The General Chat Thread (2016-2022)

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Yorky said:
Because of the severe drought conditions that we are experiencing, I've just spent almost £500.00 on installing a deep well pump.

Ironic that it hasn't stopped raining for the last 5 days!

However, it will need to rain consistently for another two months to even get near to the previous status quo.
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Light rain for the last three days but tonight we have a storm. Virtually no wind so the heavy rain is vertical rather than trying to force it's way onto the stoep and through the windows.
 
TastyReuben said:
@morning glory - I get that. I grew in a house we built ourselves, and we moved in just as soon as it was dried in, so we kind of finished the house around us.

That meant that there were always loads of spiders (and big ones, by Ohio standards) all about.

Walk in a room, turn on a light, spiders. Go to take a shower, pull back the curtain, spiders. I mentioned earlier hating to go to the root cellar for canned food because it was literally crawling with spiders.

I was on another forum, and we had an Aussie member, and she constantly posted photos she took of those giant ones there (Hunter spiders?) - I had to leave the forum, because I'd be scrolling through a topic, and then a huge picture of a spider as big as her hand sitting on her counter or her car seat or whatever.

The wife had a conference in Australia, and her ticket included a plus one, and I declined, based purely on the spiderlife.

I don't even like the word. It looks and sounds as creepy as the real thing.
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Someone posted a pic on facebook, I almost vomited at the sight of it, my husband got rid of the pic for me. I appreciate they have a job to do but.....
 
morning glory said:
Story 2.
Much worse - this was more recent and I mentioned it here before. I was driving back from taking my daughter to work when a gigantic spider literally fell onto the passenger seat. I couldn't stop the car and even if I had, I'm not sure what I would have done. So I drove back in a state of almost frozen panic. Out of the corner of my eye I noticed it move and it seemed to disappear under my handbag (which was on the seat). When I got back home I flew out of the car and rushed into the house and asked my partner to remove it. And hey! It wasn't there... he literally ended up almost taking the car apart looking for it, to no avail.
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I had something similar happen when we first moved to Australia. My friend and I were in our SUV which had been parked up on the car port which was reclaimed land from the native bush.

Whilst I was driving along a gravel road I spotted this spider in the corner of my eye.
It climbed along the moon roof (what Aussies call the sun roof), across to the mirror and then along in front of me using the roof liner and edge of the windscreen. I opened the window optimistically, to no avail. The last I saw of it was it heading off into the boot. When we got to our destination we finally found it. Somehow it was now in the gap between the tail gate and the bumper. Shutting the tail gate would kill it which neither of us wanted. Eventually we managed to persuade the spider to move onto the underneath of the car much to the amusement of passersby whom were by this time gathering in crowds. When we finally managed to shut the car boot without killing it, we were applauded. The spider we were trying so hard to protect is a native species, not poisonous and much valued. It's body is the large but not quite the size of the palm of your hand, it's legs are big, though the maximum size is 8-10 inches. I can promise you it wasn't that size but it was more than big enough to not be walking around the inside if your car freely especially whilst you're driving.
It spent the entire return journey sitting on tbe windscreen wipers!
 
:chef: Everyone brace yourselves: I've just attempted a Victoria Sponge cake! It's in the oven. Fingers, toes, and paws crossed, please! :ohmy::ohmy::ohmy:
 
Mewmew said:
:chef: Everyone brace yourselves: I've just attempted a Victoria Sponge cake! It's in the oven. Fingers, toes, and paws crossed, please! :ohmy::ohmy::ohmy:
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morning glory said:
I'm sure it will be fine. After all... what could go wrong? :)
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A single 20 year old oven, two racks (one atop the other, with one tin above the other), possible burnt arses...? :eek:
 
Mewmew said:
:chef: Everyone brace yourselves: I've just attempted a Victoria Sponge cake! It's in the oven. Fingers, toes, and paws crossed, please! :ohmy::ohmy::ohmy:
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I learn something new almost every day here. Good luck with your cake.
 
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Um... okay... so this is my first attempt. Basically, the oven is about 20 years old, and I think the seals in the oven door has packed up, which means the heat is leaking out, hence the "lopsided" look to it. Other than that, it might qualifyas a minor disaster, but I'm sort of proud too.
 
Mewmew said:
View attachment 31319Um... okay... so this is my first attempt. Basically, the oven is about 20 years old, and I think the seals in the oven door has packed up, which means the heat is leaking out, hence the "lopsided" look to it. Other than that, it might qualifyas a minor disaster, but I'm sort of proud too.
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That really doesn't look like a disaster at all! It looks great. Good photo too. :okay: You should post the photo in What did you cook or eat today (August 2019)?

Did you take a photo of a cut slice?
 
Mewmew said:
View attachment 31319Um... okay... so this is my first attempt. Basically, the oven is about 20 years old, and I think the seals in the oven door has packed up, which means the heat is leaking out, hence the "lopsided" look to it. Other than that, it might qualifyas a minor disaster, but I'm sort of proud too.
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morning glory said:
That really doesn't look like a disaster at all! It looks great. Good photo too. :okay: You should post the photo in What did you cook or eat today (August 2019)?

Did you take a photo of a cut slice?
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I haven't cut it yet, I might leave that til tomorrow.
 
@Mewmew - oh, that's not bad at all. You could always get a bread knife (pre-assembly) and level the cakes a bit, and you get the bonus of having cake scrapes all to yourself. :)
 
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