Cunard Cruisers - How are things where you are ?

[Host Hattie]

I'm not exactly a regular at my hairdresser so my hair doesn't look that different ( that's what I'm telling myself anyway).

Back to working from work tomorrow, I think Mr HH & Biggles will be pleased to have the house to themselves again. 

One of my colleagues has been brought back from furlough but there's no sign of any changes to the general furlough or working from home arrangements.

[Lanky Lad]

I am still at home at the moment.  Been watching a pair of Great Tits that have built a nest in our garden wall.  They have been in and out all day with food.

[Roger88]

Still very boring and kinda depressing. I though of going somewhere near by but I am afraid to stopped by a police. I wanted to have a ride around the city but my wife talked me out of it. I might try going out next weekend just to see how things are going around but I doubt that I will find something exciting. Many people are still spending their time sitting at home doing their thing..

[vettprincess]

Greetings to all from here in Minnesota.

Mostly cold here. Freezing overnight so had to put plants and pots in the garage next to the stored car. Keeping each other company. Still can't plant in the ground yet.

 

We are still in almost complete lockdown and the governor is speaking tonight so things may change. Our covid numbers are rising a lot but I found out the illness is growing in the meat/chicken/pork processing plants we have here. So now some stores are limiting how much meat you can buy. Our peak is supposed to be in July. A very fluid situation all the time.

 

We did cancel our QM2 cruise on 9/11/2020. They are having the same cruise 10/9 but my daughter says still too early to sail.

We also did not book our year end cruises. I have escaped the house a few times to go to garden stores (opened 2 weeks ago) and a couple of other places. Going early for us old!! people to shop. One of our building stores does not allow anyone younger than 16 and no kids in the store. That is so wonderful. Also must wear a mask. That is fine with me.

 

Looks like my daughter brought covid back with her from an international trade show she worked at in Jan/Feb and it included 8 airplane rides.

I took her to the doctor (sickos in the waiting room) and then I was very ill for 4 weeks. Doctors did not test us for anything. This was Feb and March and they knew nothing at that time here. Well, we are now getting the antibody tests next week. Those are not always accurate but this lab is CDC approved. So we will see if we have one of the antibodies of three that can be detected within a few months after being sick.

Hope you all have a lovely rest of the week and week-end.

 

 

 

[Kynance]

@vettprincess hope you are recovered from your potential brush with Covid-19 and that the weather warms up soon to allow you to get out and enjoy your garden. 

[Kynance]

Happy world cocktail day everyone!  🍹I have only just found out about this august occasion by reading a helpful email from Cunard - so haven’t had a chance to properly mark the event today. 😊 I love the Cunard sparklers - the Commodore’s Cure made with Pol Roger champagne and named for Sir James Bisset became my new favourite cocktail on our last trip. Unfortunately I have expensive tastes - I think it was pretty much the most expensive cocktail on the menu! 
 

I expect I may have been enjoying one in the Commodore Club this evening after our call to Bergen, which should have been the last port on QV’s fjords cruise. However, I don’t think we would have enjoyed particularly good weather for this trip, whilst we have had some very nice weather at home (and have needed to water our plants). If we’d been away we would also have missed the lovely VE Day 75 weekend we enjoyed last week - and I would never have had the conversation with the neighbour who is Vice President of our local Women’s Institute and expressed an interest in joining once their meetings resume. Every cloud and all that. 😀

 

 

 

 

[Kynance]

2 hours ago, Lanky Lad said:

I am still at home at the moment.  Been watching a pair of Great Tits that have built a nest in our garden wall.  They have been in and out all day with food.

We’ve had robins nesting in ours - I think they have fledged now and moved next door! They certainly got through a whole bag of meal worms pretty quickly. We are also feeding house sparrows, blue tits, collared doves, wood pigeons, starlings, blackbirds, jackdaws and the occasional magpie. 

Edited May 13, 2020 by Kynance
Spelling

[vettprincess]

1 hour ago, Kynance said:

@vettprincess hope you are recovered from your potential brush with Covid-19 and that the weather warms up soon to allow you to get out and enjoy your garden. 

Thank you and I should know about the test results in 2 weeks and daughter also. But then what does that even mean? Up for guessing.

Anyway, some lilacs blooming and smell nice. Took hanging plants out of the garage and put near the door in case I have to put them back. Minnesota has a short growing season so me and rest of the gardners want to get the vegetables in the ground.

We are zone 4 down here but northern Minnesota is zone 3-the worst!!! You may have growing zones in England????

Bye for now.

 

 

 

 

 

[Kynance]

@vettprincess I’m not sure we have growing zones in the same way you do, but where I live in south central England (so the southern part of the UK), we would normally expect to be able plant out much earlier than our compatriots across more northern parts of the UK. For instance, I removed the frost protection from my agapanthus in April as the weather was so warm, though they have remained in a fairly sheltered part of the garden since then.

[Bigmike911]

A couple of weeks ago, I planted two showy Acer Palmatums (Japanese Maples) in my front garden. They grow 12 and 18 feet respectively. One is bright red all season, and the other yellow-green to green to gold with the changing seasons. They are about 2.5 feet high. I went out this afternoon to water them, and discovered the dreaded deer that roam the neighborhood had nearly stripped the red leaves.

 

I was unhappy, very unhappy. I have fencing that I have used on other front garden trees when they were smaller, so I got it, and hammered metal fence poles into the ground and surrounded both trees. I hate deer. My rear garden is fully fenced so I don't have a problem with plants there.  I am in zone 9 and we are having our humid early summer here. Everything is green with noted Acer exceptions. 

 

Yesterday afternoon, I went to check on a haircut. The barber is open, but working with one half of the team. Customers are asked to sign up at a table out front, and request a barber, put your phone number next to your name and remain in your vehicle. The wait would have been hours. I came home and gave myself another Corona Clip, with my beard trimmer and I guess I will continue to do so for the foreseeable future.  

 

Today was grocery shopping day. Changes,  No line at Trader Joe's the specialty market, and no waiting outside. When I got to the big market, HEB, they have abandoned their in one door, out another for come and go as you will. They had plenty of paper products, but were doing limits on meat and poultry. I got some nice cod however.  Well another week goes by we are almost at mid-month May. I hope all are well. 

[vettprincess]

9 hours ago, Kynance said:

@vettprincess I’m not sure we have growing zones in the same way you do, but where I live in south central England (so the southern part of the UK), we would normally expect to be able plant out much earlier than our compatriots across more northern parts of the UK. For instance, I removed the frost protection from my agapanthus in April as the weather was so warm, though they have remained in a fairly sheltered part of the garden since then.

Thank you for writing. You are warmer where you are located. We can have snow in May and did last week. Now it will warm up next week 60's and 70's. I will finish planting in my pots and then dig up the garden areas and plant seeds in about 2 weeks.

I have 2 raised garden beds-3.5 feet tall and 3 feet long. I put small herbs and pea pods in those. Then I have the front yard and that is where my roses are and my oriental lilies and peonies and hostas. I am a avid planter!. All our garden events/shows have been canceled. In fact everything is canceled. All my volunteer activities canceled too. Last time I did a volunteer event and got out of the house was 2/22. All our charities are hurting and small businesses too. Everything still shut down. Our cases have been growing daily. However, 5/18 the governor said a few things can open but with lots of regulations.

Good luck with your plantings.

[vettprincess]

7 hours ago, Bigmike911 said:

A couple of weeks ago, I planted two showy Acer Palmatums (Japanese Maples) in my front garden. They grow 12 and 18 feet respectively. One is bright red all season, and the other yellow-green to green to gold with the changing seasons. They are about 2.5 feet high. I went out this afternoon to water them, and discovered the dreaded deer that roam the neighborhood had nearly stripped the red leaves.

 

I was unhappy, very unhappy. I have fencing that I have used on other front garden trees when they were smaller, so I got it, and hammered metal fence poles into the ground and surrounded both trees. I hate deer. My rear garden is fully fenced so I don't have a problem with plants there.  I am in zone 9 and we are having our humid early summer here. Everything is green with noted Acer exceptions. 

 

Yesterday afternoon, I went to check on a haircut. The barber is open, but working with one half of the team. Customers are asked to sign up at a table out front, and request a barber, put your phone number next to your name and remain in your vehicle. The wait would have been hours. I came home and gave myself another Corona Clip, with my beard trimmer and I guess I will continue to do so for the foreseeable future.  

 

Today was grocery shopping day. Changes,  No line at Trader Joe's the specialty market, and no waiting outside. When I got to the big market, HEB, they have abandoned their in one door, out another for come and go as you will. They had plenty of paper products, but were doing limits on meat and poultry. I got some nice cod however.  Well another week goes by we are almost at mid-month May. I hope all are well. 

Wow zone 9 great for growing. Long season too. I have problems with rabbits and squirrels. Our hair salons and barbers are not allowed to open. If things go ok with the 5/18 openings then on June 1 he will allow more places to open. Our building stores have one entrance in and one for out. Target does too but not the grocery stores. Have a nice week-end and good luck with the new maples they are beautiful when in bloom.

[alc13]

16 hours ago, Bigmike911 said:

A couple of weeks ago, I planted two showy Acer Palmatums (Japanese Maples) in my front garden. They grow 12 and 18 feet respectively. One is bright red all season, and the other yellow-green to green to gold with the changing seasons. They are about 2.5 feet high. I went out this afternoon to water them, and discovered the dreaded deer that roam the neighborhood had nearly stripped the red leaves.

Oh, that is very sad about your red maple.  Here in Maine the other red maple (Acer rubrum, and yes, I had to look it up) is the most common tree, and they are just now starting to leaf out.  Japanese maples are more common in California, where we used to live.   Hope yours is able to come back. 

[Bigmike911]

11 hours ago, vettprincess said:

Wow zone 9 great for growing. Long season too. I have problems with rabbits and squirrels. Our hair salons and barbers are not allowed to open. If things go ok with the 5/18 openings then on June 1 he will allow more places to open. Our building stores have one entrance in and one for out. Target does too but not the grocery stores. Have a nice week-end and good luck with the new maples they are beautiful when in bloom.

Some years ago I consulted in Minneapolis, spending much of every week there. I remember the winter, and the long delayed spring. It wasn't until about the first or second week in May that things finally burst out green. I believe you call it the "Chlorophyll Explosion". 

[Bigmike911]

2 hours ago, alc13 said:

Oh, that is very sad about your red maple.  Here in Maine the other red maple (Acer rubrum, and yes, I had to look it up) is the most common tree, and they are just now starting to leaf out.  Japanese maples are more common in California, where we used to live.   Hope yours is able to come back. 

I noticed this morning that there were tiny red leaves appearing. I guess they were blooms that had not opened and the deer missed them. I have my fingers crossed. The Acers I plant come from Potter Valley in northern California and the gal that raises them has quite an inventory, which I believe she grows from saplings. Zone 9 is about the limit for Acers and the ones I planted in my fernery last year got too much water and not enough sun, even though they were shade trees. Apparently too much shade. The Hostas grow very well in the fernery though. 

[Kynance]

Hi everyone! 
 

I’ve just been re-reading my first post on this thread and thought I would post an update to that and then maybe another one in a few weeks time on how my “goals” are making progress. 
 

The agapanthus, as mentioned in the gardening sub-thread(!) seem to be doing ok.  I have one which has the first flower spikes emerging but generally agapanthus get going once it is properly summer in the UK so I am hoping by June to see a bit more activity. I have many different types, both deciduous and evergreen, mostly in pots but a few naturalised in a flower bed. Agapanthus have a habit of going blind (ie they won’t flower) - this can be down to congestion, under feeding, over feeding, evergreens getting wet over winter, in fact any number of causes. A few haven’t flowered for two or three summers now so they might be for composting at the end of the season if it happens again. 
 

The “Cambridge Favourite” strawberries are coming along ok and I shall soon have some radishes and salad leaves ready to eat. It looks like my spring onions are again failing to grow - I am not really sure why. Chives, mint, rosemary and lavenders are all doing nicely.

 

We have many solitary bees in our garden - my partner creates homes for them to lay their eggs (he calls them “bee condos”) and it is really therapeutic to watch them buzzing about unconcerned with our human troubles. 🐝😃
 

Having been given Craig Brown’s epic new biography of The Beatles (‘1, 2, 3, 4”) for my birthday last month I have been reading that so haven’t made a start yet on book 10 in the Poldark series. However, I have made good progress re-watching the DVDs and expect to finish series 2 this weekend. Three more to go afterwards! ❤️

 

I am still working from home and don’t think that will change for several months so my new car is still only getting occasional supermarket trips, though this week I treated it to a trip to the post office as I had to mail a package to a colleague. I still haven’t read the manual either. ☺️

Friday nights have been “Bosch night”  in our household - we have eked out the series over 5 weeks, so tonight we have the final two episodes once our delivery pizza arrives. The pizza is our fortnightly treat - I am not a huge fan of cooking, so it is good to have an evening off occasionally.

 

Hope you all have a good weekend, whatever you may be up to - and if you are a gardener may your plants remain free of deer, snails, slugs, aphids, cabbage whites, lily beetles and others predators! 

 

[vettprincess]

2 hours ago, Bigmike911 said:

Some years ago I consulted in Minneapolis, spending much of every week there. I remember the winter, and the long delayed spring. It wasn't until about the first or second week in May that things finally burst out green. I believe you call it the "Chlorophyll Explosion". 

May I inquire where you consulted? Was it for the whole year? I am in south Mpls near Lake Harriet. Did you get to see all the city lakes-which I might say are closed for all activities. 

Our winters can be very very bad. We have the coldest temps in the USA and a town up north named Embarrass, MN makes the news for the coldest temps. This winter was much better than last. Not as much snow and below zero temps. 

It should be safe to plant my tomato plants the end of May. Some in the ground and some in pots. I make homemade tomato sauces and freeze for winter cooking.

Time to get into the gardens and put mulch around and decide where to locate 3 small pine type trees.

I hope you all have a nice warm gardening week-end.

Yea, first pro sports event to happen this week-end. NASCAR!!!!!I am a fan.

[Bigmike911]

4 minutes ago, vettprincess said:

May I inquire where you consulted? Was it for the whole year? I am in south Mpls near Lake Harriet. Did you get to see all the city lakes-which I might say are closed for all activities. 

Our winters can be very very bad. We have the coldest temps in the USA and a town up north named Embarrass, MN makes the news for the coldest temps. This winter was much better than last. Not as much snow and below zero temps. 

It should be safe to plant my tomato plants the end of May. Some in the ground and some in pots. I make homemade tomato sauces and freeze for winter cooking.

Time to get into the gardens and put mulch around and decide where to locate 3 small pine type trees.

I hope you all have a nice warm gardening week-end.

Yea, first pro sports event to happen this week-end. NASCAR!!!!!I am a fan.

I worked for a company installing and integrating computing and communication systems for public safety agencies. Our client was Hennepin County. I worked there most weeks from September to June. I worked down town and stayed at the Minneapolis Athletic Club. Most of my site seeing was in taxi's to and from the airport. I do have vivid memories of Minneapolis' weather, however.

[alc13]

Bosch!  We started watching it thanks to some posts on this thread.  Very enjoyable. 

 

No interesting news from Maine.  Winter finally gave up being a jerk and made way for Spring.  The forsythia is blooming madly and the deciduous trees are covered with tiny lime-green leaves.  A great time of year.

 

I've been taking yoga classes via Zoom.  The classes are well-attended, and one of my teachers says some people actually prefer taking class online because they basically don't have to get dressed and go to the studio.  Which is sort of a fair point, but on the whole it's better to take class in person.  Still, this alternative is a lifesaver for me.  Besides getting proper instructions I appreciate having a sense of community. 

 

I started a Wallender mystery a couple of days ago and I'm loving it.  I can't remember if that was another recommendation from this forum, but thanks to whoever in the ether suggested it. 

[Lanky Lad]

The ISS is due over England at about 10:50 tonight, and thankfully, the sky has cleared here, I just hope it stays that way and I get to see it pass. 

 

I have seen a Valet stand in a charity shop in town only £10.  I have no idea when it will be open again, but I will keep checking.

[Bigmike911]

3 hours ago, Lanky Lad said:

The ISS is due over England at about 10:50 tonight, and thankfully, the sky has cleared here, I just hope it stays that way and I get to see it pass. 

 

I have seen a Valet stand in a charity shop in town only £10.  I have no idea when it will be open again, but I will keep checking.

LL. Perhaps they have a web site or a facebook page that has opening information, and maybe you can put your 'order' in for the Valet Stand. Good Luck. 

[frankp01]

Here's this week's edition of 'Where's Waldo'. We had our weekly Friday virtual Zoom happy hour this evening. This week we were comfortably ensconced in the Golden Lion pub. I remembered this time to take a 'before' and 'after' picture. We use every green tablecloth, set of bedsheets, napkins, and pillow cases we own to create the green screen backdrop. It's fun to pretend we're back on board.

[vettprincess]

22 minutes ago, frankp01 said:

Here's this week's edition of 'Where's Waldo'. We had our weekly Friday virtual Zoom happy hour this evening. This week we were comfortably ensconced in the Golden Lion pub. I remembered this time to take a 'before' and 'after' picture. We use every green tablecloth, set of bedsheets, napkins, and pillow cases we own to create the green screen backdrop. It's fun to pretend we're back on board.

Wonderful......

[vettprincess]

4 hours ago, Lanky Lad said:

The ISS is due over England at about 10:50 tonight, and thankfully, the sky has cleared here, I just hope it stays that way and I get to see it pass. 

 

I have seen a Valet stand in a charity shop in town only £10.  I have no idea when it will be open again, but I will keep checking.

Oh my goodness. Exciting. When we were on the QM2 last July we had a lecture from the NASA director? and we got to sign up to be notified when the ISS would be over our area. We have gone outside and seen it a number of times on a clear night.

Me here in the middle of the city and my daughter 25 miles from me. So exciting. Tonight  11pm from wsw to ene.

 

[Camgirl]

My gardening is not going quite as well as Kynance's. My poor Acer dropped a couple of its baby leaves, but is holding on to the few I posted a photo of, at the moment. I go and talk to it every day to encourage it to survive and grow. 

My strawberries are doing really well but we only have one flower do far! They went in a little late, so maybe next year will be the year for lots of strawberries! 

I have gone out this morning to look at my lettuce plants and something has dug up several of them. Possibly squirrels. I'm not very pleased. I will have to try to get them covered up somehow, with netting, to try to protect them.

I planted up my hanging baskets yesterday. Will be hanging them up today. Where I live is generally very mild and there is rarely any frost. I have geraniums blooming all year round on my windowsill!

On the other hand, we had our first drive out of town last night. It was really weird seeing all the streets so quiet and the cafes, bars and restaurants, of which there are many in Cambridge, all dark and silent. However, I managed to snap a beautiful sunset from just outside town. I hope you like it too.