found the chair of my -current- dreams and successfully made an offer.
A high back ash and elm Windsor chair, beautifully and sympathetically restored.
For use on heatwave afternoons, by an open bedroom window, book in hand!

I heard from Kaimoana this evening. She messages when she is able, I guess eyesight permitting. She is trying to pack up in the hope of moving nearer to DS and Gubbins with another assessment coming up shortly.
I sent our love to her, but don't know when she will read again.

Thanks for the pictures NotSpag you have exotic plants!

I have a pigeon in the chimney. I can see it but can't lure it out. Luckily the sweep is coming on Tuesday.

The anti bird cowl is missing from that chimney pot.
More expense. 😕

I haven't made up my mind about the do-er upper. I'm going to sleep on it and hope for a Eureka moment. 😊😯

My pal, who lived here for a while when their house was out of action due to a serious flood, came over today and shared her thoughts over tea and cake.

Aussie helper was in Edinburgh for the day. She wants to tackle books tomorrow!

I hope all the Lobstars are doing ok?

....and now the squirrels have taken most of my figs!!!
🤬🤬😡😡

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Our other hoya - also inherited - was a Hoya Bella.
Took loads of cuttings over many years but lost it in the end.

It tended to lose the diamond shaped leaves from nearest the roots until it looked very bare.
I was sad about it but it was glorious for maybe 20 years.
Here are some images (found online) of the Bella.

Both this and the Carnosa exude the most delicate sugary nectar in huge sticky drops. (See leaf photo of the Carnosa where the syrupy nectar has dropped from above)

My children used to lick the blossoms of the hoyas if I wasn't looking... Now they are more refined and they just catch the nectar on their fingers!

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Finally took some photos.
Our lovely Hoya (inherited from my father in 1991) and a cactus brought back from America as a gift from a dear friend in 1978.
They are both about waist high now.

Grammaretto is the doer upper the sort of house you would be happy to be in when done? Is it in an area you will be comfortable living? Where will you stay while the work is being done? Sorry don’t mean to be asking so much but I just worry about you taking on more than you can cope with but if it is a good location it may well be worth it, Hope it works out for you.
That flower is lovely.
I think ixion May be in touch with Kaimoana and I am trying to get in touch but not having much luck with messenger. I have exchanged very short emails because our dear lady can hardly see.

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I hadn't come across that plant NotSpaghetti porcelain plant or wax flower. Well done for keeping it going.

My trip around the Botanical gardens today was very interesting with our lovely Foraging guide. We tasted mugolio on pancakes (a delicious syrup made from pine cones) and a kind of imitation chocolate made from Lime tree berries.

I am tired now after so much walking and the bus trips. I have to pace myself these days.

I have a Hoya Carnosa in bloom at the moment. It's been really neglected but still fignting on!
The fragrance is really heady.... maybe even sickly if you shut the kitchen door!

I'll try to take a photo soon

I found it - commonly known as "Queen of the Night".
How lovely!
Cereus is obviously a broad category!

Gosh it doesn't look at all like the ones found on Google!

Cereus* is the correct spelling

NotSpaghetti

What IS that beautiful flower??
😍

It's a type of cactus. Years ago I was given a cutting from my mum's cousin from Burma.
I've since cut it back brutally and given cuttings away. It shares a tiny flowerpot with an avocado but still manages to produce a flower or two. They smell lovely.
Midnight cirrius

What IS that beautiful flower??
😍

What a pest NotSpaghetti to have a glitch at this stage.

My Helper is a whirlwind Doodle she's gone to see her friends in the West today and possibly overnight so I can relax a bit 😉

The house viewing reviewing with some friends and the architect has left me just as confused.
It's in a dreadful state but not hiding any nasty things - they are all obvious. The architect isn't worried by any of it saying it's what he does every day. I may decide to make an offer.....

Other friends came for dinner. We had halibut which was delicious and good chats.
When they'd gone I baked my cake for today and realised the dishwasher is not working so unpacked it and washed up in the sink. Meanwhile my once a year for one night only flower opened.
It's collapsed this morning. An omen?

I hopeKaimoana is ok. Is anyone able to contact her?

Notspaghetti i think selling houses is so stressful. There ought to be an easier way of doing it, hope you get the video sorted soon.
Grammaretto your new helper sounds a bit of a whirl wind. I hope she is helping you clear some stuff.
I had a lovely lunch out with some friends today.

Oh no.
The video of my mother-in-law's home had a glitch - so we have to go back again on Tuesday! 🙄

Please come back Naughtyneine with some good news.. 🙏
Thinking of you

How awful to have a break in - and was the stained glass repairable (without massive expense)?

Grammaretto That house is eant to be yours! It's obviously much smaller than yours so not so much to do - surely it can only be half The work??

What truly beautiful saw handles.
Can't they be restored by a group somewhere? Surely too lovely to bin 😮😮😮

Just had the video and photos done of my mother-in-law's house today ready for sale.
The people who put in an offer in February went away last week (or maybe the week before) for a few days and decided, out of the blue, they like another area more!

Sorry Ixion Im on a couple of groups and I can’t remember what I posted where. Yes church was broken into by youngsters we think. Definitely not professional thieves. Lots of damage to locks and doors and an upturned office but fortunately the main part of the church apart from one stained glass window stayed in tact.
Well balanced pain in deed. 🤣🤣
Grammaretto if the doer upper has had its price reduced then you’re not the only one who thinks it’s over priced. If you really want it and the work involved try giving them a much lower offer and see how keen they are to sell. Sorry I don’t know about the Scottish way of selling. I know things are different where you are .

The woofer is doing well ixion thank you. I dog sat for a few hours last Sunday and both dogs were very well behaved.

I am the self-proclaimed Queen of rehome, recycle, repurpose Grammaretto, but even your plentiful saws leave me flummoxed.
My final option is always, with some sadness, to throw out😩.

Congratulations to your DGD on her exam results.

I am sure that some guiding hand is leading you back to the fixer-upper. Spooky. Do you think it may just 'have your name on it'?

How is woofer, Doodle?

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Ouch! ixion
But how lovely to have sundial garden. It suggests there's plenty of sun.

The wretched do-er upper has raised its head again and I'm viewing again tomorrow.
I don't know who to take with me to balance the architect and agents' enthusiasm.
The price has been reduced but it's still too much considering the condition it's in.

I didn't know about the break in at your church Doodle. That's so awful. As you say it was mainly the offices which suffered but any break in and attack is a violation and makes you feel vulnerable.

Sending 🤗 hugs.

My Aussie helper is hyperactive. She's had to stop indoors because I'm not ready to let her throw any more out until I am ready.

Here are some saws which are far too good to chuck 😅🤣😅

Doodle, you never mentioned the break in (did you?). I'm so very sorry, it must be dreadful for everyone concerned. At least the integrity of the church itself wasn't violated. I hope everything settles back down soon.

Dunwich holds a special place in our family's hearts too. My DF used to take us on trips out.
Apparently, according to my uncle, Dad's youngest brother, the boys were firstly evacuated there during the war. This I had sort of gathered at the time.
What I didn't know was that my Grandfather paid a check up visit to see how his boys were getting on. At the time, various sea manoeuvres were taking place off the coast, complete with mock battles and real gunfire noises.

'That's it', my grandfather announced. 'They're coming back to London with me. If they're going to be in danger, they can get that back home.'
They then went to Somerset...

Light rain here, much welcomed after a serious session of clearance gardening.
Decided to tackle the grandly named sundial garden, where many of the top up lavender plants had failed to survive the prolonged heat, despite copious watering.
Half way round the circle, I developed a real right sided lower back pain.
All resolved, just tackled the remaining by turning round and tackling the weeding in an anticlockwise direction.
Well balanced pain now!

Jan please send it down here. It’s still hot. Fan still in even at this time of night.
Grammaretto your yarn group sounds fun. Ours is nice too. We sit there quietly ……..and gossip,🤣
These fires are awful. Not something we’re really used to in this country.
Went to church today and pleased to see it looked ok despite the break in. Lots of mess for people to clear up but apart from one broken window and all the doors and locks were broken the main church was ok it was the offices which took the brunt.