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I'm feeling a bit of a rotter. I've had trouble commenting and it doesn't take much for me to think: "fuck it..." and go off and do something else. Also, last Friday was Stevie's birthday so that took me away from my desk for a bit: there were gifts to buy and wrap, and a cake to make for starters. Then, on Saturday, we went to Kent (370 odd miles away) for my niece's eighteenth birthday party. We drove down on the day, just arriving in time – bloody roadworks all the way from Bedford to Dartford – and drove back yesterday, so spent most of the weekend in the car. I didn't get to bed till 4am yesterday morning and was awake again at eight-thirty. Now I'm knackered. It was worth it, though, I hadn't seen my niece for two years and she is such a lovely girl. And it's fair to say that her mother (my sister) is one of my favourite people in the whole world: I always feel better for talking to her, so I'm really glad we made the effort. But I feel like I'm neglecting my friends which I hate to do, so here are a few gardening tips I picked up yesterday afternoon in Rochester: Hopefully when I try tomorrow Google will be able to detect the necessary data and allow me to publish my comments.
Posted by Eryl at 22:03 angryparsnip said...

What a stroke of luck....
My yard has moles, among other critters (packrats) that I don't want so must try the the helpful hint.
I won't have any trouble with what to do with pot full of live moles, that is what I have coyotes for !

cheers, parsnip

20 June 2011 at 22:15 Jane and Lance Hattatt said...

Hello Eryl:
We presume that, as we write, you are outdoors, miner's lamp on head, sorting out your pots and bits of live and dead animals ready for an early start tomorrow morning. After all, the nights are drawing in now so no time to waste!!!

20 June 2011 at 22:41 
from me: when i read the passage to him, he asked if i was reading from a bio-dynamic farming page. i said yes, from 1577 that you had posted on your page. then he said to tell you the following:

from the MITM: do you think they will be partial to le creuset pots for capture? he also said to tell you that he already has a recipe that starts with "first, you make a rue... xoxoxoxo

20 June 2011 at 23:33 
Good Lord, I knew I was short of a few essentials in my garden shed! Where's my hyena skin?
Just attempting to plan the Essex pilgrimage, and moving heaven and earth to make sure we drive on a Sunday there and back. British motorways turn into tailbacks as soon as you're 50 miles from Manchester.

21 June 2011 at 00:07 Sharon Longworth said...

People in Kent are bonkers... or is that just me?
One day, I might try to persuade you to come and visit us when you're in the county :)

21 June 2011 at 20:16 
I popped down to the butcher and asked for a mare's head, a speckled toad and some hippopotamus skin, but he looked at me as if I was nuts. What is it with butchers these days?

Your niece must have been dead chuffed that you drove 740 miles for her birthday party! No wonder you're knackered!

21 June 2011 at 20:22 Eryl said...

Parsnip ~ moles are a nuisance, aren't they, but if I had one in a pot and it began to cry I know I'd lose my nerve and set it free.

Jane and Lance ~ you evidently know me better than I thought.

Savannah ~ I reckon the MITM has it: Le Creuset will be perfect: you could just sprinkle with a little seasoning and pop them in the oven for supper.

Titus ~ I'm very glad I wasn't travelling south on Sunday, there was a tailback that must have gone on for ten miles. People were actually out of their cars they'd been static for so long! Coming north was fine, though. Good luck with the trip. You may be able to get a hyena skin while you're down there: Harrods say they can get you anything.

Sharon ~ my son says that too, he looked at me in horror when I said I wished we still live there. I'd love to visit you one day.

Nick ~ butchers aren't what they used to be, that's for sure. Perhaps you should try the garden centre?

21 June 2011 at 22:36 63mago said...

Thank you for the reading tip - I'll try to find Mr. Hill's text. Here's a bit of information about him and his works.

22 June 2011 at 00:33 
Love the gardening tips - hilarious!

I sympathise with your frustration at commenting. everything seems to take forever and 'the URL is not valid' makes me go ballistic.
It's all very well to tell oneself to relax and chill but it is very frustrating when one really tries to visit and keep up with friend's blogs.

22 June 2011 at 08:38 Kim Ayres said...

What a wonderful find :)

The rain was so heavy at times today - huge drops - I could really have done with the skin of a crocodile or hyena.

22 June 2011 at 19:50 
one day we must meet in England!
so sorry you had a dismal sunless solstice.
Poor moles crying and crying and then dying
my nice, peaceful Dad was a pretty calm fellow until it came to MOLES buggering up his nice striped lawn....
in Essex no less.

Yes, the NEW Yorker is the best mag out there for news, cartoons, poems stories etc.
I'm too old for fashion mags......

So glad you made it to your neice's party.

22 June 2011 at 20:41 
Mago ~ thank you for that link, I'll have a look a little later.

Pat ~ every time I tried to comment, on a blogger blog at least, for most of last week the screen went white and a little message saying 'Google cannot detect any data' came up. Drove me doolally! Seems to be back to normal now, though Twitter has been acting up today.

Kim ~ it has been really quite biblical, weather-wise, here hasn't it? I was actually wondered if I ought to try building an arc.

22 June 2011 at 20:42 
Elizabeth ~ we must have crossed. How lovely it would be to meet in England!

I think I might join Buster as a New Yorker subscriber.

22 June 2011 at 20:47 
Gardening tips like that really were quite useful in the day, I'm sure. Now, I suppose someone would complain if I willy nilly put a mare's head in garden.

Sounds like you had a very busy and fun time. Excellent.

23 June 2011 at 17:34 
I'm having trouble with blog comment and such, too, and I usually just give up rather quickly now - so much to do and keep up with and any little problem has me saying "never mind!" even if it isn't the blogger's fault - I do try to email them an dlet them know I tried.

Even on my blog site it seems it is jerkity when I try to read it - ungh!

26 June 2011 at 16:18 
Hello Eryl,
What sage advice!! Now I really know why I didn't inherit the gardening gene!! This has me laughing! Thank you!
So nice you could see your sister and niece.
Thanks fro dropping by. It's always lovely to read your words, to feel your presence.


It's wonderful that you are part of She Writes!! Because YOU do! Bravo!

26 June 2011 at 16:19 Sometimes there are just too many options...
