# Autumn leaves, what a shame.



## JanHank (Mar 29, 2015)

We have just started admiring our autumn colours and now we have a storm blowing them all off and away. :crying:


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## peribro (Sep 6, 2009)

I wish that mine blew off and away but they land on my drive and my lawn and have to be swept up!


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## raynipper (Aug 4, 2008)

peribro said:


> I wish that mine blew off and away but they land on my drive and my lawn and have to be swept up!


Bluudy right Peter. My poor little robo mower chokes on the leaves and twigs.
It's times like this I wish I was in a flat.

Ray.


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## aldra (Jul 2, 2009)

You miserable lot 

Autumn I love , the fantastic colours in our garden 

The Virginia creeper , a blaze of colour and falling leaves

The ivy holds its own

The laburnum is a pain but beautiful in flower 

And here in France, we don't need to worry
Just enjoy them

Sandra


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## Mrplodd (Mar 4, 2008)

Sandra

The real problem is that it heralds the run down to winter! Just think it will be March before we have this amount of daylight hours again!!

I HATE the lack of daylight during winter! 

Yes I do suffer (severely) from S.A.D. over the winter months so make much use of one of the SAD lamps. I cannot recommend them highly enough to anyone who gets "the grumps" like me over the winter. 

Oh and vitamin D tablets because it's vital to your well being but your body needs sunlight (which there is not enough of over the winter months) to produce it. You cannot get it from foods. In fact it's better described as a hormone rather than a vitamin.

Andy


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## aldra (Jul 2, 2009)

Well yes I take Vit D tablets through the summer as well

It seems I don't absorb well from the sun

Without the tablets I suffer from cramp a useful reminder to take one

Mine are prescribed but easily bought , one a fortnight or two a month,20,0000 units 

But, I love winter, the dark nights, the log fire, the drawing of curtains 

Alberts more like you 

Sandra


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## JanHank (Mar 29, 2015)

peribro said:


> I wish that mine blew off and away but they land on my drive and my lawn and have to be swept up!


Trouble was it didn´t just blow the leaves away, I heard this noise outside and watched our garden chairs fly past the window, I had to rescue them before my neighbour claimed them as hers :laugh:


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## Mrplodd (Mar 4, 2008)

Sandra

Don't get me wrong, I love log fires, hearty warming stews, walking on the beach (providing the suns shining) etc. It's just the lack of daylight hours that gets to me. Good job I don't live in Norway eh!

Andy


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## raynipper (Aug 4, 2008)

aldra said:


> You miserable lot
> Autumn I love , the fantastic colours in our garden
> The Virginia creeper , a blaze of colour and falling leaves
> The ivy holds its own
> ...


Ha ha, thats smacks of "I'm allright Jack" Sandra. Who sweeps your leaves??:wink2:

Ray.


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## aldra (Jul 2, 2009)

Come on Ray

When have I ever been allright Jack ?

Albert sweeps the leaves or doesn't 

I clean the house cook most of the meals

But I doubt we have the amount of the leaves you do

But clipping 12 foot hedges , and ivy covered walls prob equals it 


But I love the privacy the hedges provide, I love the ivy covered wals , the sparrows that roost in it ,

I love the fact that although we live on a main road

We have a secret garden

Sandra


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## raynipper (Aug 4, 2008)

I still maintain concrete and plastic are the best gardens. Lets you get away without thinking your coming back to a jungle.
Our two months in Portugal gets tempered towards the end knowing the work thats going to greet up on the return. I really do envy people that can just up sticks and P orff.
All our summer is tied to the garden one way or another and yes it does look lovely but when I see the Pruehours dedicated to it, I question the shackles.

Ray.


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## aldra (Jul 2, 2009)

Yes our lawn is artificial

A good quality artificial lawn 

No mowing, no overgrown lawn, no muddy hounds feet , rain our shine

Easy to clean pressure hose to new


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## raynipper (Aug 4, 2008)

aldra said:


> Yes our lawn is artificial
> A good quality artificial lawn
> No mowing, no overgrown lawn, no muddy hounds feet , rain our shine
> Easy to clean pressure hose to new


Love it.!!!! Beats all this natural stuff.

Ray.


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## patp (Apr 30, 2007)

We have lots of trees in our large garden. We also live next door to a copse. Beautiful though they are, the leaves are such hard work. We used to keep goats, and providing they are native trees and not evergreen, the goats can eat them. They love them. Ivey is a tonic, too, though not the berries. The goats also used to prune the hedges and we can still see the evidence of the extent of their reach. Much denser hedge where they used to nibble each new shoot as it appeared. All the garden prunings could be processed through the goats and come out the other end in pelleted form


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## aldra (Jul 2, 2009)

In Israel although we didn't have goats our neighbour used to put his goats in our garden via the roof of his house

We long pondered how the goats got over the high wall!

At the time it was a large terraced garden, Uncultivated on the lower reaches, he didn't have a garden, and had always let his goats forage there, so we let it be 

It's amazing how high they can reach as they forage for food in shrubs and trees

Sandra


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## barryd (May 9, 2008)

Mrplodd said:


> Sandra
> 
> The real problem is that it heralds the run down to winter! Just think it will be March before we have this amount of daylight hours again!!
> 
> ...


quote]

You should do what Gandhi (geriatricbackpacker) does Andy now your retired. He clears off to India for three months early jan where its flip flops, beaches and proper warm sunshine. I fancy that and it's probably no more expensive than taking a Motorhome (or a tugger) down to the costas for a slim chance of a couple of hours of Milky warm sun each day. We've done a couple of long rentals in the canaries over dec / jan and I loved that. Really takes the sting out of winter and pretty much means you get to avoid Christmas or at least avoid all the crap that goes with it.

One year I was jet skiing Christmas morning and then went to an open air carol service in shorts and flip flops.  bit odd but what would you really rather have? Sunshine and lurvely temps or months of commercial Christmas bollox in rainy dark Britain? 

I fancy fhat this year again but mrs d says no! (For now  )


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## Mrplodd (Mar 4, 2008)

Barry

I have taken to adopting Raynippers habit. I rent an apartment in the sun early in the year. Next March it’s the Costa Del Sol for a month (Ray goes to Portugal) It’s not quite India but it’s pretty sunny during the day and FAR more enjoyable that the UK is in March.

For anyone interested check out Brittany Ferries winter sun hols. Return ferry from Portsmouth to Spain with your car and up to 4 passengers, a cabin both ways and 28 nights in a two bedroomed fully equipped duplex apartment just outside Puerto Banus for £1400. 

I worked out the costings and to take my car/caravan on the same ferry, the extra fuel to drag it all the way down Spain (and back) and to stay on a campsite for 28 nights would cost me considerably more! In fact the ferry fare alone, for the same dates (with caravan) would be £948. 

Andy


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## raynipper (Aug 4, 2008)

And you have your own car with you to tour Andy.

Ray.


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## Mrplodd (Mar 4, 2008)

Which is an added bonus of course. 

Have you manage to sort anything yet??

Andy


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## raynipper (Aug 4, 2008)

Not really Andy. I keep hoping the last owner will put me in touch with the new owner but nothing so far.
We have seen a few others nearby but not as good as last. But looking at another camper right now even though I'm not too enthusiastic about Euro vans.
But there are still plenty available on our dates. It's just making sure we have a washing machine and good Wi-Fi.

Ray.


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## barryd (May 9, 2008)

Mrplodd said:


> Barry
> 
> I have taken to adopting Raynippers habit. I rent an apartment in the sun early in the year. Next March it's the Costa Del Sol for a month (Ray goes to Portugal) It's not quite India but it's pretty sunny during the day and FAR more enjoyable that the UK is in March.
> 
> ...


I've not checked for a few years but last time we did it I got a two bed apt on golf de sur or whatever it's called in Tenerife for £400 a month with holiday lettings. Flights through travel republic either side of the busy christmas new year period were dirt cheap and car hire auto Europe about £200 a month I think. Proper warm weather and nice at night as well. You couldn't go to Spain in a Motorhome for less I reckon.

Things may have gone up I don't know but I flew out there a couple of years ago to a luxury time share (a gift) for a week and it only cost me £100


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## raynipper (Aug 4, 2008)

Apartments down on the Med and Algarve are booking up fast now for the winter months.
I had a bout a dozen places earmarked for possible rentals but now it seems most of those have been booked Jan to March 2018.
Just had to pay almost twice what we have paid the last three years to get comfort and position.

Ray.


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## Mrplodd (Mar 4, 2008)

Ray

You forgot to heed Fred Pontin (or was it Billy Butlin’s) advice which was always.......

“Remember........ Book Early”

I take it you are now sorted? If so where you goin?

Barry

I suggest you check out the prices these days, owing to “issues” in other sunny spots prices in the Canaries have absolutely rocketed!! !

Andy


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## JanHank (Mar 29, 2015)

Sorry to interupt your winter bookings boys :grin2:
We went out today for the first time since the storm that started the thread, devastation, tree´s down, big branches broken off and spread all over the fields.
Nature is cruel, some of the trees took years to grow and they were so beautiful.


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## raynipper (Aug 4, 2008)

Yes Jan, it's natures recycling and what we should do more of.!!

Andy it's Armaco de Pera which is the next town/village from where we were in Gale just west of Albufeira.
But it's larger and more comfortably furnished and only 50m from the small Church right on the prom and beach.
Several members on here stayed in and around Armaco and seemed to like being able to walk to dozens of café's and restaurants. 

Don if you read this it's at the other end of the prom from where we met.

Ray.


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## aldra (Jul 2, 2009)

I wouldn't want to escape winter at home

Weird I know

I find it relaxing , warm house , log fire , dark evenings 

The garden pots are all put to bed in the greenhouse 

I love it 

But then again I travel in the van and at a certain point the call to home is strong 

And needs to be answered 

And contented we return to family and familiarity 

Sandra


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## raynipper (Aug 4, 2008)

We used to be like that Sandra. But after experiencing a 5* month on our 50th. anniversary in Portugal, we are now hooked on getting sunny days and 12 to 14c more than home.

Ray.


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## aldra (Jul 2, 2009)

Brilliant Ray

Each to his own 

Sandra


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## raynipper (Aug 4, 2008)

The edge of storm O feel ya.
Woke at 07.30 and 20c today.
Now at 13.30 it's gone black outside.
Weird weather.

Ray.


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## aldra (Jul 2, 2009)

Just noted a flash news of expected stormy weather in Britain from the hurricane 

Maybe Also to you Ray 

But back to autumn leaves

They've made the drives on this trip, the colours are absolutely amazing on mass

It's been a joy to see them

Since the first few wet days of our trip we have had dry sunny weather

Booked the ferry for Thursday home 

Maybe next year we will have better luK with weather around Normandy and Brittany 

Hugs Sandra


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## JanHank (Mar 29, 2015)

We have had a fabulous day, not a cloud in the sky 21°C
Its been a busy day out and about.


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