That took while to finish off

Surprisingly I did not spend the day faffing around with the new bike. I did connect her up to an Optimate battery charger and throw a cover over her, but that was it.

I did however attend to a little job that has been ignored for a couple of years. 

Shortly after moving here TP's chum Charlie asked if I wanted a "parts bin rack." Basically this is a large sheet of metal with regularly spaced, louvered perforations. These louvres allow plastic component bins to be slotted on to it for the storage of whatever you like ... usually small components such as fixings etc.

I accepted the offer and Charlie kindly delivered the rack. It was then shoved in the back of the car port and subsequently blocked in by the Series 2. It has sat there for at least two years, probably longer.

The recent removal of the Land Rover meant that I was finally able to get at it and I spent a merry couple of hours fixing it to the wall in the garage. I had even ordered a set of parts bins, so these were slotted in place. It really does look rather professional. All I need to do now is find something to put in it.

In other news, Jason and the lads turned up this morning to grout the paving slabs and tidy up the site. The new path looks lovely and really smartens up the front of the house. The only downside is that we really need to get the driveway cleaned up ... and that is a hands and knees job!

That can wait until the weather warms.

At least it wasn't freezing

 The day had finally arrived for me to head over to Cheltenham to pick up my new bike. My original plan was to collect it on the previous Wednesday, but last week's freezing weather put paid to that plan.

This morning I woke to a thick blanket of fog, which started to lift as the morning progressed. The sun was visible by the time 30% and I headed South down the M5, but patches of thick fog were encountered as we made our way towards Cheltenham.

I went through the various formalities at the Motoradd dealership before being shown the bike controls and features ... It is like a bloody space ship compared to my other bikes. I won't bore you with the specifications, but fully adjustable rider modes, hill start assist, and clutchless gear changes are but a few from the very long list* ... It's going to take me a good while to become familiar with them, and part of me is already wondering whether I should be fiddling with electronic gizmos when I should be paying attention to the maniac car drivers around me?**

Eventually the hand-over was completed and it was time for me to take the first ride on my new bike. A lower height seat had been fitted, which made me far more confident with the bike at a standstill, but I noticed how heavy she was compared to my other bikes. The starter button was pushed and she rumbled in to life. I pulled away, with 30% watching and then got cut up by a prat in a mini before I had even got off the car park!

I found her fairly easy to ride and the ROAD mode was unthreatening. However a busy motorway with periodic patches of fog was no fun. My helmet's visor needed regular wiping to remove the droplets from the fog and it was not a great ride. The roads were busy, the weather was poor and my shiny new bike was getting covered with a layer of filth from the road.

As first dates go, this wasn't the best!

I also found it challenging to find the right point in the rev range to change gears. It alternated between smooth changes and graunches that made me wince in mechanical sympathy.

I need warm weather, clear dry roads and I need that now!

TP and his mate Charlie are both keen bikers and were interested to know how I found the bike. I had to answer that I really wasn't able to formulate an opinion on a quick whizz up the motorway in shitty weather. As I've already said, I need better weather, less traffic and more miles to become familiar with her.

I did also pop in to see Buzzer and show off my new pride and joy. Buzzer was his usual lovely self and was both surprised and delighted with my new acquisition. Both he and Dotty came out for a viewing and to watch me head off after an hour of coffee and chat.

One might think that was enough for the day ... Hell No!

I then needed to spend a couple of hours with hose pipe, bucket and chammy leather to wash off the accumulated road salt and other filth.

As I write this the R1250R is now sat in the garage, and she is a lot cleaner than she was when she first arrived at her new home. She'll need a few hours with some polish and a duster, but that can wait for a day or two.

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* One of the features is that the bike is fitted with a multitude of sensors and these can detect whether it has been dropped or involved in an accident. If triggered, the sensors will contact a call centre via the on-board SIM card. The call centre will ask, via the motorcycle if I am alright. If they cannot get a response they will notify the emergency services, using the SIM card to provide location details.

** One wonders if this is why they installed the feature outlined in the previous footnote?

Tessa, whoever she may be?

The work on the path at the front of the house continues and the Indian green sandstone paving stones were laid today. It is going to look really smart once they have been grouted and edged with pea gravel.

A couple of days ago, during the construction of the hardcore base, Jason knocked at the door. They had lifted the old step and discovered a finely worked grave stone. The face of the stone is about a foot square, and it is seven inches deep. It bears the inscription "Tessa, 1957 - 1969" and this has been done with much skill and care.

We can only assume that this was a memorial to a much loved pet, and it seemed quite disrespectful to have used it as a foundation stone for some steps. It has now been placed in the low stone wall that borders the front lawn and can be seen each time we leave the house.

Our neighbours;* Charmian and Peter have lived here for many decades and were certainly familiar with the two previous owners. It is hoped that they may be able to shed some light on who Tessa was.

My day was hardly momentous. I visited the dentist this morning for a filling and a cleaning session and, on the homeward journey, picked up a bag of layers pellets from the feed store. I also checked on the state of the charging batteries. They seem to be taking a charge, so it looks like I'll be treating the hives for varroa in the next few days.

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* They live out of sight, on the other side of the low hill about four hundred yards away from the cottage. That's the definition of a neighbour round here.

I'm not safe out on my own!

If you read yesterday's Journal Entry you might have noted that one of my minor accomplishments was the emptying of the embers from the Log Burner. This needs doing every few days to ensure that it burns well. The embers can be very hot so they're shovelled in to a metal bucket, which is left in the carport while the embers cool to ashes.

The cooling time is a key point and I clearly remember reminding 30% that the bucket needed leaving for a couple of days before it was tipped in the dustbin.

Unfortunately I didn't heed my own warning ... let me explain. 

Alan was due to arrive around lunchtime to collect the Series 2. So, for the fourth time in the past few days, I again needed to clear the garden chairs, barbecue etc from around the Land Rover so that it could be winched out and on to a transporter. 

The bucket of ashes was sat in the carport and I chucked them in to the black wheelie bin without a moment's thought.  The area around the vehicle was now clear and I headed indoors to continue with my day.

All was well until there was an urgent knocking on the door. On opening the aforementioned portal I found Josh, one of our workmen, looking a little flustered. "You've set your bin on fire" he advised, and he almost managed to conceal a grin.

I went outside to investigate and I had done a proper job. The black bin was melted from rim to base, and its contents were spilling from a 10" wide wound. The adjacent recycling bin fared slightly better, but it too was going to need to be replaced.

I am such a tool!

Having ensured that the bin fire had been extinguished, I then spent a merry twenty minutes on the internet and phone arranging for the two bins to be replaced. The cost of my idiocy; sixty three of your Great British Pounds.

Nursing my bruised wallet, I spent much of the day injuring my bank balance even further. The 5 Series insurance and warrantee were renewed and it also needs an oil service, so that got added to the list of work that will be done when it goes to the local dealership on 5th February.

Obviously the Series 2 did get dragged off the premises at lunch time and Alan did his best to make my bank balance look a little healthier by paying the outstanding balance on the car.

So that was my day; Arson, Administration & Automotive Antics.

Domesticity

There is little of interest to report for today.

That is not to say that my day was dull. It was just taken up with domestic activities. The little jobs that need to be done to keep things rolling along.

In the morning 30% and I headed in to Redditch to pick up a few groceries and to replace our carbon monoxide alarm. You see, nothing exciting, just making sure that we are fed and that we don't suffocate in our sleep.

In the afternoon I emptied the log burner and spent half an hour transferring soot and charred tar from the log burner glass to my hands and clothing. 

I then headed outside and refreshed the moisture traps in the 5 Series. It is currently sat in the carport under cover. I have prudently installed a couple of moisture absorbing devices to prevent the car getting damp as it sits unused over Winter. I replaced the crystals in one of the traps and put the silica beads from the others in to a low oven to dry for a couple of hours.

While the silica beads slowly desiccated I finally got around to insuring the new motorcycle, as I will be picking it up in the coming week.

The final activity of any significance was to attempt to get a charge in to a car battery.  This is not for automotive purpose, but is actually beekeeping related.  Each Winter the bee hives are treated with oxalic acid vapour as a precautionary measure to control varroa mites.* The battery is used to provide a heat source to vaporise the oxalic acid crystals in the hive.

Unfortunately my battery didn't seem inclined to take a charge. Bugger, I may need to find another, as the hives need treating in the next week or two.

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*These are a parasitic mite that can have a devastating effect on a colony. A varroa infection can lead to total colony loss.

This wasn't on my to do list

 The weekend has arrived and 30% has been inundated with messages from potential buyers for the Series 2 Land Rover.  She had already arranged for "Alan" to come and take a look at midday, but some oddball going by the name of "Grab" was incredibly anxious to come and view too. 

While 30% attempted to arrange viewing appointments, I headed outside and, once again,  cleared the area around the Land Rover of garden chairs, the barbecue and other assorted debris.

Alan arrived at midday with his son and father, literally three generations of Land Rover addicts.  They spent a good hour going over the vehicle before deciding that it was worth saving. 

After a short haggling session a price was agreed and a healthy deposit was put down. The Series 2 will be collected on Monday and I will finally have some space in the car port.

Having sold the Land Rover, I must admit that I felt that I deserved a lazy Saturday afternoon. An hour was spent snoozing on the sofa in front of the log burner and some low quality television was consumed.

I won't miss the Series 2. I bought it back in 2020 when we lived at The Pile down in the village. At that time we had just about finished the work on the house and I needed another project. However, we were then offered first refusal the cottage, and it was an offer that we couldn't refuse.

Moving in to the cottage meant that our priorities changed. Maintenance and restoration of the house and gardens take precedence. The realist in me knew that I was never going to find the motivation to restore the Land Rover when there were so many other things to do. I also have a string of other interests to consume my hours.

It just took me a few years to get my arse in to gear and get the damned thing advertised. It's surprising how motivated I have become after over spending on a new motorbike. 

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Post Script: I'm not sure what aspect of the Land Rover sale is most attractive. I agree that my bank balance looks healthier, but both 30% and I agree that more space in the carport is very welcome. It'll be much easier to stack the logs from the conifer that blew down, without a crumbling vehicle in the way. On balance I think the extra space in the carport wins.

Liquidating Assets

I had an appointment with the dental hygienist this morning. I mentioned that I had some recent discomfort with one of my teeth and it appears that I need a filling too. As a result my appointment was aborted and rescheduled to next Tuesday, as more time would be needed to complete the work.  I will now have the pleasure of a twenty five minute appointment featuring anaesthetics, drilling and that, oh so pleasant, scrape and polish. I really can't wait!

On my return I prepared for the arrival of Mike, the chap that had contacted me earlier in the week about the sale of my Browning shotgun.  It is fair to say that I was somewhat apprehensive about selling the shotgun. Mike was a complete unknown and could be anywhere on a spectrum that ranges from nice guy to homicidal maniac. Then there are the legal aspects to consider. I needed to verify his identity and ensure that his shotgun license was legitimate. I also needed to ensure that the monies were transferred and that the relevant Police firearms units were notified of the sale. 

If any of this goes wrong the least worst outcome is that I loose out on the sale fee. The worst case scenario is a world of trouble with the Police and Magistrates.

As it happens Mike was genuine and a pleasure to do business with. I also managed to persuade him to part with an extra twenty quid over the agreed sale fee, in exchange for a spare gun slip that I no longer needed. 

Later in the day I had the first viewing of the Series 2. A chap call Phil arrived and gave it a thorough going over. He eventually started to haggle, but we couldn't agree on a price. His limit appeared to be £1900, which I politely declined.* 

I pointed out that he was the first to view the vehicle and that I had a long list of other people queuing up to come and take a look. I also let him know that I'd agree to a price provided that it began with a two. He declined to move any further, so I let him disappear in to the frosty darkness while I returned to the warmth of the fire.

The next chap is scheduled to turn up tomorrow at midday.

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* I am asking £2250

Significant effort, but no real change

 I seemed to spend most of today shifting things around. My to-do list refers to tidying" activities, such as "tidy garage" and "tidy carport", but I'm not sure that anything looks tidier at the end of today.

Here's what happened. 

30% has advertised the Series 2 Land Rover project on Facebook marketplace and has been deluged with requests for photos.  Unfortunately the Series 2 is tucked in to the car port alongside the BMW and it is surrounded by crap miscellany. I spent a merry half hour moving plant pots, garden chairs, a barbecue, a wheelbarrow and even a handful of dog toys before I could get an uninterrupted view of the vehicle.

However, I still couldn't start snapping. I then needed to clear access to the garage* so that I could grab one of the Land Rovers doors.  This was carefully positioned in the appropriate aperture, so that the car would appear slightly less of a wreck when photographed.

Only then was I able to grab a number of photos that might pique the interest of potential buyers. Having taken the pictures, I then needed to put everything back in to the car port, although I did make an executive decision and an old half barrel planter ended up smouldering on the bonfire in the orchard.

That was the morning just about done. I had spent most of it moving crap around and taking a few photos of a very scabby vehicle. The few minutes I had spare were spent downloading the photos to my PC, where careful edits and crops were made. I then fired them over to 30% to add to her advertisement.**

The afternoon was, unfortunately, quite similar. I needed to make space in the garage for my new bike. So time was spent taking vehicles out of the garage, shuffling them around and then putting them back. In honesty it looks no tidier, perhaps even more cluttered. But I do now have room for the R1250R.  I am, however,  somewhat concerned, as it will be in close proximity of the space that TP is using to build a "sound trolley".  Apparently this is a small cart used to move sound recording equipment around movie sets and locations.  That's what he says. I say "it is a pile of crap cluttering up my bloody garage and why the fuck isn't it being built in his garage, or perhaps that of his Boss; Robin?"

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* Access was somewhat limited due to three tonne bags of sand and aggregate and a pallet of Indian sandstone pavers delivered for Grubby Jason to finish the front path.

** I do not have a Facebook profile as I am of the strongly held opinion that it is a Social Media entity populated by vapid idiots. Mind you, if you want to sell rubbish, vapid idiots are your target audience. Hence I employed 30% to advertise the Series 2 and act as a shield between me and the multitude of tyre kickers that have defended like digital vultures upon the carcass that is my car advert.

A day spent in close proximity to the sofa

 This is going to be far from interesting, as most of today was spent working leather conditioner in to a three seater, Chesterfield sofa.

It was surprisingly hard work to ensure that my home-made leather conditioner was worked in to each and every fold of the sofa. I did use a commercial leather cream on the seat cushions and was surprised to find that it was nowhere near an effective as my own preparation. The downside of this discovery was that I needed to redo the cushions to ensure that they looked just as good as the rest of the settee.

One positive from spending the day on my hands and knees massaging a piece of furniture, was that the room is home to our amplifier, turn table and vinyl collection. I had a lovely time rediscovering albums that I hadn't listened to for a long while.

That just about covers my main achievement. I have also arranged to collect my new bike next Thursday and there has also been additional interest in the gun I have advertised. I'm reasonably confident that it will be sold by the weekend. 

30% has also advertised the old Series 2 on Facebook Marketplace and we already have someone asking for photos ... Let's not get too excited, there are plenty of tyre kickers out there.

Getting on with stuff

 I find that it is challenging to achieve anything significant at this time of year. Outside it is freezing cold and most definitely uninviting. Inside 30% has encouraged inactivity by lighting a fire. I have to resist strong urges to settle on the sofa with a book.

I must still have the embers of my work ethic glowing somewhere deep inside me as I seem to have, reluctantly, got my mojo working.

This morning I started with some admin. I made the final payment on the new bike and then drafted and printed* a couple of pro-formas to cover the likely sale of my shotgun. I then attempted to get the 5 Series booked in for its MOT test and a recall notice** and this is where things went astray.

I had tried to get the car booked in yesterday, but had missed the call back from the BMW Dealership. I found them to be equally busy today, and, again they promised to call me back. I had stupidly given them my land line number, and this meant that I was restricted to being within earshot of the home phone until they called back. Unfortunately they didn't call until the late afternoon, and I was left struggling to find things to do.

I settled on applying some home made leather conditioner to one of our sofas. This went well and the treated leather looked and felt beautiful, but the jar was far from full when I started. Within a short while I had an empty jar and a half finished sofa. 

This was bloody annoying as I had all of the ingredients to make up a new batch of leather conditioner, but they were all outside in the store room ... note previous comments about staying within earshot of the home phone.

Eventually I was free from being shackled to the phone and I made up another batch of leather treatment. Here is a quick summary of the method.***

• The recipe uses beeswax and vegetable oil at a ratio of 1 : 3.5
• The mixture can be scented with fragrance oils, if desired
• Melt the beeswax using a Bain Marie method. Note: do not use your best saucepans.
• Once completely melted, add in the vegetable oil and stir well until the mixture is clear
• Add in the fragrance oil, if required 
• Remove the pan from the Bain Marie and carefully pour the mixture in to a jar
• Allow to cool overnight and the conditioner is ready for use.

I used a couple of ounces of beeswax and about seven and half ounces of vegetable oil. This produced about half a pint of leather conditioner, which will last me a good while ... more than enough to finish the sofa.

My final accomplishment was to draft a to do list. Oh my God! It is massive and none of it looks like fun

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* This sounds like a few minutes of effort, but by the time I had recovered the printer from the store room and struggled unsuccessfully to get the little bastard to connect to the home wifi, it took the best part of an hour.

** Replacement of the EGR Cooler

*** NOTE: The ingredients are potentially flammable and should never be exposed to a naked flame. There is a risk of fire and consequent injury and damage when making this product. You do so at your own risk.

Sometimes I surprise myself

Yesterday I mentioned the need to get rid of some of my accumulated crap unwanted possessions. I had vague plans about how to move forward with this objective, but, in reality,  my level of procrastination is mountainous.*

However, today I managed to amaze myself.  

The day started with the arrival of Grubby Jason and Josh. They were here to replace the path that leads to the front door. It is dreadfully uneven and laid on earth. It has a curious charm when cleared and tidied, but reverts to a weed infested, trip hazard within the blink of an eye.

The plan is to replace the original path with Indian green sandstone, much like that laid on the rear patio. Jason will then use the original paving stones to rebuild the low wall that retains the front lawn.

I appreciate that I am wandering from the point of today's entry, so I'll try to get back on track. 

Josh is a Land Rover nut and, on arrival, he was drawn to the festering wreck of a Series 2 model that is sat in the car port. I immediately attempted to sell it to him, but he declined as he has not yet finished his current Series 2 project. During our discussions I mentioned that I had a period capstan winch available and his interest was piqued. Over the course of the morning he had taken a look at the winch and by lunchtime a deal was done and £650 had fluttered across the ether and settled in my current account.

Buoyed** by my sales success I headed upstairs and decided that I should get my Browning Liberty Light shotgun advertised. After all I hadn't used it since upgrading to my Miroku MK38, and that was three years ago. After much faffing with my camera and computer I had a reasonable advert drafted, and I hit the magic button to make the ad live on Gun Trader.

Within half an hour I had received an enquiry about the gun, and over the course of the day several emails were exchanged. It looks like I have managed to sell the gun for a reasonable price. The prospective purchaser must be keen as they are willing to travel for two hours to view the gun. He will be coming down in Friday afternoon to, hopefully, conclude the deal.

I was congratulating myself on liquidating these assets, when my phone pinged. It was a message from Bubbles. It seems that my purchase of the R1250R has given him a proverbial kick up the arse. He has purchased a helmet, is about to book his Mod 2 test and has reported that that he will have funds available to buy my R nineT by February.

Bloody Hell! He hasn't even ridden it yet.

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* I even managed to procrastinate further in the fourth paragraph of yesterday's Journal entry!

** If you're American this is pronounced "boyed", NOT "boo-eeyed"

Inventory Rationlisation

 Having been unbelievably impulsive yesterday, AND having an unbelievably accepting and encouraging wife, today I faced the cold light of dawn. Whilst I can afford the new bike, I really do need to sell of some of my unused and unwanted shit.

At the top of the list is my BMW R nineT and following in swift succession is my Browning shotgun and the Series 2 Land Rover Project that will never ever get completed. 

30% is also urging me to make a decision about the 110 Defender. It is a great utility vehicle, but its vehicle excise duty is fucking ridiculous at £730 per annum.* Do we really need it, or should we just fit a tow bar on one of the two other cars?  The only real use it gets is when the weather is appalling, or when the fishing peg of choice is down a rutted track.

Cars and bikes need to be cleaned before they are sold and the weather is a million miles away from car cleaning weather. We also have Grubby Jason arriving tomorrow to lay the new path to the front door. Using these as valid excuses it was agreed that we do nothing with regard to selling vehicles until the drive is clear of mini excavators and piles of hardcore.

So, what did I get up to today? Well, 30% and I headed in to Alcester and picked up our varifocals from Specsavers.  I tried mine out on the drive home and they are a bloody revelation! I could see stuff outside the car without problem, but now I can see the trivial details of what the various buttons do and what speed I am travelling at too.

I forgot to mention that we had a fall of wet snow overnight and this did not encourage us to venture outside any more than was absolutely necessary. We therefore spent the afternoon inside and did a little furniture rearranging in the space that used to be my home office.  It is now a second sitting room that links to the dining room. Our current debate is what to call this space as we already have a living room that is referred to as the snug.

I'm going with smug, until someone comes up with something better.

It was always going to happen

 It is fair to say that I was very keen to visit the BMW dealer in Cheltenham, but they do say "don't wish your life away". 

So let's start with this morning's visit to the Cotswold Shooting Ground in Childswickham.  I met up with Bubbles and Ben, and had a fun morning smashing a few clays. I managed to hit more than I missed, scoring 41/80. It's not a great score, but I was reasonably pleased, considering that I haven't shot much in the past six months.

On the final three stands we developed a new variant of English Sporting Clays by presenting the clays in any order and even releasing a simultaneous pair rather than on report* clays. We found it amusing ... after all, clay shooting can get a little too serious for me.

Back at home, we lunched and I checked to see that my tax rebate had finally arrived in my current account. It had, so I called to check that the bike was still available. It was, so we headed down the M5 towards Cheltenham.

It's pretty obvious that buying the bike was a foregone conclusion. It was in beautiful condition having covered only seven miles. It had a specification more comprehensive than that detailed in its on-line listing and I even managed to negotiate a lower height seat in to the deal.

We estimate that the bike was around four thousand pounds less than the "new" price, simply because it had been pre-registered in September last year.

Now I need to arrange insurance and, to quote 30%, get my act together and sell off a few unused possessions.

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* When shooting on report clays, the shooter calls "pull" and the trap operator releases the first clay in to the air. As soon as the shooter fires, the second clay is released ... on the sound of the shotgun's report

What have I/we done?

 Let's start off with a confession. 

I have too many motorbikes. You can only ride on at a time and, often, poor weather or the demands of my life get in the way of riding. However, I have never let these stop me and my current collection comprises my old CBR 600, the little Enfield Trials bike, the Moto Guzzi and my BMW R nineT. I am very fond of each and every one of them, but, if I continue this confession, I don't ride them that often.

When I do ride it is a delight and I keep promising myself that I will get out on my bikes more frequently. In April last year I joined TP and a couple of his mates for a mini motorcycle tour of Wales and had a lovely time ... despite the rain! They are keen to do more touring and, strangely, seem quite happy to have me tag along. My little Guzzi is a reasonable tourer, but I have really fancied something a little more capable since being bitten by the touring bug.

I love the grunt of the R nineT, but it is no tourer. Fitting luggage on it would be a challenge and the very thin seat rapidly becomes a pain in the arse. It has a beautiful boxer engine, so I started to look at what else BMW has in its model range. My eye's beheld the R1250R and that was it.

It has a similar, but more powerful engine than the R nineT. It is a roadster that looks good, handles well and it is capable of being fitted with luggage. It also has a relatively low seat height, which is a must for my hobbit like dimension. It really would be ideal for me.

I tried one for size at the Motorcycle Live show last November and even attempted to arrange a test ride, but, after being let down by the Warwick BMW Motorrad dealership I gave up and perused the on-line advertisements.

I found a nice looking machine up in Cheshire and bookmarked the ad. Unfortunately it sold over the Christmas holiday period and I was back to on-line shopping wishing. 

Yesterday I found a beautiful looking machine with an almost perfect specification* at BMW Motorrad in Cheltenham. It was the right colour. It was a pre-registered machine with only five miles on the odometer. It was expensive, but massively discounted compared to a new, unregistered machine and it was only thirty miles down the road.

30% suggested that we should go and see it tomorrow ... What has she done?

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* It only lacks side cases ... and I'm certain I can pick those up for less than BMW's stratospheric accessory pricing!