Author Topic: Tales from the Lock-Down (Read 78514 times)

Cudzoziemiec · « **Reply #75 on:** 27 March, 2020, 11:51:57 am »

Social-distancing by plant pots: only at Waitrose!

DuncanM · « **Reply #76 on:** 27 March, 2020, 11:55:29 am »

Quote from: Cudzoziemiec on 27 March, 2020, 11:51:57 am

Social-distancing by plant pots: only at Waitrose!

They were empty and upside down. I guess they were the only things they had to hand that were cheap and heavy (and not likely to sell).

pcolbeck · « **Reply #77 on:** 27 March, 2020, 11:58:51 am »

Yesterdays highlight was the air ambulance landing in the field opposite out house. Guy down the road (late 70s) had fallen off his roof (two storie house)where he had been fixing a loose tile.
Small but well dispersed crowd gathered to watch, it's a tiny village of about 100 houses several miles from an A road so you cant miss the noise of a helicopter landing).
Just got back from walking the dog and friends told me that he's coming home today! Looks like all that time double digging his garden in prep for potato planting was a sound investment and he had a much softer landing than would normally be expected.

Mrs Pingu · « **Reply #78 on:** 27 March, 2020, 01:37:31 pm »

Quote from: ElyDave on 27 March, 2020, 07:15:03 am

wild garlic in my omlette this morning

I think the veg patch is going to become higher profile this year

We were going to go for a sneaky wild garlic expedition on our 'loop commute' (even though we both have today off) but when I got up to feed the ravenous mogs it was drizziling so I went back to bed instead.

Wowbagger · « **Reply #79 on:** 27 March, 2020, 02:40:43 pm »

It's Dez's birthday today. He's 41.

His younger brother has suggested a WhatsApp Dinner, where the whole family eats at the same time in different places and we video each other.

Cudzoziemiec · « **Reply #80 on:** 27 March, 2020, 02:49:51 pm »

That allows you to eat different food at the same meal, win!

Wowbagger · « **Reply #81 on:** 27 March, 2020, 05:12:25 pm »

My brother just send me a photo of him with the fruits of this morning's labours - 4 very nice looking trout that he had caught. I suppose that's not terribly different from working on your allotment...

Mrs Pingu · « **Reply #82 on:** 27 March, 2020, 05:53:19 pm »

Quote from: Mrs Pingu on 27 March, 2020, 01:37:31 pm

Quote from: ElyDave on 27 March, 2020, 07:15:03 am
wild garlic in my omlette this morning

I think the veg patch is going to become higher profile this year
We were going to go for a sneaky wild garlic expedition on our 'loop commute' (even though we both have today off) but when I got up to feed the ravenous mogs it was drizziling so I went back to bed instead.

Got some on our goverment approved walk this afternoon

I found some pine nuts but they were 3 years out of date so didn't bother making pesto but chopped it all up and put it in the freezer ready for when I've got risotto rice.

If I dig up a couple of bulbs do I just need to bung it in some compost and wait until next spring?

ian · « **Reply #83 on:** 27 March, 2020, 06:12:11 pm »

Pretty much. Pesto without the pinenuts is just pistou. Or you can bash up cashews and add those. I like to open an entire tub, use seven, and then eat the rest.

Mrs Pingu · « **Reply #84 on:** 27 March, 2020, 06:25:17 pm »

I hate cashew nuts. I had some pistachio kernels but they were even more out of date.
I also noticed several packets of walnuts but I'll save them for making walnut and raisin bread sometime soon.

ian · « **Reply #85 on:** 27 March, 2020, 07:09:43 pm »

Let's take those words: I hate cashew nuts.

No one hates cashews nuts. It's the most unfeasibleness of the unfeasibles. Awesome trees too. But look out for the monkeys.

Pistachios are OK though. Pecans too. I can't rationalize walnuts.

Ian H · « **Reply #86 on:** 27 March, 2020, 08:44:11 pm »

It's rural enough here that we can be out of town into quiet countryside in 5 mins on foot or awheel.

Gardening today though. Any major clearing (it's got a bit overgrown) will overwhelm even our largish compost heap, and the tip shut yesterday.

Elderly neighbours opposite occasionally sneak over and deposit a bag of home-grown veg by the side door. I collected milk for them today, put it on the table, rang the bell, and retreated to a safe distance. Roderick has made a 2m pointed stick to keep people at bay.

Scottish cousin tells of an old lady who carefully spat on her handkerchief in order to wipe the Tesco trolly handle. Cousin was so amused she nearly let her trolley roll into an adjacent new BMW.

Wild walk scheduled for tomorrow.

sam · « **Reply #87 on:** 27 March, 2020, 08:50:16 pm »

Today we went to a nearby farm shop. It came with instructions.

• Take a deep breath and keep holding it

In the afternoon I finally set myself to the task of rewiring my Langster,

Fixed gear is starting to look more attractive

learning two important lessons:

1. I cannot wrap handlebars
2. I don’t want to learn how

Eeeek

Oh, and always keep a supply of electrical tape on hand. This was not the after picture I was anticipating:

Erm, the front brake can wait

I can do most things myself, but this is a job that just never came up. In normal times I probably still would've given it a go, then handed it over to a professional (they probably use something like this) when the inevitable happened.

Quote from: pdm on 24 March, 2020, 12:22:29 pm

A Tesco delivery this evening (one of the last available when we booked it, it turns out) I wonder how much of our modest order will materialise? No, no toilet rolls on the order.

The first thing I thought when the toilet paper frenzy began was you can live without toilet paper, people. I mean, I never have, but my wife, who grew up in Sri Lanka, did without: only the fancy hotels had it. I don’t think she’d particularly want to go back – it seems you get used to the stuff – but we were more worried about soap. And feeding the rabbit...

Wowbagger · « **Reply #88 on:** 27 March, 2020, 09:21:05 pm »

Could you use the rabbit instead of toilet paper?

sam · « **Reply #89 on:** 27 March, 2020, 09:29:00 pm »

No, but we could both use the news. (Actually, he does.)

hubner · « **Reply #90 on:** 27 March, 2020, 09:53:02 pm »

Quote from: sam on 27 March, 2020, 08:50:16 pm

(they probably use something like this)

Using a handheld tape wrapping machine is highly unlikely. It wouldn't work.

Bar wrapping in a factory:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pzCB-X4_48w

sam · « **Reply #91 on:** 27 March, 2020, 09:55:04 pm »

Yeah, it was a joke. But thanks for the link. Now I want one of those in my garage.

Mrs Pingu · « **Reply #92 on:** 27 March, 2020, 11:06:01 pm »

Quote from: ian on 27 March, 2020, 07:09:43 pm

Let's take those words: I hate cashew nuts.

No one hates cashews nuts. It's the most unfeasibleness of the unfeasibles. Awesome trees too. But look out for the monkeys.

Pistachios are OK though. Pecans too. I can't rationalize walnuts.

I've never got why people like cashew nuts. It's like eating crunchy milk.

citoyen · « **Reply #93 on:** 28 March, 2020, 11:33:46 am »

Roasted cashew nut butter to accompany cauliflower steaks (per Marcus Wareing) is a current favourite in our household.

ElyDave · « **Reply #94 on:** 28 March, 2020, 12:08:20 pm »

Quote from: Mrs Pingu on 27 March, 2020, 11:06:01 pm

Quote from: ian on 27 March, 2020, 07:09:43 pm
Let's take those words: I hate cashew nuts.

No one hates cashews nuts. It's the most unfeasibleness of the unfeasibles. Awesome trees too. But look out for the monkeys.

Pistachios are OK though. Pecans too. I can't rationalize walnuts.

I've never got why people like cashew nuts. It's like eating crunchy milk.

I can't stand cashews either, I always give them away to the other inmates.

Walnuts, good for your brain innit, it's in the shape

Mrs Pingu · « **Reply #95 on:** 28 March, 2020, 12:59:35 pm »

Pecans are better.

I want some pecan pie now

orienteer · « **Reply #96 on:** 28 March, 2020, 03:12:26 pm »

Brazil nuts for selenium - important for metabolism and thyroid function

Cudzoziemiec · « **Reply #97 on:** 28 March, 2020, 03:35:19 pm »

All nuts are full of nutty goodness. Even peanuts which aren't really nuts (perhaps we should call them nutpeas!)

pdm · « **Reply #98 on:** 28 March, 2020, 04:41:35 pm »

Made a Chocolate Beer Cake for birthday tea for the 5 residents of our abode this afternoon. Theakstons old peculiar. The advantage being that the cake only require 2/3 of the bottle...

Stove still behaving itself.

Now out of Cocoa....

Mrs Pingu · « **Reply #99 on:** 28 March, 2020, 04:47:18 pm »

I made my stash of too-dark-to-eat chocolate (including the disgusting raw chocolate bar) that I've been hanging on to into Earl Grey & dark chocolate torte.

2020-03-28_04-45-57 by The Pingus, on Flickr