|
Post by Bean on Nov 12, 2018 8:47:48 GMT
Haha both very good!
I quite often just use the mower to gather up the leaves, or spread them (chopped up) on the lawn if I leave the back off, but the mulch is so useful to have as it's much richer when it's been breaking down for a couple of years. If I can't get the kids doing it, I might go with the easier mowing option, as my back will not thank me after a couple of hours of raking!
|
|
|
Post by jolovespiggies on Nov 12, 2018 9:38:18 GMT
i would be guilty on both counts piggles hunni, as far as I am concerned Christmas is already here. it has been a long time since I have done anything for two hours hunni, I just couldn't manage it lol.
hugs jo xx
|
|
|
Post by 3piggles on Nov 13, 2018 1:29:09 GMT
Neither have I, Jo. I do a bit, then sit down for a while. Rain is returning, with a the changes in humidity and barometric pressure, so I'm taking Ibuprofen again. Just one day, this time, thankfully. Then sunny days until it snows on Friday.
|
|
|
Post by Bean on Nov 13, 2018 8:16:08 GMT
This video made me chuckle - a dad had gone to see his son in goal to give him a pep talk as the ball had been up the other end of the pitch for ages, and his son was losing focus. But as he started talking to him, his son started walking over to him, just as the ball came towards the goal. He tried to shove him back gently in the right direction...
Anyway the dad says he's keeping well away from now on!
|
|
|
Post by jolovespiggies on Nov 13, 2018 8:57:45 GMT
ha ha, i love it bean sweetie. thanks for sharing.
hugs jo xx
|
|
|
Post by 3piggles on Nov 13, 2018 17:50:08 GMT
Poor kid I guess dad learned his lesson the hard way, lol
|
|
|
Post by Bean on Nov 14, 2018 9:13:08 GMT
Apparently interfering and pushy parents are the bane of football coaches and referees lives - many can't just stand back and cheer their kids' teams on, but either holler at their kids or get lairy with officials if things don't go their way. Get a grip, people!
|
|
|
Post by 3piggles on Nov 14, 2018 17:13:51 GMT
Interfering parents are the bane of most leaders of children. From beauty pageant moms to bleacher fathers, they constantly interfere with the processes. They always think they know more than the coach, or they're pushing for their child to get preferential treatment. Hubby used to coach little kids soccer. After the first year, he quit. If the parents weren't coaching their kids from the sidelines, they're constantly complaining about their kid not getting to play, being played too much, or not playing the position that's best for them.
|
|
|
Post by Bean on Nov 15, 2018 7:55:58 GMT
Yes, my husband helped out the main coach at our son's Saturday football club for a couple of years, and was bewildered by how some of the parents behaved. Lots of lovely ones too though! He left as our son stopped being interested in playing football and it made no sense for him to give up both of his weekend mornings (training on the Saturday and match on the Sunday) on his own!
|
|
|
Post by jolovespiggies on Nov 15, 2018 8:58:56 GMT
i have heard this before. the parents' behaviour can be worse than the kids. kicking up a fuss does not set a good example.
hugs jo xx
|
|
|
Post by 3piggles on Nov 15, 2018 19:08:06 GMT
No, Jo, it really doesn't. It sets a terrible example for the kids, undermines the authority of the coach, and validates a Me First attitude, especially if the mouthy, misbehaving ones get ahead.
Yes, Bean, there were a lot if nice parents who were there to socialize and watch the kids. They were the silent majority.
|
|
|
Post by jolovespiggies on Nov 16, 2018 15:50:06 GMT
no wonder that so many are growing up to be yobs!
hugs jo xx
|
|
|
Post by 3piggles on Nov 16, 2018 17:34:31 GMT
Early Christmas decorations, but for a good cause. There are two bows, hanging back to back, and providing the birds and squirrels with some protection from predatory birds. We'll leave them up until the feeders come down.
|
|
|
Post by Bean on Nov 18, 2018 8:00:30 GMT
That's a good idea, to help the birds feel safe under a bit of cover. I haven't replenished our feeders since clocking a rat in the garden a few weeks ago, but I haven't seen him at all since we got back from holiday, so hopefully we're safe to start providing again!
|
|
|
Post by 3piggles on Nov 18, 2018 14:56:36 GMT
Chances are he'll be back. They are opportunists. If your neighbor has a great feeding station, though, he might just stay where the pickings are more plentiful
|
|
|
Post by Bean on Nov 19, 2018 8:01:35 GMT
I'm preferring to think he's moved on, thanks! If I don't happen to see him, he's not there.
|
|
|
Post by 3piggles on Nov 19, 2018 17:23:54 GMT
More snow, so we're making sure the birds and squirrels have enough to eat. I really don't want a wild rat to feed in my back yard, but if anything, I'd toss stuff over the berm to get him to eat out there. They can be more destructive than squirrels. Watched an interesting documentary on squirrels, which explains a lot. They are called Scatter Hoarders, as they hoard food, but in spots all over the land, in trees, under rocks, etc. It seems they actually have a bigger brain than hoarders who hoard all in one spot, such as the chipmunk, and their brains actually grow during the hoarding season, so they have a mental map of where they put everything. They don't lose nuts they've hoarded. They leave the ones they don't need. If we didn't build our houses in their habitats, they would keep the forests going by planting new trees every year. That explains a lot about what seems to be such unbridled greed with their eating habits. It's not greed at all. They are hoarding so they have food through the winter. That could also explain the diminished red squirrel population, if they hoard all in one place, or don't have as big a brain to have a good a map of where they put everything, so they can dig it up. They may also use grey squirrel maps, to plant their hoards, so they watch the grey squirrels, and don't have to remember every location themselves. Only problem is the grey squirrels probably eat the red squirrel's stash, too
|
|
|
Post by Bean on Nov 20, 2018 8:06:20 GMT
We're getting cold enough weather for snow, but think a 'frozen mix' will be about the worst of it for the meantime from the look of the weather forecast.
I'm familiar with squirrels' food storing habits, as the little blighters can never remember where they've hidden things, so dig little holes all over the lawn looking for their stash! It doesn't bother me really, and probably helps keep the lawn aerated in the colder months!
|
|
|
Post by 3piggles on Nov 20, 2018 20:51:41 GMT
Actually, they can remember, so squirrels digging randomly probably aren't the ones who buried nuts there, or want nuts other squirrels buried and didn't need. Had a beautiful Male cardinal in the back yard. We have a family with a mom, pop and son. I tried to get some good pics of him, but he was hoping all over. Isn't he gorgeous! About 5" of fresh snow, and still snowing, but it's tapering off, and it's heavy, wet snow, so it will pack down quickly. Going to be a gorgeous, if bitterly cold Thanksgiving. Two high schools in Manchester, NH have a long-running,Thanksgiving Day football rivalry that's very well attended. It's been moved to tomorrow night, and the other Thanksgiving Day rivalries canceled, due to the temperatures. Expected wind chill between -5 and -16F, which is bitterly cold. Friday will be a bit warmer, with a bit of a warm up on Saturday, above freezing, anyway. Rain, Sunday. It seems the precipitation is not stopping any time soon! The Jet Stream is what's stalled and giving us all this precipitation. Couldn't think of it, yesterday.
|
|
|
Post by Bean on Nov 21, 2018 9:36:37 GMT
Oh he's pretty! Glad he's still getting some food, even with all that snow.
It's wet and windy here, so I'm postponing anything non-essential which requires me to leave the house!
If I have time, I'm going to have a book sort this week. We need to either box a load up to put in the shed or give them to the charity shop (my preference, but my husband is a book hoarder!). All our book shelves are heaving and overspilling. There are loads I doubt we'll read again, and so many which we both enjoyed 20 years ago, but are unlikely to want to read in the next decade so I'd rather not have them all cluttering up my home. If we label the ones we want to keep well (several authors have a box worth alone) then we'd still be able to find them easily if necessary. My husband still has a fantasy of having a library room, but it's not going to happen in this house (too small), and if we move, we'll need to box them up anyway, so I think my plan is a good one!
|
|