Much less snow than predicted

It was a matter of a few minutes work, this morning, to insert the final screw in the curtain pole bracket, and set the pole in place.  I now regard my dining room curtain responsibilities complete, and hand over to 30% to get the actual curtains sorted.

The rest of the morning was spent putting my tools away, and returning the dining room to some semblance of order. I then headed outside and tidied away the smoker and assorted bacon smoking paraphernalia.

This morning also saw the arrival of the new posts and entrance gates for the drive.  These were tucked away in the car port for the time being. I will need to apply a couple of coats of oil to the gates before we get a man in to install them for us.

I think I must have peaked too early, as I did very little for the rest of the afternoon.

This laziness continued in to the evening as storm Gorretti started to blow in.  The Meteorological Office had issued an amber storm warning for our area and had indicated that we could experience up to a foot of snow.  As seems to be usual, they had been somewhat overcautious, and all we actually had was a couple of inches of very wet snow. 

It was already turning to slush by the time 30% and 'Chelle arrived back from an aborted trip to the cinema.  It seems that the weather was more severe over towards Redditch, and traffic was having problems on the snowy inclines between Redditch and here. As a consequence they had decided to abandon their trip and come home early.

'Chelle was a little nervous about driving on the snowy roads, so I accompanied 30% and we followed her back to Alcester to make certain that she got home without incident.

So that was Thursday. I was really hoping to see a fabulous covering of snow, but was somewhat disappointed by the slushy layer that I expect will be gone by the morning.

Smoked bacon and curtain poles

Yesterday 30% reminded me that I had not yet smoked the two, recently cured, pork loin joints. As a consequence this morning saw me setting up my little tea chest smoker in the car port. Within a few minutes I had the cured loins hung in the smoker, and the oak saw dust was smouldering nicely. 

On recent occasions I have found my smoker to be a little temperamental, but today it performed beautifully, and a trickle of smoke could still be seen when I tucked the smoker in the shed for safety* in the early evening.

I didn't manage to get the final curtain pole installed today.  I got all of the holes drilled, but one of them was either into a mortar joint, or a thermalite block.** The plastic wall plug initially held, but started to rotate as I inserted the screw. There was no way the bloody thing would hold. It was therefore necessary to use an alternative plasterboard plug and also apply a squirt of polyurethane adhesive in to the hole.

I have used this technique previously, and have found it to be really effective when fixing in to more friable substrates. The only downside is that it is best to leave the adhesive to cure for twenty four hours before driving a screw in to the wall plug.

The only other news was that my Tai Chi class resumed after the Christmas break. The group was somewhat reduced this evening, but it was really nice to be back at it. Kung Po Fran had come up with some different sequences for us to learn. One of these is called slapping chi gong. Apparently this improves circulation and makes one feel energised and motivated.

It was most unusual, but not as bizarre as it initially sounded when Fran first demonstrated the various stages.

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* I may have been over cautious, but we see foxes quite regularly in the garden, and I didn't want one attempting to steal my bacon.

** Part of the dining room was an extension erected in the 1980's

Out for lunch

This morning I made a start on replacing the last of the three curtain tracks in the dining room.

I removed the old track, filled the screw holes and marked up the positions of the screw holes for the new pole.

This was a convenient point to stop work, as we had been invited over to Dot 'n Dave's for lunch. We had a lovely few hours catching up with each others' news and Dot had made a venison cottage pie. It would have been plenty on its own, but there was pâté and crusty bread to start, and a cheese board to finish.

It is fair to say that we did very little once we were back at home. In fact we both retired for a post prandial snooze.

I lit a fire in the late afternoon, and it was yet another cozy evening in front of the log burner.

Just like Sunday

Today was very much a copy of Sunday.

We had another hard frost and a further dusting of snow.  I decided it was best to avoid the cold as much as possible, and had the log basket refilled, and kindling prepared very early in the day.

I then set to getting the second curtain pole installed in the dining room.

That job was finished shortly after lunch and a snooze may have taken place too.

We then headed out for a brisk walk with this dogs. On this occasion we took advantage of the frozen ground and headed out across the fields on the ridge just uphill of the cottage.

The dogs had a great time racing about, and seemed to get especially excited by the scent trails left by the local wildlife.

The fire was lit as soon as we returned and another lazy evening was spent in front of the log burner.

An "indoors" day

It was another hard frost and far too cold to be loitering outside.

The short days and the cold weather induce the queen bees to stop laying, and a brood free hive is perfect for an oxalic acid vapour treatment.  The varroa mites are not able to shelter in capped brood cells, so the treatment is far more efficacious.

However, the beekeeping cognoscenti recommend that the treatment is not undertaken if the temperature is below freezing.  That is just as well as I really didn't fancy working on the hives in bitterly cold conditions.

It was definitely an indoors day, so I scouted around for something to keep me occupied.  

I grudgingly convinced myself* that I should make a start on putting up the curtain poles in the dining room.

Tools were gathered, the old track was removed,** and measurements were taken. This was followed by some careful marking out on the walls.  I can report that the first of the three poles has now been installed, and it went reasonably well. I even sought out a palette knife and filler, and ensured that the holes from the old track fixings were filled.

In the afternoon, following a recuperative nap, we headed out for a short walk down the lane with the dogs.  It was lovely to be out in the cold, fresh air under a clear blue sky, but a coat, hat and gloves were vital.

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* This journal entry summarises the reasons for my less than enthusiastic frame of mind

** It was shortened and affixed to the track brackets in 30%'s dressing room.

A frosty start to the New Year

It was a hard frost overnight, and I needed to be out relatively early for the first shoot of the year over at Childswickham.

It was so cold that the car windscreen was frozen both inside and out, so I left the engine running for ten minutes, while I scraped the windows clear, and loaded my shooting kit.

The morning's shooting was pleasant under a clear, blue sky, but the icy temperatures meant that both a coat and gloves were necessary. Neither helped my score ... a paltry 42/80.

I was home by mid-morning and used the time to get the Honda sealed in to its Vac Bag.

The rest of the day involved a snooze on the sofa and a bracing visit to a local dog exercise field to allow the pack to let off a little steam.

We then settled in front of the fire to thaw out, and did little else for the rest of the day.

Preparations

I woke to see that we had had a light dusting of snow overnight ... and I mean a light dusting ... a few flakes is probably a more accurate description.  It was also bloody cold!

I wasn't exactly rushed off my feet today, but I did start preparing for a couple of upcoming jobs.

I got the Honda wheeled inside a Vac Bag, and I will get her sealed up as soon as the moisture absorbing crystals arrive for the dehumidifying packs.  

Having re-read that sentence, it all sounds so straightforward. 

In reality, it involves wrestling a 185kg motorcycle into a large plastic bag, whilst ensuring that the side stand doesn't puncture the bag. One also needs to ensure that there is sufficient bag at the back of the bike, so that it can be scrunched together and sealed with a large cable tie.

It is a bit of a faff, but it can be done solo.

Whilst I was in the garage, I also connected a spare car battery to the charger.  This is needed to provide the power to vaporise oxalic acid crystals.

By this point you may be wondering what the hell I am rattling on about?  It is time for the hives to be given their Winter varroa treatment. At this time of year, my preference is to treat each colony with oxalic acid vapour. It is harmless to the bees, but deadly to the Varroa mites.

Having got the battery on charge, I headed to the store room and assembled the other items that will be needed. 

I now need to pick a day and commit to the task ... it does involve lying on cold ground to get the hives prepared for the treatment and it can also be a bit of a faff.

A moment of delight.

Sometimes I have a mind like a sieve. Yesterday evening I realised that I had totally forgotten about the two pork loin joints that I had set to cure on 22nd December.

Today I extracted them from the cure mixture, dried them off, wrapped them in muslin, and set them to air dry in a cool place.* I'll leave them there for a few days, before smoking them ... that's provided that I don't forget about them again!

Today was relatively quiet. We took the dogs for a walk in the afternoon, but, other than that, nothing of great importance occurred.

That is apart from a brief moment of delight.  As I walked up through the orchard to the log shed, I noticed that the daffodils we planted, back at the beginning of October, have started to shoot.  Not only have they started to shoot. Some of them are already bearing flower buds.

I know it is only a little thing, but I am extraordinarily pleased to see them growing so well. The realist in me knows that we have a few cold months ahead of us, but this is the first sign that Spring will come in time.

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* They are hung up in the workshop

New Year's Eve

The days are ticking by and I am getting nowhere near the task of polishing the Honda. Consequently I have decided to put it in a Vac Bag and give it a damned good polish when the weather warms. The alternative is for it to sit in an unheated garage and suffer from condensation until I find time to complete the job.

One of the reasons driving this decision is that we have ordered new gates for the cottage and they will be delivered in the next couple of weeks. I will then need to get them treated before they can be installed. This job is going to take priority, so the Honda is going to have to wait.

I have put an extra dehumidifying trap in each of the other bikes' Vac Bags and propose to do the same with the CBR. This item was therefore added to my shopping list for this morning's outing to Alcester. 

The trip was only partially successful. I failed to get the dehumidifier trap and also failed to get another bucket of honey from Pete the Beekeeper. I did manage to get firelighters and a few essentials for lunch.

In the afternoon we nipped in to Worcester and spent a few hours in the company of B&H and their two granddaughters.  We had a relaxed afternoon, as B&H had had a marathon session hosting their large family over the Christmas period. They had twenty one for lunch on Christmas Day, and didn't appear to have had any time to themselves in the intervening week.

We had a quiet New Year's Eve and neither of us actually saw the New Year in. I think we headed off to bed shortly after eleven.  Just before we retired to bed the long case clock decided to throw a hissy fit,* and refuse to stop striking. I managed to halt the incessant chiming, and decided that I will need to track down Mr Troth early in 2026.

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* It barely managed two days of running

** A somewhat eccentric Horologist that has attended to this clock a few years ago

It's been a while

 We have an old, 30 hour, long case clock that stands in our hallway. 30% purchased it many years ago and it has marked out the hours and minutes of our lives ever since. It really is like the beating heart of the house.

A few years ago we had its works refurbished, and it kept time beautifully. However, after we moved, it did not seem to take to its new home.  Its striking mechanism became temperamental, and it would frequently just keep striking until the mechanism wound down.

Consequently it has stood silent for a good while, and just collected dust. For some reason I decided to set the pendulum swinging this morning. At the top of the hour I adjusted the strike, so that the number of chimes coincided with the hour. 

It now seems to be running beautifully, but, apologies for the pun, only time will tell!

Today's main activity was to bottle a couple of batches of honey. This was the last of the thirty pound bucket that I bought at the beginning of December.  I really must pop over to see Pete and buy another couple of tubs.

This evening 30% and I did something that we, as a couple, hadn't done in years. We went to the cinema.*

I had noticed that the third of the Avatar films had been released, and my good lady suggested that we view it on a big screen.  Now I enjoyed the first instalment, but found the second film visually stunning, but very poor in the script and character departments. As a consequence I was somewhat reluctant to fork out good money to view a Christmas turkey.

30% advised that our satellite tv package gave us two free cinema tickets each month, so we decide to go.

And what a splendid time we had. Running for just over three hours, I can report that we got to watch a lot of film. It looked beautiful and the darker plot and script was so much better than its predecessor.  There were a couple of areas where it was a little baggy,, but overall we had a great evening and decided that we really must make more use of this free ticket deal.**

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* 30% goes with the cinema club on a fairly regular basis.

** Especially as 30% now has her Blue Badge allowing convenient and, often free, parking. Now I know that one shouldn't celebrate her current mobility issues, but if life gives you lemons ...

A couple of hours at the pub

 Our local singing duo, Mid-life Crisis were playing at the local pub this evening, so 30% had arranged for us to pop down for an hour, or so.

She had also arranged for her friends L&J to visit us in the early afternoon, and then join us at the Pub ... Oh Joy!

Now I can cope with L, but J is annoying. He tends to dominate the conversation with anecdotes that have been recounted many, many times before.  He is also incredibly opinionated, and always right! 

This afternoon he availed himself of our toilet facilities and, upon completion, came and advised me that the light switch did not comply with UK wiring regulations. I attempted to explain that a pull switch was not needed in a toilet, but he would have none of it! He even went on to advise how I should rectify it. 

I saw little point in discussing further, and telling him that he was full of shit* didn't seem to be the appropriate response from the host. 

The couple of hours in the pub was OK,** and Mid-Life Crisis were great, but my eyes had been dreadfully sore all day and repeated application of drops did nothing to ease the irritation. We, therefore, left after a couple of hours and headed home for supper.

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* I was sorely tempted.

** The music was very loud and I was sat at the opposite end of the table from J, ergo conversation was impossible ... RESULT!

Paul Kidby exhibition

There is not much to report for Saturday, other than a rather pleasant hour spent viewing the Paul Kidby exhibition at the Worcester art gallery and museum.

The works of Terry Pratchett have given me great pleasure and entertainment over the years, and the cover illustrations by Josh Kirby and, latterly, Paul Kidby have always brought the characters to life.*

The Kidby exhibition took up two rooms of the gallery and included cover art, preparatory sketches and character paintings inspired by Pratchett's novels.  Each work was accompanied by quotations and explanatory notes about their inspiration and development.

It was a great morning, and it seems that 30% was somewhat inspired by the pictures and quotations. 

On the journey home she intimated that she might search out a Pratchett audio book!

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* There will always be differences of opinion between reader and cover artist, but they are fantastic interpretations.

Our Christmas Break

I've finally summoned the energy and enthusiasm to bring The Journal up to date. We have had a quiet and relaxed few days ... and will probably have a few more before the New Year!

So here is a quick run through the highlights.

Wednesday, 24th December

The day was cold and dry, and I was finally feeling somewhat more energetic after the lingering chest infection. 

The morning saw me wander out in to the garden, with secateurs in hand, and wander over to the raspberry canes.  I spent an hour or so pruning the canes and tying up the stems that will  hopefully bear  fruit next year. 

I then headed up to the orchard with the prunings. These were deposited on the bonfire and, for some strange reason, I decided to check the chicken coop nest boxes.* I was surprised, and delighted, to see that one of the Norfolk Greys had come in to lay and had left us two early Christmas presents.

In the afternoon we headed over to Alcester for a game of Waitrose Lucky Dip.

We were somewhat apprehensive about what might be left for our Christmas lunch, but we need not have worried.  There was food in abundance and tomorrow we will be dining on a rib of beef, roasted medium rare and served with roasted vegetables.** The meal will be topped off with a Tiramisu dessert.

We both agreed that this was a great way to approach one's Christmas lunch ... don't get any fixed ideas and enjoy the surprise element!

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* I rarely do this in the Winter, when the girls take a break from laying.

** The veg patch will provide the carrots, cabbage and parsnips

Thursday, 25th December

We had a gentle start to the day. Breakfast was croissants and coffee, and the triple yellow* wheelbarrow was unveiled to the delight of 30%.

Late in the morning we headed over to spend a couple of hours with 30%'s side of the family. They were being hosted by 30%'different brother, Stevie.

On our return we took the dogs over to the local exercise field. The had a happy hour chasing after tennis balls before we returned home and the beef was put in the oven.

The two of us shared a lovely meal, before settling in front of the fire and continuing the tradition of moaning at the crap on television!

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* A yellow frame, a yellow 85 litre pan and yellow handlebar grips!

Friday, 26th December

Boxing Day was even lazier than Christmas Day.

We did take a wander down the lanes with the dogs in the late afternoon, but, other than that, we spent the day lazing at home.

One might assume that we spent the day stuffing our faces with food and drink, but we were actually very restrained.  There was a splendid beef sandwich and a couple of glasses of decent wine, but we were the very spirit of moderation.

Sixty Two

Today is my birthday. I have previously wittered on about it not being the best time of year to celebrate a birthday ... unless your birthday is a couple of days later, and your name begins with a "J"!

Anyway, it's my birthday and this is how it all panned out.

I started the day with a few cards and gifts.  TP had messaged me from deepest, darkest Surrey to advise that my presents were on the dining table. He had kindly settled on a chocolates, a bottle of gin and a tin of pork luncheon meat.*  I decided that these were clearly the ideal ingredients of the breakfast of champions, and would have happily munched them down, but 30% had other ideas.

This morning I was treated to a huge brunch at a cafe near Tardebigge. She had booked a great table, right next to the log burner and we had a splendid time tucking in to an enormous fried breakfast.

We returned home around midday, and had a massive kip.

In the afternoon we took the dogs over to a nearby exercise field and spent an hour throwing tennis balls for them to retrieve. They had a great time and were exhausted by the time we headed home.

This evening we headed out for my birthday treat. Mummy Sheila joined us to see the RSC's production of Roald Dahl's BFG at the Swan Theatre.

It was a fabulous show that combined actors with puppetry. In one scene the character Sophie might be played by an actor, working with a 12' high BFG puppet. In the next the BFG is played by an actor and Sophie is a marionette. It was a splendid performance, and we all throughly enjoyed the show.

It was a good birthday.

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* This item was a joke. Several tins were left over props from his last production, and he decided to bring a few back with him. We all decided to have a blast from the past and have fried luncheon meat for lunch a couple of weeks ago.  It was actually quite tasty! This tin is likely to be used as fishing bait next year.