What did you do in your garden today?

[Sean Regan]

You could lose a golf ball in that, Sean. We only had 40mph winds and rain all day, "Severe weather" isn't what it used to be, but enough to keep me indoors too.

This can happen, but there's a "local rule" at golf clubs that covers the situation.
Any ball that lands in any amount of water, or even if your feet will only be in a bit of "squelchy" fairway when you address it, you can lift clean and drop your ball, "at the nearest point of relief, but not nearer the hole."
For balls that disappear in a huge puddle and aren't accessible, you just use a new ball, applying the same rule.

The course is still closed today, but it's the weekly competition on Wednesday, so this may yet still be on.

 

[Sean Regan]

More snow, it's +1c. It's sunny with nearly clear skies, but more snow is expected later.

I was reading the BBC1TV "red button" headlines with the sound muted. There was a programme on that was obviously about heating costs affecting pensioners.
They were interviewing a couple in their own home.
I notice in their lounge, the radiator was under the window, as they are in many homes. This I've always considered a stupid location, it's done to release wall space for furniture. But if this couple closed their curtains, the heat from the radiator would go up between them and the window. Despite double glazing, the air will have cooled by the time it reached the ceiling. The only heat in the room would be from radiation, precious little from convection.

 

[Oliver Buckle]

it's done to release wall space for furniture.

I had always thought it was to warm cold air falling off the window and stop it spreading as a low layer of cold across the room. I have always put the bottom of the curtain on the windowsill, or tucked it behind the radiator, depending on length, when I lived places like that

 

[Sean Regan]

I think that would have been true, before the days of double glazing.
Our house has a big bay window in both the front room and front bedroom.
When we bought it, there were huge curved radiators under both windows. We later had double glazing installed and when we had new central heating put in, we got rid of all the old radiators. What we have now, are much smaller and on other walls.

In the bedroom we have full length thermal lined curtains and in the front room the same but shorter ones and they finish six inches below the windowsill.
Modern radiators are designed more for convection with the vents on the top than radiation. If a lot of the heat is going up behind closed curtains, which should help to stop cold air entering the room, they aren't going to be very effective.
But that's just my opinion.

 

[Meadowlark]

With temps falling into the mid-twenties (F) here every evening some might say gardening is finished for the season ...the Turnips ignore that kind of talk and produce wonderful food all winter long here. Today's harvest will be repeated many, many times before spring.

 

[Oliver Buckle]

Spent most of the day catching up on sleep. Had a funny turn yesterday, couldn't walk straight, then a whizzing in my ears, then when I tried to walk again spun round and fell, smacking my head on the pavement. Had to go down the hospital as I am on blood thinners and hitting my head might cause a bleed on the brain. Loads of tests, brain scan, heart monitor, blood tests, and then they couldn't get the results back, didn't get home 'til about 2am, and they never discovered what it was. The Dr. tried to tell me it was because it was cold and I hadn't had lunch, doh. I never eat lunch and it's often cold, but I never got noises in my head and a total loss of balance before, if that did it half the population would be falling over some time. I reckon something in the semi-circular canals in my ears, the bang on the head actually made it feel almost better. Still they ruled out all the life threatening things.

 

[pepper2.0]

Spent most of the day catching up on sleep. Had a funny turn yesterday, couldn't walk straight, then a whizzing in my ears, then when I tried to walk again spun round and fell, smacking my head on the pavement. Had to go down the hospital as I am on blood thinners and hitting my head might cause a bleed on the brain. Loads of tests, brain scan, heart monitor, blood tests, and then they couldn't get the results back, didn't get home 'til about 2am, and they never discovered what it was. The Dr. tried to tell me it was because it was cold and I hadn't had lunch, doh. I never eat lunch and it's often cold, but I never got noises in my head and a total loss of balance before, if that did it half the population would be falling over some time. I reckon something in the semi-circular canals in my ears, the bang on the head actually made it feel almost better. Still they ruled out all the life threatening things.

Glad to hear its not life threatening!

 

[pepper2.0]

Prepping for the Polar Vortex:

Harvested jalapeno peppers and broccoli shoots before the predicted big freeze hits here Sunday. Still have lots of carrots, onions, turnips, radishes, cabbage, cauliflower, brussels, and horseradish growing.

is that polar vortex over? I seen on the news yesterday its pretty wild across the US with snow/cold

 

[Meadowlark]

is that polar vortex over? I seen on the news yesterday its pretty wild across the US with snow/cold

No, it is a long duration one here...through Saturday at least sub-freezing temps at night.

 

[pepper2.0]

No, it is a long duration one here...through Saturday at least sub-freezing temps at night.

not what I imagine when I think of your area from your posts. Hope you're all staying warm. Please keep us posted.

Around here we never pull the turnips until their is a good frost in the ground.. makes them taste much better.. sweeter.

 

[Meadowlark]

Around here we never pull the turnips until their is a good frost in the ground.. makes them taste much better.. sweeter.

Interesting. I've heard that about other veggies...e.g. horseradish
Not sure I have noticed it bout Turnips but will pay attention next time I pull some.

 

[Oliver Buckle]

Interesting. I've heard that about other veggies.

Parsnips, certainly, some starches convert to sugars in those conditions.
Started snowing and settling here.

 

[Sean Regan]

It's still freezing, so the snow hasn't melted.

There was just one job to do....

 

[Heirloom farmer1969]

not what I imagine when I think of your area from your posts. Hope you're all staying warm. Please keep us posted.

Around here we never pull the turnips until their is a good frost in the ground.. makes them taste much better.. sweeter.

Thats an old belief all threw the Appalachian mountains also .
Me personally, I can't really taste no difference in sweetness after frost hits, but then again, I love turnips anytime and tend to gobble them down pretty fast.

 

[Meadowlark]

Thats an old belief all threw the Appalachian mountains also .
Me personally, I can't really taste no difference in sweetness after frost hits, but then again, I love turnips anytime and tend to gobble them down pretty fast.

Do you like them raw? I peel, slice, salt and "gobble" 'em down 

They make a great snack which is much better health wise than processed chips...especially if they are grown in nutrient dense soil.