Friday, August 07, 2026
poppies
Trying to spread poppies from the seat above the zebra crossing along the road. Clearly the poppy depends on the wind, over a period of time. Which sounds sensible.
It must be a massive overkill, with many more than is needed. In its life time it only needs one to survive it.
I guess it might be totally happy with just leaving them dormant just where it grows. Probably the wind and grazing animals will do the rest.
My crude attempts at spreading the seeds might get the seed into new places more quickly, but the plant can wait.
If it looses out to something even more prolific, it just waits for that plant to crash, and then try again.
Or maybe it is even more cunning than we know. You would have to the most amazingly complete analysis to tell what really is happening. The fact is that one cannot really know what event is going to make any signifant change to the status quo.
One only can see what those things that are a bare minimum to have got so far, mixed up with things that have not made any significant difference at all. A hopeless mess basically.
By fiddling with it, I am introducing some randomness, which could, just about, give some better short term survival rates.
M
got to internet
It was strange but definitely outside the home.
Shows things can work.
M
at last
A no 7 going into town. Will watch what happens at the roundabout. I think it went down to tescos, and another emerged up the hill and turned left towards home.
M
second network device
The one in T's current bedroom. I have not looked at this for ages.
Might be a good idea to switch off and on, checking power etc
M
creating groups
BT password
Rather amazingly I managed to connect to EE using my bt password without any trouble thia morning.
I wonder if they have been watching and listening to complaints.
No idea how this session is connecting.
M
Caddy
Fox or whatever got at the caddy again. Probably got splashed and ran. Only the loose material from previous episodes was evident, and no problem.
M
Matvee
Two nurses came to trear his arm. My guess would be a removable splint, which he has to wear most of the time, for the next month or so.
A hell of lot better than my equivalent when I was 9? And cracked my wrist after falling when a dog chased me. Dog faired rather worse consequences, to my shame. But maybe I was the excuse they wanted.
I am cautious with dogs, and mostly disapprove, not because of the dogs but of the human behaviour.
M
cleared the front wall
The brickwork was getting too overgriwn. I basically chopped everthing back to the wall line, and further with some adventurous plants to their bases.
Looks quite neat, and when we have some decent rain, it will look nice again.
M
driving
Is he driving? Amazingly, I think so. I imagine a doctor might give him clearance, but it might be under some conditions.
I do not know the potential issues, after his surgery. Maybe he has passed the appropriate tests. Any cancer may be effecting other organs and functions.
M
BT EE
Clearly BT and. EE are effectively the same operation, and are sharing things.
As a BT customer for the telephones and internet, I should be able to use EE services for free. This looks to be the case. Though my current difficulties with internet connections means I have not yet checked this out.
This should make my EE SIM really useful.
M
bus
Was fine this a.m.. only quarter of an hour wait. Though there did seem a dirth of buses in general.
Now on way back, having waited at stop fot 10 mins. But still only 11.30.
M
bus route
Going to waitrose. have not seen any buses yet. Do not know how the road works are. I would think things will be a bit messed up, but no signs or messages anywhere to be seen.
M
Sunday, July 26, 2026
Applemac unmendable
Went to church, and eventually saw the team of three who have been investigating.
They have played around with various diagnostic key strokes, with great success, including a small apple logo. It shows it is doing some basic startup routine. But it never seems to continue to the main operating system.
They doubt if it is mendable, and whether money on a mend would be better spent on a newer second hand machine. Maybe £200 .
I will wait a bit before deciding what to do.
M
repair shop
Normal chaos. Rather busier than normal. Doubt if I will be seen.
M
BT
Are being hopeless at helping me. Basically they dont realise that byte are shown as different characters depending on the machines origin. A dollar sign might be a pound sign in a different country.
So typing in a password on a rarely used machine might be chaotic.
I just hope I can get to a person during the week.
And also i do not recognise a mobile by the last four digits of its telephone number.
M
it was J
His voice has changed. He must have had something removed near his face, and it has altered his speaking voice.
Who knows what. It is wierd seeing him talk, and not recognising it.
M
tesco ad
Not sure how this happened, but when I had got back home, I found the phone was in a tesco text ad.
Could it have been activated in some way at the till? It was a little unnerving.
I will have to do a controlled experiment.
M
rain
We had a short shower. Not heavy, and soon all signs of it had gone. But for the area of the whole plot, there must have been quite a bit, if only cooling the ground a bit.
M
Saturday, July 25, 2026
apple mac
Could it have suffered from cold and damp, over the winter when I was ill?
Maybe it just needs warmth. It is not clear what made it start normally that one time.
I will put in the airing cupboard as a trial.
M
J soundalike
A voice like J's, but slightly different, was emanating from somewhere inside, this a.m. I could not hear words, but it sounded like an accentless English.
Is this a brother? And if so, does this indicate how serious the illness is?
Maybe S has been open about his condition earlier in the year, and assumes we have heard on the grapevine. In which case her comment about new knees is actually rather good.
M
Downtime?
Possibly there are occasions when they service the database used on this software. If you try to do an immediate upload it will then fail, and it will be in the waiting queue. The normal way out will then work, would be my guess.
M
bt connection
I am starting to think something is wrong with the BT connection. Wrong colour. However things seem to work probably through an old router that is connected.
I need to find the BT app on the old laptop still running Microsoft.
M
Friday, July 24, 2026
alexa
Some of the new security is a pain.
I have been trying to clear the existing round device of my settings so that I can give it to T. It has sent me on a wild goose chase.
It seems intent on installing a version of Alexa on every machine I have. So fine but it is not quite what I wanted to do.
Anyway I will continue.
M
Thursday, July 23, 2026
post office
I wonder how the small shop and post office will manage. Will find out posting Isabel's birthday card tomorrow.
M
bus service
The road by Tesco is shut for a bit. I saw no 7 on the a26 at the zebra crossing!
Not sure where bus stops will be, but I think there may be one before the zebra crossing. No idea going the other way. Maybe there will be temporary stops set up.
M
my guess
Low hedges as boundaries.
All current fencing removed
Heavy pruning of all existing bushes
Grass basically everywhere. Easy mowing layout.
Some large tubs with small covering plants.
Some sitting areas, front and back.
Pruning back neighbouring trees and hedges almost the the boundary.
No garden shed, contractors will bring in anything required
M
sept 1st
Allegedly when the sale / promotion of the flats starts. They will surely want the site looking more like a garden that is visible and has views.
Definitely watch this space as the question of the boundary fencing / hedging is quite a major issue, and will require a lot of work.
But good to increase the time pressure.
M
next door
Did not see J today. Maybe in care home. One of sons plus family came late evening maybe after visit. S may have been with them.
So basically only confirmation that it is slow change, but nothing about direction.
M
Wednesday, July 22, 2026
problem sorted
I was having difficulty publishing an item, which then was in some intermediate storage. You would go through the motions, but nothing moved.
But sometimes it did.
Answer is that if you have not recently published something successfully, it treats you as a potential threat, and won't do anything. However if you have successfully published something recently, it will be perfectly happy to do it many times.
So if you have problems, just first publish something new. You can always delete it when you have finished.
M
daily checkup?
Looks as if J goes daily to some medical centre, presumably for a routine check on his condition. Presumably if they are not happy he would be kept there overnight.
He apparently was not looking great when he came home this evening.
M
Met S
Only news was that J wants a knee replacement. No other medical info or comments.
It is plain to see that he has some other current issues. Even if I am guessing wrongly about them, she is hardly stating the whole truth.
It may represent a strategy to hide things, that J has enforced. Unpleasant.
He appears to be currently at home, but lying low. He may be exerting all his energy to show how well he is. But I am afraid it has the opposite effect. And getting S to hide things, just compounds it all.
Just take more care of yourself and particularly others.
M
rules for Waitrose
Obviously I can choose anything to buy at Waitrose. But somethings are better bought at Tesco's or Lydl.
Dairy is fine at Tesco's. The Greek style yogurt made in the UK seems fine, and is cheaper.
Sausages at Tesco's is good.
Most of the veg and fruit seem ok.
Soups and ready meals are better at Waitrose. This mostly a variety issue, rather than a quality. Ditto cheeses.
Chickens at Tesco are often the wrong size.
Panna cotta not a Tesco's
I feel happier at Waitrose for kitchen and loo rolls. Ditto biscuits, though Lydl are often ok.
Bread stuff much safer at W's, ditto chocolates,
Martin
Soaps not bothered.
sweet potato
Cooked in with the chicken, normal scrub before, was great success. Will find out how it is cold.
M
Monday, July 20, 2026
Parsnips
Just don't seem to be available in Tesco. Check Waitrose tomorrow.
M
