@veganostomy I’m very sorry to hear that Eric, but you’ll hate me when I tell you that it’s been a lovely sunny 16C in Evora (east of Lisbon) today. And Tony, those pastries are dangerous. I’m doing my level best to steer clear of them but they keep calling my name. I’m doomed! 

On another note, I’m having to increase my Imodium intake. I don’t know if it’s a change in drinking water or that I’ve been eating way more fruit, but my output is increased and I need to manage it with more Imodium. I haven’t had an opportunity to irrigate yet; been too busy sightseeing. Tomorrow we head south and stay in one spot for the month, so hopefully I’ll have some time to try irrigation.🤞

Laurie

enjoy Laurie , its a beautiful country , would love to just sell up in Ireland and move there but I think I would miss the rain , if you are self catering in your final destination , most towns have weekly markets with fresh fruit and veg and the fish there is amazing , and if you are shopping in supermarkets the most economical are the Lidl stores .

and another nice enough day today here in the land of rain , no rain and 11C , starting to see daffodils blooming already so that's a good sign 

Fridgid cold here in northeast Ohio. Snow, snow, snow seems like every single day. I'm looking forward to spring/summer.  I took a walk to the pharmacy and my hands were painful from the cold and wind to the point of tears. Lost my gloves.

lovely day again here 4C and clear blue skies all day

Posted by: @tony-h

↑

lovely day again here 4C and clear blue skies all day

It was like that here yesterday, of course, always on a work day 😒 

I think we're getting 20 - 30cm of snow this weekend! I'm pretty sure we've had more snowfall this year than any other year in the last 15, or at least that's how it feels.

But we're almost at spring 🤗 

@tony-h  .... i grew sweet red peppers & jalapeños last year for the first time! My hubby would have loved them.  He's in the club of "if you ain't swettin' while eatin' them, then your not livin'"...  jalapeños are great in any food if you like to spice it up a bit.  They mostly go in my pickled carrots, where I can control the heat control the heat levels.  My guts can't handle a lot of heat, but I do love to feel the warm tickle on my taste buds too.  I grow a lot of tomatoes every year in pots,  same with the sweet red peppers & jalapeños.   It was pretty cool to watch them grow from a cute flower into a lovely little pepper.  I'm getting a bit braver every year in my choices for foods to grow. I tried Tomatilos last year, but I think I had them in the wrong part of my garden. 

Yes, peas are wicked on the guts. I don't like missing out on the flavor, so I eat them in small amounts & chew them to death. 

** Laurie... I think Dr. Suess would be so proud & get all up in your pantry.  I had to google the Haskap berry.  I've never heard of it before. Jam making is/was, one of my favorite. foods to preserve. It's so  satisfying to sit & slather it onto a hot  peanut butter toast!  

We've had 5 days & long noisey nights of  strong winds here from the arctic outflow,  we are at -8°c but the wind has made it extra chilly, down to -16°c !   They were saying on the news we are dipping to double minus digets next week, lows of  -20°c.  I'm always interested in the wind chill factor. I was sure the wind was  going to rearranged the covered deck chairs outside . We did get 2 days of snow but it all blew right past us & the next town!   It's so interesting to see snowing sideways! 

Missy, my shitzu cross Maltese, 6 yrs. young,  has to be caught then carried to the door & then to the grass. She belines it back to the house as soon as she's done all of her business! Lol!  I taught her to pee & 💩 on demand using the words "do your  business"  as a puppy, but I don't have to say a thing when shes out there in these twmps! Lol!  She beats me to the commands & the door afterwards. Lol. .  .  She's not out long enough to put her booties on. The first time I put them on her feet, she hopped around like a little deer prancing thru an orchard. She's onlyc14 pounds of dog.   I miss our walks so much!!  

Laurie, it's so nice to hear you're enjoying you holiday & hearing some of what you're doing there.  This is the lounge, so you can share more here too if you have time. Holidays can keep a person very busy!!! 

Have a great day today everyone! 

JOHN... if you're reading along, please know I am thinking of you always! You are  in my prayers for strength & further courage to endure what you are going thru. Here's a virtual gentle hug! Don't stay away from here too long, you are missed. 

Liza... have you looked at new sewing machines recently?? 

@veganostomy I’m sorry to hear about the snow coming this weekend. You’re right - almost spring, and the days are getting longer. I won’t tell you how lovely it’s been here in Portugal; you’ll kick me right off this site! 

I’m starting to think I brought my irrigation equipment for nothing - I haven’t used it yet. Busy days, so too tired in the evenings to bother. The Imodium is keeping things consistent at least. I am eating local clementines! So yes, the Imodium is necessary.

 Laurie 

1. Hey Linda we also have a Shih-Tzu who for some reason he would rather poop on training p-pads that are supposed to be for night time so we don't have to get up Lol but he will pee outside . Lol . Go figure . Also never thought I would have a dog who is allergic to grass haha but we do . Anyway 78° F sunny here today . Good weather for us but when summer comes things definitely change . And yes John if you're popping in here once in awhile you're being thought of and hope you're getting better  . 

lovely day today , a bit cold 5c but we just had a lovely sunset

https://photos.app.goo.gl/CDgvq63NZNAgYPTM7

A bit dull and cold but it's dry so can't complain too much 5C 

Im in Texas.  A little cold in the morning, shorts weather by 1100 AM or so.

@bigmike322 shorts weather ,we rarely get that even in July 😀

Posted by: @tony-h

↑

lovely day today , a bit cold 5c but we just had a lovely sunset

https://photos.app.goo.gl/CDgvq63NZNAgYPTM7

Beautiful! The sun very rarely comes out these days, so those colours haven't been seen in months over here!

@veganostomy  we do tend to get some nice crisp winters days and we make the most of them when we get them , out walking on local beaches with our furry friends is our favourite .

its wet dull and cold , a typical February day here in Ireland, but spring is coming , the bluebells and the daffodils and starting to poke their heads up , 5C

It is 13° here. That is -11° for all you Celsius people. Brr!!  We had some snow last week and are expecting more by Thursday. 
Stay warm everyone!

I don't know how all you guys handle that cold weather . Lol It's mid 60's F here today partly cloudy and wind steady in the 20's mph . And it's chilly for us Lol . Rain supposed to be coming predicting almost 1/2 inch . For us that's a good rain . I do like to watch the rain tho . Stay warm and dry everybody 

TonyH... That big ole' tree & with the sunshining thru it,  it looks so fabulous!  I became very nostalgic seeing it. The folks across the street from us have a huge tree that looks very much like yours.  I love sitting out on a windy evening in summer and listening to the leaves rustling as they dance in the wind.  In spring it makes a big show of new shiney leaves, filling out & hiding birds on its branches. In fall when the leaves start to turn deep golden yellow & gently float to earth in a soft breeze... uh, its so lovely!  Then in winter, when the frost & snow settle on the branches, it's just the prettiest sight all over again.  It makes me even more thankful for the eyesight I do have. 

Laurie... Portugal... I can deam.. ! Lol!  I'm so glad you're enjoying your time away.  I love trying new foods.  Be sure & come home armed with a screenshot or two of a new recipe from a local magazine.  It's so good your guts are cooperating nicely.

Robert...  I'm sure you have heard of Long Johns??  Maybe Thermal Underwear? Below zero work socks for both at home & for those still managing to work outside in these temps. We all have a good set or two of especially warm clothes around here. A couple pairs of mitts or gloves & several pairs for kids who always manage to loose at least one! Scarves & warm toque help, especially if you're out walking the dog.

Eric..  did you get as much snow in your area as we are seeing on the news? It looks like a good 18 inches in some areas.  

Even just taking Missy to the yard can become a major dressing event that takes more time then the dog does to pee! Lol! Warm clothes, a good hobby or craft, sewing projects or quilting helps a lot to get thru what can feel like long days sometimes. Add home cooked soups & comfort foods... its all very doable. We eat with the seasonal foods around here. 

BigMike322 .. we have many die hard  shorts fans here. I've seen young men in shorts even in -10°c temps!  I much prefer the warm cozy clothing! Lol 

We've had a pretty steady 10 days here at -10°c in the daytime to -16°c at night. We are supposed get snow again over the weekend. I love hearing the crunch of our dry snow under my insulated boots, but like all snow, when it melts it can get ugly!  I love Seeing the sparkle of icey diamonds in the snow & frost too.  It's all so magical. We had a small snowfall last week & I managed to get some pretty cool pics of a couple snowflakes. 

I hope you all have a great day today. 

@tigerlily Of You're still in Portugal, you might want to stay until spring. 🤣 We just got another dumping of snow with 31cm expected on Sunday, then another 15-20cm next week.

I can confidently say that I don't recall seeing this much snow in the last 20 years.