How is the weather?

[Pohjolas Daughter]

There's even still a brick-&-mortar B & N in nearby Burlington, Mass.

I actually have a choice of b&m B&N stores: one across the street from my place of work, one a five minute drive from my house, one about 15 minutes further west.

There's nothing like wandering through a bookstore.   

PD

[DavidW]

Nook still exists?

Yeah I was surprised and they have improved.  Both Nook and BN seem to be slowly but surely getting their act together.  Though many BN stores still had to be shuttered.

[Spotted Horses]

Yeah I was surprised and they have improved.  Both Nook and BN seem to be slowly but surely getting their act together.  Though many BN stores still had to be shuttered.

It is still a device? At the time I thought that they could try a nook app to run on an android or iOS tablet.

They're not marketing it very aggressively if I don't even know it exists. Probably marketing internally to B&N customers.

[Irons]

Ouch!  Well, hopefully it just went dormant and will recover when you get some regular rain.  Have you watered any of your shrubbery/trees/perennials Irons?

We received some much-needed rain here yesterday--not certain how much, but grateful for what we did get.

PD

Bananas receive a soaking two or three times a week, PD. Bamboo appears half-dead so watered that today, but expecting a hosepipe ban at any moment.

[Pohjolas Daughter]

Bananas receive a soaking two or three times a week, PD. Bamboo appears half-dead so watered that today, but expecting a hosepipe ban at any moment.

Where I live, they regularly put in effect some water restrictions.  I think that they started doing this either preemptively or not bothering to notify us when we have received enough rain.  It includes things like not watering between certain hours (but you are allowed to use hand-held things like hoses, watering cans, etc....just not sprinklers/mechanical means).  And no on things like washing your car or deck, siding (unless it's part of a job/repairs).  Basically, the restrictions are during the period of peak water usage.  I don't recall things ever being stricter than this (knock on wood)?

Have you ever tried using a soaker hose?  They're a bit of a pain to move around and get situated in place, but they do work nicely.  Also, they're better for the plants as they don't shoot the water up high on the leaves.

Any rain forecast in the near future for you Irons?

PD

[DavidW]

It is still a device? At the time I thought that they could try a nook app to run on an android or iOS tablet.

They're not marketing it very aggressively if I don't even know it exists. Probably marketing internally to B&N customers.

Yup a device.  They never stopped making them.  They have done a terrible job marketing them and many stores don't even have a Nook display anymore.  They also have a nook app, but I don't read on my phone.  Since I strip the DRM off my ebooks I'm platform agnostic.  I like Kindles, Kobos, Nooks.

[Irons]

Where I live, they regularly put in effect some water restrictions.  I think that they started doing this either preemptively or not bothering to notify us when we have received enough rain.  It includes things like not watering between certain hours (but you are allowed to use hand-held things like hoses, watering cans, etc....just not sprinklers/mechanical means).  And no on things like washing your car or deck, siding (unless it's part of a job/repairs).  Basically, the restrictions are during the period of peak water usage.  I don't recall things ever being stricter than this (knock on wood)?

Have you ever tried using a soaker hose?  They're a bit of a pain to move around and get situated in place, but they do work nicely.  Also, they're better for the plants as they don't shoot the water up high on the leaves.

Any rain forecast in the near future for you Irons?

PD

I think that more sensible, PD. Here, all or nothing. I'm spending at least 30 minutes watering with a hose each day at the allotment and I am far from being alone. A blanket ban (with £1000 fine) and we will all be rushing around with watering cans. To be fair watering with a can is more efficient and the best method anyway.

[Mirror Image]

Though many BN stores still had to be shuttered.

With their non-competitive prices, it's no wonder. I'm actually surprised the whole company hasn't bellied up. Competing with Amazon is not an easy challenge. There's a B & N at the Mall of Georgia, which is fairly close to me (about 25-30 minutes away) and I haven't been in there since the pandemic. In fact, I haven't really been much of anywhere and I slowly realized that there's really no reason to have this "go, go, go" mentality. With gas prices and inflation at the current rate, the best thing for me is to enjoy being at home.

[Pohjolas Daughter]

I think that more sensible, PD. Here, all or nothing. I'm spending at least 30 minutes watering with a hose each day at the allotment and I am far from being alone. A blanket ban (with £1000 fine) and we will all be rushing around with watering cans. To be fair watering with a can is more efficient and the best method anyway.

Wow, I'm quite surprised Irons!  And there should (I think) be a veggie garden exemption too (trying to remember if we have one here?).  In my opinion, that would be really stupid for any sort of ban to include veggie gardens--particularly at allotments as it would:  take much more time for gardeners (possibly going into peak usage); and, yes, you avoid less exposure to leaves overall with watering cans, but to get a decent soaking, that would take forever!  You don't just want surface watering, non?  Perhaps less daily watering (if possible due to the crop) and doing deeper waterings and less often for other veggies might help?

PD

[DavidW]

With their non-competitive prices, it's no wonder. I'm actually surprised the whole company hasn't bellied up. Competing with Amazon is not an easy challenge. There's a B & N at the Mall of Georgia, which is fairly close to me (about 25-30 minutes away) and I haven't been in there since the pandemic. In fact, I haven't really been much of anywhere and I slowly realized that there's really no reason to have this "go, go, go" mentality. With gas prices and inflation at the current rate, the best thing for me is to enjoy being at home.

Same, the stores like BN that are a couple towns over (half an hour away) just don't seem worth it with the cost of gas the way it is.  Especially when I can have everything delivered to my door step.  I miss browsing, but I prefer browsing in indie stores.  BN's selection is too boring honestly.

[Karl Henning]

Same, the stores like BN that are a couple towns over (half an hour away) just don't seem worth it with the cost of gas the way it is.  Especially when I can have everything delivered to my door step.  I miss browsing, but I prefer browsing in indie stores.  BN's selection is too boring honestly.

Sure. I found that with Borders when they were still at Washington & School Streets (in a building that was originally a bank—the returns Dept was in the vault.) There's a Walgreens there now.

[Irons]

I'm not sure that's always true.  For my sins I'm responsible for the maintenance of a public footpath separated from a road by a line of cobnut trees, which over the years had become smothered in ivy.  Earlier this year I stripped all this out and removed 14 completely dead trees, filling the gaps with a total of 34 cobnut saplings, which are very thirsty particularly when young.  During the dry weather I've been watering these at least every couple of days.  At one point I thought I'd do my bit for water conservation by using watering cans instead of a hose, however I found the ground was baked so hard, most of the water just ran off uselessly onto the path.  It was much less wasteful to use a hose, first to soften the surface with a fine spray, then make a second pass with a short burst of water directed at the base of each tree.  So far none have died, though there is a lot of leaf curl, and if they bring in a hosepipe ban (as I expect) then there are at least a dozen that probably won't make it.

The drawback of hosing water is that you are also watering weeds. Maybe you did and I don't wish to tell you how to suck eggs, but I would have planted the saplings in a trench or lower then soil level, a dip, which stops the water running away. Also, an upside down large water bottle with the base cut off is an effective method to get moisture where required and not the surrounding area. 

[Pohjolas Daughter]

I'm not sure that's always true.  For my sins I'm responsible for the maintenance of a public footpath separated from a road by a line of cobnut trees, which over the years had become smothered in ivy.  Earlier this year I stripped all this out and removed 14 completely dead trees, filling the gaps with a total of 34 cobnut saplings, which are very thirsty particularly when young.  During the dry weather I've been watering these at least every couple of days.  At one point I thought I'd do my bit for water conservation by using watering cans instead of a hose, however I found the ground was baked so hard, most of the water just ran off uselessly onto the path.  It was much less wasteful to use a hose, first to soften the surface with a fine spray, then make a second pass with a short burst of water directed at the base of each tree.  So far none have died, though there is a lot of leaf curl, and if they bring in a hosepipe ban (as I expect) then there are at least a dozen that probably won't make it.

Nice of you to do all of that work for the general public! 

I've seen things like this (which I believe the town installs when they plant trees either along the strips by the road or on greens, etc.):  https://www.amazon.com/Greenscapes-201729-Tree-Watering-Bags/dp/B00FKZ0M6C/ref=asc_df_B00FKZ0M6C?tag=bngsmtphsnus-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=80676783691807&hvnetw=s&hvqmt=e&hvbmt=be&hvdev=c&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=&hvtargid=pla-4584276309171480&psc=1

There are similar devices too.  Perhaps your town/city's public works department might have some ones that they could give you either for free or for a much cheaper cost?  Also, would they happen to have any free mulch that you could use to put around the base of the saplings?

In any event, please let us know how it works out.

PD

[Pohjolas Daughter]

The drawback of hosing water is that you are also watering weeds. Maybe you did and I don't wish to tell you how to suck eggs, but I would have planted the saplings in a trench or lower then soil level, a dip, which stops the water running away. Also, an upside down large water bottle with the base cut off is an effective method to get moisture where required and not the surrounding area.

True that re watering weeds too!    Any mulch that you could add around some of your allotment plants Irons?

PD

[Irons]

True that re watering weeds too!    Any mulch that you could add around some of your allotment plants Irons?

PD

I do not, PD. Need to think again though. "Strulch" is a product of interest.

Interesting results here https://youtu.be/hK7_zISWzbA

[Mirror Image]

Same, the stores like BN that are a couple towns over (half an hour away) just don't seem worth it with the cost of gas the way it is.  Especially when I can have everything delivered to my door step.  I miss browsing, but I prefer browsing in indie stores.  BN's selection is too boring honestly.

B&N could step up to the online plate, but they're prices are just as online as they are in their physical stores. I know they don't have nowhere near the resources Amazon has, but they could try to be a bit more competitive with them with CDs, vinyl and books. And yes, I agree with you about their selection --- dreadful is how I would put it. Like you, I like looking in the indie music stores if I happen to be around one.

[Pohjolas Daughter]

I do not, PD. Need to think again though. "Strulch" is a product of interest.

Interesting results here https://youtu.be/hK7_zISWzbA

Interesting stuff!  Sounds expensive though.

More gardening news but I'll put that on the gardening thread.

Currently, I'm recuperating from working outside for 2+hours; heatwave here again!

PD

[MusicTurner]

Denmark isn't quite experiencing the drought reported by many other outher areas in Europe, and affecting the important river traffic on the Rhine, giving severe future prospects for agriculture in Northern Italy, etc. But for the first time ever, there was a computer prognosis model that suggested temperatures above 40 C in DK. Local, all-time registered record is 36 C. Some say that unprecedented drought periods lasting 5 years might become rather frequent, at least in Southern Europe; people have been talking for years about the Mediterranean climate becoming like that of North Africa due to climate changes.

But I'm camping on the island of Ærø, where it has rained much less than average in DK, and locals are anxious about possible fires. It's the harvest season. Right now, temperatures are low for a few days, only 19 - 22 C, but later they'll go up again.

[Pohjolas Daughter]

Went swimming off Hythe beach this afternoon:

That sounds quite refreshing! 

Muggy here--already. 

PD

[Pohjolas Daughter]

Read this earlier today.  I knew that there were bad droughts in much of Europe, but this article really is sobering:  https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-62466990

"In pictures:  Drought hits Europe's rivers and crops"

PD