I've had a juicer for over a year now and, as you say, it comes in very handy when there's a glut of fruit in the garden. You also need a good blender to go with it, fruit such as raspberries and strawberries are better blended rather than juiced.
An excellent book for juicing recipes is Jason Vale's 'The Juice Master Keeping it simple', available from Amazon for £10.39. It contains over a 100 recipes for delicious Juices and Smoothies using fruit and vegetables.
Colin
Spring is nearly here!
Re: Spring is nearly here!
Thanks for that Colin, we have got a blender but the Jason Vale's recipe book sounds good to me.We have some treats to look forward to over next few months.
Forgot to mention in all the excitement of buying the juicer is that Cyn put her watch in for a new battery in Waltons of Chester yesterday where I bought it for her birthday. It apparently has to go back to makers for battery replacement and to be re-sealed, three weeks min for completion, cost; an eye watering £130.00!
She has bought a temporary replacement for £12.50 off the internet this morning; first class P&P included.
Pruning and dead-heading shrubs on Sunday I found the most enormous nettle growing up through bushes, power of the chicken manure again I'm sure as I gave the whole shrubbery a really good dose in March. I pulled it out (with gloves on) and laid it on path measured it and took a photo of it, nine foot seven inches!
It is almost spanning five two foot flagstones
Some nettle
Trip to Connah's Quay next Wednesday for our next N,W,K,S meeting, please show your support for the club and also for Sue and Keiths efforts on our behalf. I'm looking forward to it but just hope the weather is as kind as our meet earlier on this month.
Forgot to mention in all the excitement of buying the juicer is that Cyn put her watch in for a new battery in Waltons of Chester yesterday where I bought it for her birthday. It apparently has to go back to makers for battery replacement and to be re-sealed, three weeks min for completion, cost; an eye watering £130.00!
She has bought a temporary replacement for £12.50 off the internet this morning; first class P&P included.
Pruning and dead-heading shrubs on Sunday I found the most enormous nettle growing up through bushes, power of the chicken manure again I'm sure as I gave the whole shrubbery a really good dose in March. I pulled it out (with gloves on) and laid it on path measured it and took a photo of it, nine foot seven inches!
It is almost spanning five two foot flagstones
Some nettle
Trip to Connah's Quay next Wednesday for our next N,W,K,S meeting, please show your support for the club and also for Sue and Keiths efforts on our behalf. I'm looking forward to it but just hope the weather is as kind as our meet earlier on this month.
Re: Spring is nearly here!
Just watched Country File on goggle box and Wednesday looks to be a bummer weatherwise for our club meeting! So; it looks like its clear out the summer house Sue for standing room only.
Started to pick the first Victoria plums coming ripe this week as the last few Opal plums that Hamish our dog couldn't reach were picked and eaten.The Opal plum is small but very sweet and our fruit loving terrier grazed them all off up to about 75cm just as they ripened (which was pretty much three quarters of crop on small young tree.) I'd been blaming the squirrels for it till I caught him one morning pulling off a half ripe plum to eat!
One moment of personal triumph this week is my el cheapo fig tree I bought for £1.99 in Liddl two years ago in reduced stock sale (no label) has just produced this week one of the sweetest figs I have ever grown.
75g and deep purple oozing syrrupy honey
; if you like figs you will love this fig, no idea what variety it is though!
Working on it.
Started to pick the first Victoria plums coming ripe this week as the last few Opal plums that Hamish our dog couldn't reach were picked and eaten.The Opal plum is small but very sweet and our fruit loving terrier grazed them all off up to about 75cm just as they ripened (which was pretty much three quarters of crop on small young tree.) I'd been blaming the squirrels for it till I caught him one morning pulling off a half ripe plum to eat!
One moment of personal triumph this week is my el cheapo fig tree I bought for £1.99 in Liddl two years ago in reduced stock sale (no label) has just produced this week one of the sweetest figs I have ever grown.
75g and deep purple oozing syrrupy honey
; if you like figs you will love this fig, no idea what variety it is though! Working on it.
Re: Spring is nearly here!
Another very early morning visitor to my wildlife pond the last week or so is a rabbit who appears from our rhubarb patch to nibble vegetation around bog garden.
I put it down to dry conditions over last few weeks, the well watered green grass and plants in our back garden must have looked inviting and of course there is no competition from sheep. It was there this morning despite the welcome heavy rain and hopped off just on 7.30am
The drought conditions have affected the fly fishing as well for as I fished Graiglwyd Springs yesterday with Nigel, Huw the owner had a huge aerator going in middle of lake as trout have got to have well oxygenated water. Despite this Huw has lost quite a few fish usually weaker fish that have been caught and released back into lake.
Catch and release fishing is much cheaper and some callous individuals on C&R insist on using barbed hooks despite all fisheries ban on their use on C&R. They will put back badly stressed hook damaged fish inevitably destined to die rather than kill them as they are supposed to and then have to pay for them, thats the rules of C&R!
Huw netted out three while we were there and threw them into the field at back of the lake saying,'that's the badgers supper taken care of'. Apparently Huw has seen as many as seven badgers come to eat the trout and they're well fed just lately.
Nigel had a good late afternoon to evenings fishing with six to his credit I struggled miserably with just three takes and misses, all late on around about six pm then Soddes Law prevailed and six minutes before we packed up at eight pm I caught a beauty of four and a half pounds; best fish of the day but thats fly fishing!
I put it down to dry conditions over last few weeks, the well watered green grass and plants in our back garden must have looked inviting and of course there is no competition from sheep. It was there this morning despite the welcome heavy rain and hopped off just on 7.30am
The drought conditions have affected the fly fishing as well for as I fished Graiglwyd Springs yesterday with Nigel, Huw the owner had a huge aerator going in middle of lake as trout have got to have well oxygenated water. Despite this Huw has lost quite a few fish usually weaker fish that have been caught and released back into lake.
Catch and release fishing is much cheaper and some callous individuals on C&R insist on using barbed hooks despite all fisheries ban on their use on C&R. They will put back badly stressed hook damaged fish inevitably destined to die rather than kill them as they are supposed to and then have to pay for them, thats the rules of C&R!
Huw netted out three while we were there and threw them into the field at back of the lake saying,'that's the badgers supper taken care of'. Apparently Huw has seen as many as seven badgers come to eat the trout and they're well fed just lately.
Nigel had a good late afternoon to evenings fishing with six to his credit I struggled miserably with just three takes and misses, all late on around about six pm then Soddes Law prevailed and six minutes before we packed up at eight pm I caught a beauty of four and a half pounds; best fish of the day but thats fly fishing!
Re: Spring is nearly here!
A VERY BIG THANK YOU TO SUE AND KEITH
Thank you for a splendid Wednesday evening club social meeting
The weather was kind to us despite the Met office prediction of a great precipitation (thistledown)
Sue and Keith as ever put on a very generous spread and of course drinks of every nature.
The many people present I think reflected the hosts popularity as it was the best club turnout for many months including two new members. Only thing that spoiled an otherwise faultless evening was the dreaded midges put in an appearance mob handed as dusk settled and drove most of us indoors
Ten out of ten you two!
Thank you for a splendid Wednesday evening club social meeting
The weather was kind to us despite the Met office prediction of a great precipitation (thistledown)
Sue and Keith as ever put on a very generous spread and of course drinks of every nature.
The many people present I think reflected the hosts popularity as it was the best club turnout for many months including two new members. Only thing that spoiled an otherwise faultless evening was the dreaded midges put in an appearance mob handed as dusk settled and drove most of us indoors
Ten out of ten you two!
Re: Spring is nearly here!
Cool mists in the morning, the call of wild geese
Days quickly shortening end summers brief lease.
PL
This week has that chill windy autumnal feel to it as the weather patterns change to bring in that inevitable end to 'Summer's Brief Lease' as old Willie Shakespeare aptly put it.
A small skein of Canada geese flew over honking early this morning, all in all its been a very good summer for butterflies up to now though.
My waterlillies have that end of season look after a summer of constant sucking from the koi carp looking for hidden food.
The hidey hole under the flagstone at the bottom of garden that was frequented by the little red toads has been taken over the last month or so by a very large black Great Crested Newt.
Still in residence this morning after a quick peek under I see.
First apples of the season are ripe and we started eating them about a week ago; its a new early variety called Scrumptious and it really is.
Our first pears tried this week; a fairly new one called Beth, another early variety highly recommended.
Fruit and veg everywhere rapidly ripening and Soddes law dictates that on Sunday afternoon after picking a great load of runner beans, blackberries, plums and apples to freeze we discovered our freezer had quietly packed up.
A quick visit to two neighbours sorted out spare shelves in their freezers for our freezer contents then it was on t'internet to sort out a replacement. Curry's had the best deal so off to Chester first thing Monday morning to pick one up. Sorry sir we've not got that particular model in shop, but we do have the next model up (and a hundred pounds dearer),we can get you the other one in five days! No; we need it like, NOW!
Back home and on internet again we eventually found a company called AO.Com in Farnworth Bolton Lanc's what a service!
We ordered and paid for a freezer from them online for the same price as Curry's, this was at 4.00pm after phoning them to check they had the freezer we wanted in stock and it was delivered (free delivery) promptly the next morning at 7.00am.
Beat that for service!
The driver told us they had made a delivery just around corner from us in next rd at 6.30am otherwise they'd have been to us then.
AO.Com will match anyones price and publish their competiters prices alongside their own and with free next day delivery.
They have an excellent website that has their own video demonstration of most if not all models of the vast array of electrical goods they sell so you can see inside and out exactly what you are buying.
Days quickly shortening end summers brief lease.
PL
This week has that chill windy autumnal feel to it as the weather patterns change to bring in that inevitable end to 'Summer's Brief Lease' as old Willie Shakespeare aptly put it.
A small skein of Canada geese flew over honking early this morning, all in all its been a very good summer for butterflies up to now though.
My waterlillies have that end of season look after a summer of constant sucking from the koi carp looking for hidden food.
The hidey hole under the flagstone at the bottom of garden that was frequented by the little red toads has been taken over the last month or so by a very large black Great Crested Newt.
Still in residence this morning after a quick peek under I see.
First apples of the season are ripe and we started eating them about a week ago; its a new early variety called Scrumptious and it really is.
Our first pears tried this week; a fairly new one called Beth, another early variety highly recommended.
Fruit and veg everywhere rapidly ripening and Soddes law dictates that on Sunday afternoon after picking a great load of runner beans, blackberries, plums and apples to freeze we discovered our freezer had quietly packed up.
A quick visit to two neighbours sorted out spare shelves in their freezers for our freezer contents then it was on t'internet to sort out a replacement. Curry's had the best deal so off to Chester first thing Monday morning to pick one up. Sorry sir we've not got that particular model in shop, but we do have the next model up (and a hundred pounds dearer),we can get you the other one in five days! No; we need it like, NOW!
Back home and on internet again we eventually found a company called AO.Com in Farnworth Bolton Lanc's what a service!
We ordered and paid for a freezer from them online for the same price as Curry's, this was at 4.00pm after phoning them to check they had the freezer we wanted in stock and it was delivered (free delivery) promptly the next morning at 7.00am.
Beat that for service!
The driver told us they had made a delivery just around corner from us in next rd at 6.30am otherwise they'd have been to us then.
AO.Com will match anyones price and publish their competiters prices alongside their own and with free next day delivery.
They have an excellent website that has their own video demonstration of most if not all models of the vast array of electrical goods they sell so you can see inside and out exactly what you are buying.
Re: Spring is nearly here!
Quick reminder, its Dave's pond visit bash for charity this Sunday at Prestatyn followed by the first autumn NWKS meeting a week next Wednesday on the 3rd of September at the Farmers Arms Waen.
Colin is looking for publishable articles for our club newsletter, it doesn't necessarily have to be koi based comment; just something that would be of interest to club members. Don't worry about content as Colin will proof read all submissions and edit out any swear words or inappropriate observations.
So, come on; lets see yours!
Colin is looking for publishable articles for our club newsletter, it doesn't necessarily have to be koi based comment; just something that would be of interest to club members. Don't worry about content as Colin will proof read all submissions and edit out any swear words or inappropriate observations.
So, come on; lets see yours!
Re: Spring is nearly here!
Two pence for the Ferryman
My; how his bag is mixed
Past ever wakeful Cerberus
From across the river Styx
PL
Ever closer to the demise of another season as we enter September yet the good weather stays with us as we enjoy an Indian Summer
Fruit juicer working a lot of late as I grind down the windfalls, also I have been offered a lot of apples from a friend in Bodfari with a surfeit of them this year. We bought some juice bags for freezing from Lakeland in Chester so the new larger freezer is put to good use.
Discovered last week on holiday in Norway that they grow some remarkably good plums; as well as other fruit. You would think I would be fed up with them by now but there were some locally grown huge ripe Reeves plums on an open market stall in Alesund for approx, £1.90 for a half kilo (six plums). So much for the belief that things cost an arm and a leg in Norway, it can be just depends what you buy but I'll bet London is more expensive overall. For instance large coffee in Bergen, £3.60 pretty much the same price as Starbucks and just as good, very generous sized whipped ice cream, £3.50. What is expensive are alcoholic drinks particularly when served in posh hotels. £15.50 for a litre of lager beer is what one unsuspecting man from our ship paid. When he was bemoaning his fate on his return to the coach, the driver grinned and told him the locals actually call that particular hotel the 'Onion Hotel' because the prices make your eyes water! you live and learn
Food is fairly cheap in Norway, Bergen has an enormous fish market right alongside the harbour that has stalls that will cook the fish or shellfish you buy from them with communal tables along quay to eat it from. Cyn and I bought a kilo of fresh king prawns and had them grilled and served right there in the open air on a glorious sunny day. Such as dreams are made of,just sitting peacefully eating our meal looking out over the picturesque harbour to the mountains beyond in clean clear air enjoying that moment in time, heaven just heaven!
Norway is the cleanest country I've visited since Canada and the people who throw the litter in their streets and parks are the Brits and Japanese, they must love us and I found it acutely embarassing seeing my fellow passengers doing it.
The perfect example is the rubbish we leave here in our own domicile. Getting off the ship at Liverpool on my return I was greeted with the usual detritus of coke cans, takeaway packaging, pop bottles etc, ie the throwaway rubbish that greets you anywhere in the UK
We must change!
Now that I'm back I must try and catch my Kuhaku entry for the last years grow and show from the main pond and put it in the quarantine tank ready for the photo shoot with Colin.
I've got Nigels fish as well but his is now a Sanke due to four black spots appearing on its flanks
My; how his bag is mixed
Past ever wakeful Cerberus
From across the river Styx
PL
Ever closer to the demise of another season as we enter September yet the good weather stays with us as we enjoy an Indian Summer
Fruit juicer working a lot of late as I grind down the windfalls, also I have been offered a lot of apples from a friend in Bodfari with a surfeit of them this year. We bought some juice bags for freezing from Lakeland in Chester so the new larger freezer is put to good use.
Discovered last week on holiday in Norway that they grow some remarkably good plums; as well as other fruit. You would think I would be fed up with them by now but there were some locally grown huge ripe Reeves plums on an open market stall in Alesund for approx, £1.90 for a half kilo (six plums). So much for the belief that things cost an arm and a leg in Norway, it can be just depends what you buy but I'll bet London is more expensive overall. For instance large coffee in Bergen, £3.60 pretty much the same price as Starbucks and just as good, very generous sized whipped ice cream, £3.50. What is expensive are alcoholic drinks particularly when served in posh hotels. £15.50 for a litre of lager beer is what one unsuspecting man from our ship paid. When he was bemoaning his fate on his return to the coach, the driver grinned and told him the locals actually call that particular hotel the 'Onion Hotel' because the prices make your eyes water! you live and learn
Food is fairly cheap in Norway, Bergen has an enormous fish market right alongside the harbour that has stalls that will cook the fish or shellfish you buy from them with communal tables along quay to eat it from. Cyn and I bought a kilo of fresh king prawns and had them grilled and served right there in the open air on a glorious sunny day. Such as dreams are made of,just sitting peacefully eating our meal looking out over the picturesque harbour to the mountains beyond in clean clear air enjoying that moment in time, heaven just heaven!
Norway is the cleanest country I've visited since Canada and the people who throw the litter in their streets and parks are the Brits and Japanese, they must love us and I found it acutely embarassing seeing my fellow passengers doing it.
The perfect example is the rubbish we leave here in our own domicile. Getting off the ship at Liverpool on my return I was greeted with the usual detritus of coke cans, takeaway packaging, pop bottles etc, ie the throwaway rubbish that greets you anywhere in the UK
We must change!
Now that I'm back I must try and catch my Kuhaku entry for the last years grow and show from the main pond and put it in the quarantine tank ready for the photo shoot with Colin.
I've got Nigels fish as well but his is now a Sanke due to four black spots appearing on its flanks
Re: Spring is nearly here!
The best laid schemes o' mice an' men
Gang aft agley,
An' lea'e us nought but grief an' pain,
For promis'd joy!
R Burns
Fitting observation above as I finally got around to burying my now dead Grow and Show Kuhaku this morning.
I have always been reluctant to buy a grow and show in the past due to the stress caused to all the fish by trying to catch them from the main pond so this was my first Grow and Show.
I solved this problem a while back by finding I could catch them easily at night with a torch with absolute minimum disturbance to fish as they are mazed by the light.
Last Tuesday night I went out at 23.30 and caught both fish within five minutes and transferred them to my 1000L quarantine tank ready for Colin to photograph them Wednesday morning as arranged.
My two step Kuhaku that Cynthia had named Halfpenny was in superb condition and had grown quite big; a plump 43cm and not a shimmy on him unlike Nigels fish with four black spots.
I went out next morning just before 8 am and horror of horrors; I found my fish lying quite still on concrete path.
It had somehow managed to jump through a 12" gap in net at back of tank against shed and must have then landed on top of net and jumped from there onto path hitting the top of its head on concrete edging stone.
This was I'm sure the ultimate cause of its death.
I spent all Wednesday trying to revive the fish including increasing oxygen levels with Hydrogen Peroxide and using air stone.
The fish after four or five hours eventually responded and started to breathe and hold itself upright in the water unaided but the severe trauma proved too much and it died early Thursday morning.
To say I'm disappointed is an understatement! I can only blame myself for this lovely healthy fishes death in failing to net the tank fully.
A hard lesson learned!
Gang aft agley,
An' lea'e us nought but grief an' pain,
For promis'd joy!
R Burns
Fitting observation above as I finally got around to burying my now dead Grow and Show Kuhaku this morning.
I have always been reluctant to buy a grow and show in the past due to the stress caused to all the fish by trying to catch them from the main pond so this was my first Grow and Show.
I solved this problem a while back by finding I could catch them easily at night with a torch with absolute minimum disturbance to fish as they are mazed by the light.
Last Tuesday night I went out at 23.30 and caught both fish within five minutes and transferred them to my 1000L quarantine tank ready for Colin to photograph them Wednesday morning as arranged.
My two step Kuhaku that Cynthia had named Halfpenny was in superb condition and had grown quite big; a plump 43cm and not a shimmy on him unlike Nigels fish with four black spots.
I went out next morning just before 8 am and horror of horrors; I found my fish lying quite still on concrete path.
It had somehow managed to jump through a 12" gap in net at back of tank against shed and must have then landed on top of net and jumped from there onto path hitting the top of its head on concrete edging stone.
This was I'm sure the ultimate cause of its death.
I spent all Wednesday trying to revive the fish including increasing oxygen levels with Hydrogen Peroxide and using air stone.
The fish after four or five hours eventually responded and started to breathe and hold itself upright in the water unaided but the severe trauma proved too much and it died early Thursday morning.
To say I'm disappointed is an understatement! I can only blame myself for this lovely healthy fishes death in failing to net the tank fully.
A hard lesson learned!
Re: Spring is nearly here!
Now cold and abandoned the mudcups that bore
Young swallows departed for Africa's shore
PL
There aren't any swallows about anymore they seem to have gone early this year, how sad, I saw a few briefly gather on the power lines across the field at the back of the house just after the Bank Holiday; then they were all gone!
They seem to have just slipped quietly away unnoticed this year.
Wednesday afternoon I was standing under a tree in my back garden idly watching some finches move in and out of the woods at the back of house when I saw a very pale bird with a long tail fly out of woods and head toward a back garden about seven houses up from me flying with a strangely fluttery flight.
It came closer and I suddenly realised I was watching someones blue and white budgie flying past, obviously an escapee.
It should survive with the large amount of berries about the woods and hedgerows this year and the many bird tables dotted about locally but; the dreaded sparrow hawks will soon spot it with those colours!
Ordered my wheatgerm koi pellets this week as I use up the last few kilo's of Japan mix from Quenikoi
My fish are still up and waiting for me every morning looking for their breakfast as this brilliant warm sunny weather continues
Contrariwise to our good weather of late I went to Shrewsbury for the day today and it rained the whole time I was there ie from 10.30am to 4.30pm. It stopped raining when I got back to Oswestry and not a drop here again all day thanks I'm sure to our mini climate in the Vale of Clwyd, love it!
Young swallows departed for Africa's shore
PL
There aren't any swallows about anymore they seem to have gone early this year, how sad, I saw a few briefly gather on the power lines across the field at the back of the house just after the Bank Holiday; then they were all gone!
They seem to have just slipped quietly away unnoticed this year.
Wednesday afternoon I was standing under a tree in my back garden idly watching some finches move in and out of the woods at the back of house when I saw a very pale bird with a long tail fly out of woods and head toward a back garden about seven houses up from me flying with a strangely fluttery flight.
It came closer and I suddenly realised I was watching someones blue and white budgie flying past, obviously an escapee.
It should survive with the large amount of berries about the woods and hedgerows this year and the many bird tables dotted about locally but; the dreaded sparrow hawks will soon spot it with those colours!
Ordered my wheatgerm koi pellets this week as I use up the last few kilo's of Japan mix from Quenikoi
My fish are still up and waiting for me every morning looking for their breakfast as this brilliant warm sunny weather continues
Contrariwise to our good weather of late I went to Shrewsbury for the day today and it rained the whole time I was there ie from 10.30am to 4.30pm. It stopped raining when I got back to Oswestry and not a drop here again all day thanks I'm sure to our mini climate in the Vale of Clwyd, love it!