Stuff

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

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

That is how my day generally starts.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Somewhat jet lagged

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

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

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

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

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

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

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* Well earned, I thought.

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

A Late One

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The greenhouse refurbishment continues

Friday was very similar to Thursday.

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

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

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

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

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

I found the day satisfying, some might not

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Repair & Restoration

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Supplies

It seems that Spring has arrived. 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

It looks like I am going to be busy.

A quiet day

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

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

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

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

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

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

Here endeth a "quiet day"

It's been a busy few days ...

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

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

Thursday, 20 March 2025

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Friday, 21 March 2025

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Saturday, 22 March 2025

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sunday, 23 March 2025

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

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

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

A possible buyer?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Catching up ... again!

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

Thursday, 13 March 2025 

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

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

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

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

Friday, 14 March 2025

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

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

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

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

Saturday, 15 March 2025

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

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

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

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

Sunday, 16 March 2025

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

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

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

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

Monday, 17 March 2025

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

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

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

Tuesday, 18 March 2025

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

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

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

Crouching tiger eats a biscuit

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

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

Now, back to today. 

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

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

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

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

I then headed out with Hobson around the Three Miler. 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Insulation trial

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Pottering

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

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

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

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

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

First ride out

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The hive is doing well

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

A visit to The Palace

 There was nothing of great importance to report for today.

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

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

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

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* no surprises there!

A missed opportunity and a stupid mistake

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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* a short cylinder of rolled corrugated cardboard

** Welcome to the world of diabetes

Hoping for a quick sale

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

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

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

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

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

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

It certainly has "presence" on the road

snug, but reasonably comfortable

Its turning circle makes most car parks a pain

The rarely used 3rd row seats

A space usually filled with dogs or fishing tackle

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

---

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

Can I keep it up?

Sunday's outing to Forhill demonstrated one thing.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

---

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

I'm back

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

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

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

Thursday, 27 February, 2025

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

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

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

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

Friday, 28 February, 2025

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

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

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

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

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

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

Saturday, 1 March, 2025

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

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

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

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

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

Sunday, 2 March, 2025

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

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

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

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

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

Monday, 3 March, 2025

By early afternoon I was home alone.

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

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

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

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