Making a start ... again

 The day has finally arrived when I actually managed to continue installing the security bars on the outbuilding windows.

I first started this little job back in September 2024. Actually, scratch that. The windows bars were originally commissioned and delivered back in 2021. They then sat in the car port untouched until last year, when I installed the first set.

I was enthused by this initial installation and soon made a start on the next set of bars. It was at that point that I realised that I would need to install spacers and use much longer screws to enable the bars to be fitted. The reason being that the central decorative bar protrudes back a little, and interferes with the central glazing bar of the windows. The spacers set the security bars 25mm from the frame and give enough room for the decorative central bar.

I therefore needed suitable material for the spacers. I quickly settled on roofing laths. They are the perfect size and are pressure treated ... ideal for the timber clad outbuildings. Unfortunately they are four meters long and I estimated that I needed over seventy meters of laths.*

This meant that I would need to have them delivered and the onset of Winter meant that installing the bars got put on the back burner ... I really do not like working outside in the cold!

Anyway, the weather has improved. I got my shit together and ordered various items of timber, and today I finally had enough time to continue the job.

There was a fair bit of measuring and head scratching to ensure that the bars would be perfectly positioned around the window, and that the timber spacers fitted perfectly. It took about ninety minutes to get the first set of bars installed ... and I am bloody delighted.

They look brilliant AND provide a deterrent to any ne'er-do-well who thinks the outbuildings might yield easy pickings.

By the end of the day I had installed two sets of bars and was ready for a lazy night on the sofa. That wasn't to be, as we had tickets to see Henning Wehn at The Regal in Evesham. It was a very funny evening and Wehn made the ball-ache of parking in Evesham worthwhile.

---

* This may be a slight miscalculation as I seem to have a lot of laths. The alternative scenario is that I may have included enough laths to make a section of trellis ... and forgotten about that mini project.

I'll get to it eventually

 I really do have plans for this week, but life just keeps getting in the way.

What I'd like to be doing is installing the security bars on the windows of the outbuildings, but this project keeps getting put off.*

This morning we were out of the house early as I needed to pop in to the local surgery for a blood test. We then headed in to Worcester as 30% has another consultation with an NHS Neurologist. After another review of 30%'s medical history they are still uncertain what the problem might be, but tests and scans have been scheduled and medication prescribed too.

I suppose we need to be relatively reassured that none of the medics are hitting panic buttons, and to let matters run their course.

The remainder of the morning was taken up with a trip to Bromsgrove to pick up some Layers Pellets and a couple of slabs of shotgun cartridges ... I'm shooting at the weekend.

The afternoon saw nothing other than a wander around the lanes with the dogs. 

Then it was a quick rest before this evening's Tai Chi class. The lesson was the usual mix of concentration and misplaced feet. There are moments when I feel that I am making headway and then it all goes to pot.

---

* Actually I'm not sure that I would "like" to be installing the security bars. It is just that they have sat in the car port for about three years and they really need putting up. The more I think about this job the more I realise that it is quite complicated, especially if I am to get them installed to my satisfaction.

Another quiet day

 All Fools Day was far from busy.

I managed a brisk walk around the Three Mile with the idiots* in the morning and mowed the lawns at the front of the house in the afternoon.

That was about it. I did have a slight urge to start installing the security bars on the outbuildings, but there is a bloody cold wind, despite the clear skies and sunshine ...  that can wait until later in the week.

I also realised that I need some cartridges for clay shooting on Saturday.  It's been a good while since I last bought any and they are now very expensive. It looks like I'll be heading out to the gun shop tomorrow.

---

* A collective and affectionate term for the dogs. If you saw them leaping around with excitement as I put on my walking boots you would understand how they have earned this appellation.

Stuff

Did my day really start with a walk around the Three Miler with the dogs?

No, not really. My day started at about seven o'clock. I threw on some clothes, filled a watering can with water and headed up to the orchard with the chicken feeder. It is a matter of a few minutes work to ensure that they have food and water. Then I open up their pop hole to give them access to the run. The nest boxes are checked for eggs, and then I return to the house for the first coffee of the day.

That is how my day generally starts.

The coffee is accompanied by a perusal of a couple of news websites, and then perhaps a read before 30% rises and we take breakfast shortly afterwards.

I was back from my walk well before lunch. The day was warm, sunny and the air was still. I had time and perfect weather for a hive inspection.

I grabbed my smoker and a few essentials and headed up to the hive in the orchard.  There were a lot of bees milling around the entrance and I hoped that I hadn't left it too long since the first inspection three weeks ago.  

What I didn't want to find was a colony preparing to swarm. This would be indicated by the presence of Queen cells within the colony and would necessitate a split or shook swarm to manage the situation.

Fortunately the colony is doing really well, but there were no signs of swarming. They had plenty of stores, were bringing in both nectar and pollen and had five frames of brood and eggs at the centre of the hive.

I put a queen excluder on the top of the brood box and put a super above that. The bees now have plenty of space in the hive and will, hopefully start to store nectar up in the super.

The afternoon saw a trip to see a consultant with 30%. I found the visit relatively reassuring and really hope that 30% did too. The next step is for her to have some MRI scans, which will hopefully pinpoint the problem and lead to a treatment plan,

Once back at home, I pulled the lawn mower from the shed and mowed the lawns at the back of the house. I had my phone in my pocket and was amazed to see that I had completed four thousand steps just wandering around the lawns.

It seems that during the month of March I have managed to walk over eighty miles ... no wonder my feet hurt!

Somewhat jet lagged

After only five hours sleep, I was somewhat jaded when I woke and started the day. Fortunately I had been yesterday's designated driver, and had therefore avoided compounding tiredness with a hangover.

After an understandably gentle start to the day I headed out and deglazed the side of the greenhouse. By early afternoon I had managed to replace the damaged panels, assisted periodically by 30%.

I then needed to retire to the sofa for a short siesta.*

After about three quarters of an hour I hauled my sorry arse off the couch and headed out around the Three Miler with Hobson. I think we both felt better for a walk. He certainly seemed to enjoy it.

The day ended with another shared meal. This evening we were joined by Bubbles and Bobbyn for a Chinese meal, courtesy of China Twon.  It was lovely to catch up with them and they were the perfect guests, leaving at a very civilised half past nine.**

Considering how little sleep I had, I am bloody amazed how much I managed to get done today.

---

* Well earned, I thought.

** Any later and we would have probably fallen asleep in front of them.

A Late One

Saturday started with an early walk around the lanes with the dogs.

We would be out for a good few hours in the middle of the day, so it seemed only fair to get them exercised and emptied before we went out.

The midday event was a combined Mother's Day/Birthday party hosted by 30%'s brother. I've noted down my views on these get-togethers before, so I'll avoid repeating myself today. It went as well as any nine year old's birthday can go and the cloud did have a silver lining ... The ELF's obnoxious brother* was unable to attend, so that was an unpleasant encounter avoided.

We managed to escape around half past three and headed home. 

We had a few hours to potter before heading out again. This evening we had been invited for dinner with Gizzy and Jules in Tewkesbury. Rosie and Jim were invited too, and we picked them up on our way.

It was a splendid evening filled with laughter, fine food, much leg pulling and catching up with each others' news. 

We eventually got home at about one in the morning and realised that the clocks went forward tonight ... Oh bugger, we are going to be very tired tomorrow!

---

* Thick, and I mean REALLY THICK, absolutely no sense of humour and constantly preening and posing ... an absolute fucking tool!

The greenhouse refurbishment continues

Friday was very similar to Thursday.

I started the day with some admin while I waited for the weather to warm a little.  My credit card bill got paid and it seems that I am due a small tax rebate, so that got claimed too.

By mid morning it was pleasant enough outside, windy, but sunny.

I continued with the greenhouse refurbishment and replaced the panels in the back corner. I did consider replacing the broken panels on the long side of the greenhouse today, but realised that I was going to have to remove the glazing from the whole side to accomplish that ... that can wait for another day.

The afternoon saw a snooze on the sofa, a walk with Hobson and a delivery from the Builder's Merchant. I now have roofing laths, a sheet of 18mm ply and four 2 x 4s ... that'll keep me busy for a few days.

I've also noticed that the lawns need mowing too.

I found the day satisfying, some might not

I wouldn't be surprised if the casual reader thought my day was incredibly tedious, but I was actually quite pleased with today's achievements.

It was a chilly start, so I spent the first half hour in the freezer room getting the new freezer levelled, before switching it on.  I then dragged its box up to the orchard and had a brief, but splendid, bonfire.

Next I manhandled a mattress down the stairs and on to the drive. This was in anticipation of a new one being delivered later in the day.

By this time the sun's rays had reached the greenhouse and I continued with my refurbishment. This basically involved removing most of the front of the greenhouse, a section at a time. The issue with replacing the bottom panes/panels is that the three panes above them need to be removed first!

Anyway, the job went reasonably smoothly and a stroke of genius, a spray bottle filled with soapy water, made refitting the panes a whole lot easier.

I finished the front of the greenhouse shortly after lunch and it looks much better. I still have a panel at the rear and the bottom panes of one entire side to do, but that can wait until later in the week.

The afternoon included a walk around the Three Miler with Hobson before I settled for a less strenuous afternoon.

The mattress eventually turned up, and it's box gave me an excuse for yet another brief bonfire in the orchard.

Repair & Restoration

One of yesterday's little jobs was to tidy the outhouse at the South East end of the cottage.  This is referred to, in these parts, as the freezer room for rather obvious reasons.

During the clear out/tidy up I retrieved a rather nice brass reading lamp that had stopped working many years ago. I took it in to the workshop and discovered that it was a simple blown fuse. We now have a rather nice working lamp that is covered with a decades worth of grime, at least!

Our new freezer was delivered this morning* and had to stand for twenty four hours before being switched on. This left me plenty of time this morning to grab the Brasso and clean up the filthy, tarnished lamp. It does look rather splendid now, and we just need a new shade and bulb to finish off the job.

There was a second delivery this morning. The polycarbonate, greenhouse glazing panels have arrived.** And, as the morning warmed up I headed out in to the workshop, grabbed a pair of sawhorses and a few tools and headed over to the greenhouse.

Stage one of my greenhouse restoration was to replace the panels at the bottom of the pair of sliding doors.  I soon had the first door slid out of its track and resting on the pair of sawhorses. Replacing the fibre board panel was actually quite straightforward and I had finished both doors shortly after lunch.

The afternoon saw a brisk walk around the Three Miler with the dogs and I was looking forward to a lazy evening when my phone beeped at me ... Shit! I'd forgotten that I had a Tai Chi class this evening.

---

* I was delighted to see that the delivery van was decorated with the obligatory cock and balls scrawled in the grime on the rear door.

** We have a rather nice Robinson Greenhouse in the garden, but after many years it needs a little attention to keep it at its best.  The ground level "panes" are not glass, but panels of a cement fibre board. These have deteriorated over the years and are now brittle and crumbling. What used to be a weather and rodent proof greenhouse now has gaping holes where the fibre board has fallen apart.  I have purchased some 4mm polycarbonate glazing panels and these will be used to fabricate the replacement panels.

Supplies

It seems that Spring has arrived. 

It's amazing how a little warmth, blue skies and longer days encourage one to get busy after a Winter of inactivity.

I am already looking at starting, and in some cases continuing, projects now I can get outside without fear of hypothermia.

This morning we headed in to Redditch for supplies to get a couple of projects moving. 

The first stop was Lidl for groceries and then we headed over to the Builders Merchant just down the road. I needed some roofing laths to continue the installation of the security bars that I started back in September last year. I also ordered a sheet of 18mm ply and a few lengths of 2" x 4". The ply and two by fours will be used to make a potting bench ... this is part of a much bigger plan to tidy up one of the greenhouses and organise the shed ... watch this space.

On the way back home we popped in to an electrical appliance retailer and ordered a new upright freezer. 30% has been keen on a new one for a while. I'm not sure why, but it may be due to the fact that I will be attending a butchery course in the near future. The course covers the butchery of half a pig and we get to keep the course work.

The afternoon saw me take a walk around the Three Miler and get some Torx head screws ordered for the aforementioned security bars.

I also received notification that the polycarbonate glazing sheets for the greenhouse will be arriving tomorrow.

It looks like I am going to be busy.

A quiet day

 The plan for Monday was to do as little as possible.

I felt that I had deserved this after a busy few days selling cars and hosting friends for the weekend.

Apparently this is what a quiet day looks like ... The morning's task was to shift the proceeds from the Defender sale in to various investment and savings accounts.  It took longer than expected, as I do like to check each account to ensure that each transfer has actually been received. They were.

The afternoon saw a brisk walk around the Three Miler with the dogs, and then I wandered up the orchard.

I did think about inspecting my bees, but graciously took on the job of cleaning out the chicken coop. This is normally 30%'s job, as she steadfastly refuses to get up and let them out each morning.

If I've got to get out of bed earlier and earlier as the day length increases, there is no bloody way I am going to clean out the little sods as well!

Here endeth a "quiet day"

It's been a busy few days ...

My aim is to make a Journal entry every day. Some months I achieve this, but I'm not doing very well in March, am I?

My excuse for a lack of input can be discerned from the following paragraphs.  I wouldn't be surprised if you thought these were mediocre, at best, when presented as an excuse for not keeping The Journal up-to-date.

Thursday, 20 March 2025

First job of the day was to sort through the Defender's documentation and provide the interested party with details of its service history. 

An email was sent out into the ether and I headed out around the Three Miler with the dogs.  About half way around my phone rang. It was the interested party. A short conversation followed where I discerned that a) he hadn't checked his spam folder, b) he lived down in Hampshire and c) he seemed very interested.

He said he'd like to see whether he could get up to see the Defender on Friday and committed to calling me later in the day to confirm when he could come and view the car.

The day trundled on and the afternoon saw me meet up with Buzzer for a ride out on our bikes. Our route took had us skirting the outskirts of Evesham and Pershore, before heading out towards Upton-upon-Severn. From Upton we took the A38 towards Tewkesbury, before heading back towards Evesham on the A46.

We peeled off the A46 and headed down the B4077, stopping at Toddington for a coffee. After a break and a chat, we headed up to Stow-on-the-Wold. From Stow we headed out to Morton-in-Marsh. I have to report that the North Cotswolds looked absolutely glorious in the warm Spring sunshine. Rolling hills, honey coloured stone villages, sheep filled pastures. It really is a fine part of the world.

From Moreton we headed back towards Evesham via Bourton-on-the-Hill and Broadway. It was then a short run towards Dunnington, where we parted company and headed towards our respective homes.

30% and I were having an early evening meal, as we were out tonight attending the Comedy Club at Redditch's Palace Theatre.

As I sat down and attempted to take the first forkful, my phone rang. It was the interested party, who advised that he would like to come over tomorrow afternoon to view the Land Rover ... Bloody Hell, I might actually have a buyer!

Friday, 21 March 2025

Friday was slightly less frenetic, but there was a certain sense of anticipation following yesterday's conversations about the Defender.

I walked the dogs in the morning and the chap arrived to see the car shortly after lunch.

After a very brief viewing and a short run around the lanes he decided that he'd like to make an offer. 

His offer was great, but I'm old enough to know that the first offer is just that ... an opening move. I therefore upped his offer by two hundred and fifty quid and stuck out my hand. He paused and then shook my hand. The deal was done.

He advised that he'd like to collect the car on Saturday and I offered to collect him from Evesham station ... after all he had just paid top money for a sixteen year old Land Rover!

We were out again this evening. This time it was to see the Pissed Up Panto, again at The Palace in Redditch.

I saw an adult panto a couple of years ago in Monmouth and thoroughly enjoyed it, but unfortunately I can't say the same about this one. The were a couple of scenes that were reasonably funny, but a lot of it went on far too long, and substituted expletives and on-stage drinking for a well crafted comedy script ... 4/10.

What I should mention was that Thursday's comedy club event was great and we are already thinking about attending the next one in May. 

I should also mention that TP welcomed us back from the Theatre. He will be spending the weekend with us

Saturday, 22 March 2025

Obviously my first mission was to head over to Evesham and pick up the interested party buyer. 

We chatted as we headed towards home and I ascertained that he was a lovely chap with a very well paid job in Finance and Carbon offsets. He definitely fell in to the more money than sense category of car buyer.  

After checking that my bank balance looked far more healthy, I waved the new owner off and wandered back to the house.

There was, however, no opportunity for resting upon laurels of any sort.

We collectively spent the next few hours tidying the house in preparation for what could be loosely described as a college reunion.

30% and I attended that fine educational establishment known in the 1980's as Wolverhampton Polytechnic.  Our circle of poly friends included C & M, and we are incredibly lucky to have maintained the friendship and now also include their long suffering wives. 

C&S rolled up in the early afternoon and, after a cuppa and a chat, I headed out with Hobson, C and S for a wander around the Three Miler.

As we arrived back home it was apparent that M&M had arrived and we all settled for tea and cake and a lot of chat and laughter.

The day continued in that vein with champagne, wine and dinner making an appearance in the evening. We all eventually retired at some point after midnight, having revelled in an evening of 80's vinyl and a very funny game of Cards Against Humanity.

Sunday, 23 March 2025

It will be no surprise that Sunday was definitely a day of rest.

The gang departed after many cups of tea and brunch featuring scrambled eggs, toast, croissants and yet more tea.

The afternoon included a snooze on the sofa and I can report that the drive does look not quite right now the Defender has gone.

A possible buyer?

The day started with a short walk down the lane with the dogs. 

It would have been longer, but I bumped in to John; a rugby player, turned school teacher, turned watercolour artist. He's a fascinating chap and an entertaining conversationalist, so I did an about turn and wandered back to wards home chatting with John.

I then headed in to Alcester to pick up some silicon sealant remover. This relates to one of those little jobs that I have been successfully avoiding for months ... I need to re-seal the shower screen.

30% disappeared out for an extended lunch with Jules, so home alone, I pulled the lawn mower form the shed and mowed the verges at the front and the small area of lawn by the garage.

This effort resulted in a massive hypo, and lunch, followed by a long snooze, was required as a restorative measure.

In the afternoon I completed a circuit of the Three Miler with Hobson before a period of pottering.*

As the afternoon turned to evening I headed down to the lane for Wednesday's Tai Chi session. 30% bailed due to her painful knee, so I was alone attempting the complexities of the Infinite, Stage 4 ... the footwork had me literally tripping over myself at certain points.

So that would be it for Thursday, apart from the fact that we have finally had some interest in the Defender. A message has been received asking for MOT and Service History details.

It looks like I'll have a bit of auto admin to perform tomorrow morning.

---

* Any activity that makes me look far busier than I actually am. I can look incredibly busy with a book in my hand!

Catching up ... again!

I've been a bit busier than normal and have got a little behind with The Journal.  This is an attempt to get back up-to-date.

Thursday, 13 March 2025 

The main achievement for Thursday was to finally get the Defender advertised on the Autotrader website. Since I am documenting this nearly a week later, I think it fair to say that I have been deafened by the silence from my phone. I'll give it another week before I consider dropping the price a little ... I was being rather ambitious.

My exercise regimen continues and I managed to complete  a couple of walks today; a short one with all three dogs and then a circuit of the Three Miler with Hobson

The day was rounded off with a trip in to Birmingham to see Now that's what I call a musical at the Alexandra Theatre.

The show was based around pop classics from the early eighties and used a piss poor High School Reunion narrative in an attempt to link them together. It was well performed, but the plot was clumsily constructed.  We had a pleasant enough evening, but I wouldn't recommend it ... watch the original song videos on YouTube instead.

Friday, 14 March 2025

The day started with a trip to B&Q, where I picked up a few essentials for some upcoming electrical work.

Later in the morning I accompanied 30% down to the local surgery.  She has been experiencing some hip and knee pain, which are not improving and it was definitely time to get some professional attention.

The GP was amazingly candid in his approach and freely admitted that he hadn't got a clue. He did however agree that further investigations were needed. He made the necessary referrals and even suggested that a private consultation  would be worthwhile to move things along at pace.

The afternoon saw a further circuit of the Three Miler and then I spent some time in the workshop gathering tools, cables and fittings that will be needed tomorrow.

Saturday, 15 March 2025

I do like a little bit of electrical work and Saturday morning saw me scrabbling around in the roof space of the cottage.

My goal was to replace the tatty spotlights in the bathroom, with something a little more current. The old spots were rusty and their cabling had suffered from rodent damage, so were definitely overdue for replacement.

It wasn't a huge job, but it took a good chunk of the morning to create a simple wiring loom, locate an earth wire and get the light fittings connected and tested.

The afternoon saw me complete another three mile circuit with Hobson and then clean the bathroom ceiling in preparation for painting.

Sunday, 16 March 2025

Sunday's sole achievement was to get two coats of emulsion on the bathroom ceiling.

I don't mind painting but this job was not fun. The room is barely big enough to swing the proverbial cat and is cluttered with immovable sanitary ware.

I therefore spent most of the day wriggling around and climbing over shower screens, lavatory pedestals and basins whilst trying to avoid stray splashes of paint.

We have both agreed that the next room to be decorated will be free of furniture and I might actually be able to get an unobstructed run with the paint roller!

Monday, 17 March 2025

Monday saw me snap the new bathroom lights back in to their cut outs and I was finally able to see the full effect of my efforts.

I'm pleased with the job and it has, sort of, encouraged me consider further decorating ... note that I said "consider" rather than "commit to"!

I also managed a couple of walks with the dogs and we also popped in for afternoon tea with Mummy Sheila.

Tuesday, 18 March 2025

I've been looking at the state of the lawns for a few weeks and have noticed that many of the villagers have already completed their first and, even, second cuts of the year.

Well, today I finally pulled the mower from the shed and completed the first cut of 2025.

They look much tidier and make the place look a little more presentable ... just in time for our upcoming weekend guests.

Crouching tiger eats a biscuit

On yesterday's dog walk I bumped in to Kung Po Fran.* 

We passed the time of day and I enquired about whether she had any vacancies in the exercise classes that she runs in the local Parish Education Centre. She confirmed that she did and, after a later chat with 30%, we had booked ourselves in to attend Fran's Wednesday Tai Chi class.**

Now, back to today. 

First activity was to get the Defender dropped off at the garage in Astwood Bank for its MOT test.

That took very little time and I was soon back at home in the kitchen. We have friends coming to stay on the 22nd and 30% thought it would be nice for me to make them a cake. 

After my success at Christmas I decide to knock up another carrot cake.  The cake took most of the morning and I can report that, short of actually tasting it, it seems to have been a successful bake.***

As the cake was cooling the garage called to confirm that the Defender had passed its MOT and could be collected at any time. This is a relief and the final step before advertising it on Autotrader.

I then headed out with Hobson around the Three Miler. 

On my return there was time for a quick coffee before heading over to collect the car. The garage were amazed by the condition of the vehicle and confirmed that my asking price was spot on ... let's hope potential buyers agree!

There was then time for a quick kip before we headed down the lane for our Tai Chi lesson.

I must admit that I was somewhat apprehensive, as some of the routines and sequences are quite complex and I am, most definitely, not a dancer!

However we both enjoyed ourselves and even remembered certain moves and positions. The one I recall with absolute certainty is the crouching tiger eats a biscuit. ****

---

* This is clearly a nickname, developed from my proclivity to confuse and bastardise facts in an attempt to amuse myself

** We are not absolute beginners, as we used to go to Fran's class about five years ago. Our attendance was curtailed for reasons I can't recall, but I do remember how much we enjoyed the physical and mental challenges of this incredibly complex exercise/choreography/martial art class.

*** One might think that it will be stale by 22nd March, but the cake freezes incredibly well. It will be thawed and iced the day before our guests arrive.

**** This is absolutely true. If I remember correctly it is a chocolate hobnob.

Insulation trial

A good part of today was spent faffing around with offcuts of PIR insulation sheet, generally referred to as Celotex or Kingspan in these parts.

My ultimate aim is insulate our timber framed garage by filling the apertures between the studs and noggins with Celotex/Kingspan. The roof will also need to be insulated and then thin OSB sheet will be used to line the interior.

Once it is suitably insulated and lined, I plan to install a small oil filled radiator to raise the temperature and, hopefully, minimise condensation issues.

All of that is a long way down the road, and today's efforts were to familiarise myself with the product.

Overall it went fairly well and I can confirm that a multitool is perfect for cutting the sheets. A permanent marker and straight edge are a must for marking out, and you need to cut a millimetre, or so, oversize so that the panels can be wedged tightly in to the apertures.

What I can report is that working with offcuts is a pain in the backside.  Two, or even three, pieces of Celotex are needed to fill each aperture, and that means twice or thrice the amount of measuring and cuts needed. It also means that more aluminium foil tape is required to seal the joints.

I appreciate that there will always be offcuts to deal with, but having complete sheets would allow me to work out the most economical way to carry out the job.

This little trial took a few hours and it likely to have virtually no impact on the thermal efficiency of the building. What it did achieve is that I now have a better idea of what I am doing and the likely amount of materials needed.

The only other news for today is that I also managed another circuit of the Three Mile with Hobson. As this is now a near daily event, I'm not sure how much longer I can refer to it as news?

Pottering

The weather is markedly cooler after the weekend's fine weather, and a hat was a definite must for this morning's walk around the Three Miler with Hobson. 

I'd like to say that we are both looking a little more streamlined* after the recent introduction of our new regimen, but I think we will need a few more weeks months before I can make that observation.

This afternoon involved a trip over to Worcester to pick up some paint for the bathroom ... It seems that I have some decorating to do.

We also had a visit from an acquaintance who had a few offcuts of PIR insulation sheet going spare. These are now piled in our trailer, and it looks like I will also be attempting to cut them and fit them in the walls of our timber framed garage. This will be a trial ... I have a half developed plan to insulate and line the garage. This will, hopefully make it possible to work in there during the colder months.

---

* Hobson, like his owner, has put on a little timber over the Winter months.

First ride out

Today's main event was to be a ride out with Buzzer.

I arranged this yesterday after I got, in my opinion, a rather abrupt and thoughtless rejection from Bubbles, when I asked him if he fancied a ride out.

It seems that he wanted to have his first ride on his own rather than in company,* and he did that on Saturday afternoon. He then asked if I wanted a ride on Sunday and I replied that I'd already arranged to go out with Buzzer and he could tag along if he liked.**

So the day unfolded as follows. I took Hobson out around the Three Miler this morning, and we then had an early lunch. 

Bubbles arrived around noon and we headed over to Alcester to meet up with Buzzer.  The weather this afternoon was glorious and we had a quite splendid ride out ... sedate, but splendid

Our route took us out through Wixford, and on in to Stratford, before heading through Ettington towards Banbury. From Banbury we headed back via Kineton,*** Compton Verney and Wellesbourne. We skirted around the southern edge of Stratford and returned via Bidford on Avon. This allowed us a final blast up the bypass back to Alcester.

It was a great run out and my first real ride on the R 1250 R after the horrendous foggy run up the motorway when I collected her in January. 

I felt a little more at home with her and my gearshifts were far, far less graunchy. If I'm honest I would have preferred it to be just me and Buzzer as Bubbles is very slow at the moment. Even though I am still running in the bike, I could ride a little more briskly than the newbie.

Whilst on the subject of running in, I really need to get my act together and get out on whenever the weather allows.

I need to complete another five hundred miles and get the bike serviced before I head off to Germany in June ... I also need to get a lot fitter!

---

* I would have thought he would have welcomed a bit of company in case he had a problem with the bike or he ended up in a hedge? Shit can happen on a bike! ... especially if you're new to it.

** Cos a) I do have plenty of mates with bikes and b) they don't need baby minding because they've been riding for thirty or forty years, rather than thirty or forty minutes.

*** Where we stopped at Gilks Cafe for a coffee

The hive is doing well

 Without going in to too much detail, it is fair to ay that last night's curry did not sit well with me.

I don't know whether it was rich food, a couple of beers, or a combination of the two, but I didn't stray far from the conveniences this morning. There was no headache or other hangover like symptoms. I just felt a little off.

I had perked up a little by lunchtime and threw together and sandwich. However eating it was another matter and I only managed half, before giving up and returning to the sofa.

I eventually got my act together and headed out to carry out the first inspection of the year on my colony of bees.

The recent warm, sunny weather had resulted in a significant amount of activity in the hive,  and the bees have been bringing in a reasonable quantity of pollen. This suggests that the queen is now laying, as the pollen is a vital protein source for the brood.

Right, back to the inspection. I grabbed a couple of spare frames of stores just in case and headed up to the hive.

After giving them a couple of puffs of smoke, I removed the hive lid and noted that the bees had cleaned out the last scraps of candy from the packs on the crown board.  They were obviously feed ing well and I hoped that they hadn't run short of food.

I gently prised the crown board away from the brood box and rewarded with the colony covering the six or seven central frames. I then started to work my way through the frames checking each one.

The outer frames had stored honey, but not huge amounts. As I got nearer the centre of the colony I could see that there was a reasonable amount of stores and the middle three frames had brood in various stages of development.

I also caught sight of the queen as I selected and swapped out a couple of depleted frames with the stores I brought from my store room.

With the hive reassembled I returned to the house and tried having a kip as a restorative measure ... an hour or so later I felt somewhat more normal and headed out around the Three Miler with Hobson,  The Rat and Whiffler.

As usual, they enjoyed the walk, exploring the scents and the scattering of sheep shit along the road! High point of the walk was the fallow deer skeleton that The Rat found tangled in the base of a hedgerow.

So that was Saturday. I felt better as the day progressed and I have just about avoided mentioning a rather thoughtless exchange when I attempted to arrange a ride out with Bubbles.

A visit to The Palace

 There was nothing of great importance to report for today.

I got my steps in by walking down to the local surgery to collect a prescription and by taking Hobson around the Three Miler in the afternoon.

We did make it out for a curry at the Shahi Palace with B&H this evening. It was great fun, involved a reasonable amount of booze,* and an enormous quantity of food.

After returning home we all sat around with an uncomfortably stuffed feeling. The one thing we learnt is that we, most definitely, should not have ordered starters.

---

* no surprises there!

A missed opportunity and a stupid mistake

 The plan for today was very much like the one for yesterday; get up, let out chickens, breakfast, walk dogs etc.

However the air was warm, the skies were blue and the bees were flying. It might be time for the first colony inspection of 2025. 

I checked the air temperature and it was just over 15 ℃. Warm enough, provided I was quick and didn't let any uncapped brood chill.

I started to gather my equipment and made a mental list of things I might need; a pack of candy, a couple of frames of stores, fuel for my smoker and so on. 

As I prepared my smoke fuel* I felt somewhat peckish and headed in for a spot of lunch. 

After eating I prepared to go up to the hive when I noticed that the sky had clouded over and the air had chilled ... Bugger! It now looks like it will be Saturday before I get a chance to see how the colony are doing.

With an inspection being out of the question, I decided to take Hobson for a walk around the Three Miler. I checked my blood sugar** and thought "that'll be alright" and headed out of the door.

As I reached the furthest point from home I started to feel a little odd and checked my blood glucose again ... Fuck! It was very low and I had stupidly not brought any emergency snacks along with me.

It was a long, slow trudge back home, which was fortunately uneventful.

It is fair to say that I did little else for the remainder of the afternoon, other than recover.

---

* a short cylinder of rolled corrugated cardboard

** Welcome to the world of diabetes

Hoping for a quick sale

 The weather over the past few days has been beautiful. Frosty nights followed by fine days with clear blue skies.

Walking has been a pleasure, as the lanes are dry, meaning that the dogs don't need washing after an outing.

I have managed to meet my step and heart point targets for a second day, but this increase in activity is playing merry hell with my blood sugar levels. I think some adjustment to my insulin doses will be required if I keep this up.

The main achievement for today was that I finally drafted an advertisement for the Defender to accompany the photos taken on Saturday. It is almost exactly ten years since we bought it, and the time has finally come for someone else to enjoy the idiosyncrasies of Land Rover ownership.*

I may be being ambitious with the asking price, but I'd rather have to reduce the price than sell it too cheaply. 

So I thought I would add a few photos of the car in memoriam. I wrote a similar Journal entry for my previous Defender, and it seems right that I should do the same for the 110.

It certainly has "presence" on the road

snug, but reasonably comfortable

Its turning circle makes most car parks a pain

The rarely used 3rd row seats

A space usually filled with dogs or fishing tackle

Considering its size, it's amazing how may people
don't see it and pull out in front of you!

---

* They are certainly an acquired taste and owners gloss over many aspects of Defender ownership. These include the fact that virtually all of them leak, anyone over 5' 8" will struggle to fit in the driver's seat, and the fact that you need to be able to actually drive rather than just sit in the vehicle and push buttons and pedals!

Can I keep it up?

Sunday's outing to Forhill demonstrated one thing.

A Winter spent sat on my backside had done nothing for my level of fitness. 

I had found myself panting as I made my way up the hill of the shooting ground. I could try to fool myself that wearing a big coat and wellingtons and struggling with a shotgun and a couple of kilos of cartridges were all contributing factors to my wheezing.

But I know that, in truth, a lazy Winter spent reading and cooking has made me terribly unfit.

With an upcoming motorcycle tour, a lot of gardening and aiming to live as long as possible, I really need to put some effort in to improving my level of fitness.

I made a start today by getting out nice and early with the dogs. We had a short walk of a little over a mile down towards one of Beekeeper Pete's apiaries.

I then returned home and got on with various domestic duties.

After lunch I took advantage of the beautiful weather and walked the Three Miler* with Hobson. It seems that I have met my step and heart point targets according to my Google fitness tracker!

That sums up my Tuesday. I did remove the mouse guard from the hive up in the orchard, as the bees are now very active. I also got the Defender booked in for its MOT test ... a prerequisite for getting it sold.

---

* Easier to say than the more accurate two and a half miler

I'm back

I can't say that I haven't had time to jot down a Journal entry. There is always time. I am retired for God's sake. Surely I could have found a few minutes to jot down a few words?

I'm not sure what the reason is. I've been a bit busier than I have over the preceding Winter months, but I have had time. Clearly there have been distractions, and a fair helping of laziness.

Well, I'm here now, so this is what I've been up to.

Thursday, 27 February, 2025

I was out of the house early this morning for a check up at the Ophthalmology clinic. They seemed happy enough with my IOP levels, but totally ignored my report of worsening dry eye and inflamed eyelid symptoms. 

Fortunately I have been referred to an NHS Corneal Clinic, so my potentially misplaced optimism gives me hope of a treatment regime that actually works.

In the afternoon I headed over to the other side of Evesham to meet up with Bubbles at his place of work. He had kindly offered to give the Defender a clean using his employer's car wash facilities.

We had an enjoyable hour getting the car clean and ready to be marketed. The recent dry weather meant that I actually managed to get it back home without it getting splattered with road filth.

Friday, 28 February, 2025

The day had finally come to say goodbye to 30%'s little Seat Arona.

It was another trip up to Nottingham to drop off the Seat and pick up the X3. 

There is little else to report. The new car is lovely and a pleasure to drive. 

The interesting thing is how 30% reacted to it. She took to it like the proverbial duck to water when she test drove it tend days previously. However I could see that she was incredibly apprehensive now she actually owns it.

30% comes across as an incredibly confident and can do type of person. She wears a mantle of self assurance that totally conceals her inner insecurities. It is most surprising to see that a new car is the one thing that will cause this mantle to fall.

I guess that after twenty five years we know each other incredibly well and I can sense her change in disposition ... I do say that I can read her like a pamphlet!

Saturday, 1 March, 2025

30% had been alerted to a local Land Rover club meet down at the Handcart and Fortified Structure this afternoon.

This seemed an ideal opportunity to get the Defender down there to get some feedback on its condition, and perhaps some purchaser interest.

I therefore spent the morning cleaning the inside of the Defender and polishing any bits that had been missed by Bubbles and me on Thursday.

By the time I had finished it looked quite splendid, considering that it is sixteen years old.

The Land Rover meet was great fun. We didn't get a sale, but we got lots of very positive feedback and the general consensus is that it should sell quickly ... fingers crossed

Sunday, 2 March, 2025

This morning found me heading over towards Alvechurch with Bubbles and Ben.

The Forhill shoot has finally reopened after closing down back in 2021 and we were off to shoot at its inaugural event. 

It was a beautiful clear morning and the ground has stunning views across the Lickey Hills and away towards Kidderminster.

It was a challenging shoot and I was rather pleased with my score of 59/100. Bubbles is of the opinion that the course is of a similar standard to CPSA registered shoots, so I did reasonably well.

We'll definitely be back there, although the ground is notoriously wet and wellingtons are going to be a must based on how quickly the ground around the stands got churned up.

Monday, 3 March, 2025

By early afternoon I was home alone.

30% and Jules have headed up to Ashby-de-la-Zouch for a Spa break.

As for me, I just pottered. I headed out for poultry food and petrol and rearranged the appointment for the recall work on the 5 Series.

I also finally got the last of the honey bottled and cleaned up the sticky mess that I had created in the utility room.

Let's hope I can be slightly more productive tomorrow.

Longing for warmer weather

The past couple of days have been inconsequential.

Stuff has been done, but not a lot of it. I suppose this may be symptomatic of my Winter frame of mind. I seem to be thinking and planning rather than actually doing and achieving.

I am enjoying my time reading and making loose plans, but I'm really longing for warmer days. I see lots of things that need to be done, but it is just too wet or too cold to get out there and get things done.

The garden is starting to demand attention and, as the weather warms, I have a motorcycle to become familiar with.

For the moment I am doing my best to gain some sense of achievement by bottling the honey Pete dropped off a couple of days ago. Twenty pounds of it now sit in little hexagonal jars and my roadside stall is now re-stocked.

I did spend some time in  the garage with my recently acquired phone cradle for the R 1250 R.  I now understand how it is fitted to the bike and my phone and the BMW app have been successfully paired with the BMW too. Once back in the warm, I have started to familiarise myself with the satellite navigation functions.

I now need some warm weather and dry roads to see how well the sat nav performs and how secure the cradle really is ... I don't want to be retrieving fragments of my Samsung from the roadside.

A busier day

 After a short walk with the dogs, 30% decided that we should head over to the auction house and pick up the wood turning lathe.

The trailer was hitched up to the Defender and we were soon off down the road towards Littleton.  Cash was exchanged and we then discovered that the lathe was a lot heavier than expected. 

I was confident that we could load and unload it, but my main concern was that it had a cast iron bed and was very top heavy. It is fair to say that I took a lot of care roping it to the trailer and we didn't exceed thirty five miles an hour on our return journey. 

Every bump, manhole and pot hole was approached with care, but the lathe wobbled alarmingly at each one encountered.  It was fair to say that we were both relieved to arrive home with our cargo intact.

I have decided that having a Land Rover and Trailer encourage me to collect items that should really be delivered by professionals!

So that was the morning covered and by lunchtime our stress levels had returned to somewhere near normal. 

Pete the Beekeeper called in shortly after lunch with a tub of honey. He stopped for a chat and were pleased to hear he is feeling much improved after a recent heath issue. Like all of us, the years are taking their toll. He is in his eighth decade and is starting to consider slowing down.

He has about fifty colonies and I am truly amazed that he manages to look after them all. I found that half a dozen colonies took up a good amount of time and extracting honey was a four day event. 

Christ knows how he manages fifty colonies in his mid seventies! I'm not surprised that he is ready to cut back.

Pete was aware that I had lost a colony over the Winter, and advised that he had another colony that I could have to take its place. He is an incredibly generous fellow and I do feel incredibly lucky to count him as a friend.

On the subject of friendship I managed, in a small way, to to return one of the many favours Bubbles has done me over the years ... Late this afternoon I received a text message to advise that he was having major problems drilling in to the concrete floor of his garage.

He was attempting to install a ground anchor for his new motorcycle, but his hammer drill was nowhere near powerful enough to drill in to concrete.  Like some peculiar emergency builder, I threw my SDS drill and bits in the back of the Defender and headed over to Evesham. 

Fortunately my SDS drill was easily up to the job and we soon had the holes drilled. Completing the install was not that straightforward as the expanding bolts weren't of the best quality. There was a fair bit of faffing to get them in place and get the anchor bolted down, but we got there in the end.

This little bit of DIY support reduced Bubbles stress level significantly and, apparently, for this assistance, I have been granted the epithet; Legend.

Nina Conti at the Alex

 It was another soggy day and the weather worsened with each passing hour.

By lunchtime the skies were releasing a steady cold rain and the wind was gusting. It really was the sort of day to stay indoors and enjoy the warmth of the fire.

However that was not to be the case for us. 

Back before Christmas 30% had booked four tickets for Nina Conti's Whose Face Is It Anyway? show at the Alexandra Theatre in Birmingham. The other two tickets were a Christmas gift for Bubbles & Bobbyn.

So, as the skies darkened further and the rain continued to pour, we bundled ourselves in to the car and headed in to the big city ... and we were all so pleased that we did.

Nina was absolutely hysterical. Her ability to channel some quite dark thoughts and her quick wits made the show laugh out loud funny from start to end.

It was most definitely worth braving the horrible weather to see the show.

Acquiring new skills

 It was another quiet day.

However, it seems that I will be spending a fair amount of time acquiring knowledge, as 30% has purchased a wood turning lathe from a local auction.

My father used to do a bit of turning in his retirement and we have a collection of rather chunky wooden coasters that are evidence of his skill level ... or lack thereof. 

As for me, I was going today that I have never used a lathe, but that isn't strictly true. 

When I was a teenager I used to have a weekend job working in a boatyard off Common Road in Evesham. My job was to assist with the servicing of a narrowboat fleet and to train hirers in their handling and operation. This was before they were allowed out to cruise on the River Avon.

Now you might ask, "what is this to do with woodturning?" 

Well, I'm getting to that. In the workshop was a huge engineers lathe. In our lunch breaks we would mount sections of broken broom handle in the lathe. With the aid of whichever chisel could be found, we used to turn amateurish chess pieces for our own entertainment.

So, you see, I really haven't got a clue about woodturning, but it seems that I need to develop a new skill. Check out future Journal entries for pictures of crappy candlesticks and broken bowls.

In other news, Bubbles turned up this afternoon and collected the R nineT.  There was a bit of a wobble as he headed off down the road and I reminded myself that he too needs to acquire new skills. 

Relaxation

 The past couple of days have been milder, but wet and grey.

The weather may be warmer, but the damp and gloom discourages me from anything more than ensuring the fire is lit and the house stays warm.

Part of me feels that I should be doing something, but another part says, "relax and take it easy". I am retired after all, and the garden can wait until it dries out and the weather is fair.

I haven't simply sat in front of the television this Winter, although 30% and I have decided to rewatch Game of Thrones. 

We tend to consume a couple of episodes each day and are just as enthralled with the intrigue, performances and visual splendour as we were when we watched it the first time. We are currently making our way through Series 5, and have yet to decide whether to watch the disappointing eighth series. 

I have also been doing a fair amount of reading. 

Back in December I took out a digital subscription to The New Scientist and I am absolutely loving having access to its articles and back issues. I always used to take a daily peek at the website and read the free articles, but now, with full access, I can become absorbed for probably longer than I should.

For fiction I am re-reading Terry Pratchett's Witches novels and A Hat Full of Sky and The Wintersmith have been consumed in the past few days. They are not hard work, but they are great fun to read, beautifully observed and beautifully written.

My days have not solely been filled with leisure activities. 

Today 30% and I nipped over to Littleton Auctions to view the lots. She had noticed that there was a wood turning lathe for sale and it is something I always fancied trying. Auction day is tomorrow, so we will see whether a bargain can be had.

I have also noticed that I am having a condensation issue in the garage. As a result I now need to look at acquiring a bike drier and looking at options for insulation the space.

Hobson goes out for lunch

 Wednesday was wet and gloomy.

The perfect day for keeping out of the weather, socialising and staying warm. And that is exactly what we did.

Dot & Dave are currently dog sitting for their son and had invited us over for lunch. The invitation included all three of our mutts as their son's dog is an only dog and is fond of having our three over for a play date.

Django is a Lagotta Romagnola and is a lovely boy. He has a few issues ... separation anxiety, a strong dislike of the car and he does like to bark, but he is a lovely dog. He is great with other dogs and absolutely loves to meet up and play with Hobson, our youngest.

As the weather was unpleasant 30% decided that we should only take Hobson over for our lunch date. Four large dogs bouncing around inside would not have been a good idea, so we bundled Hobson in to the back of the Defender and headed over for a spot of lunch.

We had a lovely few hours catching up on each others' news and sharing a lovely lunch. 

There is nothing else of great import to report. 30% has dealt with car registration matters and her little Seat now bears its original registration once more. Monies have been moved around and I think there is little else to do with regard to the purchase of the new car.

Now we need to focus on getting the Defender scrubbed up and sold.

A Journey to Nottingham

 Today's Journal entry could be about a trip to Nottingham to see a car.

I suppose, in some ways, it is, but it is also about me and Nottingham. A little of my back story, if you like.

30% and I hit the road after a leisurely breakfast and were soon heading up the M42. As we neared the city we both commented about how we used to drive this route regularly over twenty five years ago.

30% used to have a fling with a chap who lived in West Bridgford, and me, I lived and worked up there from the early 1990's through to early in the 2000's.

Back to the car. We saw it. We loved it. We struck a deal and we bought it! ... I'll be driving this route again at the end of next week when we go to collect it.

Now back to me and Nottingham. 

After graduating from Wolverhampton Polytechnic, I had a series of laboratory assistant roles. These ranged from animal feed quality testing through bee disease diagnosis to road construction materials testing. 

One day my father bought home a newspaper clipping that had been clipped and proffered by one of his colleagues. It seemed that the Administration Group of the Inland Revenue were recruiting and he thought I might be interested.

To cut a long story* short, I applied, was accepted, and started work with the Inland Revenue Superannuation Funds Office in Hinchley Wood, Surrey in October 1987.**

In the late 80's the Inland Revenue made a strategic decision to move their Administrative Group out of London. As a result I found myself relocated to Nottinghamshire in 1991.

At that time I was in a long term relationship with TP's mother.*** We initially rented a little cottage in Sutton Bonnington before we settled in a fixer upper in Chapel Lane, Granby. 

Over the next few years we made the house liveable, got married and had a child, before TP's mother decided that she could find a far better life companion than me. 

We separated, and later divorced, and I found myself living a few miles down the road in Lime Grove, Bottesford.  This would be 1998/99.

And there I lived, swapping between bachelorhood and parenting, depending on whether TP was in residence, or not.

The separation and move to Bottesford coincided with me leaving the Inland Revenue and joining a local cable TV company called Diamond Cable. Over the next couple of years that company was part of a number of mergers and acquisitions and became a company called ntl: It later became the core of Virgin Media.

I worked in ntl's IT Department and our roles were outsourced to IBM in 2001. I was eventually redeployed to work on an IBM Account based at their offices in Worcester.

It was during this time that 30% and I became reacquainted and a couple. As our relationship developed we started to live together and eventually sold our respective houses and settled in another fixer upper ... The Pile in September 2004.

So that's a potted career history and a tale of a return journey to Nottingham.

---

* Eleven years

** The Monday after the 1987 Hurricane struck the South of England.

*** Biological. It was 30% that did the nurturing stuff!

Oh, it's red

We have been considering slimming down our collection of vehicles for the past few weeks.

The Defender is absolutely extortionate to tax* and it does little more than the occasional trip to the Tip and a weekly fishing outing during the lighter months. It may be a cool vehicle, but it is costing one thousand pounds a year to tax and insure. Then I need to take account of diesel costs, if I am to actually drive it.

We have decided that it is time for it to go. Our plan is to sell the Defender and part-exchange 30%'s little Seat Arona. As for our proposed new vehicle, we plan to buy a larger, petrol engined SUV and have a tow bar fitted. This will enable us to still be able to pull a trailer to the Tip and to navigate the rutted tracks down to the River Avon.

30% has found a very nice BMW X3 up in Nottingham and has scheduled a viewing and test drive for tomorrow.

No problem I hear you say, apart from the fact that I have seen pig sties cleaner than her Seat and hovels that are tidier.

Needless to say, the car needed to be cleaned today.** So 30% did what any responsible car owner would do and buggered off to Ikea with the coven.

Muggins here was left to brave the cold and spend a most of the day cleaning the exterior. It took a good few hours with the pressure washer and then a bucket of hot, soapy water to get it clean, but the end result was worth it.

I point blank refused to touch the interior of the car ... that was 30%'s job when she returned from her shopping jolly.

---

* £735.00 per annum

** to maximise its px value

Day of rest

 Last night was a late one!

Large quantities of rich food and red wine were consumed, and, as a result, I was less than enthusiastic this morning. I didn't feel sick and there was no headache. I just did not feel like doing much at all.

The day started with the chickens being fed and watered and the log rack was refilled.  I did take the dogs out for a short walk whilst 30% tidied the kitchen. But, other than that, Sunday was definitely a day of rest.

My one accomplishment was to book my LeShuttle tickets for the Black Forest tour in June. 

That's it ... I've committed.

I now need to get some miles under my belt on the new bike and ensure I am comfortable with her.

Socialising

 Today was wet and cold. Not the sort of day for Bubbles to pick up my the R nineT, so we met up at a fishing tackle shop in Honeybourne instead. The aforementioned store was having a closing down sale, so we popped in to see if there were any fabulous bargains to be had ... There weren't.

Everything was half price, but there was nothing that was a must have. We did pick up a few consumables. The odds and ends that one looses when one's tackle gets snagged and lost, but nothing worth detailing here.

After the disappointing retail experience, we popped in to a nearby bakery and spent a splendid time drinking coffee and catching up on each other's news. Bubbles now plans to pick up his bike next weekend, as the weather should be much improved.

So shopping and coffee took up much of the morning and I headed home for lunch.

We have guests over for dinner this evening and I offered my support to get the house tidied and everything ready. In actuality 30% had everything in hand and there was very little that I could do other than not make a mess.

As for the evening, A&A were great fun and we had a lovely time. Anyone who brings flowers and a bottle of Chateauneuf du Pape is a most welcome guest. The wine flowed freely and 30% had prepared a fantastic dinner featuring pheasant with apples in a cream sauce and a bread and butter pudding made with hot cross buns.

Tomorrow could well be a lazy day.

A change of pace

Right, it might be worth checking that you have a few minutes spare.  After a very few days, the week ended with death, a pyre and "a first". I also managed to come up with several unexpected words today ... none of which, were expletives.

So let's make a start.

The chickens have started to lay reasonable well over the past six weeks. We generally get two or three eggs each day, and, on one occasion, a full half dozen. These are the rich dark brown eggs of the Marans and the pinky tinted offerings from the Norfolk Greys.

You will note that the Crested Cream Legbars have yet to make a contribution. I have noticed that the comb and wattles of the Legbars have started to colour up nicely. This is a sure sign that they are about to come in to lay, but nothing ... up until this morning.

When I checked the nest boxes this morning I was delighted to see a lovely pale blue egg nestling in the sawdust. The Legbars have finally started to earn their keep.*

With a couple of dozen eggs being laid each week we are now starting to sell our surplus to our friends and acquaintances.  30% has already got pre-orders for a dozen each week. I think her friends will be delighted with boxes of multicoloured eggs.

Now on to the death. I am afraid that the local grey squirrel population has been reduce by one. I managed to pot one that was raiding the bird feeders this morning.

I know some people think they are a charming garden visitor, but they are classed as a pest, known to predate birds nest for eggs and chicks. I'm not a fan and would rather see the birds than bloody tree rats.

Now on to the pyre.  Having stacked the logs from the felled Norway Spruce, I was hoping that the large piles of brash would magically disappear ... or that 30% would step up to the mark. Unfortunately neither wife nor witchcraft has had impact in the orchard, so I headed up there with matches and a firefighter.

I soon had a decent fire burning and spent the morning loading it with conifer brash. It burnt beautifully and, by lunchtime, with assistance from 30%, we had reduced it all to a pile of hot embers in our burner.  It was incredibly rewarding to have finally finished dealing with the tree.

Final observation was that today's lexicon had a number of unexpected entries. Etiolated, coprolite, kibblecrete and hat bound were all heard uttered at some point today.

---

* The Legbars hatched on 11th August 2024, so they're just about six months old now.

Glossary

Coprolite: fossilised excrement. Don't ask!

Etiolated: The sickly pale grass uncovered as we dealt with the piles of brash

Hat bound: The tight feeling around the scalp after wearing a snug beanie hat. It can only be alleviated by vigorous scratching.

Kibblecrete: A solid concretion of dog kibble resulting from an experiment. I wondered if adding heated meat jelly might make the kibble more appetising. 

The "Middle of Lidl" *

My inactive spell continues and there is little to report for Thursday.

30% and I did head out to a couple of supermarkets and came home with an odd selection of goodies. A Valentine's Day meal deal was too good to refuse ... neither of us fancy a night out in an overpriced restaurant filled with loved-up  youngsters, so a ready meal will be just fine for tomorrow.

We also headed to one of our local German Discounters and picked up a reciprocating saw for the princely sum of thirty five pounds. We'll see how good it is in the near future, as I plan to attack some tree roots with it.

---

* It was actually Aldi, but that is nowhere near as good a rhyme

Thought for the day

Imagine what it would be like if dog poo squirmed like a ferret and snapped like a baby alligator.

I'm starting to wonder if a lot of people think like this. 

Apparently it's a charm

 I seem to be slowly grinding to a halt. 

I don't know whether it is a seasonally induced demotivation, but I am having problems getting my arse in to gear at the moment.

Today I managed to perform a little admin and I can report that Bubbles has made my bank balance look healthier by paying for the R nineT. This means that my motorcycle collection is now no larger than the amount of shoes my wardrobe. I challenge 30% to disagree with this fact ... the numbers cannot lie!

That was about it for the day, apart from keeping the log rack filled and a welcoming fire in the hearth. In fact, it was so welcoming that I spent a lot of time in front of it with a book.

I do have one other thing to report. For the past couple of months 30% has been feeding Niger seeds to the birds in the garden.  Previously we have rarely seen goldfinches, but they have become a regular sighting since she started to offer these little black seeds.

The goldfinches are a welcome visitor to the garden with their fabulous plumage. One might think that bullfinches and chaffinches are pretty birds, but then the goldfinch turns up and outshines them.

This morning I looked out to see ten of these little beauties on and around the Niger seed feeder. Apparently the collective noun for a group of goldfinches is a charm.

I didn't do much

 It was another bitterly cold day and, as a result, I was disinclined to do anything but sit in front of the fire.

However the ashes needed to be cleared from the log burner and the log rack needed filling before I could relight the fire. 

Sorting out the fire and various other pottering activities meant that it was lunchtime before I succumbed, and got a fire blazing.

As the afternoon ticked on I felt that I really ought to achieve something, so I headed out to the workshop.

My plan was to make a replacement sign for my little honey stall. The original sign was damaged a few weeks ago when some old duffer reversed their car in to my stall and drove over the sign.

The sign is made from a roofing slate, trimmed to size, with the lettering done with a paint pen. It is very simple, but "Local Honey, £4.00" is sufficient to bring in the customers.

Anyway, I got the slate cut to size before I made an executive decision; I had spent fifteen minutes in the workshop and my hands were frozen. I decreed that signwriting was a clean job and the best place to finish the sign was in the lounge, in front of the fire.

It was a matter of half an hour's work to knock up my new little sign.

Simple, but effective!

It is somewhat ironic that I ran out of honey last week and need another bucket of honey before the new sign has any value.

In other news, I also managed to find a reasonably priced tyre for the 5 Series. Bubbles has confirmed that he will fit it for me, so I'm confident of making a significant saving on the price quoted by the Dealership.

So, that's it for Monday ... I didn't do much, although I'm ploughing through Terry Pratchett's A Hat Full of Sky.

An annual event?

 Over the past few days Dog #4 aka The Rat has been undergoing a prolonged hair cut. 

On Friday I trimmed her face and on Saturday 30% gave her a long overdue bath. The Rat was reasonably well behaved during this annual event and came out of it looking like, well, a drowned rat!

Today I was left home alone and it was time for phase 3 of this grooming marathon. I grabbed my clippers and persuaded The Rat off today's bed of choice.  We took up residency in the Smug and the clippers were soon whirring.

She behaved reasonably well as the hair from her neck and body was shorn. However I knew that her behaviour would change as soon as I reached her legs and underbody. She hates having her leg clipped and it was a challenge to hold her still and manage to do her legs. 

I took a couple of breaks and used several biscuits as bribes to maintain her cooperation. 

Eventually the job was done and I'd say she looks good enough to take out in public ... just don't look too closely at her feet ... they can wait for another day. 

I hope I don't miss it too much

 Having spent more than I really wanted on the R 1250 R, I have been slowly liquidating assets to make up for the extravagance. 

The sale of the old Series 2 Land Rover and my Browning Liberty Light shotgun have improved my bank balance, and today, hopefully, it would be the turn of the BMW R nineT.

Bubbles has been very keen, but could/would not commit until he had passed his test and ridden it down the road. Today was the day for the test ride.

Having owned the bike since June 2019, I have found her to be almost faultless.  She looks fantastic and the performance from the Boxer twin motor is amazing. Huge amounts of torque make it effortless and handling is impressive too. She is no race rep, and I wouldn't want to tour* on her, but she would always be my first choice for an evening ride to the pub.

Anyway, I was pretty confident that Bubbles would love her, but he is new to biking and I needed to let him make his own decision. He only rode it a couple of hundred yards down the road before returning and letting me know that he wanted it.

He admitted that he was fairly certain that he was going to buy it and we laughed, as this is definitely a case of you never just go to look at a puppy, you are going to buy a puppy!**

Bubbs plans to pick her up next weekend, so he'll have a week of sorting out finances and insurance, whilst wishing the hours away. Next Saturday will come around soon enough.

As for me, I'm not sure how I feel about this. I haven't ridden the R 1250 because the weather is dreadful and the roads are filthy. That means that I have yet to form a proper bond with her. On the other hand, I loved the R nineT and I am certain that I will miss her.

I know that you can only ride one bike at a time and I know that I don't make the time for the bikes I have. But I am sure that I will miss her ... I just hope that it's not too much.

Let's end this Journal entry on a positive note. At least I don't have to clean her.

---

* Hence the purchase of the R 1250 R

** or kitten, or chickens, or cars etc, etc

Friday didn't turn out as expected

 I woke shortly after four this morning. I tried to get back to sleep, but after tossing and turning for about an hour, I gave up and got up.

The house was chilly, but there were a couple of logs in the hearth and there was a reasonable bed of embers in the log burner. Using these, I managed to coax the fire alight and soon the room started to warm. 

And so my day started. It was bitterly cold today. An icy wind was blowing in from the East and sleet was forecast for later. It was definitely a day for staying indoors. 

My only ventures outside were to let the chickens out and collect logs from the shed. I did also pick the last of the leeks.* These gave me the excuse to spend the morning in a warm kitchen making leek and potato soup.  

Unfortunately we were out of potatoes, so I needed to head out to the village shop for the aforementioned spuds. I decided to kill two birds with one stone and stopped off at Pete the Beekeepers house. I needed to drop off a honey bucket and, hopefully, order another, as supplies are running very low.

Concerningly, Pete shouted from a window that he was not able to come to the gate. I managed to ascertain that he was OK and that he did not need any help. He promised to call me later ... I really hope he is alright.

Back at home soup was made, the fire was fed logs on a regular basis and I curled up on the settee with a book.

Late in the afternoon 30% headed off for a physiotherapy appointment and returned with a worried look on her face about an hour later.  It seems that the Physio was concerned that she might have a condition where nerves at the base of her spine are compressed. He had referred her for immediate attention at the Accident and Emergency department in Worcester.

And, so we found ourselves sat in the waiting area of A&E. 30% was triaged quite promptly, but it was a long wait to see the Consultant. With her agreement, I returned home to feed the dogs and shut up the chickens. She eventually called at around half past nine to advise that she had been seen. It was the Consultant's view that all was well and there was no need for MRI scans or emergency surgery.

It is fair to say that she and I were both incredibly relieved.

Friday, most definitely, did not pan out as expected.

---

* Planted 13th August '24, var. Bleu de Solaise

Rate your experience on a scale of 1 to 10

Well! The BMW Dealership managed to further disappoint when I went to collect the car this morning.

There was a token discount applied to the invoice, but it was just that "token" and the actual adjustment was rapidly glossed over by the Service Manager. The manager could still provide no clarity on when the recall work will be done, so I paid up and headed out from the Service Reception to collect the car. 

I know it's a tiny thing, but it would have been nice to be pointed in the direction of the 5 Series, rather than having to wander around an underground car park until I found her.

I climbed in and immediately settled in to her rather fine cabin. I was soon heading towards the M5 when further disappointment occurred. 

When I checked the car in yesterday I distinctly recall asking that the rear tyre pressures be checked and adjusted. In fact the Service Concierge carefully typed this in to the Notes Section of the car's service sheet. I was therefore fucking furious to get an alert from the car advising that the rear tyre pressures were significantly lower than they should be.

Basically the lazy arse of a Service Technician hasn't done the job properly and that really doesn't inspire confidence or encourage me to use the Dealership again.

As I said yesterday, "I think I'll be using the Hereford Branch in future".

---

Post Script

I forgot to mention that I did something yesterday that I have never done before ... I picked a lock.

30% has a vintage, tambour fronted stationary cabinet in the bedroom. She finds the slim drawers just perfect for a ladies odds and ends.

About a week ago she mentioned that she had closed the tambour shutter and it had clicked shut. Heaven knows why she did this, but she did. Unfortunately the key was safely tucked in one of the drawers i.e. locked inside.

It now fell to yours truly to develop old school thieving skills rather than use the more modern just kick the front in approach.

I had a quick squizz at YouTube and fashioned a pick from the spring in a convenient clothes peg. I also grabbed a slim bladed pair of scissors and set to the task. It was surprisingly straightforward and I managed to spring the front open within a couple of minutes.

It was quite amusing that 30% was up in the bedroom for about half an hour and still hadn't noticed that I had now developed proper burglary skills ... I'm going to have a go at a safe next.

I think I'll go back to using the Hereford branch

 Today's main event was the delivery of the 5 Series to the dealership in Cheltenham for its MOT and Oil Service. 

The original plan was for the EGR cooler to be replaced too, as part of a vehicle recall programme. The Dealership called yesterday to advise that the component was on back order, and that it would need to be done at a later date.

So, we dropped off the car and attempted to find out when the recall work would be scheduled. It is fair to say that the Service Manager we spoke to was evasive, contradictory and waffly. I should add in apologetic for fairness, but evasive, contradictory and waffly were my main takeaways from the conversation.

It appears that they are working through the recalled cars in VIN number order. I will be contacted when it is my vehicle's turn and this could take a couple of months. 

If that is the case why does the official BMW communication advise me to contact the dealership and arrange the recall? Furthermore, if this is the case, why wasn't I told this when I booked the car in for the work in early January?

Also, if they're working on the in-scope vehicles in VIN No order, how do they do that? I could take my 5 Series in to any BMW Dealership for the work. They have no idea what vehicles will be taken to them for the work. They won't know the vehicle identity until the point that it is actually booked in and how do they identify which owners they need to contact?

If you ask me, it sounds like I have been fed a line here!

---

* To add attempted injury to insult; at five minutes to five this evening I received a vehicle inspection video showing a few items of work that need attention on the car. I accept that it will need a new front tyre, but I wasn't going to pay BMW rates for that work. I scanned down the list and noticed that they wanted to charge me over sixty quid to put in 8 litres of Adblue. Now I am aware that ten litres of Adblue will cost me £16 and I pour it in to the car via the cap next to the fuel filler. It is literally as simple as putting diesel in the car.

How the fuck do they justify a sixty quid charge for that?

The 3D Jigsaw

Having had to chop up two trees in the past couple of month, I am more than ready to do something different.

My plan for today was to get the logs stacked and finally see the job finished. The weather wasn't particularly pleasant this morning. It was dry, but there was a cold wind. 

As I've already said, my enthusiasm for chopping up and stacking firewood has significantly diminished, and I wasn't overly keen on doing the job in unpleasant weather.

Fortunately the completer/finisher side of my nature kicked in and I headed out to brave the cold. Luckily the log shed is fairly well sheltered and I settled to my task. 

Stacking the logs wasn't particularly straightforward as they have been hand hewn from knotty conifer wood. They are all shapes and sizes. My morning was therefore spent assembling a three dimensional jigsaw ... with no box and no picture on the lid.

The job took most of the morning and I was reasonably pleased with the result. It looks nowhere near as neat as my previous log pile, but it'll do. They just need to dry for about eighteen months and I'll be moving them again ... to the hearth in the lounge.

It seems that I was fortunate with the timing of this task, as the weather turned foul after lunch. A cold rain accompanied the wind and indoors was the only place to be.

I lit a fire and spent the afternoon finishing off Bob Mortimer's Hotel Avocado.  I enjoyed it, but it wasn't quite up to the originality of The Satsuma Complex. I'd give it a three out of five ... worth a look, but borrow it from a mate if you can.*

The only other thing worthy of mentioning is the call from the BMW dealership. Apparently they do not have the replacement part needed for the EGR cooler recall and will only be able to perform the service and MOT tomorrow. That is really bloody annoying as it was the main purpose for the visit and it now means that I will need to take the car back in again.  At this point in time they cannot advise when the part will be available ... it's not great customer service is it?**

---

* Don't ask me for it. I refuse to lend books, even to my best friends. I've had too many disappear that way. Racheal Harper Clemens, I am still waiting for you to return my copy of Dark Fire by CJ Sansom!

** BMW always send out a customer service survey after a visit to their dealerships. On previous occasions it has been made VERY clear to me that any score less than a perfect 10 is not well received. Apparently things can get very uncomfortable for the Dealership, and they would prefer that you don't bother to leave unfavourable reviews.  At the moment I am erring towards a three, possibly a four.

I'm getting fed up with moving logs

 I woke this morning and felt somewhat jaded. 30% reminded me that Bubbles had been very generous with the Jammy Red yesterday evening.* It seems that I have a hangover.

Fortunately it wasn't too horrific a reminder of yesterday's get-together and a couple of ibuprofen soon took care of the headache.

The main event of the day was the arrival of the drainage contractors. They had finally arrived to finish the work started in December. The work had been aborted as the ground had been far too wet to cope with anything but foot traffic, but they now deemed it possible to complete the job.

Three tons of top soil arrived, mats were laid on the lawn to minimise damage, and they spent most of the morning repairing the berm.  The soil has been raked out and grass seed has been scattered. Let's see what it looks like when everything has settled. 

As for me, I finally got my act together late in the morning and headed out to the orchard with a wheelbarrow. My plan was to move the pile of logs from the site of the felled tree across the orchard to the log shed. I thought I'd get a couple of barrows-full moved before lunch, but I found my mojo and had most of the job finished before I ate.

It was only twenty minutes work, after lunch, to finally finish the job and now I just need to stack them. Mind you, the cynic in me did note that I had spent more than an hour moving logs and the heap had simply moved thirty yards ... not a lot of change really.

---

* This was surprising, not because Bubbs is tight, rather because he is not a drinker. It is very, very rare that we see him with alcohol in a glass.

Odds 'n Sods

Sunday was a day of odds and ends.

After a leisurely start to the day, I refuelled the chainsaw, wandered up to the orchard and finished off the last section of the felled tree. I now have a nice pile of split logs that need to be stacked in the log shed. That can wait for another day.

Next on the list was to attend to the 5 Series. It has sat under cover since the end of May last year, but its sojourn will end in a couple of months.* It needs to be MOT tested, have an oil service and have its EGR cooler replaced.** It is booked in for these jobs on Wednesday and I needed to ensure it would start.

It was little effort to remove the car cover and I was delighted that I had taken the effort to clean her before I put her away. She looks great both inside and out and there are no nasty damp smells. I unplugged the battery conditioner and attempted to start her. After a couple of attempts she fired up and was soon running nicely.

It was no surprise to see an array of warning messages, mostly related to an overdue oil service and the recall. The other messages disappeared as soon as I had pumped her tyres up a little.

So the car is ready for the workshop on Wednesday and I am really looking forward to having her on the road again.

This evening we headed over to see Bubbles and Bobbyn with a takeaway from China Twon.  We had a lovely evening catching up on each others' news and probably ate far too much. Bubbles pulled out a bottle of Jammy Red and I know I drank far more of that than I should have!

---

* The vehicle excise duty on the 5 Series drops significantly at the end of April 2025. The car will then be put back on the road. We have used the Defender while the BMW has been SORN'd as we really needed a workhorse that could tow the trailer and also handle rutted tracks to various fishing destinations.

** As part of a manufacturer's vehicle recall

Post Script

I forgot to mention that, while pottering in the orchard, I noticed that the bees were flying this morning. Today's fine weather had encouraged them out. It was lovely to see them around the hive entrance, especially after the disappointment of loosing one of the colonies back in January. Let's hope this is a good omen and the colony will flourish over the coming months.