Moan, moan, moan - 2014

[Jupiter]

Drought and heat and now blowing a gale. The garden is a wreck. It's the same every year. Gardening here is like trying to build card houses in a cyclone.

[Anthony Darby]

We have the gale, but no drought or heat.

[Roma]

I planted out some crocuses so I would not have so many to repot next year.  Voles or mice have been eating them.  They have also attacked Crocus pulchellus but there are so many small corms and seed in the ground they coud eat all the big ones and not wipe them out.  I planted 4 lots of big tulips about 3 weeks ago and they are being eaten or carried off for winter storage.  I have picked up three and a half in other parts of the garden.  A deer is doing a bit of browsing but so far no serious damage.
To cap it all the cold frame has been flooded at least three times since the 16th and is not draining as well as it used to.  Of course it hasn't stopped raining for more than a few hours at a time.  It flooded on October 6th but dried out quickly then.

[Maggi Young]

Perhaps you should resort to planting bulbs in chicken wire baskets, Roma ?  At least it would make the little blighters work harder to steal your bulbs.

[Maggi Young]

It's the time of the SRGC Seed Exchange - my busiest time of the year - and BT has managed to have a major problem with their blasted email service today.  I am livid. As if I'm not usually ratty enough around November!

From what Ian has discovered, it is a fairly widespread problem, so I suppose I'm not the only whose work is being completely disrupted.    Fume! Fume!
   

[Matt T]

Flippin' slugs! I've not really been bothered by them before, with the odd one or two in the veg patch of course, but the bulbs have always been left alone. Not this year! Having munched on Galanthus seedpods I put down a few pellets and quickly caught an offender. More nibbling so a couple more strategically placed pellets around some particular treasures. Despite this Narcissus flowers have been munched when barely open! The critters must have almost crawled over the slug pellets to get to them!! Grrr!  Regular noctural forays for me and my size 10 1/2 boots tonight! 

[angie]

Thats it had enough  , I have turned my phone volume off. I am really fed up with all these calls. From morning to night all I do it get up and down to take calls that are off no interest to me. Ok thats my moaning over 

Angie 

[Maggi Young]

I sympathise, Angela - I find the automated calls particularly annoying since I can't tell them to shove off - and that we're registered with the TPS and so they shouldn't be phoning us in the first place.
Makes me ratty, very ratty.

P.S. I was going to ring to ask you to lend me a fiver, but I'll send a card, instead......... 

[angie]

I sympathise, Angela - I find the automated calls particularly annoying since I can't tell them to shove off - and that we're registered with the TPS and so they shouldn't be phoning us in the first place.
Makes me ratty, very ratty.

P.S. I was going to ring to ask you to lend me a fiver, but I'll send a card, instead......... 

  Maggi we can't have TPS as its a business line or so they say.  Getting even more depressed now, trying to lose weight and a friend has just come around with a huge container of Scottish Tablet. Oh well it is the month to EAT, drink and be merry 

Angie 

[Anthony Darby]

Arggggh. Can't get Scottish tablet here! 

[art600]

Thats it had enough  , I have turned my phone volume off. I am really fed up with all these calls. From morning to night all I do it get up and down to take calls that are off no interest to me. Ok thats my moaning over 

Angie 

Angie

I have bought the answer to your frustrations - the new BT phone.

It blocks all unwanted calls using the following steps -

As a call comes in the caller is automatically asked whose calling.  If they refuse the call is not put through and can then be blocked forever.
If they give their name then the system asks you if you wish to accept call - you can then decide to block or accept or divert to answerphone.
If you are out and the caller has given a name they are directed to the answerphone.  There is a beep to tell you that you have a message and a symbol on the phone.  Again you can block the call when you hear the message or save the number as a contact.
For friends and other callers you want then you set up a contact list.  You can select their name and dial their number as per usual phones.  Anyone on the list phoning you will come straight through to you,

Added bonus - the numbers you are dialling appear as large numerals -

 BT8500 Advanced Call Blocker Cordless Home Phone (Twin Handset Pack) available on Amazon

Thoroughly recommend it.  Deals with those really irritating International calls as well as UK.

[Martinr]

Arggggh. Can't get Scottish tablet here! 

Yes, but I'm sure you can buy all the ingredients and make your own

[Anthony Darby]

I'm sure I can, but then it would be New Zealand tablet. 

[Alan_b]

As a call comes in the caller is automatically asked whose calling.

If it's the one I encountered yesterday, you are actually requested to state your name then press the hash key.  This will defeat anyone who cannot work out which key is the hash (#) key.  So you'll actually screen both unwanted calls and incompetent callers.  It took me two attempts, as the first time round I accidentally pressed the star (*) key instead of the hash (#) key.   

[Maggi Young]

Sounds as if the automated calls that are so numerous lately would be blocked straight away by this system.
I hope you bought your via the SRGC's Amazon link, Art?

 http://www.amazon.co.uk/?_encoding=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=19450&linkCode=ur2&tag=scorocgarclu-21&linkId=ES4VS2YU3CF6QP3W