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

No rain here, either. I checked some of my potatoes today, thinking they should be ready for harvesting, but they're not much bigger than aniseed balls. I've obviously not been watering them enough.

I've given the tomato plants plenty of water, but there's no fruit on them, nor any sign of flowers - just lots of leaves and bugs. The rhubarb looks almost dead and the raspberries are wilting - I guess I just don't have greenfingers.

I see you're really getting into the swing of things on RBQ now, Polly. If you're not careful you may end up winning again. I look forward to trying to solve your first quizzle. (Isn't it wonderful how many different epithets there are for Venus?)

Juan Miguel seems a nice, quiet lad. And musical, too, so he gets on well with the graces. Mind you, they have commented on the fact that he spends even more time than they do in the bathroom. What with that and the fact that so many activites have been organised for the Spanish visitors, we don't really see a great deal of him. Tuesday was more or less the first time he has spent a full evening with us. So we had a roast dinner. He seemed to like the Yorkshire puds.

Do send us some your rain, Rikii.

Happy days,

Hi tickle,your tomatos sound quite heathly to me,remember to pinch out the side shoots (not the ones with trusses on) let each plant develope only three trusses,the process is: first comes the flower when the flower falls off soon after the tomato begings to form once the tomato reaches the size of a pea then tomato type food(fertilzier,tomorite etc)should be fed to the plant,BTW if you haven't already done so remember to insert a small cane (stake)next to each plant and loosely secure each plant.

BTW,your tomato plants have at least another ten weeks + growing time left.

Potatos depending totally upon the type you have planted,some are early cropping some are late,(I always remove any flower heads that appear)quite a lot of variety's(?)dont reach a good crop until the autumn,if you have planted them in rows you should be eathing up.

Hello dear W4aT and Rick.

I did enjoy last night's quiz, W4aT. And I got the first two answers long before I posted them! I do so badly with my answers that I didn't trust my answers last night. That is why I said something to you about not thinking me daft! I also don't regularly use my computer and therefore devising a new quiz is difficult as I'm not around to answer. And now I shall be away for my usual few days. I'm very sorry.

As for tomatoes ~~ don't over-feed them. Over-feeding will produce lots of leaves and no fruit. Give them time. Pinch out the little leaves that grow in between the branches. And take out the growing-tip once you have 3 trusses on the plant (although a friend doesn't bother and has masses of fruit already growing on the plants).

I meant also to say, W4aT, that the 'wreck' clue made me immediately think of the poem 'The Wreck of The Hesperus'.

Hi, Rikii, thanks for the tips. I did stake the tomatoes and pinch out some side shoots, but I guess they may have more than three trusses.

I've planted two lots of potatoes (early and late) and it's the early ones that don't seem to have developed much - I haven't looked at the others, though the plants look healthy and are just beginning to flower. (Is it standard practice to remove the flower heads or just something that you've found to be a good idea?) Must admit I'm not really familiar with the idea of earthing up, although I did something akin to that with the 'early' crop yesterday, since the tiny potatoes I found were so close to the surface. Maybe there's still some hope.

Hi ticklehttp://www.videojug.com/film/how-to-earth-up-potatoes

Polly, I'm glad you enjoyed that quiz - I figured that you, of all people, would get the 'wreck' clue. And there's no need to be shy about suggesting answers: if they're wrong they're wrong, but that doesn't make them bad or make you daft. If no-one gave any wrong answers, we'd never solve any of the quizzes.

We've still had no rain to speak of here - talk about scorched earth - so I doubt I'll get much in the way of veg or fruit this year.

But thank you - and you too, Rikii - for the gardening tips. They'll probably come in handy next year.

Graces II & III have simultaneous concerts tomorrow afternoon. I'll probably go to neither, so as not to be accused of favouritism. Mrs T has gone away for the weekend, otherwise I guess we'd do one each. That amounts to quite a good saving, when I think about it.

Morning all - I'm back from the living hell of a week in 35 degs plus and only beer and wine to drink and siestas to take each afternoon. Good to 'bond' with my bro, though and some good meals out.

We had a round of golf - my first for 30 years but bro plays 3 - 4 wimes a week. He says I did well and has signed me onto the Ryder cup team for next year! I might weven take it up locally as a friend or two at church play - trouble is ...time! ( I know it's a musical note, but you could mistake it for a golf club)

I see, on my return that the weaqther here has been as hot - pond is down about 4 inches so the fish need topping up.

Barbie this afternoon for 20 - members and husbands of MOH's Book club - hope weather stays as thunder is forecast I think

Have a good day all

Fol

Hello to each of you.

I'm back at home~~~~and the poor garden plants looked so thirsty on my arrival. I've had to use lots of reviving water on them, plus I have been busy dead-heading.

There was a really bad fire in Wimborne on Saturday (4am). Three shops plus a very old coaching inn have been gutted. I couldn't sleep on Friday night, so at 4am'ish I was outside, near the Minster, listening to the dawn-chorus. Unknown to me, there was a raging fire going on on the other side of the Minster. A fire engine went racing past me, and I could hear what turned out to be several fire-engine engines from whereI was standing, but I could smell no smoke. The buildings
are/were very old and timber-framed. The town was mostly closed-off all day yesterday and there was no electricity in any shops so they were closed. It's a very sad thing for this beauitful town.

W4aT, thank you for your advice. After being 'put in my place' by RC (due to what seemed like my stupidity!) it has made me wary of making a fool of myself. Yes, that poem came to mind absolutely immediately. But as I got it so quickly I assumed that I must surely be wrong.

I hope that you each have had a happy weekend.

xxx

Sorry to hear about dear old Wimbourne, Poll. We used to drive through it when I were lad on our way to Bridport from Surrey.

Eventful day here. Grerat bbq this afternoon for MOH's book club and husbands, but I was unable to do anything except sit and chat. We had to get some of the guests to do the barbie as about 3 hours before it started, I tore my calf muscle stepping out of the patio window. Excruciating for a second and now I can't put my foot down properly.
What's known as the RICE treatemnt is what's needed for the next few weeks! That's Rest, Icepacks (during the first day) Compression bandage, and Elevation - keep the leg up.

So, no driving for at least two weeks, so no work fr me. I just hope it's well enough for our Dorest camp in three week's time. Hey ho.

Still, I'll have no excuse not to get all my back log paperwork done

Night night all

Good morning.


Poor you, Folly. I'm sure that your injury is painful. But as you wrote - you can catch up on all the paperwork etc. I'm sure that you are having lots of spoiling treatment from Mrs. Folly.

We have had a few drops of rain this morning. I'm hoping for a heavy downpour! It's a bit cooler outside (and inside) too which is refreshing.

I trust that each of you have a happy day.

Hi team,well Folderol you really have put your foot in it this time,nuf said I do hope it's not too painful though as I twisted my right ankle last year stepping on a bit of four by two timber,I found that ibulene extra strength marvelous as it brings out the bruising much quicker than heat,ice or the old witch hazel.

Me? well my posterior is getting wider by the day nowt on again yet this week(yawnnnnnnnnnn)I'd forgotten how long a day can be when one's bored and it's lashing down again here and 63f

Hi everyone. We've had a bit of rain here, but not enough to make much difference. I was out delivering yesterday and there were a few brief and blunt showers, which were quite refreshing. It came down a bit heavier for a short while round about 4 o'clock, occasioning me to take shelter, but even that didn't amount to much.

Polly, that comment of mine about people not setting their share of quizzles on RBQ was not directed at you - as a relative newcomer, you're allowed a bit of slack, anyway. It was a general comment, a piece of banter, not to be taken too seriously - like most of the other comments on there. But the majority of people on the thread, and I include myself in that, are a bit shy about posing a puzzle, which means an undue burden falls on the few, notably RCW. I don't think he minds, but he seems to have been scraping the barrel a bit recently, which is understandable - that tennis racket quiz simply wasn't upto his usual standard.

Have a good day y'all.

Hi team,57f here and suprise suprise yet more rain,to think it was only a week ago some nutter was preaching against the hazards of a heatwave and quoting NHS emergency numbers,that seems a bit far fetched for me as all we seemed to have here in Brum("dont you just love it darlings",said in my best Edna Everage voice)was one memoral day

memorable even.

Here I am and although I have got my leg over - a stool with cushions on it, that is - I am getting mighty bored. I did try driving this morning to the next village to go to the PO and that was Ok, but I know that any longer distance would not be good for the leg. I have a minibus driving assessment test on Friday - to do with a possible replacemnent job as the Day Centre looks as though it will close in the near future and the new job is with a private hire firm who need minibus drivers for airport pickups etc. Trouble is the assessment is in Cambridge - about 30 miles away and that means two hours just there and back on top of a 3/4 hour assessment ....

WOW - torrential rain has just started and I can't hear the radio it's making such a din on our velux windows - if that doesn't start our stream flooding I don't know what will - anyone want some water?

Anyway - as I was saying, the test might make the leg a bit sore so I'm playing it by ear till Thursday afternoon and then decide whether to postpone it or not.

At least being laid up means my parish council work and church accounts are virtually up to date.

I trust you will manage to dodge the showers, Tickle, and that your veg don't suffer with the torrents like we're getting here, Rik.

What about you, Polly? how you doing? The sun - if it was out- would be over the yard arm, so who's joining me in a tipple or two?

Fol

Hello, Folly.


We have had few more drops of rain but nothing significant. So, if you can pipe some water to me I would be very grateful.


Rest seems to be the best thing for your leg. Poor you having to be waited on and attended to! My leg is often really painful but Pixie has not yet mastered the kettle and cups.

I do hope that you start to feel much better very very soon.
xx

Hello everyone, Would that I could join you Fol but I have to work this afternoon and then drive the +30 miles back home, however I know that there is a nice bottle of white chilling in the fridge. I'm stunned at how quickly the weather can change as I have just spent two solid days boiling in Ipswich Stadium watching cars go round. It has taken a gallon of factor 30 to stay as pale as I am I can tell you. Unfortunately a large number of people didn't and turned a lovely shade of lobster red .

Hi Polly, we did have a lovely time in Dorset recently although OH wasn't too well so we didn't get much chance to sightsee, still never mind, perhaps the next time.

Must go,virtual hugs to all
Toots.

Well, I haven't got to work yet, so no problem dodging the showers. Just as I set off to take Mrs T to work this am, Grace III flagged us down to take a phone call. It was Mrs T's mum saying that she'd fallen out of bed and broken her arm, so our one and only working car has been pressed into service as an ambulance. Last I heard, they were still at the hospital, where MiL's arm had just been set for the second time and replastered.

That was a while ago and I thought Mrs T would have been home by now, so I'm not sure what's happening. Except that Grace III has an orchestra rehearsal this evening (for yet another concert - on Thursday) which means I won't be able to work late. As the job is in Sandhurst, which is almost half-an-hour's drive away, it will hardly be worth going if Mrs T doesn't reappear very soon.

Weather was dry here first thing, but there was quite a heavy shower about an hour ago, and it's raining very gently at the moment. However, the sun is trying to break through and there's a sizeable patch of blue sky out west.

Sorry to hear about your MiL, Tickle. If she's anything like mine was, you're v lucky. Mine was a gem and excellent with our kids who loved her to bits. Send her some virtual hugs from us all .

Great to hear from you Toots - and sorry your hol in Dorset wasn't as good as it should be. Hope your old man is better now.

Why not make up for it by joining us in our camp field between Bridport and Lyme Regis the last week of July? I can promise you an exhilarating week, if only because my nephew Matt will be there and he is off the wall!