h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Hi Folderol,Im glad you're back things have been a little quiet,but we did have a little excitement while you were away,With Ms "P" getting lovey dovey in the lair of the
Now I think she has swanned off to Dorset,me????the last time I had a holiday was when Chas and Di got wed,as I travel so much just being home is like a holiday to me I had to work away from home for forteen years and the OH goes away with my sister when she's had enough.
Still enough waffle are you still driving your mini bus?

Don't remind me, Riki - I'm due to be driving tomorrow morning at 8.30.

Not popular, though as it's 'er indoors' birthday tomorrow and she's not due back at school till Tuesday, so she wanted a day to ourselves in the garden or somesuch. Luckily, the weather is a bit cold for that, and I reminded her that we'd just returned from two weeks together - wasn't that enough?
'Why?' she said, 'Are you saying you want some time without me?'

Do you ever get the feeling that you can never win with women?

Hi Folderol,well its very hard to win an argument when they've got their dander up,perhaps I should have a sex change,I mean my moobs are big enough.

When I got up this morning we'd had a couple of inches of snow,yesterday I put another small raised bed in my small back garden with somee old glass pallet timber about 9"*2" and managed to fork over the soil in it about 11 oclock this morning I added some B&Q chicken manure and forked over my other small raised beds.

The other half likes to grow some of our veg ourselves I must admit it does taste better when its home grown,due to all the cats by me I have to cover all my (3)raised beds with enviromesh,so I was really suprised when I removed this special mesh (after shaking off the snow)to find hundreds of worms in the soil,'spose its 'cause the birds cant get at 'em

Hi Rikki
Not encountered the worms thing before - usually our problem is slugs, especially under pots on the patio, etc. I've tried slug pellets but I'm not a very good aim with them and keep missing! But the pellets do look very pretty, bright blue against the soil!

'er indoors is often found outdoors but indoors so to speak, in the greenhouse. She says she's doing her sewing - funny place to run up a new dress! Later in the year she says she's just going to prick out some things - should I be concerned?

We came back from our hols to find that the polythene bag of peanuts in the garage - awaiting putting out for the birds idc - has been completely destroyed by mice - they love them, but didn't bother with the sunflower seeds - very discerning field mice in these parts.
I'm afraid I'm going to be unkind to them in future and put the store of bird food in a plastic box with a good lid.
I get a bit fed up seeing the starlings - I call them the bovver boys of the garden - dominating the fat balls (that's balls of fat, not large testicles!) hanging from the trellis, so much so that the great tits, goldfinches etc hardly get a look in. Strange thing is, the more I look at starlings, although I used to think they were very common birds, the more they seem interesting and even beautiful with their pale flecks and irridescent head feathers.

Because of the layout of our garden we don't have room for veg, although we grow most of our own herbs and have a couple each of black currants, gooseberries and autumn raspberries. We also grow a growbag full of tomatoes and peppers (That's a toffee apple but it does look a bit like a pepper Luckily, we have a good and cheap farm shop selling all their own produce just up at the farm about 150 yards away and the taste of their carrots makes me think that Sainsbury's choose their veg specifically without any taste.

(Perhaps we should transfer this thread onto the Gardeners' Question Time website - if there is one)

Hi Folderol,Starlings?????? we used to have thousands of them here in Brum whether they were culled or what who knows,yet they and the sparrows have all disappeared,alas all we have now is pigeons and magpies.
Worms a problem?no in fact Im overjoyed their presence(not sure of the spelling)those little critters are worth their weight in gold they refine the soil to perfection.
Slugs,well chuck 'em over the fence when yer neighbours are asleep

Hi Polly,I have no idea if you will be back later today.
Still,we are all missing younighty night.

Just to put the record straight, you two worldy men, now that I have got back home~~~~I haven't been having anything remotely loving with our friend 'Billy'. I tried to be nice to him 'cos he's so flipping horrible to me. It worked~~~for a day or two. Now he is at my throat once again.

Please don't say such things, Rick, about me. I can't stand the fellow for a moment. And he spies on us here.

It's bad enough that he has it in for me without both of you getting everything wrong.

Hi Polly,welcome back(you know I was only being naughty)

Morning Rikki and Polly - it's lovely to be back in touch with my friends.

By the way, Rikki, there is general concern amongst the ornithological fraternity ( about the decline of common birds such as starlings and house sparrows and chaffinches etc. Various conjectures are flying () about including climate change (they've all moved north) or pollution (they've all moved to under developed countries) etc. What is true is that birds generally are less common excpet, as you say, the big bad moes like crows, magpies, and particularly, I think, wood pigeons. I am fed up with them cooing down my chimney!

It's a lovely morning here - frosty and sunny and clear sky. The snow forecast for E Anglia yesterday p.m. never got as far inland as Bedford and as I'm due to do some delivering around the village during my midday break, I hope it stays that way. I'm off to work now, crawling around town looking for old ladies to pick up in the minibus

Bon journee, tout la monde

Hi Polly and Folderol,I read somewhere that the massive rise in carbon monoxide caused by road traffic is the main reason for the decline in the urban bird population.
Add that to the findings that domestic cats kill an estimated 55 million birds a year there's no suprise that the bird population is rapidly disappearing.
The sad fact is that as the concrete grows another field goes.
Hello Polly,I know Im in the dog house(woof,woof)so can I have a bone now?

Goodnight Polly,

Morning Rikki.

Another fine morning here in springtime Bedford.

Seen any sign of Polly? I though she was away for just a week?

Hello dear Rick and Folly.

I'm having HUGE problems with my computer. I haven't been able to do a thing on it. It has taken about an hour to get this far. Uusually I can't even log-on. There is obviously a big problem~~but I haven't a clue what it is. Sometimes the whole thing freezes as I try to log-on. I haven't been able to access my emails since last week. I de-fraged, but that hasn't helped at all. It's all very upsetting.

SO SORRY, Rick, that I seemed grumpy in my last post. Everything is just getting on top of me. I thought I had broken my latest mobile phone. And this is my 2nd computer in 1 year! I fell again and have hurt my back. Do you know~I truly am thinking that there is a curse on this b....y home. I'm so unhappy here. Everything seems to go horribly wrong.

When are we all going to have a meet-up? That would be really great. Wives etc should also come along. Mathos might come along too. It would be really lovely to meet all the 'old friends'.

Anyway, I do hope that you two(Rick and Folly) are happy and well. I'm unsure when I'll be able to get this far again (as far as R4)!

Very despondently~~~~~~~~Polly

Hi Polly and Folderol,Polly Im so glad you are ok after not hearing from you for a while I was getting concerned,I knew I was in the doghouse but I can see a little daylight now.

I've got to have that camera down my throat on the 30th of April(yuk)I suppose they'll be sending me my destructions(joke)anon.

Folderol, nice and sunny too here this morning.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/129972

Rick, don't worry too much about the endoscopy. I've had it done. Just make sure that they give you enough of whatever they give just before the procedure so that you will be sort-of 'not quite with it'! If I was having it done again, I would ask! I was the last on the ward to have it done, and was told afterwards that there mustn't have been much left of the .... (think it is valium). I was wide awake throughout! When I was taken back to the ward, everyone else was fast asleep. So DO ask!
I shall make a note of the date on my calendar. It only takes a moment though. And hopefully they will find out soon just why you are feeling so unwell. It could be an ulcer. Or hiatus hernia. Or just needy for a long cruise!

Hi Polly(gulp)thank you for your words of comfort,I now feel like the condemed man waiting for the noose

Mornin both of you - sorry I too have been out of it for a day or so. I'm all consumed with going out and about looking at new cars as mine is about to turn 100,000 and we want something that will last us well into our dotage.
I noted that Rikki sent you a MS Suport link, Polly. Failing that, I found a litle local man in the yellow pages who is a godsend when I have big probs - admittedly he costs about £30 an hour, but he's quite free and easy about how long an hour lasts.
These 'helpful Harry's' are out there, Polly but you have to be aware that sometimes what you thoguht was a major probelm is just a matter of pressing a couple of keys in a certain order!

Sorry to hear about your imminent endoscopy, Rik. I had one about 15 years ago and I was put down before the event so knew nothing till lunchtime when I woke up. A warm soup for lunch followed by a bit of a sore throat was all I suffered (the soup was typical hospital grub). The consultant said, "Keep the old throat well lubricated for a couple of days, old chap." (Yes, really, he spoke like that). So I bought in a few bottles of Leffe (wonderful, smooth Belgian light beer ) and then celebrated the news that all was well in side me with some .
I'm sure you'll be fine Rik and I, too will be thinking of you on the day.

It's 7.20 am and sunny now but showers forecast for the weekend - still what can you expect in April? I'm popping down to get Jan her morning and then we're off to do some Homebase type shopping and perhaps look at yet more cars.... Have a good day/weekend. everyone

Hi Folderol,http://www.autobytel.co.uk/Specials/SpecialsHomepage.aspx/?publisher_id=ggl&gclid=CLzM6Ln81JICFRo71Aodq2Qu_A