Interesting But Boring Chores

I usually have the Clio washed by those guys that lurk in supermarket car parks. They do a reasonable job but it really needed a good clean. It’s only £5 and very convenient but it’s the same as going through the car wash. Every so often it has to be done properly. A while a go I bought a waterless car cleaning product called "Showroom Shine"on one of the shopping channels. It really does what it says on the tin. It wiped away all the grime without a scratch. Most car polishes leave a residue but not this stuff, when I'd finished there wasn't a streak to be seen. I spent about 90minutes on the task. I poked into all those annoying little nooks and crannies that one usually ignores. Bearing in mind it’s 9 years old it looks very nice and I almost enjoyed myself. After that I decided to clean my ancient Ransomes ‘side-wheel’ push mower. Although it cuts OK it was packed full of greasy grassy goo. I guess it had never been cleaned so I decided to take it to bits. Out came the spanners, socket set, pliers & screwdrivers. Even though I’d given them a good soaking with penetrating oil the nuts wouldn’t budge. Then I remembered reading that that they might loosen up if heated with a blowlamp. Success!! It worked on nearly all of them. I’ve smothered the mower in oil and newspaper then left it ‘soaking’ in a bin liner.

Japanese Arrow Bamboo

Just bought this from Lidl. 'Pseudosasa japonica'. Apparently this Bamboo was once used to make arrow shafts It is quite different from the other Bamboo on my garden, the Phyllostachys genus 'Aura' & 'Nigra'. This one produces a profusion of slender culms that grow tightly together, forming a dense hedge, with large, dark green foliage and a somewhat tropical appearance. The label says it is a tough and versatile bamboo which thrives in shade but also grows well in a sunny location and is wind tolerant. It can be pruned to almost any height and sheared into a rigid, square hedge. The culm retains a tan colored outer covering called a "culm sheath" which creates a checkered contrast with the green culm. To stop it spreading I will need to restrict the roots with a solid barrier.

Beautiful Pest

I need to get rid of these colourful visitors. Death will come via a small paintbrush loaded with white spirit. I don't mind doing it this way because a chemical spray will kill beneficial insects. The Scarlet Lily Beetle is very destructive to lilies and fritillaries. It is about 8 - 10 mm long and is a native of Eurasia. Lily beetles came into the UK on imported lilies at the start of the 1900's. Now they are commonly found in the South East of England, but are spreading all over the UK. The adult lily beetles feed on the flowers, leaves and stems of the lily, spends the winter in sheltered places in the garden - not necessarily near lilies. They come out of hibernation in late March - May then from late April -September they feed on the lilies and lay eggs on the underneath of leaves of lily plants. The eggs take about a week to hatch - producing beetle larvae which feed on lily foliage. The lily beetle larvae are fully grown in about 2 weeks - they then pupate in the ground and in 2 -3 weeks emerge as adult lily beetles.

So Now I Know What It Feels Like

Being the victim of credit card fraud is most unpleasant especially when there's no one around to give you moral support by saying 'There there!'

But all is not lost. I immediately phoned Halifax customer services. The person I spoke to was most understanding, they've cancelled the transaction & card and given me a new account number.

Someone called Ernestas Gustaitis bought tickets in Austria through Ryanair to the tune of £285.59.

Halifax has an extra layer of security for online transactions so I don't understand how it happened.

The name is Lithuanian. Thieving bastard, I hope he rots in hell.

Green Fingers

My elderly friend Joan pays the 'Shaw Trust' to cut both the front & back lawns. They recently let her down and can't return for another 6 weeks. So muggins here took pity and helped out. Last week I did the front, which is small and wasn't too bad. Yesterday I tackled the much bigger back garden. The trouble with me is that I have to do everything properly & don't know when to stop. I didn't realise until afterwards just how tired I was. I was asleep by 9pm. Today I feel a bit lethargic but that will soon pass. But that's not the end of it. I have elderly neighbours, their front garden is paved but weeds are growing in the cracks. They hate not being able to tackle the job and worry that it looks bad. When I get a spare few moments I will deal with it.

Emperor Dragonfly

Around lunchtime I saw the female ovipositing eggs in the floating vegetation of my pond. It is probably the UK's most powerful dragonfly, a true predator, more than capable of taking other large dragonflies, small butterflies and other flying insects. The emperor is one of the largest dragonflies in Europe and also one of the fastest fliers. It tends to hover, high above the water in a very regal fashion, before launching itself, like an arrow, at its prey. I was really chuffed, my plans to have a wildlife garden are slowly falling into place. More on Dragonflies & Damselflies here

Ploddishness & Cluelessness

Tired of receiving emergency 999 calls from the chronically clueless about "good stain removers" or "rats in the kitchen" the Met recently launched an alternative phone line for non-emergency situations. It is hoped the number, 0300 1231212, will help cut down the 50,000 monthly calls - a quarter in all - that do not require an emergency response. A laudable effort, though when people are calling 999 because they "can't turn their tap off", one wonders if dialing an eleven-digit number might be beyond their skill. But the Police can also be chronically clueless. Fancy leaving two dogs locked up in a vehicle on the hottest day of the year. Needless to say those poor doggies died.