That's one job finished

Today's achievements look even less impressive than yesterday's!

I finished installing the last of the light fittings, cleaned up, and then put away my tools. I rewarded myself with a cup of coffee, before realising that my next job would be to install the new curtain poles in the lounge and dining room.

I have already recounted the installation of the two poles in the Snug.  And here I am about to commence further DIY tasks in an eighteenth century house* ... I sometimes question my sanity.

In the afternoon I attempted to restore an edge to an old chisel, before giving up, lighting the fire and settling in with my book.

30% arrived home from her spa break in the early evening and attempted to regale me with juicy gossip and drama.

I can report that three of the dogs are delighted by the return of their mistress.**

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* In fairness, back in the late nineties, I had a house in Bottesford that was built in the 1980's. It was a lovely place, but equally challenging to work on.  The internal walls had been built with thermalite blocks.  Trying to fix anything substantial to those is a massive challenge. They are so soft, one can drill in to them using a hand drill.

** Whiffler has sulked on her bed while she has been away. He has only appeared when called down for a wander in the garden to empty his bladder.  Traitorous Bastard has been true to his name and has taken to sleeping in the prime position on my bed.  This has disgruntled Hobson, who has had to find an alternative, and probably less comfortable spot, to curl up in.  30%'s return has restored order to their world. As for Dog #4 aka The Rat, she really doesn't give a damn who is, or isn't in the house, provide that she is fed, let out for a wee, and given the occasional fuss ... when it suits her!

When committed to paper ...

... It doesn't look like I did much today!

I am home alone, except for four dogs, eleven chickens and a goldfish that lurks in one of our water tanks.  30% is having a spa break in Ashby de la Zouch.  She has attempted to describe what goes on there, and I have to say, it really doesn't sound like my idea of fun.

So, having attended to all of the livestock, except the fish, how did I occupy my time today?

A couple of weeks ago we took delivery of three curtain poles for the dining and sitting rooms. The order also included a set of replacement wall lights for the snug. Earlier this week some rather nice LED Edison type bulbs arrived, followed by some round head, japanned screws, a day later.

I had now run out of excuses. It was time to replace the rather unpleasant light fittings* that currently illuminate the snug. 

Most of my day has been spent removing the old fittings and replacing them with the new. It wasn't overly complex, but I did need to excavate the plaster behind the fittings to make space for the chocolate block connectors ... The new fittings have a lower profile than the old, with less space behind them.

As the light faded, I had replaced three of the four fittings, and had vacuumed up the mess. I only experienced one inadvertent surge of 240v mains down my arm, and can report that the new lights look rather nice. They tie in nicely with the iron curtain poles, are far less fussy than the original lights and are in keeping, whilst adding a slightly modern twist.

I am now sat in the warm glow from the new lighting.  I'm well chuffed.

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* Reproduction Victorian/Edwardian brass fittings with the most unattractive bulbs installed.  We had always planned to replace them, so have never bothered to fit shades in an attempt to make them more acceptable ... In hindsight, I wish that we had!

Very little to report

It was quite late before C and I retired, so it will come as no surprise that today was a lazy day.

Most of the morning was taken up with an extended brunch. Copious quantities of tea and coffee were consumed, and we all partook in the inaugural "sausage-off."

This new event features a selection of sausages from the home town of the participants. C&S brought a selection from the Kings Farm Shop in Wendover and 30% supplied samples from Hiller's Farm Shop on the Ragley Estate.

Each sausage was sampled and we attempted to reach a conclusion on which was the best. I think we all decided that the Wendover Royal was the winner, but we did point out that our selection had not included the Lashford's Traditional Breakfast Sausage.

It seems that a second round of the competition will be needed.

30% headed off to Champneys Health Spa in the afternoon. She is spending a couple of days relaxing with her friend, Michelle.

I caught up on some sleep and realised that there was a mountain of cold sausages lurking in the bottom of the fridge.

That's my supper sorted!

The closest I'll come to time travel

 C&S are up for an overnight stay and would be arriving later this afternoon. 

Consequently much of this morning was spent ensuring that the house was presentable and that everything was in order for their brief stay.  I'll get to the reasons for that later.

During the day I did find a few minutes to continue with the restoration of my woodworkers bench. This was not messy work. This was an attempt to find replacement hinges for the doors that I will be making. The original doors were hung on the carcass using lift-off hinges.  These are fairly easy to find on-line, but the hinges I need are cranked, lift-off, flag hinges. 

Multiple web searches failed to find a retailer. Annoyingly, I would find a lead, click on the link and be rewarded with a 404 page not found message. On another occasion I found a supplier in Germany, but they had no on-line store. I found a UK supplier of lift off hinges, but they only supplied left handed versions, not right and left. It was getting very frustrating.

Well, this afternoon I think I have found a supplier in Germany that can provide what I need and ship to the UK. I checked out my virtual basket and am filled with anticipation to see what, if anything, arrives in the post.

Now on to the subject of today's Journal entry.

C does tend to gently tease me about my affection for the ska band, Bad Manners. I first saw them back in the early eighties at the Malvern Winter Gardens and was amazed at their sound and performance. They really were very good.

A few weeks ago 30% noticed that Bad Manners would be playing at the Assembly, Leamington Spa. C&S were invited, they accepted, tickets were purchased and that pretty much brings us up to date.  We arrived in Leamington for an early supper at The Terrace,  before heading round the corner to wander in to The Assembly.

As we mounted the staircase to the concert room, I swear I went back forty years in time. We were surrounded by skinheads in denim jeans, boots, Fred Perry T shirts and Harrington Jackets.  Every surface of the venue was painted black and covered in scuffs. There was a pervading scent of stale, cheap beer and the room was filled with a sense of amiable anticipation.

The front of the hall was a raised stage with a row of microphones and the occasional waft from a smoke machine. At the rear was a middle aged chap, stood behind a trestle table, selling merch to the punters.  A muffled stream of ska and Two Tone tracks played in the background as we waited ... and waited ... and waited.

It really was like being eighteen again, and turning up for your first ever gig.  I should point out that the only thing that showed I hadn't gone back in time was that most of the audience were comfortably in to their sixties.*

At about half past nine, in response to chants of "You Fat Bastard, You Fat Bastard!" the band eventual appeared and kicked off their set.  They really were very good, with a very tight sound. Buster was exactly as expected and lead the merriment.

Unfortunately, after about half an hour, S decided that she couldn't cope with the volume and retired to the bar.** We listened to a couple more tracks before aborting and heading home.

It was a shame that we felt compelled to leave early, but 30% has found that they are gigging in Worcester fairly soon. 

We'll be back!

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* There were a few youngsters that had either succumbed to the lure of a very danceable music genre, or had just wandered in to see what the hell their parents were on about.

** This was a little frustrating. Before we arrived at the venue she had made a couple of comments along the lines of, "I'll need a few glasses of red, if I'm going to watch Bad Manners." This indicated that she wasn't overly keen, BUT I had asked C, at the point of purchasing the tickets, how many tickets he wanted! She wasn't compelled to come along.

Honey and Woodwork

Today I was forced to bottle another couple of batches of honey. I shouldn't complain. I am now so familiar with the process that it doesn't take much effort to complete.  The only issue is that I can't stray far from the utility room, as every hour or so there is some task or other than needs attention.*

I've also realised that my sales are close to the £2,000 per annum mark. As I said, "I shouldn't complain."

The reason for this success is mostly down to location. We're sat in a picturesque location on a circular walk enjoyed by many walkers and riders. I also put a lot of thought in to my packaging, so we have an attractive product. People seem to love it and the packaging also makes it a nice gift for friends and visitors.

Anyway, the honey business is doing well, so a day spent bottling honey every couple of weeks should be complained about. My only concern is that I have now sold all but a few pounds of my 2025 harvest, and Pete the Bee Keeper is yet to drop off a 30 lb bucket to keep me going.

The only other thing to report is that I spent some of the afternoon milling down some oak that I found in the car port.  

A few weeks ago I gave a carpenter's workbench a light refurb and moved it in to my workshop.  The bench is a rather fine thing. It is made by a Swedish company called Sjöberg, and an internet search indicates that they are a premium product.

I'll now get to the point about the milling of the oak. The bench has a cupboard beneath the work surface and the doors have been removed long before it came in to my possession. In view of the quality of the bench it seems inappropriate to sling a couple of crude doors on the cupboard, so I have decided to construct a pair of panel doors with oak frames.  I have the tools and the time, so why not?

The late afternoon was therefore spent cutting and planing lengths of slightly wormy oak. I'm sure it will be worth the effort.

---

* Jars to be put through the dishwasher, honey to be stirred, jars to be sterilised in the oven, and so on.

I've still go the Honda to do

The morning I got the Enfield tucked away for the winter. I even remembered to put a note on it, reminding me of the recommissioning tasks that need to be completed, before I attempt to start it next year.

With less than an hour before lunch, I headed to the bookcase and sought out a replacement for the tedious tome I abandoned yesterday. I selected Dark Fire by C J Sansom.  I read it many years ago and thoroughly enjoyed it. Within a few pages I was absorbed in this tale of a Tudor Lawyer.

In the afternoon we headed out for a walk with the dogs. The weather was quite lovely today. It was mild and there was a blue sky with only a few clouds.

The rest of the afternoon was spent pottering around the house. I have realised that I am running short of supplies for my little stall, and I will need to bottle honey tomorrow. I seem to be bottling every couple of weeks at the moment and really need Pete to drop off another tub of honey. I am down to the last few pounds of my 2025 crop.

This evening the Tai Chi class resumed and I spent a pleasant hour participating in the Autumn sequence and the Dao Ying Yan Shen exercises. As I have become more familiar with these sequences I am really enjoying the sense of calm as one makes their way through the choreography.

So, that was Wednesday. 

The only other thing to report is that 30% has booked our 2026 Narrow Boat holiday with B&H.  We're off to explore the Llangollen Canal next June. 

Sometimes being told isn't enough

 30% had arranged to visit her old friend Pinky today.

Her condition has much improved. At one point it was a case of "prepare for the worst". Now they are talking about a "complete recovery, taking six to twelve months." She is still in intensive care, but the periods of ventilation and sedation are being reduced. Her eyes are open and she can respond to verbal prompts to squeeze one's hand.  Her slow recovery begins.

What I haven't mentioned is that Pinky moved to Rhayader a few years back, so is ensconced in the Intensive Care Unit of Aberystwyth Hospital.  That is a a fair trek from these parts, so today I was left home alone to keep the dogs company, whilst 30% headed out on the train to deepest Wales.

I dropped her off at the station just before nine, and spent the morning mostly pottering. I read a little, but became increasingly frustrated with the book I had selected.* 

I took delivery of the Enfield's Vac Bag this afternoon, and headed out to the garage to finish cleaning the front wheel. I have found that a gently rub with wire wool and metal polish work wonders on the tarnished spokes.

I returned to the house to keep the dogs company, lighting a fire in the late afternoon. 30% called just before seven to advise that she would be in Redditch at "half past."

I collected her from the station and listened as she recounted her day. She was exhausted by the travelling and the experience of the hospital visit, but buoyed by the fact that her friend's condition is greatly improved. I think she needed the reassurance of seeing Pinky with her own eyes.

---

* I say "selected," in reality it was more a case of it being forced upon me.  It is the fifth instalment of a fantasy series, and, being a completer/finisher, I felt compelled to read the entire series.  The first two volumes were a great read, but three and four were repetitive, and filled with page after page of nothing. There were occasional bouts of excitement that were just enough to keep the dedicated reader interested, but I admit to skipping large chunks frequently. The final volume was the final straw. I got about one hundred and fifty pages in and couldn't bear reading another sentence. It has been replaced in the bookcase and I will never take it out again.

The Lexicon of Love

 Today started with a trip in to Redditch's Kingfisher Centre.

30% was due for a hearing test and my trusted wristwatch needed a new battery. She popped in to Specsavers and I headed to Timpson to have a new battery installed.*

A trip to the supermarket followed and that consumed the morning.

In the afternoon we took the dogs out for a walk and then I headed in to the garage to resume the cleaning the Enfield. A Vac Bag has been ordered, and I would really like to get it tucked away for the winter in the next few days.  I made a start on cleaning the spokes of the front wheel and found that a light rub with steel wool works wonders. I also constructed a virtual list of maintenance tasks that will be needed before I attempt to start it in the spring.**

This evening we took the train from Redditch in to Birmingham for an evening at the Symphony Hall. ABC were in concert, with a Symphony Orchestra, performing their first album; The Lexicon of Love.

I have had a copy of this LP since it was first released in 1985, and have never tired of it. I have a playlist on my phone that provides the soundtrack to most of my car journeys. Several ABC tracks appear on the it, and they never fail to delight.

ABC opened with When Smokey Sings and the rest of the first half was comprised of later works. After the intermission the Lexicon of Love was performed in its entirety with a 30 piece orchestra performing alongside the band.

It was a splendid evening, and we both loved it. We did comment that we could have arrived, listened to the first track and then popped out for a light bite to eat, before returning for the main event. That is not to say that the first half of the concert wasn't good, it was. It was just that the second half was just fabulous.

ABC have definitely set the benchmark high, let's see how Bad Manners do on Friday.

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* A new battery for a Tag watch will cost in the region of ninety pounds. They last a four or five years, but they are still rather expensive.  Many years ago I called in to a branch of Timpson to get my watch battery replaced, and they advised that, for a small fee, I could get a lifetime guarantee on the battery.  I paid the fee and carefully stowed the guarantee card in my wallet. You can see the Timpson staff smile when you ask for a new battery to be fitted, and then groan when you pull out the golden ticket.

** The list: 

• Adjust Chain, 
• Check oil level (it looks high), 
• Replace chain case gasket (there is a small leak), 
• Pray (the bike hasn't been ridden since early 2021 and the carb could well be gummed up)

Day of rest

It was close to two o'clock this morning before we got to bed, so today really wasn't going to be very productive.

It was a late start, and, eventually, the chickens were let out and our Sunday began.  

A chap called round in the morning to give us a quote for cutting the hedges.  I have done it in previous years, and am still quite capable of doing it. 

The thing is, it is a bit of a mission, and, if I can get someone else to do it for a reasonable price, I'll outsource it.

In the afternoon a snooze was mandated to catch up on some sleep, and then we walked the dogs down the lane.

I then settled down with a book and did little else for the rest of the day.

Out for dinner

I met up with Bubbles and Ben at the Cotswold Shooting Ground in Childswickham this morning, for a round of sporting clays.

The weather was wet and windy, neither of which are ideal conditions for clay pigeon shooting.  The wind caused the clay trajectories to be erratic, and the rain on my spectacles made it challenging to follow their flight.

If I am honest I didn't really try that hard, so I can't complain with a score of 39/80. I'm not making out that it is a good score, but it could have been a lot worse ... and I didn't use the big coat excuse.*

My gun got wet this morning, so the first job, when I got home, was to clean it.  It is now sat back in the gun cabinet and, being clean, if I don't fancy shooting during cold and damp months, it will be fine until the spring.**

In the afternoon we took the dogs out for a walk down the lane, and in the evening we headed over to Evesham for dinner with Rosie & Jim and Gizzie & Jules.  

We had a splendid time, some lovely food, and the conversation never faltered. It was a great evening. One observation I will make is that, now we are all in our sixties, the first part of the evening was spent discussing our latest aches and pains!

We didn't make it to bed until close to two o'clock, so I am expecting that Sunday will be a quiet one.

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* It was cold this morning and I wore my shooting coat. It is well made, but it does restrict one's movement when shouldering the gun and sighting on the clay.  After a summer of shooting in a tee or sweatshirt, it takes a while to adjust. It is a standing joke that there are hundreds of excuses for poor performance at the clay shooting ground. It is always best to come prepared with a list!

** Much like my motorcycles.

The Dog Whisperer?

Friday turned out to be a very lazy day.

After a very leisurely start to the day, the only thing I achieved in the morning was to pick up a prescription from a local chemist.  

On the way to pick up the drugs, I decided to pop in to see Pete the Beekeeper.  I wanted to order a 30lb bucket of honey as my supplies are running short.* I also wanted to pay him for the two queens that he supplied back in the late summer of 2024. 

I actually bumped in to Pete about half a mile down the lane, where the bridge crosses the little stream.  He has an apiary there and was performing a late season check. I managed to order a bucket of honey but totally failed to get him to accept any money for either the honey or the queens. His reluctance to work out how much I owe him for the queens is getting ridiculous. I must have attempted to pay him half a dozen times, and he keeps declining payment "until he works out how much I owe him."

Anyway, on to this afternoon ... we walked the dogs down the lane and then I returned to cleaning the Enfield in the garage. The peeling vinyl stickers were removed from the tank and it was given a good polish. I also settled to cleaning the front wheel spokes. I didn't get very far before I decided to head indoors, light a fire and warm my bones.

And now to the title of today's Journal entry. 

Since Traitorous Bastard has come to live with us he has shown a rather annoying personality trait. At the sight of any animal on the television,** he lunges towards the set barking. He gets so excited that he actually headbutts the screen and has come close to knocking it off its stand.

None of our other dogs do this. Dog #4 aka The Rat does enjoy a wildlife programme, but she simply settles in the chair and enjoys the show. Whiffler and Hobson show no interest in the television at all. It is just TB that thinks we are being invaded by strange beasts.

So, for the past few days, I have been attempting to dissuade him from this behaviour by putting him outside the room, and shutting the door, each time he does this.  He is only left in the hall for a couple of minutes, before he is let back in.

He seems to have caught on very quickly. If he starts to lunge at the TV, we call him and point to the lounge door. He stops, returns to 30%, and reluctantly sits.

Neither of us can believe how quickly he has caught on, and we are wondering whether it a fluke? The cynic in me thinks we need to continue with this training approach for a while longer.

---

* I harvested about 140 lb at the end of May this year, and I am down to my last 30lb bucket. Sales have been, and continue to be, very good.

** You would be amazed how many advertisements have dogs and cats in them.

There is hope

The day has finally arrived for my appointment with an NHS Cornea Specialist.

I have had a problem with recurring corneal abrasions for many years. This problem stems from a number of minor eye injuries. These range from TP poking his finger in my eye, when he was a toddler, to Marauder scratching my eye with one of her whiskers; when I was playing with her many years ago.  I also picked up another scratch trimming Mrs Tweedy's bush, but I shudder at any mention of that!

These injuries have taken their toll. A few times a year I will suffer a corneal abrasion that is very painful, and can take a week or two to heal. My dry eye condition does not help, in fact it exacerbates the problem. Over night the surface of my eye will dry out and the lid will partially adhere to the cornea. When I open my eyes in morning the lifting of the lid removes an area of my cornea and I have another corneal abrasion.

I use a greasy ointment at night to control this. It works well, but it is like trying to see through a film of petroleum jelly once it has been applied. 

I have waited a long time for this appointment following a referral from CHEC at the beginning of the year. I walked in to the clinic hopefully that I would finally get a treatment that would actually work, rather than the CHEC approach, which always seems to be a combination of formulaic, ineffective and generally disinterested.

The pessimist in me kept bringing up the niggling thought that I was stuck with painful, sore, itchy eyes for the remainder of my years.

The Specialist at the clinic was a delight. She listened carefully to my history, and was thorough in her examinations and questions. She advised that I had been managing my eye conditions appropriately, but there were other, and additional, treatment options that are available to me. It is very much a case of trying the various options to see which ones work best.*

I left with a prescription for some new treatments, a follow-up appointment in four months time and clarification that I should not be purchasing Hycosan Night. In future it is to be provided, without charge, on prescription.

I left the consultation feeling quite positive, after three years of handling a quite miserable condition.

I also submitted my tax return this afternoon, and can report that I am due a healthy tax rebate for the year 2024/25.  I really do not know why I put off doing the damned thing. It is never as complicated as I expect,** and, generally, takes less than a day to sort out.

I wish that my eye condition could be resolved as quickly!

---

* One of them sounded horrific. Google Corneal Alcohol Delamination, it doesn't sound like fun!

** Even less so, now I have retired 

Busy, busy!

First job this morning was to take TB* in to Stratford to be groomed.

Hobson was not impressed that he was to be left at home and could be heard expressing his feelings as we drove off.  Just in case you weren't aware, the Grooming Salon decided that Hobson was not sufficiently well behaved, to be a model for their academy. It has been home haircuts for him ever since.

Anyway, bright and early we all got in to the car and headed over towards Stratford on Avon. As we reached the top of Red Hill the traffic was crawling, and didn't improve until we reached our destination. It was stop/start all the way, and every single traffic light was on red. A handful of road works had been thrown in to the mix, and the inward journey was a complete and utter bastard. A twenty minute drive took the best part of an hour!

We dropped TB off and headed out of town on the Bidford road. That wasn't much better.

The reason for the alternative route was that 30% wanted to check out an oak refectory table at a local auction house. It wasn't really open for viewing lots, but we persuaded the staff to allow is to take a peek.  The table was rather lovely, but it was a little on the narrow side. I think we just need to be patient and wait for the right one to turn up. It's not as though we don't have a decent dining table at the moment.**

That little trip out took up all of the morning. In the afternoon I finally made a start on completing my tax return for 2024/25.*** Accessing His Majesty's Customs and Revenue software was a breeze, but the pre-populated data wasn't quite right and I couldn't find a way to correct it. A twenty minute wait followed by text exchanges involving a chatbot, an artificial intelligence entity referring to itself as Philippa,**** and a real person called Sharon eventually got me sorted.

I made reasonable headway thereafter, and got a good way through the process. By the time I hit [SAVE], in order to go and collect TB, I had come to the conclusion that I could well be due for another tax rebate. If ever there was motivation to finish the job, that was it.

The trip in to collect TB was an absolute breeze. We were there and back in the same time as our inward journey this morning. I should mention that TB looked fantastic and had behaved beautifully, again.

I will just return to my tax return briefly. Clearly I need to get it completed, but yesterday we received a delivery of three new curtain poles and some new light fittings for the living room. As soon as I've done my tax return, I have one less reason to delay installing these fittings.

Perhaps I need to slow down the rate of progress on the Enfield?

---

* TB aka Traitorous Bastard, Hobson's litter mate

** I should clarify that the picture of the dining table in the linked entry was taken at The Pile, our previous home,

*** It has only taken me 272 days to get around to starting it!

**** It might have been a real person, but the response time and actual responses seemed more like an AI. I suppose she might have been working from home and cooking something lovely for dinner at the same time? That might explain why my problem wasn't resolved by her?

Great Company

At some point last week 30% was loitering, virtually, in the realm of Facebook.  She noticed that Grandad Jack was on line, so she pinged him and invited him over for lunch. 

She also invited her ex-frolleague Jules, and TP was in residence too.

Basically we had a houseful today and we had a quite splendid day filled with chatter, social updates and good food.

Grandad Jack mentioned that his wife rather fancied dropping in too, so we may be hosting Jacqui next time.*

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* That'll be interesting, as Jacqui is the complete antithesis to Jack. He is witty, bawdy, relaxed, delightful company, and definitely worldly wise.  She is much more restrained and uptight. One wonders what he saw in her? Great legs, perhaps?

TP drops in

As the day length has reduced over the past few weeks, I have got used to being able to wake, drink coffee and start the day at a leisurely pace, before it is sufficiently light to put out my honey stall and release the chickens.

I therefore find it somewhat annoying that the switch to GMT has buggered up my relaxed start to the day. I now need to haul my backside from my bed and head straight out in to the garden to perform my early morning duties. This is not acceptable, and it will be another few weeks before I can have lazy mornings again.

This morning I returned to the garage and continued with the spruce up of the Enfield. I can now report that the rear wheel has been cleaned in its entirety, spokes and all. I haven't counted them, but I know that I have individually polished forty tarnished spokes back to something that looks presentable. I still have the front wheel to address. That's another forty spokes and some of those have started to rust. I'm really trying to put that off for a day or two.

In the early afternoon I sorted out the last of the holes that TB had dug in the lawn over the summer.  A neat section of turf has been inserted and the lawn in front of the ornamental greenhouse now looks slightly more presentable.

Later in the afternoon TP turned up for an overnight stay.* He had kindly delivered a rather nice leather Stressless reclining chair that 30% had found on Facebook marketplace. **

After catching up with each others' news we all headed out for a short walk across the field with the dogs. We had a lovely evening and 30% tried really hard to avoid interrogating him about his new girlfriend. 

Note: I did say, "30% tried," I didn't say "30% succeeded"

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* There has been a week long break in his shooting schedule, and he has spent the time catching up with friends and us. He even had a mini break with his new lady friend.

** It was being sold a few miles away from his home in North Cardiff, so the poor lad was persuaded to go over, check it out and buy it, if it was in good condition.  He did a great job and even managed to get them to reduce their price by thirty pounds ... It's a bargain!

What time is it?

I woke this morning totally confused by the clocks being put back last night.

My phone indicated that it was approaching quarter to six, but when I checked my watch it was close to seven o'clock.* It took a few moments for my brain to catch up with events, and I then adjusted my timepiece and started the day at a gentle pace.

30% appeared later in the morning and, after a while, presented me with her wristwatch, requesting that I adjust it for her.  She has had the watch since 2013, and has yet to learn how to adjust it. I attended to the task and noticed that it seemed to need to be reset by two hours, rather than the expected one.  I asked about this and was informed that she hadn't bothered resetting it since our trip to Egypt last November!

Right, on to today's accomplishments.

First task of the day was to extract the mower from the shed and tidy up the roadside verges and the small area of lawn around the garage.  The front lawn was ignored, as it really needed a few hours of sun to dry out the early morning dew.

I then spent the next few hours in the garage cleaning the Enfield. I must be making progress and I now seem to be considering attending to some of the minor mechanical issues that have arisen.** Shall I do them before I put it to bed for the winter, or leave them until next spring?

In the afternoon I put aside motorcycle maintenance and mowed the front lawn. On completion I decided that I was actually quite tired, so I had a short kip before lighting the fire and settling down on the sofa for the rest of the afternoon.

Here endeth Sunday's Journal entry.

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* I know its battery needs replacing, but gaining time isn't a normal symptom.

** The chain case seeps a little oil and the head gasket is leaky too.

The weather was better than expected

As has become the norm of recent weeks, I headed out to the garage this morning and continued with the clean up of my little Royal Enfield. 

The new battery was connected up and the electrics were tested. All seems to be working well, and the new battery is a sealed unit, so I will be able to use an Optimate charger to  keep it charged in future.

After lunch 30% and I headed up the lane with the dogs for a walk. The weather is blustery with sunny spells and, as we walked, I noticed that the grass was quite dry.  This prompted me to consider my plans for this afternoon.*

The lawns were definitely due for a cut, and I didn't think I would get a better conditions for mowing than today, so the mower was dragged from the shed.

A couple of hours were spent mowing the lawns at the back of the house, and it all looks rather tidy now. The neatly clipped sward. will also mean that my feet are less likely to get soaked on my early morning walks up to the chicken coop. 

I will finish today's Journal entry with one more poultry related comment. The clocks go back one hour tonight and we will move from British Summer Time to Greenwich Mean Time. As the days have shortened the chickens have slowly stopped laying and their egg production is now intermittent, at best. It won't be long until we have to resort to tasteless commercial eggs to keep us going through until next spring.

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* Should I mention that the hedges really need cutting and I have yet to submit my tax return.

That's just the job

The autumn leaves are starting to fall, and within a few weeks the Ash tree by the gate will have covered the drive and front lawn with leaves.

Last year, for the first time, I collected up the fallen leaves to make leaf mould. We had three large wooden crates* and I lined them with chicken wire, before relocating them to the orchard, behind Rose Cottage.  

Last year's leaves were deposited in the crates and I can report that they are breaking down nicely. My expectation is that we will have a decent quantity of leaf mould by next spring.

I had another of these crates,** so, this morning, I spent a happy hour lining it with some left over plastic mesh. The crate has been moved up to the orchard and I am ready for this autumn's sweep up.

In the afternoon I returned to the garage and spent a happy few hours underneath the Enfield. I can also report that its new battery arrived this morning, and is now sat on the bench connected to a charger.

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*The stone tiles laid in the kitchen and utility room were delivered in them.

** It has been annoyingly abandoned up the side of the garage. It is sufficiently out of sight to avoid being referred to as an eye sore, but an irritating obstacle when I mow the small area of lawn by the garage.

A Break

A couple of orders have come in for batches of honey. An ex-colleague of 30% reached out and requested half a dozen jars, and another acquaintance requested four jars, two of which were set.

With the dishwasher out-of-order I had delayed fulfilling these orders, until I had proper washing facilities for jars and jugs and bowls and honey buckets and god knows what other paraphernalia is needed to bottle honey.

We now have a working dishwasher, so I stepped away from motorcycle cleaning and settled to bottling a couple of batches of honey. This job extended over most of the day, but in the intervals, when the honey was melting, I did find twenty minutes to fit the replacement rear indicator to the Enfield.

In other news, a chap turned up to repair the scratch that had appeared on the rear door of 30%'s car. Fortunately it could be polished out, as the original colour would be challenging to match.*

Today's worrying news was that Whiffler managed to knock the Sky remote control in to a full cup of black coffee. He demonstrated some skill, as the cup remained upright with the remote poking out of the top. As I type this, the remote is sat in a sealed plastic bag with a large quantity of moisture absorbing crystals. I have also learnt that the Sky Go app has provided me with basis remote control functionality from my phone ... phew!

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* It is a very unusual metallic brown that changes as the light falls across it, showing flecks of gold and red. When the car is clean and the sun is shining on it it looks amazing.

Bees, bikes, Tai Chi and the dishwasher ... If You think you can come up with a more concise title

My daily metal polishing activities are playing hell with my hands, and a manicurist* would blanch at the sight of them. Fortunately the absence of a working dishwasher has meant that long sessions with my hands in a washing up bowl, has worked wonders in ridding my cuticles of nasty ingrained grime.

This fortuitous set of circumstances has now come to an end. New dishwasher #2 was delivered and installed yesterday, and Nathan turned up this morning to reassemble the kitchen units. We now have a fully operational kitchen and I now need to remember to wear rubber gloves to keep my fingers from getting very manky indeed.

Today's weather seemed likely to be the most clement this week,** so I gathered my beekeeping paraphernalia and headed up to the hives. It was encouraging to see that a few bees were flying, so a brief opening of each hive should not impact the colonies adversely.  

The reason for the brief inspection was to remove the Apistan strips that were inserted about eight weeks ago.  "Inspection" is actually be a bit of an exaggeration, as I simply pried off the crown board, carefully extracted the Apistan strips and quickly shut up the hives again.  I won't actually look through the brood frames again until the weather warms in the spring.

For the next few months the bees will be left well alone. A further varroa treatment will be given in early January, *** and I may place a pack of candy**** over the aperture in the crown board, if I feel that the colony is running short of stores.

In the afternoon I returned to the garage and continued my cleaning of the Enfield. It looks much more presentable, but there is still a way to go. I keep looking at the spokes and thinking, "those are going to take an age to get anywhere near clean." I also found that its battery has died, so a replacement will need to be ordered before it gets tucked away. Earlier in the week, I noticed that one of the rear indicator stems had been broken, so a good while was spent on the internet tracking down an identical replacement.*****

The early evening saw me at my weekly Tai Chi class and, again, it was very enjoyable, although I find the little meditation session at the end of the class somewhat challenging ... I find that my mind does tend to wander a little.

I can also report that Pinky is still with us. There has been a slight improvement and her condition seems to have stabilised. She is not out of the woods yet, but at least her condition hasn't worsened.

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* They, apparently, now refer to themselves as  Nail Techs ... wtf! 

** A storm is heading in over the next few days

*** Oxalic acid vapour

**** Image a kilo pack of something akin to soft Royal Icing. A hole is cut in the pack and it is placed over one of the holes in the crown board. If they are hungry, the bees will come up and eat their way through the pack.

***** I could have gone to the original Trials kit supplier, but they are far from cheap. I actually managed to find the exact indicator for less than half the price.

A shock

 Once again I took up residency in the garage and have been mostly occupied with cleaning the Royal Enfield Trials special. 

It is going to take a good few days to polish up the tarnished metal work, so I am just going to have to suck it up, and put my nose to the proverbial grindstone. I realise that it is going to make my Journal entries somewhat samey, but it could be worse; I could be documenting my working life prior to retirement.

Also, remember, there may be an interlude, but I'll need to do the same for the Honda, when it is eventually discharged from the workshop.

So that was how I spent Tuesday. The fingers of my right hand are aching from hours of polishing and my finger tips are stained black from a mixture of metal polish and aluminium oxide.

We did have some unsettling news today.

Over the weekend 30%'s old friend, Pinky contacted her to advise that she had ended up in hospital with a suspected twisted bowel.  It seems that an operation to correct the problem has not been successful, and a second surgery was required. Further complications have followed and she is now in intensive care with a pessimistic prognosis.*

30% is, understandably, unsettled by this, and headed off to support Pinky's mother this evening. The poor woman is well in to her eighties and has no family living locally to provide support. 

We are both afraid that this is a case of hoping for the best, whilst preparing for the worst.

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* 30% was alerted to Pinky's deterioration by Pinky's ex-husband

Bagged up

 Sunday's big news, which  I totally forgot to mention, was that we had our first fire of the autumn.  I had brought in a load of logs a few days previously, along with some kindling.  Sunday was grey and gloomy and we were having a lazy day, so I did the decent thing and added a little warmth to our afternoon.

The effect on the dogs was amazing. Dog #4 aka The Rat appeared from upstairs and immediately settled on the sofa at the end nearest the log burner. Whiffler took the other end and Hobson took up a place in the large dog bed, affectionately known as The Paddling Pool. We were unsure whether TB had any experience of a real fire in his previous home, and how he would react. His approach was to sprawl on the rug at a sensible distance, soaking up the warmth.

Now on to today.

First call of the morning was a visit to the local surgery for an appointment with a physiotherapist, to get some advice and guidance about my knee.* The session was reasonably informative, but I wasn't particularly taken with the therapist. He seemed to be in a rush and to want to get me out of the door as quickly as possible. I now have a set of exercises that I need to follow and to report back to him in a month or so, if there is no improvement.**

Back at home, I begged some assistance from 30%, and got the BMW and Guzzi tucked away on their vac bags for the winter.***  I am well aware how much condensation collected on the bikes last winter, so I not only used the provided moisture absorbing granules, but also added a disposable dehumidification device in each vac bag too.

Each of the bikes are now sat enclosed in a large, heavy duty bags, hopefully dry and dust free. They'll remain there for the next five or six months, until the weather warms again.

I then turned to the Enfield. It has sat ignored in the garage for far too long, and has suffered from this lack of attention. Rust is appearing on the steel work and the acres of polished chrome and aluminium are now dusty and tarnished. I made a start with the Autosol metal polish. It is going to take a fair amount of time, but the handlebars look much better already.

I just need to settle down and apply myself to the task.

---

* it has, fortunately, finally started to improve.

** He was such a charmer, I think I'll try to avoid that encounter

** Phil The Postie delivered them this morning.

Will I keep to my word?

 I finally finished preparing the BMW and the Guzzi for their winter hibernation. They have been washed and polished and will be popped in to vac bags at some point in the next few days.

I am certain that a diligent inspection would find a smear of road grime here or there,* but I'm satisfied that they are clean enough.

I also made a tentative start on the Royal Enfield. I am embarrassed to say that she has been neglected since we moved here at the beginning of 2021, and her chrome and alloy is looking rather tarnished. My plan is to get her cleaned up and polished and then put her under cover for the winter. In the spring I propose to get her out, give her a service and attempt to get her running. I know TP would be pleased if I do. For some strange reason he has a strong affection for this primitive and crude machine.**

She should run, but there is a strong possibility that her carburettors will need to be cleaned, and a new battery attached.

As I said. "that can wait until the spring."

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* The underside of the mudguards is a case in point.

** I'm rather fond of it's eccentricities too.

Two in one ...

 ... or, perhaps, a case of rinse and repeat.

Friday and Saturday have both been very similar. Most of my time has been spent in the garage polishing motorcycles, with a break in the afternoon to walk the dogs across the fields.

One might wonder how it is possible to spend so much time cleaning bikes, particularly if you have never owned one, or see them as an instrument of the devil.*

So here we go; They are incredibly intricate pieces of machinery. Almost every component is one show. Nothing is concealed behind panels as it is on a car.** All of these intricate mechanicals seem to be a magnet for dirt and it takes an age to clean each and every crevice and groove. I am also a bit of a completer/finisher, so, once I've started, I do tend to keep going until I real the shiny end.

There is also the safety element. Giving a bike a damned good clean means that each and every external component is given a visual inspection. It is an opportunity to identify loose, damaged or missing components, and rectify, before a mishap occurs.

The other thing is that I am retired and can afford to take a week or so to get my little collection looking as good as possible.

So, there you have it. I've been bike cleaning, dog walking, and I did give Michelle a hand to set up a VPN on her phone and tablet on Saturday morning.

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* I'm not joking. I have encountered people that are absolutely appalled and literally terrified of them. They have been raised with a mindset that to sit on one will lead to imminent injury or death, and that they should be banned. I've ridden them for over forty years and have fallen off on a few occasions, mostly when riding off-road. I love them, but am well aware that I am incredibly vulnerable when riding them. Safe riding, good observation and keeping within one's limits are key survival skills.

** I accept that faired sports bikes do have panels, but they don't enclose the mechanicals in the same way as car bodywork. You still need to remove them and clean behind them.

In the zone

 Today's entry will not be lengthy.  I was busy for most of the day,* but my focus was on cleaning the bikes, and I can't make an interesting paragraph out of that. 

I have just about finished cleaning the BMW. I still need to give the front forks a wipe over, but I'm still waiting for the GT85 to be delivered.** I have, therefore, moved on to the Moto Guzzi, and can report that the front half is looking rather splendid. I am still uncertain how to clean up the brushed aluminium mudguards and other trim, but I'm sure I'll think of something.

I also gave the mudguard of the Enfield a tentative polish. The poor thing has been neglected for far too long and she will take a lot of work to get her looking sparkly again. 

I also ordered a couple of vac bags to, hopefully, keep the bikes dry and dust free over the winter.

I told you the aforementioned paragraphs were likely to be boring.

So that's it for Thursday. Friday will be just the same.

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* I was home alone, as 30% had gone in to Birmingham with the coven to see a performance of Moulin Rouge.

** I've never used it before, but, unsurprisingly, the manufacturers claim miraculous results for a wide variety of uses. Watch this space.

So what exactly does your guarantee cover?

 Matt, our kitchen fitter, arrived early this morning and spent a good couple of hours extracting and testing the new dishwasher. It still failed to operate, so 30% attempted to get support from the manufacturer.  The manufacturer advised that they were more than happy to book an Engineer in for a support visit, but advised that their engineer would not be able to dismantle or re-assemble the kitchen.

Let's just have a think about that. Neff are quite happy to sell an integrated dishwasher, and, allegedly, provide guarantees and warranty the device.  Now let's look at the term integrated". In this context it refers to a device that is built in to fitted kitchen. It is most definitely not stand-alone.  The dishwasher needs to be incorporated in to the kitchen so that it can be connected to water supply and waste pipes before you can use it.

How on earth can Neff dispatch an engineer to deal with a problem on an integrated dishwasher, if the aforementioned engineer is not able to extract the device, resolve the issue, and then return the kitchen to it's original state. It sounds to me like a) their warranty isn't worth anything, and b) they really don't give a shit about their customers.

In the end 30% contacted the retailer; John Lewis. John Lewis were far more helpful, and quite appalled at the response from Neff.  They advised that they would supply a brand new device and install it for a significantly reduced fee ... They are booked in for next Tuesday.

Whilst all of this was going on, I headed out to the garage and continued with my vacuuming and floor tile laying. I can now report that a 20' by 10' rectangle of flooring has been laid out and I can finally go back to polishing my bikes.

We managed a walk across the fields with the dogs in the late afternoon, before I headed off for a Tai Chi class. I really don't know what has got in to Kung Po Fran,* but it was one hell of a workout! Normally I come away from a Tai Chi class with a calm and relaxed aura. This evening I came home thinking, "This is gonna ache later!"

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* The class teacher

It was all going so well

Yesterday I mentioned my notion to insulate the garage floor with interlocking foam floor tiles.

This morning I made a start. The garage is mostly devoted to the storage of my bikes and the ride on lawn mower. Most of these items can be wheeled out of the way as I lay the tiles. but there is a small carpenters bench sat in the front corner of the garage.* It doesn't really belong in the garage, I just never got around to giving it a light refurb and finding a proper home for it.

This morning I manoeuvred it in to the carport and gave the top of it a good clean and a coat of wax polish. I paid particular attention to the wooden threads of the two vices that are built in to the structure of the bench. One of them was quite difficult to operate, and I hoped that a good clean followed by a coat of wax would improve matters.

I am happy to report that the bench vices are now operational and it has found a new home in the corner of the workshop. At some point I will need to knock up a pair of doors for the cabinet.

With the garage now clear of non-essential items I was able to make a start on laying the tiles. Section by section I have vacuumed up the dust, and laid the tiles. I have no idea how resilient they will be, but it is certainly much more comfortable to stand on, and it looks very smart.**

We also had our favourite kitchen and bathroom fitters in residence today. They had been booked to fit the new dishwasher. The job took much longer than they expected, as much dismantling was needed to get the new unit in place. Early this evening we topped up the salt and rinse aid and started the inaugural wash.

The effing thing flashed up an error code and refuses to operate.  Calls to Neff and the fitter followed and the fitter will be back in the morning to check that the pipework hasn't been badly routed. An engineer visit is likely to follow if that doesn't sort it out.

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* I swapped a bottle of Irish Whiskey for it a couple of years ago from this chap.

** I think I will need to be very conscientious about using side stand pucks to prevent it being damaged.

Making myself comfortable

The motorcycle cleaning continues, and today the BMW was turned around to improve the illumination on the side yet to be polished.

At this point I will head off an a slight tangent. I'm sure it will all make sense in due course.  A few years ago The Neat & Today Piano Movers* provided me with a reasonably generous voucher for a nationwide auto accessories store.  The store didn't have anything I particularly needed, but whilst wandering around their store I noticed that they sold foam floor tiles. Having spent many hours lay on the floor cleaning the lower parts of a motorcycle, I saw the benefit of an insulated, slightly cushioned floor covering. The garage was measured and ten packs of floor tiles were purchased, and they have sat on a shelf ever since ... until couple of days ago.

I wasn't particularly enthused about sitting on a cold hard floor, so I grabbed one of the tiles to insulate and cushion my tender arse. It was a revelation. I was warm. It was relatively comfortable and it made cleaning the bike a much more pleasant task.

As I continued cleaning, I wondered why I hadn't laid down the tiles, and thought it might be a good idea. I had also thought of purchasing some motorcycle vacuum storage bags for use over the winter.** I had the vain hope that an insulated floor might warm the garage somewhat, and the slightly more realistic notion that foam floor tiling would make it less likely that the vac bags would be abraded or punctured by the concrete floor.

I suppose I had better get the bikes cleaned first, before I start stuffing them in to enormous polythene bags!

In other news, I heard from BMW Motorrad. Apparently the threaded hole, noticed at the weekend, is normal, and a vital component hasn't rattled loose ... phew! We also dealt with some recent correspondence from our Financial Advisor and I reminded myself that I really must submit my tax return.

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* my penultimate employer

** The garage does suffer from condensation the cold weather, and vac bags are brilliant for keeping a bike dry.  They are a complete and utter faff to use, and there is no way that one would take the bike out for a ride on a dry winter day. It is a case of tuck the bike away in autumn, and leave it there until the spring.

Should I be worried?

Sunday was another day featuring motorcycle polishing. I think you'll need to get used to reports of this activity, as it is likely to continue for many days, if not weeks. I want to put my bikes be as clean as possible when they are put to bed for the winter. It is then a delight to uncover a pristine machine on the first sunny day of spring.

While cleaning the BMW I noticed a threaded hole at the lower end of the rear shock absorber mount. The hole was surprisingly clean considering its location. I would have expected any hole so close to the road and the rear wheel to be quite dirty, even after cleaning. I was suspicious that some vital component had rattled loose, so I took a couple of photos and fired off a technical support enquiry email to the local BMW dealership. I really don't fancy riding a bike without some reassurance that it is complete and safe.  I hope they answer promptly.

In the afternoon we headed out across the fields for a short walk with the dogs. My knee finally seems to be improving. The pain is reduced and my sleep is less disturbed. At this rate I could be doing a circuit of the Three Miler before too long.

I also got around to putting the mouse guards on the hives this afternoon.  The bees have been so active in the recent mild weather that I was reluctant to impede their access to the hives. However, I am aware that mice will be seeking out prime nesting sites as the weather cools, and I don't want the little sods to set up home in any of my hives.

I can report that the lawns are now looking almost presentable after the long dry summer. However, there are a couple of holes where TB has decided to investigate an interesting smell beneath the turf. Now the lawns have greened up these holes stick out like the proverbial sore thumb, and it is time to attend to them while the grass is still growing.

I neatened up one of the holes with a spade to make a rectangular hole about three inches deep. I then watered the hole and wandered off to dig an identical shaped piece of turf from an overgrown area of one of the borders.  The new piece of turf was trod in to the hole and watered liberally. All being well, it should be indistinguishable from the rest of the lawn within a week, or so.

A booking

The motorcycle polishing continued on Saturday morning. Well, it did until just before eleven o'clock when I was chauffeured in to the village to join Bob & Jo for morning coffee.

It seems that Bob and Jo organise a monthly get together for village retirees in the Parish Education Centre.* Each month a guest speaker gives an informative talk or presentation, and tea and cake is consumed. They outlined the subjects of recent talks, and I must admit that I was tempted to join.

Now why had I been invited to coffee with Bob and Jo? About seven years ago I was asked to deliver a presentation on bees and beekeeping to the local Women's Institute.  It was a one-off request and I have never done one since.

However ... there is always a "however" ...  Mummy Sheila was at the original WI presentation and found it really interesting. She is also a member of Bob and Jo's monthly group, and happened to mention my beekeeping talk as a suitable subject for one of their meetings. 

To cut a long story somewhat shorter, I have been booked for April next year to give a repeat performance.

As for the rest of the day, I finished mowing the lawns,**and we were joined by Mr & Mrs Tweedy*** for dinner this evening. It seems that 30% had invited her parents over to see a performance by a local male voice choir. I sensibly declined an offer to join them, and was only required to provide a taxi service at each end of the evening.

As for today's auction lots, they were lovely, but the price was a little too high for us, especially when the commission is added in.  We are after an oak refectory table, and are certain another will come along eventually.

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* A rather pleasant facility adjacent to the church. I attend a weekly Tai Chi class there too.

** except for around the garage and the verges at the front

*** My in-laws, who bear an amazing similarity to Mr & Mrs Tweedy in Aardman animations Chicken Run film.

Quite a busy day

This morning I made a start on polishing the R1250R.

I say "made a start," as I soon found out how many components are now made of plastics rather than steel or aluminium. The surfaces also range from gloss paintwork to matt and satin black, hence a variety of alternative cleaning products will need to be added to those already in the garage.

At this point I have to say that I am delighted with the performance of my motorcycle air dryer. Previously* the bikes would have been left with annoying watermarks that needed to be polished away. The dryer has left the gloss surfaces beautifully mark free, and a delight to shine up with a coat of Autoglym super resin polish.

At lunchtime I popped up to the surgery to have a consultation with the GP about my knee. It has been a month since I injured it and any improvement has been slow.  The GP has booked me in for some physiotherapy and indicated that it may well take a while to recover. He has also indicated that a scan may be needed if there is no significant improvement after physio.

In the afternoon 30% and I headed over to Weston Subedge to get a quote for a pair of hardwood gates, posts and fittings. After much faffing around with suppliers of aluminium gates, we have decided that good old timber is going to be far more straightforward to install, and will definitely be in keeping with the style of the property.

On our way home we took a detour and popped in to Littleton Auctions to take a look at a couple of lots. One of these was a rather nice oak refectory table, and we are likely to be bidding on-line tomorrow.

After a short snooze on the sofa, I dragged the lawn mower from the shed and got the back lawn mowed before deciding that that was quite enough for Friday.

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* I would have left them to air dry, or given them an half-arsed wipe over with a damp chamois leather.  The hot air dryer is fantastic, as it pushes virtually every drop of water from all the nooks and crannies around the engine and bodywork.

I was going to mow the lawn

My plan for today was to mow the lawns.

Obviously I wouldn't be able to start until the grass had dried off a little, so I needed something to occupy my morning.

I have been wanting to clean my bikes for an age, but I know that, once I start, it will occupy me for several days. Despite being retired, it surprises me how challenging it can be to find time for those time consuming projects.

Anyway, I had all morning to myself, as 30% was away to a Coven coffee morning, so I unwound the hose and made a start on the R1250R.  As I became more and more involved in washing my bike, I became less and less keen on mowing the lawns.

To cut a long story short. I got the BMW washed and dried off with my new motorcycle dryer, and then did the same again to the Moto Guzzi Stornello.

I now have two grime free bikes and the next step will be to give them a damned good polish.*

As for the lawns ... they can wait.

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* That'll take a good few days.

Post Script: 

My day wasn't as stress free as one might assume. Half way through cleaning the BMW I heard the dogs barking at the gate. I wandered over to see what the fuss was about and saw a woman videoing the dogs. I jokingly said "no photos please," and ended up on the receiving end of a full blown Karen style rant about how dangerous TB was.

There was no way that I was prepared to be bullied and threatened by a complete stranger whilst stood on my own property, so I politely, but bloody firmly, pointed out that the dog was on my own property and was not harming her in anyway.

She then attempted to imply that I should have the dogs locked up as she had been attacked by a German Shepherd when she was a girl, and my dogs were scaring her.

She then wandered off down the road threatening to report me to the dog warden.

I returned to my bike cleaning and was quite upset by the incident.  About fifteen minutes later I saw her coming back up the lane. I was absolutely prepared for another argument, but she had come back in an attempt to make peace.

I said that I was sorry that she had had a bad experience with a dog, but that was nothing to do with me or TB. I also asked her to consider how she would feel if I had turned up at her house, started taking photos, and then tell her how she should behave there.

She took this well, and after explaining that TB was a rescue, and actually a very friendly dog, she asked if she might meet him. I went and called him from the house and put him on a lead. A successful introduction followed and she now feels able to walk past the house with less concern.

I am pleased that this was an amicable resolution, but she can fuck off and find another walk if she shouts and threatens me because of her fucking insecurities!

How Many!

When we visited the Malvern Autumn Show last month, one of our objectives was to purchase a quantity of daffodil bulbs to plant up in the orchard.

We didn't want anything fancy, as the orchard sward is far from manicured. We just wanted some bog standard daffodil bulbs to dot about and provide a bit of early spring colour next year.

30% advised that there were large bags of bulbs on sale at the local Nursery, so it was agreed that we would get them from there, rather than lug them around the Three Counties Show Ground.

About a week ago my dear wife turned up with the aforementioned bulbs and I noticed, not one, but two huge nets of daffodil bulbs. The labels didn't state the quantity, but my guess was that each bag held close to one hundred bulbs.  For the mathematically challenged, this meant that I needed to plant close to two hundred bulbs.

I do have a bulb planter. It looks like an over-sized apple corer, and is supposed to remove a plug of soil, so the bulb can be inserted to a depth of about five inches. The plug is then replaced ... job done. I did try it in the still dry orchard turf and rapidly decided that I would be suffering from a repetitive strain injury of some description if I used the bulb planter.  I can report that my next action was to hide it in the dark recesses of the potting shed, hopefully never to be found again.

My revised plan was to use a spade to cut around three edges of a small turf, around 1' square. I would then slide the spade under the turf to separate it from the ground. It could then be peeled back. I would be left with a patch of bare earth to plant four or five daffodil bulbs. The flap of earth could then be put back in place and gently firmed in with my boot.

So, for the past couple of days I have been using this method to plant the daffodil bulbs up in the orchard. Thirty five flaps of turf were peeled back, and approximately one hundred and sixty bulbs have been gently inserted in to Mother Earth.

After all of that effort, they had better look bloody amazing in the spring!

In other news, Grubby Jason and his crew turned up on Tuesday morning to kindly repair and repoint the brick edging of our patio.  The hot dry summer had caused the soil under the lawn to shrink back and this had disturbed the edging. I was pleasantly surprised that he was willing to sort out this problem, as most companies would have said, "what do you expect, it's been caused by the weather, not our workmanship." 

I can also report that the dishwasher has died and a new one has been ordered.

Never ever do a good deed

30% had invited Dot 'n Dave over for lunch today.

As we were tidying the house, I finished a miscellaneous job and asked what I could do next. 30% mentioned that there were a couple of prescriptions that needed to be collected from the village surgery, and I accepted this side mission.

In the time to had taken me to change in to a clean pair of jeans, this trip to the local surgery had suddenly morphed into also filling a large bucket with mulched hedge clippings, and taking it, along with half a dozen eggs, to Mummy Sheila.

I filled a builders bucket with mulch, grabbed the eggs, loaded both in to the back of 30%'s car and headed down in to the village. The prescriptions were collected and, a few minutes later, I pulled up outside Mummy Sheila's house.

Imagine my surprise and delight when I opened the car's hatchback and discovered that the bucket had overturned and a several litres of mulch were now liberally scattered around the boot.

I muttered several expletives under my breath, scooped as much mulch as possible back in to the bucket and dumped it and the eggs outside Sheila's back door.

Back at home I spent a good while vacuuming the back of the car, and can now report it relatively free of mulch. 30% came out whilst I was vacuuming and asked if the bucket had overturned.* You will be amazed at the self-control I exhibited by answering with a simple, "yes."

So there you have it. How offering to pop down to the local surgery turned in to a free mulch delivery and car cleaning service. If you are going to do a good deed, make sure you know the full extent of the deed before offering.

Lunch with Dot 'n Dave was great fun. They are both about to head off to Tunisia for a holiday and they were on good form.  This was positive as Dave has recently made the very difficult decision to give up motorcycling.** I absolutely understand how he feels as I am aware, at the age of sixty one, that I probably have little more than a decade of riding left.

It may seem a little cynical but I did express an interest in his 50th anniversary VFR 800. Apparently the original owner had already asked for first refusal if Dave ever sold it, so it remains to be seen whether another Honda will be joining the CBR in the garage.

That was about it for Monday, although I will report that I spent a good while persuading our dishwasher to wash dishes. That does not bode well.

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* She does have a knack of asking redundant questions.

** He is nearly 80.

Does this look like a Tesco Store?

 30% headed out for a wicker weaving course this morning, leaving me home alone.

My reserve of bottled honey was running low, so I spent most of my day processing a couple of batches to keep my little road-side stall supplied.

Let's just ponder on that last sentence, particularly the words "road-side stall." What do those three little words conjure up in your mind?  A large out of town supermarket, with a huge car park, and associated petrol station and cafeteria?  No, road-side stall doesn't suggest that to me either. 

Let's ensure we are all on the same page. My road-side stall is a little wooden stand. It is about 2' high and has a flat surface about 18" by 12". On it is placed a clear, lidded, plastic box. The box usually contains four jars of honey plus an empty jar that has two pound coins in it ... change. There is also a little slate sign that indicates the product and the price.

It's very much a serve yourself, honesty box sort of arrangement. It is not part of a multinational grocery conglomerate that will cater for most of your nutritional needs.

So why on earth does it seem to attract a regular stream of people who ask whether I accept Apple Pay, or have a QR code that they can scan to pay so that they can "do contactless."?  My honey is four quid a jar and I even leave a couple of quid in the box so people only need to bring along a fiver or a tenner to make their purchase.

Today I had a chap turn up in a van and he was quite insistent that I allowed him to buy honey and pay without using cash.  I pointed out that it was cash only, and he responded by listing a list of alternative cashless payment methods. He then went on to ask if I offered a discount if he bought three jars.

I politely pointed out that I didn't offer a discount as my supply was limited, and that demand for my honey often exceeded what my three hives could produce. I eventually conceded to accept payment by Paypal, and gave him my email address. 

He decided to purchase a couple of jars for his mum, paid and showed me his phone screen to demonstrate that the payment had been made.

I wandered inside and my phone alerted me to an incoming email. It was Paypal informing me that the £8 had been received and that they had deducted 53p for using their electronic payment facility.

And people wonder why I only accept cash!

Chilly!

The wettest parts of storm Amy seem to have blown across the midlands during the night, and Saturday was dry, but chilly and very windy.

This morning I headed over to the Cotswold Shooting Ground for a morning of clay shooting with Bubbles and Ben.  The wind made even the simplest targets tricky and I finished up with a score of 41/80. I could crow that I had beaten Bubbles on this occasion, but he was shooting his side by side. If he had been using his over and under he would have wiped the floor with me.

The afternoon included a trip up to the local GP's Practice for our flu jabs. This was very efficient, and we spent more time chatting to an acquaintance outside, than we did registering and baring our arms for the injection.

We then headed over to Mummy Sheila's for a chat and a coffee, before heading home via the Nursery, where we picked up a bag of seed compost.*

Although Saturday was dry, the weather never warmed and we both decided that it was definitely and indoors sort of day. We read, we snoozed, and hoped for better weather tomorrow.

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* 30% has taken some Coleus cuttings. They have rooted in water, and now need to be potted up. The big question is; can she keep them alive through the winter?

Head in a book

Storm Amy was blowing in, and the day was wet and windy.

Both of us were disinclined to go out, unless it was absolutely necessary. As a result I spent most of the day with my head in a book, although I did drive over to Bromsgrove in the early afternoon.

This was a case of killing two birds with one stone, as I needed to pick up a couple of bags of layers pellets from the Feed Store and also needed to get my air rifle re-charged at a nearby gun shop.*

So that was it for Friday, head down in a book, but I am now able to take pot shots at vermin too!

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* When TP was house/dog sitting last weekend, he decided to shoot at a few targets up in the orchard. He was unaware that the air rifle has a pressure gauge, and continued shooting until he had emptied the rifle's cylinder.  He was also unaware that, once the rifle is totally empty, it is impossible to recharge it with the provided stirrup pump. It needs to be taken to a gun shop, where they recharge it from a 250 Bar cylinder!

Waving her off

I briefly mentioned the visitation from my in-laws in yesterday's Journal entry, but covered little else. If I am truly honest it was a very lazy day. We lunched with Mr & Mrs Tweedy and caught up with each others' news. After their departure, 30% and both retired for a monumental nap. I can report that I did manage to wake in time for my Tai Chi session .... but only just!

Today was a day of random little jobs.

At eight o'clock sharp my phone alerted me to the fact that my local motorcycle workshop was coming to collect my CBR 600 today. This came as a bit of a shock, as I was convinced that the bike was being picked up tomorrow.

I hadn't got a clue what time to expect them, so I whizzed outside and extracted the Honda from the garage. I left her sat on the drive, awaiting their arrival, while I carried on with my day.

As I've already mentioned, it was a day of random little jobs. I pumped up the 5 Series tyres, and then wandered in to the workshop where I used a hot air gun and rag to remove the wax and propolis deposits from my syrup feeders. These were given a final wash and left in the sun to dry.

Lunchtime came and went, and there was still no sign of Arden Motorcycles' van.  I gave them a call to ascertain their ETA, and it seems that their computerised reminder had disappeared in to the ether. This wasn't a problem, as my call jogged their memory and they headed straight over.

The CBR was wheeled in to the back of the van and I was left wondering how long it would be before I saw her again. I hope it's not too long. I hope the bill isn't too huge, and I hope the weather is decent when I go to collect her.

In the afternoon we walked the dogs across the fields and then tidied ourselves for the Italian Night at the Redditch Catering College Restaurant.  We had a lovely evening and some rather good food. As is usual, the portions were enormous and we really do need to scale back our consumption of the antipasto.

If ever proof were needed

Last year I made reference to The Black Cow of Doom, a sinister beast whose appearance foretells dread happenings.

Well, this morning I woke, dressed and wandered downstairs. The sun had risen and I made a start on my early morning chores. I picked up the honey box and wandered out to place it on my stall in the lane. As I walked out of the gate I heard a loud lowing from the field across the lane. I looked up and saw her silhouette against the horizon.

Oh my Christ, it was the Black Cow of Doom!

A shudder ran down my spine, as I suddenly remembered that 30% had arranged for Mr & Mrs Tweedy to  join us for lunch today.

If ever proof was needed that the most sinister of bovines foretold dread, this was it.  

My day was going brilliantly, then the BCoD appears and reminds me that my mother-in-law is coming for lunch. Suddenly my day is not going so well.

If you need further evidence, I checked on my Durham Early spring cabbage later in the day, and they are now growing beautifully.  Clearly the BCoD foretells the demise of caterpillars too.

Never underestimate the power of this beast.

Bits 'n pieces

I think that the bees have taken down all of the syrup that they will need, so I headed up to the orchard and removed the feeders from the hives. They were dumped in the carport, and will be put through a dishwasher cycle at some point in the next couple of days, before being put away in the store room.

My plan for today was to mow the lawns at the front of the house, but they needed a few hours of sun, to dry off the dew, before that could happen.

I therefore called Whiffler down from his bed and finished his clip. He now sports the early stages of a Miami clip, and looks quite smart. 

I do have one comment about clipping the old boy.  Whilst being clipped he stands there quite patiently and tends to look quite hunched and tired,* but as soon as I had finished he was jumping around and wanting to play with me. He is an old dog,** but he can still be quite boisterous, just in smaller doses nowadays.

The afternoon started with a trip to Screwfix to pick up a replacement airline. I had noticed a split in mine a couple of days ago, and the 5 Series tyres could do with a few more psi.  I then dragged the mower from the shed and tidied up the front lawn.

With the lawns tidy ish, I headed to the workshop to install the appropriate fittings on the new airline. Unfortunately I was a little heavy handed and managed to split the nut on end of the line. Fortunately Screwfix had another line in stock, and I headed out to pick up the replacement.

I can now report that I have a rather nice new airline hanging by the compressor in the carport and the BMW's tyres still need pumping up.

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* Which basically reinforced my decision to retire him from being a model at the Grooming School

** He's eleven now.

Learn something new every day

My plan for today was to make a start on the lawns. However, at this time of year they need a good couple of hours for the dew to dry off, before they can be mowed.

This meant that I had the morning free to find other things to entertain me. 

The clippers were found and Dog #4, aka The Rat, was summoned from her bed. The next hour was spent giving her an approximation of a Lamb Clip. She looks a lot better, but I am undecided whether to leave her like that, make it a Miami Clip, or shave the whole damned lot off ... Watch this space.

Since I had the clippers out, I also tidied up Whiffler's face and rear end.  He is due for a complete clip, but that was enough for this morning.

The afternoon saw me getting my step count up, with the mower around the lawns at the back of the house. They look much tidier, but two factors made me leave the front lawns until tomorrow.

Firstly my knee is still quite tender, and I am trying to avoid overdoing any exercise. Secondly, after about an hour of mowing, the mower's self propel mechanism failed. I finished the job by pushing the mower around and then consulted the internet to find out likely reasons for the failure.

The cognoscenti on YouTube suggested that the drive belt was likely to have slipped off, and provided a detailed video showing how to put the belt back on.  This all seemed quite straightforward, and, at this point, I should mention that it was a twenty four minute video, of which I watched about four minutes in total.

I soon had the mower upturned on the drive, and deployed my trusty socket set to remove the blade. The plastic cover was removed next and it was apparent that the drive belt had indeed slipped off. I soon had the belt back on the pulley wheel and the mower reassembled.

I now have to ask why the hell someone produced a twenty four minute video of a job that took a first timer less than twenty minutes to complete? I dropped the bloody woodruff key twice, once in to the guts of the mower, and it still only took me twenty minutes!

Usually I am quite a patient person,* but there was no way I was going to watch a tedious chap prattle on for nearly half an hour, when the salient information I needed was divulged in a fraction of that time.

Perhaps I am a lawn mower savant?

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* Please ignore 30% scoffing in the background.

A quick catch up

We been out and about for the past few days, hence the lack of Journal entries.  Here is a quick summary of what we've been up to.

Friday was spent at The Malvern Autumn Show at the Three Counties Show Ground.  We had a lovely time wandering around the floral and vegetable exhibitions and the many craft and retail stalls. We also met up with Hobson and TB's breeder, as she was hosting a Parti Poodles stand at the World of Animals exhibition. She was keen to hear how TB was settling in, and was delighted that everything was going so well.

We came home with a selection of tulip bulbs, and realisation dawned that I should have purchased a load of compost when I visited the Nursery on Thursday. Oh well, we need daffodil bulbs too!

Now on to Saturday and Sunday ...

This weekend we had arranged to pop down to Aston Clinton for an overnight stay with C&S. TP had agreed to come home and look after the dogs and chickens, and he arrived home nice and early. We had time for a quick catch up on his news, before we headed down the M40 towards Thame.

As usual we had a lovely, lazy time with C&S. The afternoon was taken up with lunch and conversation, before we settled to watch the Women's Rugby World Cup.  A bottle of fizz was opened at half time and several more bottles were consumed, along with a fine venison casserole, before we eventually retired to bed, very late.

Sunday morning was, unsurprisingly, unhurried. Many cups of coffee were drunk and a fine English Breakfast, or more accurately, brunch was scoffed before we headed home.

It is fair to say that we were both a little hung over, so Sunday afternoon was mostly taken up with an extended snooze.

I'm certain I will be more productive tomorrow.

Insect pests

 Before you ask, "Yes the wasp sting is still itchy this morning"

Thursday was spent mostly in the garden.  I pushed The Beast up to the orchard this morning and finished mowing up there.  It looks much tidier and the optimist in me is hoping that I won't need to mow it again until next year.

I do have slightly troubling news. The Beast has been a little temperamental on the last couple of times that I have used it.  It has cut out and, initially, been reluctant to start. When it finally does start it will only run for a few seconds before dying again. This suggests that there is either a problem with the fuel or with the carburettor. If the mower is left for ten or twenty minutes it will start and run with no problem. 

Perhaps it is trying to tell me that I should have a coffee break?

Anyway, the morning saw me finish up in the orchard. In the afternoon 30% and I planted out the areas that I cleared at the beginning of the week.  The planting was mostly focussed on dividing up some of our established herbaceous perennials* and using them to fill the gaps. Although, a few impulse buys did find new homes out there too.

I just hope that the weather stays mild and allows the plants to establish before winter sets in. I also hope that we get a little more rain next summer too.

Final job of the day was to whizz up to the nearest Nursery and purchase a spray bottle of insecticide. I then liberally doused my row of spring cabbage ... I still can't see what's eating them but I'm suspicious it may be caterpillars?

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* Heleniums, Michaelmas Daisies

Ouch, you little sod!

Most of my mornings start in much the same way.  If I am up early enough, I will have a leisurely cup of coffee and browse the news headlines, before heading outside to let out the chickens.

This morning seemed to be no different. I exited the back door, grabbed a watering can, and filled it from the outside tap. I was about to go and top up the chicken's feeder when I felt a sharp sting at the back of my neck. I reached around and found a bloody wasp had taken a dislike to me. I dislodged the little bugger, but it was determined to have another go. I managed to swat it at the second attempt and crushed the little bastard underfoot. 

So I now have two throbbing wasp stings on the back of my neck!

As a beekeeper I get sting occasionally. Usually I am wearing a bee suit and gloves and the stings are minor.  The pain subsides within a few minutes and I forget all about them within an hour.  

Wasp stings, on the other hand, are completely different. When I've been stung by wasps previously I have found them to be very painful and I end up with an inflamed lump that can last for a day or two.  I hate the little fuckers. They sting for no reason, and they are a real pest in the apiary.

This wasn't the best start to my day! 

Right, I've finished my rant about this irritating member of the Hymenoptera, and will now recount the rest of the day.

The weather was fine and I was home alone, so I decided to drag The Beast from the shed and attempt to make the orchard look more presentable.  I spent a couple of hours heaving the mower over the uneven ground up there and by lunchtime I had cut about sixty percent of the grass.

The weather was warmer than I thought and I was absolutely shattered when I wandered back to the house for a sandwich.

It will come as no surprise that a snooze on the sofa followed lunch. 

I woke feeling relatively refreshed and decided it was time to attend to item #2 on today's to-do list,

I grabbed my helmet and new motorcycle jacket from the wardrobe and headed out to the garage. I needed to pop over to Arden motorcycles and arrange for my CBR 600 to be collected.* I decided that the R1250R was well overdue for a run, so selected it for my conveyance to Alcester.

I spent a few minutes sorting out a date for my Honda to be collected and then decided that I should put a few more miles on the BMW's odometer.  I had a fast run down the bypass to Evesham before taking the twistier roads back home.  I didn't go far, but I did have fun.  I say it every time,  "I really should ride my bikes note often".

I went to Tai Chi in the early evening before settling down after quite a busy day. 

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* It needs a light recommissioning, including cleaning and refurbishment of the carburettors. I spoke to the chaps at Arden back in July, and we had agreed to defer the work until their workshop was a little less busy.

Fair Game

Yesterday evening 30% mentioned that she had received an odd message on Facebook.  A few minutes later she advised that an acquaintance* had been shooting and had come home with a brace of duck and a few partridge. He then went off to play football and, unfortunately for him, managed to sustain a serious shoulder injury. He was no longer able to dress the birds and wondered if we would like them.

It therefore came as no surprise that my plans for this morning had been upended, and, after refuelling my car and collecting top soil and soil conditioner,** we headed over to collect the birds.

The rest of the morning was spent dressing a brace of mallard and two brace of partridge. I can dress poultry properly, but I am not overly keen on plucking and gutting birds. I therefore took the easy route and simply filleted the breasts of each of the birds ... That is where all the meat is, especially on a partridge!

They are now tucked away in the freezer.

In the afternoon I used the top soil and manure to rejuvenate the areas of the herbaceous border that I cleared yesterday.  I then gave them a good watering and will leave them for a day or two before planting.

I had been gardening near the veg patch and wandered over to take a look at the Durham Early spring cabbage. Something has been munching little holes in the leaves, but I can't identify the culprit. They are netted, so it is unlikely to be pigeons or mice. It could be slugs, but the row of Savoys alongside them is untouched? I scattered a  handful of slug pellets around the young plants, and will be keeping a close eye on them. I hope it's not bloody caterpillars.

It is my aim to finish feeding the bees this week, so I also made up another six litres of syrup during the course of the day and topped up the feeders on the hives. That should be enough now. I'll remove the feeders in a week or two, and let them settle down for the winter. 

That just about covers Tuesday's comings and goings.

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* He was actually the chap who purchase The Pile from us back in 2021.  He has subsequently separated from his wife and taken up with a new partner in the village. I describe him as "an acquaintance" because on the couple of occasions I met him I found him to be an arrogant twat.  The Pile was sold again when his marriage ended, but I don't really know the new owners.

** This is a polite way of saying rotted cow shit 

Mostly gardening

 First task of the day was to finish de-nailing the last few lengths of pallet wood, and stack them in the carport.

We then decided to spend the rest of the day in the garden.

Both of us had found the hot, dry summer quite demotivating from a gardening perspective. However much water was poured on to beds and borders, and in to pots and planters, nothing looked particularly good. Especially when the garden was viewed with a parched, brown lawn in the background. The summer hasn't encouraged us to do more than the bare minimum.

Since the rains returned at the beginning of the month, the garden has totally changed. The lawns have greened up, provided that you don't look too closely, and some late colour has appeared in the beds and borders.

And, it seems, our gardening mojo has returned.

This morning we finally got around to emptying the load of horse manure from the trailer.  This was spread in a deep layer in the veg patch alongside my row of possibly parsnips.  

Whilst we are still in the veg patch, 30% has recently taken down the bean stalks and supports, and has mentioned the possibility of me building another  two raised beds.  I think this is a great idea, as I find them really good for vegetable growing. They seem really easy to weed and water, and have produced some prize winning produce.  I just hope she is either really prompt, or really tardy when it comes to ordering the oak sleepers ... I really don't fancy building the beds in the middle of winter.

Lunch was taken and we headed in to the afternoon.

The plan was to dig up the Heleniums split them and replant them in the border, alongside the path that leads to the orchard.

That was the plan. What actually happened was that the Heleniums were dug up and split, and a number of new plants are now potted and sitting in the cold frame. I then spent the next couple of hours cutting back dead flower heads, digging, weeding and removing plants that are way too vigorous for their own good.*

It seems that the beds will need refreshing with some rotted manure and top soil before the Heleniums can go back in the ground. That can wait until tomorrow.

The final item to report was a trip in to Redditch. 

30% had found a gentleman advertising a little used motorcycle touring jacket for £40.**  It wasn't exactly what I wanted, but at that price it was definitely worth a look.  We soon found the chap's address and the jacket was in "as new" condition. It fitted really well, so cash was handed over and hands were shaken.

It is an Alpinestars touring jacket in a restrained bronze colour way.  It is not made to the same quality as Halvassons and Lindstrands motorcycle gear, but I can't complain for forty quid. It'll do until I find something I really like. 

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* Sedums, Mint and Day Lilies come to mind!

** I have had my Lindstrands jacket for many years and have loved it. Unfortunately it is now well past its best, and is looking quite scruffy. It is definitely due for replacement. I have to say that not a single zipper has failed, but some of the lining has started to come adrift, and the velcro fasteners have abraded parts of the outer jacket. It's a sad goodbye.