What have you done today in the Garden?

Oh yes I know how fit and busy he is ,I've known him a while as we were on other forums together, although he probably wouldn't have known that as I have other online names.

 

Oreti so now we all learn that you have posted on other garden sites with other names AKA…
Well who hasn’t. It is tricky to have access to a garden site where there is no judgment and others don't pick apart others posts. Or …as we all know there is always that one hubris individual that knows everything and drives everyone else up an ivy covered wall. Site ‘Enhancement’ is acceptance to make others feel they are important as an individual as we are team members and we all work together to support others who share the same interests.

 

Sorry not sure what you mean Pac.....have I said something wrong if so apologies . I'm on many forums so obviously have got to 'know ' a lot of people . Not sneakily either some people know my ' other names'.

 

Who hasn’t been on other garden sites that’s our prerogative. I have been around the block a few times too and this is my fav garden site. Zero judgement here just lots of kindness and support. No problem just joken around .
Hugs … and sending healing blessing for your knee to get thru all healing stages soon.

 

Thanks for all the kind words.

I've always attributed part of my general fitness, to never have been a smoker.
I played sports at school, did a lot of cycling, enjoyed running and played squash for a club team in the North-West Counties leagues until I was fifty. I gave up due to age and recurring tennis elbow. I then kept myself reasonably fit by swimming. I used to swim a mile three times a week after work. Nothing strenuous, just breast stroke up and down Hazel Grove swimming baths.
I didn't take up golf until after I took early retirement at 58.
Some people, like me, are just lucky. I've never had a serious injury, never broken a bone. Some friends, relatives and many other people, seem to have had all sorts of problems for which their lifestyle could not be blamed.
Two friends of a similar age, and two ten years younger, have all died within the last five years, due to various illnesses.
I was diagnosed as diabetic six months ago, but it doesn't affect me in any way I've not taken sugar in anything, not even on cereal for fifty years. I just take tablets three times a day, as does a golfing partner. My only concern is how long the replacement "plastic" hip I had in 2009, is going to last. (the cause, was years of turning on that leg when playing squash, the other hip was fine).
My diet has not really changed.
I've no real fitness routine, but I never use lifts or escalators in stores, or public buildings, I always use the stairs.
I just like to keep busy and that seems to be enough.
It drives my wife mad.

 

DHR I hope your hip will last forever. Knock on wood. My first hip was in1992 and it is still ticking. Both of my hips are replaced and stronger than ever. There maybe things I cannot do like running or other things bending for long periods. As you know following the docs orders by taking care of our new hip joints , in return they will last a life time. No water skiing or snow skiing … can cause a fracture in the greater trochanter which is located at the top part of the thighbone (femur) and is the most prominent and widest part of the hip. Had that happen while skiing a long time ago. There are some limitations and I have acknowledged it and respect it.
Important to go in for a X-ray check every now and then to catch anything that will cause an issue.

 

Ouch! My mum used to say - put a bit of butter on it, it'll bring the bruise out quicker! It did seem to help funnily enough.

 

For bruises, for decades, we've used Arnica gel. Seems to work wonders.

 

I won't be doing much in the garden today, as I've some laundry to do and a bit of shopping.

We've had a week of dry weather and are promised another one.

So I gave my Lawn sprinklers a "service," this morning.

That sound rather grand, but there's just two and they work on mains pressure.

I anticipate they'll be used far frequently, than they have been for several years.

Not that there's a lot of pressure, despite having had the 15mm original copper supply from the road to the house, changed to 25mm plastic last year, which cost me £1000.

At first, United Utilities wanted to charge me over £1800 to change 18" of the old copper pipe, for 25mm plastic, to connect my new pipe to their mains. (Contractors aren't allowed to do it).
When I told them I wasn't having it, they came down to inspect the situation.
I got my £1000 re-imbursed due to the fact that they found they had installed, several years previously, a water meter incorrectly, which caused the low pressure in the first place!
And they had a record of me complaining about it twice, but had come down and "tested" it and told me it wasn't a problem on "their side!"

So they fitted a new meter.
"The right way round."

Big job.









The pressure still isn't great as U.U. haven't uprated the pumps, despite all the new builds in Trafford. One of the engineers told me that.
More pressure?
Bigger leaks!

Anyway, it was a ten minute job this morning, just a case of unscrewing the two heads, giving them a clean, running the water without the heads for a minute then putting them back.












>

The pressure is still not as good as it was when I installed them thirteen years ago.

I found the heads on eBay for £7 each, bought a length of speed-fit pipe and fittings, plus bits of plumbing stuff I had in my garage.
Total cost around fifty quid.
Half a day to fit them.

This was the "dry run,"...Well... "wet run," to make sure they worked. The supply needed to be mid-way between the two.




The 6" deep wedges I took out of the lawn to install the pipe recovered in two weeks.





Job done in half a day!





I removed the return springs years ago, as they reduced the already low pressure. It's since been a case of just pushing them down with your foot once you've turned them off. You can reduce the coverage arc, so I leave a quadrant "dry" to stop me getting wet when I turn them on or off and also the corner of the tea-house with the second one. They don't quite cover the whole lawn, but they do save some time.

 

Nothing doing here...so far. Hubs has gone to do the grocery shop and has given me strict instructions to stay put ..indoors!! Hmmm think I will have to venture out as the greenhouse definitely needs to be opened up now as it's in full sun and my 'babies' will get frazzled!!

Slow and gentle will be fine.

 

It's always better to move around rather than stay still when you can, with an injury, without pushing it, that is, than to stay still. Your blood needs to circulate through and the white bloodcells are what remove all the damaged tissue. Then your body can start building new tissue. Plus, the fresh air outside, the help of birdsong and just being out in nature will make you feel better even if the bruising still hurts !!

I won' tell him you left the house.

 

Yes @Anniekay I agree . I'm not one for sitting around anyway and do keep on the move and am usually outside come rain or shine.
The issue is we have very different areas in our garden some of which I have found difficult to walk on with confidence and stability since having bone fusions in both feet done 10+ years ago due to arthritis. I overcame it but had to still take care so with the issues of a healing knee replacement to take into consideration now just adds to my hubs concern when I'm left on my own added to the fact we live in a very quiet area with only one neighbour who is rarely home during the day. But all was good I was outside when he returned with no damage done .

 

I got most of my domestic jobs done by lunchtime, so I spent a couple of hours repointing the small patio and half the path down to the tea-house, I'll do the rest on Thursday, as it's golf tomorrow. I'll be well finished before the golf starts on TV.

It's a pain mixing the mortar dry by hand in a bucket. I have to judge how much yellow powder dye gto add for it to match the York stone slabs, then plasticiser and a little water. I make it just damp. It's easier to manage that way.

When I'd had enough and was going to come in. the postman arrived with my new fairy lights.
It wasn't a straight-forward swop over, as the new lights didn't have a tail. They started about six inches from the adapter. Fortunately, they used the same make adapter as the old ones. So I re-used it. and just joined them up with a connector, next to the first beam of the pergola. Finished for 5.00.pm.

 

Cold and windy today. I am seeing my bleeding hearts starting to emerge.