Daily life over the garden fence chat.

[rebbonk]

When we moved in here 20odd years ago, there was a 4ft Christmas tree at the bottom of our garden. The b*gger is now as high as the house, and I'm forever pruning the lower branches off!

[Shizara]

In the 60's my parents purchased their first house and along with the apple tree, grapefruit tree and roses that lined the driveway to the house there was a pot with the top of pineapple in it. It seemed to be perfectly happy as a plant with green spiky leaves but we never saw a pineapple, however, the grapefruit, which was planted within close range of the kitchen window and surrounded by concrete path was a prolific producer of juicy fruit. As for a Christmas tree in the garden, even though with a quarter acre there was room for one no one had ever planted it after Christmas. Every year Dad would take us out, 2 weeks before Christmas to buy a tree and every year it finished up in the incinerator in the back garden. In later years the artificial tree arrived.

[Margaret]

I'll keep an eye on my little one, I don't mind having to to prune it.
Your grapefruit tree sounds very interesting, was that in NZ? I love pink grapefruit.

Radox do pink grapefruit and basil hand wash and shower gel. It smells delicious!

[Shizara]

Yes, the grapefruit tree was in NZ. We also referred to them as a Poorman's Orange tree. As children we would pick them, squeeze the juice and make refreshing drinks. As an adult I also cut them in half, cut segments into the flesh only, put a wee sprinkle of brown sugar and melted the sugar gently in the oven, or alternatively a sprinkle of brown sugar and leave in the fridge over night.. Delicimo.

[rebbonk]

So there we are early last evening, sitting in our local enjoying a pint with a couple of friends.

The landlord's 'lady friend' is absolutely sozzled and making a fool of herself dancing around the almost empty place. Getting no attention, she goes outside. i assume (quite wrongly) for a cigarette.

A few minutes later the young barman goes outside to fetch wood for the fire.

All breaks loose! Barman dashes back in shouting that said lady has thrown herself in the canal and he can't get her out. One of our friends is quite young and fishes her out. The barman calls for an ambulance.

Ten minutes later an ambulance arrives. The crew are great and have a real sense of humour. I think Madness's 'House of fun' was on the jukebox (or whatever it is these days), the driver says, "how very apt!"

As we left (well before nine) the ambulance was heading toward the hospital.

Oh boy, I do live an exciting life!

[Lex]

Well, after arriving at the office this morning and seeing the pitiful amount of work on my desk, I battered my eye lashes at my supervisor and persuaded her to give me the afternoon off, which I put to good use enjoying a sunny walk in the countryside.

[Margaret]

Oh nice Lex the weather is perfect today. You'll still have to face the music on your return though.