"I'm not sure why you're here?"

 The only thing in the diary for today was a trip in to Worcester for a check up at the eye clinic.

I left home with plenty of time, as I expected to hit rush hour traffic. Instead I breezed through Worcester and was parked up forty minutes in advance of my appointment. I used the time to pick up some milk,* before I wandered in to the clinic ... I was still twenty minutes early.

After a short wait I was called in to an examination room and the first utterance from the practitioner was the title to today's Journal entry.

She was very pleasant and apologised for not getting in touch and cancelling the appointment. She pointed out that I was last seen in November, and didn't need to reviewed until May, at the earliest. We agreed that the CHEC service seems to just make random appointments, and she gave tacit agreement that the company operated in that fashion, as each appointment would result in revenue from the NHS. The more appointments they make, the more money they earn!

She measured my IOP's and both were fine. Shen then made me an appointment for May, and cheerily sent me on my way, with the warning to ignore any future requests to schedule appointments.

I didn't really do much for the rest of the day. The weather is still appalling, and the Winter Olympics are a reasonably interesting diversion.

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* We always need milk, and I never drink the bloody stuff ... bleurgh!

Post Script:

We did have a quick chat with TP this evening. There is not much sound work available at the moment, so he has picked up a contract with Amazon to deliver parcels for three days each week. He is just completing his training and says, "it is actually nowhere near as bad as he expected." 

The reason for our call was to wish him luck for tomorrow. Back on the 20th January TP had mentioned that he was interested in a change in career direction and was looking at other areas of the sound engineering industry. 

He has reached out to a couple of companies to see if they would offer him some work experience and he now has offers from a couple of companies. It seems that they might be interested in offering him employment if they like what they see.

Post, Post Script:

I also had an "even better than that" moment this evening.

I briefly checked the notifications on my phone tis evening and noticed that I had received a payment into my bank account.

At this point I put on my reading glasses expecting something mundane. Instead I discovered that His Majesty's Revenue & Customs had refunded a significant amount of tax deducted from a pension drawdown payment ... Result!

Improvement?

 My back seemed slightly better this morning. 

As a consequence, I started to plan my day and a walk with the dogs was added to the schedule.

Midway through the morning the painkillers seemed to have kicked in, so I headed up the hill with Hobson and TB. I hadn't walked far before I realised that we would not be completing the new Three Miler. I could walk, but even dosed up with paracetamol, I was subject to regular twinges, particularly when going downhill.

I settled for about a mile. The dogs had emptied themselves and I had, at least, got out in the fresh air for half an hour.

A delivery in the post kept me busy for another hour ... A while back I repaired and cleaned up an old reading lamp. It is a lovely thing apart from one thing. It needs an in-line switch fitting to the cable. This simple addition would make a nice light into a perfect light.

An hour was spent fitting the switch, and I am really pleased that I have actually achieved something today.

A snooze was necessary in the afternoon ... obviously for medical purposes, and I lit the fire, before heading in to the village for this week's Tai Chi session.

I was a little apprehensive about some of the sequences. but I can report that it was relatively twinge free. I am hoping that the stretching and gentle exercise will assist in my back healing.

Mostly Sleeping

 My back seems to be slowly improving, but for most of today I have felt absolutely zonked.

I'm not sure whether it is the after effects of Tramadol,* but I felt completely out of it. 

I spent the morning dozing on the sofa and the afternoon included an hour of sleep.

I did manage to trim Whiffler's face, but that was it for the day ... Oh, and I did manage to fill the log basket.

---

* The pharmacological equivalent of a bottle of red wine

Thoughts on our bike tour route

Over the past few hours I have given some thought to this year's motorcycle tour, and I don't want to be in the same position as last year, when it seemed that Charlie dictated the route.

For many, many years I have been fascinated by the Palaeolithic cave paintings in France and Spain, and, if at all possible, I really fancied including some of these sites in our tour.  Hence, this morning I Googled the locations of these caves, and found that there were several sites in the Vézère Valley.* 

Now this region is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and is about a day's ride due East of the French Alps.  A quick look at the map suggests that we could take in some of the Massif Central en route to Vézère.

I have posted this route suggestion in our WhatsApp group chat to see how the others felt about it. So far, TP seems very keen, but I've not yet had a response from Rob** or Charlie.

The rest of the day wasn't particularly busy. I took the Hobson and TB out for a walk and we met and chatted to a couple of friendly dog walker. Hobson also found a dead squirrel and was absolutely delighted  with it. He promptly picked it up and carried it for about half an hour mile, before abandoning it by the roadside.

The dogs were washed on our return, and I then grabbed the clippers to trim Hobson's face. It is almost two months, to the day, since he was last clipped, and he is starting to look a little shaggy. He now looks much smarter, and, hopefully, it won't be too long before his topknot is restored.

The only other thing to report is that my back was twinging quite badly this afternoon. I'm not sure what I have done, but I may have pulled a muscle when I was cleaning my shotgun yesterday. I took a selection of painkillers in the hope that it will clear up over the next day or two.***

---

* In the Dordogne

** This is not particularly surprising, as Rob openly admits that he is "happy to go with the flow."

*** Having suffered from a slipped disk and foraminal stenosis back in 2023, I am now paranoid every time I have back ache. 

I had a plan/We had a plan

 So my plan for today was as follows, clean my shotgun and get the dogs walked.

It wasn't a complicated plan. It had two components, and each of them was easy to achieve.  The only slight complexity was that the dogs were likely to get filthy, so the end of my walk was planned to ensure that 30% was available to assist with washing them.*

The morning was spent pottering. I took a wander up to the hives, and lifted the roofs of each of them in turn. I can report that all three colonies are alive, and the bees could be seen working their way through the packs of fondant that are sat on the crown boards.**

As midday approached 30% headed off for an art class with Mummy Sheila, so I settled on the floor in front of the television and cleaned my gun.

Lunch followed and then there was the obligatory nap.

I woke at around two o'clock and noticed that the rain had started. I didn't fancy getting wet, so I filled the log basket, chopped kindling and occasionally peered out in hope of dry weather. 

Eventually I gave up on the idea of walking, lit the fire and settled in front of it.

This evening TP arranged a zoom call to start the planning for this year's motorcycle road trip. Charlie and Rob joined TP and I on the call, and it soon became apparent that there had been some pre-meeting decision making by TP and Charlie.

Our original intention was to take the Portsmouth to Santander ferry and take in the sights of North Portugal, but Charlie spouted out a set of inflated ferry prices and said he didn't want to spend that much money. A quick internet search found ferry tickets for two thirds of the price Charlie mentioned, so he then used the thirty hour sailing time and the need to eat on the boat as reasons not to go to Portugal by ferry ... it is clear that he is a bit of a tight-arse.

TP then mentioned that he and Charlie had had a preliminary chat and were keen to explore the French Alps around Grenoble ...it seems pretty obvious that this was probably Charlie's idea after seeing the price of ferry tickets.

Now I didn't particularly object, as, late last year, I took a look at touring options, and quite fancied the Massif Central in France. This mountainous area is en-route, so I suggested that we could include that too. This wasn't objected to, so we moved on to talking about potential dates. It seems likely that we will be going for nine days in the first half of July. My preference is for 10th - 19th.

A follow-on call is planned for next week, once Charlie has confirmed what dates he can take off work.

---

* I don't mind walking the dogs, but I really dislike having to wash and dry them afterwards. With the weather as it is at present, it is a rare treat for them to come home clean!

** I bumped in to Road-rage Ken this morning and it is sad to report that he has lost all of his hives this Winter. He's not sure what caused their demise, but thinks that it may be weather related. I offered genuine commiserations, and a nucleus colony, if I have one spare later on in the year.

The dining room comes together.

Saturday started with a drive over to Childswickham.  The morning was spent clay shooting with Bubbles, Ben, Little Miss Sunshine* and Adam.** After an indifferent start, I finally managed to start hitting clays and ended up with a score of 46/80.  (57.5%).

I can also report that we were incredibly lucky, and managed to avoid the showers that were forecast for the morning.***

I was home before midday, so had time to nip in to Alcester and pick up a roll of electrical insulating tape before lunch.

First job in the afternoon was to attend to the problematic light fitting. It was a matter of a few minutes work to insulate the light, and I can now report that we have fault free lighting downstairs.

Next on my list was a massive kip, before our friendly curtain lady arrived to fit the new curtains in the dining room. They look absolutely fantastic and most definitely worth every penny.

I now need to think about getting the dining room and the connecting lounge painted. I know that this is going to be quite an upheaval, as there are some large items of furniture to be moved, stored, or worked around. But, for the moment, I am able to ignore the less than perfect paintwork and enjoy the ambience of the new curtains, rug and lighting. 

It is going to look fabulous before the end of the year.

---

* Bobbyn has received a new alias, as she has such a cheerful disposition

** Bubb's colleague, better known as "Berko"

*** The BBC News website reports that a nearby village, Astwood Bank, has had rainfall on every day this year, so far.  We are only a few miles away and have had similar weather conditions.

Still raining

It comes as no surprise that I woke to yet another rainy day, although the rain did seem slightly less heavy than yesterday.

I was out of the house relatively early for a consultation at the local surgery. I have a recurrence of trigger finger in my right hand. It is not massively painful at the moment, but I know that it will become debilitating, if it is not attended to.*

Fortunately the GP was of the same opinion, and has referred me to a Specialist for a steroid injection. I am now wondering just how long I will have to wait.  If the NHS is as slow as expected I may well locate a private surgeon and pay to have it done.**

Once I was back at home I prepared a batch of cure, and spent the rest of the morning starting the cure of a huge loin of pork. This five kilo loin is now lurking in the bottom of the fridge, having been rubbed with several handfuls of an aromatic cure. It will be massaged and turned daily for the next six days.

I then had a look at the last light fitting that I put up yesterday. I think there may be an intermittent short between the connector block and the body of the light fitting. A couple of inches of insulating tape would sort this out, but I have none in the workshop.  It looks like I'll be nipping in to Alcester at some point to get some.

In the afternoon I headed off out for a walk with Hobson and TB. The lanes were soaking. Water is now flowing off the fields and streaming down the roads. The dogs had a splendid time and came back soaked and filthy. Usually I can get away with dipping their feet in a bucket and washing them off, but on this occasion the dog bath and a hose were required to get them clean.

The afternoon included a snooze on the sofa, and I spent the evening alone, as 30% was out to see an ABBA tribute band with the WI ... She was home just before ten o'clock. and wasn't in the best of moods. Apparently the band were dreadful.

From my perspective the words "ABBA" and "Tribute" should have been sufficient warning ... I keep these thoughts to myself.

---

* I last had trigger finger back in March 2021. This was treated privately under my work's insurance scheme. There is a comedy tale about having injections in each hand and not being able to feel or locate the gear stick on a Land Rover. It was an interesting drive back from Solihull.

** There used to be a GP at the surgery who would carry out this procedure "in-house". Now I need to be referred elsewhere and am definitely now on a waiting list. This is called progress.

A short?

The weather was equally vile again today. 

Fortunately I still had a couple of light fittings to replace in the dining room, so that kept me occupied for most of the morning.

I certainly seemed to have found my DIY Mojo, as I also dug out a picture,* which is now hung on the wall of the room.  It is now really coming together, and the new curtains will be delivered and hung on Saturday.

I felt I had earned a celebratory snooze, so that occupied an hour of the afternoon. I then filled the log basket, chopped kindling and got the fire lit.

I would like to say that I was chuffed with my accomplishments, BUT, as the afternoon turned to evening, we noticed that the downstairs lighting circuit would trip out occasionally. I have my suspicions that there may be an intermittent short circuit on the last light fitting I swapped out.

It looks like I'll be re-installing that one tomorrow.

---

* An old C18 print of a bucolic scene

Two more to do

Today I returned to my lighting project, and finished off the third, and final, light fitting in the hall. 

Neither of us can believe how much difference the new fittings make to the look and feel of the hall.

I then moved in to the seating area of the dining room, and started work in there. By lunchtime I had replaced another light fitting and was on a roll.

Today was much more pleasant than yesterday, so my afternoon started with a walk down the lane to Pete's house, and back, with Hobson and TB ... my new Three Miler.

I then treated myself to a restorative nap, before putting up a second light fitting in the dining room. There are two more to be replaced, but they can wait until tomorrow.

I needed to get myself tidied up for this evening's Tai Chi class.

Let there be light

The weather was miserable today. Cold rain poured from a grey sky, and my brief exposure to it, when letting out the hens, resulted in a decision to spend the day indoors.

I decided that the best thing I could do was to make a start on replacing the light fittings in the hall.  This decision did mean that I had to make multiple trips to the workshop to collect tools and fixings.  Each and every trip across the to the outbuildings reminded me just how vile the weather was.

The replacement of the wall lights went well, and I can report that two of the three in the hall have now been swapped.  

I can also report that two of the hens have started laying in the past week, so 30% and I were able to have poached eggs for lunch.*  They were cooked to perfection and tasted amazing.

So that was it for Tuesday. The hall is looking much smarter, and brighter, with its new wall lights, and I plan to get the others fitted before the weekend.

---

* Since we first started keeping poultry we rapidly realised just how lacklustre commercial eggs can be. There is nothing to beat a fresh egg from a heritage breed of poultry.  We dislike commercial eggs so much, that we rarely eat eggs in the Winter, once our hens stop laying.  Coincidentally, Mummy Sheila said exactly the same thing when we saw her last week, so it's not just us being pretentious.

My new Three Miler?

Over the past few days we have taken receipt of the wall lights,* and an order of LED Squirrel Cage bulbs.  I now really need to get on and get them installed.  

The curtains for the dining room are currently being made, and I am well aware that 30% is keen to get that room looking a little more respectable.**

With that in mind, this morning I headed in to Alcester to pick up some choc block connectors. I now have everything I need to make a start.

At this point one might expect a tale of replacing light fittings, but, instead, I headed out down the lane with TB and Hobson.  We wandered as far as Pete the Beekeeper's house, before turning and heading back home.  The walk was pleasant and, apart from one passing car,*** we saw no-one at all.

Back at home I had a quick play with Google Maps and it seems that this walk is about one and a half miles each way. It seems that I may have an alternative Three Miler that avoids the Townies that seem to be infiltrating the village.

This afternoon I gathered together the various blocks of beeswax, that are scattered around the property. The final tally is just over eight kilogrammes, or eighteen pounds, which will be exchanged for brood foundation at the Beekeeping Show later on this month.

This evening also saw another trip out with Hobson and TB.  We are off on a boating holiday in June and the dogs will need to go to a local dog boarder.  She is a lovely lady that boards the dogs in her own home. There are no draughty kennels, just warm beds and sofas in a house filled with dog toys. The reason for this visit was that she had not had TB stay with her before, and she wanted to ensure that he was well behaved, and would get on with her own three dogs.

We spent over two hours chatting, and it was after nine o'clock before we finally made it home. I can report that TB was assessed as lovely, despite the fact that he peed up her footstool ... apparently scent marking is expected!

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* These were ordered at the back end of November. They are lovely, but are made to order, and the chap who makes them seems a little disorganised.

** as am I

*** Crazy Steve gave us a wave!

This is getting to be a habit

Yes, it's yet another three Journal entries in a single post.

Friday, 30th January

We have noticed that Hobson has put on a significant amount of weight recently, so has been on restricted rations for about a week.  He has also had his exercise regime increased.

Yesterday 30% popped in to the Vets and took Hobson along to be weighed. His weight has increased from 29kg to 35kg in the past twelve months.  Basically he has put on the best part of a stone!  Whiffler and Traitorous Bastard are around 30kg in weight. Both are slightly smaller than Hobson, and Whiffler is nearly twelve years old. Based on their weights it is clear that Tubby needs to loose at least four kilos ... The diet will continue.

This afternoon I took Hobson and TB out for a walk. I have changed my route after yesterday's encounter with a runner, and now cut off the Three Miler and continue along the lane. It is much quieter with very few cars, and other walkers are a rarity. It looks like this may be my new regular walk.*

This evening TP turned up, as we will be attending an Arena Motocross event tomorrow. He is currently having car problems, so I was required to pick him up from Shrub Hill station.

---

* There are also bridleways and footpaths to explore, as soon as the ground dries out.

Saturday, 31st January

The morning saw another walk out along the lanes. TP accompanied me, and we walked as far as Pete the beekeeper's house, before we about-turned and headed back home.

The afternoon was relatively lazy. TP and I headed over to Birmingham in the early evening for three hours of Arena Motocross.  This was a Christmas gift from 30%, and neither of us was exactly sure what to expect. I can report that we had a great time. The BP arena had been turned in to a motocross track complete with berms, jumps, triples and "whoops". 

The track looked exceedingly narrow, so we were amazed when up to thirteen riders completed in each race. I can report that it was full blown racing with all the contact expected from a motocross race. The races were interspersed with some freestyle motocross demonstrations which featured huge jumps and somersaults. 

It was great entertainment, and I would definitely go again.

Equally entertaining was the carpark chaos, as we left the NEC. That also featured full body contact, fortunately not my car, and a significant amount of car horns and shouting!

Sunday, 1st February

Today I did bugger all. 

The only thing of note was that I dropped TP off at the station, and I had a moment of clarity.

Later this month I will be attending the British Beekeeping Show up in Telford. I have my shopping list prepared, and am very much aware that one of the most expensive items on it is sheets of foundation.* A sheet of premium foundation is about £2 and I need around sixty sheets.

My moment of clarity was when I remembered that one of the beekeeping suppliers will exchange foundation for clean beeswax. Now I have fairly large amount of beeswax stored away, and rarely use any of it.**  I realised that their wax exchange would significantly reduce my spending.

All I need to do now is gather the wax blocks together, weigh them and work out how much foundation I will receive.

---

* Foundation: a wax sheet that is impressed with a hexagonal pattern. The sheet also has a wire embedded in it to provide support.  Foundation is fixed in to the hive frames to give the bees a foundation from which to build comb.

** The occasional batch of leather cream or furniture polish

I'm not doing very well ---

... with keeping the Journal up to date at the moment.  I'm not sure why? I'm certainly not very busy, and I can always find a few minutes to jot down my daily comings and goings, but, for some reason, I seem to find something else to do instead.

So here is yet another attempt to brings things up to date.

Tuesday, 27th January

The morning was spent bottling a batch of honey. I last bottled a batch on the 15th, so I seem to be shifting about 5lbs, or ten jars, every week. I really can't complain about how well the little stall seems to be doing.

In the afternoon 30% and I attended a local "Tea Club." This comprises a monthly get-together of villagers for a presentation, tea, cake and conversation.  The club has been running for over twenty years and was originally established as a community hub for conversation and friendship.

The reason for attending was that I have been volunteered to deliver a talk on bees and beekeeping later on in the Spring, and I wanted a) to get an idea of my audience, and b) to see if I could connect 30%'s laptop to the AV equipment in the Parish Education Centre.

I have to report that my potential audience didn't seem overly responsive to today's talk on an overland trip to Nepal,* and the laptop refused to cooperate.

It looks like I'll be there next month to have another go with the laptop.

---

* The talk could have been brilliant, but unfortunately it was a tedious regurgitation of a travel itinerary, rather than tales of adventure in far flung places.

Wednesday, 28th January

Today I headed over to Bubbles place of work to get the 5 Series put through it's MOT. The car passed, but the workshop was incredibly busy, so I didn't get the chance to have a natter with Bubbs.

Back at home I bottled another five pound batch of honey, before Mummy Sheila joined us for afternoon tea. She had been informed that I had made a carrot cake and was here in her capacity as Quality Controller. 

She confirmed that the cake was better than the last one, and, when she headed home, she took a large slice "for Ron"**

It'll be interesting to see how this pans out. The last time she took a large slice of cake home, she carefully cut it in half. One half was to eat that evening and the second half was put aside for the following day. Later that evening the first slice was eaten, and Sheila promptly returned to the kitchen, got the second slice and ate that too!

I was also back at the Parish Education Centre for my weekly Tai Chi session. It was the usual routine, and I can report that we finally managed to work our way through the entire Shibashi five sequence.

---

** "later on"

Thursday, 29th January

First job of the day was to drive Traitorous Bastard over to Stratford for a session at the grooming parlour. On the way back I detoured via the local feed store for a couple of sacks of layers pellets.

I then headed out on the Three Miler with Hobson and The Rat. The walk was quite pleasant until a local runner came up behind us and took exception to the dogs being off the lead. He was obviously in the mood for an argument, so I apologised and let him vent. I did try to explain that continuing to run did have a tendency to excite dogs, but that was the conversational equivalent of throwing petrol on a fire ... Ho hum!

Fortunately this episode was witnessed by an acquaintance who seemed to side with me. She advised that she had no concerns about our dogs and understood why I let them off the lead, "living where we do."

I am surprised and annoyed how much this encounter has disturbed and upset me.  

There are many people who walk their dogs off lead on the lanes, as we do. We are very careful to recall them and put them on the lead when we encounter other people, but the changing village population means that we now see a lot of Townies who are not happy with free running dogs.

It looks like most of my walks will now be on the lead"

The afternoon was spent in the company of Grandad Jack. He was in the vicinity and made a welcome visit. The afternoon was spent nattering and consuming tea and cake.

This evening saw us at Redditch Catering College restaurant for their Burns Night supper.  There were nine of us, with members of the local WI and 30%'s coven making up the numbers. We had a super meal and the mandatory piper and saluting of the haggis were all part of the evening.

We arrived home absolutely stuffed, after consuming five huge courses, topped off by coffee and shortbread.

A rude awakening

I rarely set an alarm to wake me. In fact it must be more than twenty five years since I regularly set an alarm to rouse me ... one of the benefits of a career based out of a home office.

So, you can imagine that being roused this morning by the dogs barking manically was definitely a rude awakening. My mental state went from slumber to absolute alertness in less than four seconds and I realised that our heating oil delivery had arrived.

A quick peek through the curtains confirmed this, and I rapidly threw on yesterday's clothes, so I could direct the tanker driver to our oil tank. I managed to be outside, dressed, and have the oil tank key in my hand as he started to pull the delivery hose down the length of the drive.  As he filled our tank, I attended to the chickens and put out the honey on my roadside stall.

It is fair to say that I generally prefer a more leisurely start to my day!

Once I had imbibed several cups of coffee and eaten breakfast, I restarted my day at a more reasonable rate. I pottered for a while before heading out for a walk with Hobson and Traitorous Bastard.  Within a few yards I bumped in to Andy*, and we walked together as far as the local sewerage works, before I did an about turn and headed back home.

The afternoon saw me chauffeur 30% in to Redditch for her diabetic eye screening appointment. On our return I retired to the sofa for a recuperative snooze.

Clearly, a restorative measure after this morning's jolt from my slumbers.

---

* Recently retired IT consultant Andy, rather than shot blasting and powder coating Andy.

Bait?

 30% and 'Chelle had arranged a visit to the pantomime today.  Shortly after nine this morning they headed off leaving me home alone for most of the day.

As mentioned in yesterday's Journal entry, I had made a carrot cake as a surprise for 'Chelle, and I spent this morning preparing a cream cheese icing. This was applied in a thick layer between the two halves, and an equally thick coat of icing was spread over the top of the cake. The cake was then left in the fridge.

Now, you might wonder why I have chosen "Bait" as the title of today's nonsense. After all, I have already recounted that my preferred bait for chub is luncheon meat marinaded in garlic paste, and this entry would seem to be about baking rather than fishing.

Well, it seems that my carrot cake appears to be the most excellent bait for 30%'s friends.  They positively gush about how good it is, and 'Chelle described the large slice I offered this evening as "amazing." She headed off home with a third of the cake and we were all taking bets on how much of it would survive the five mile journey home.

Both Mummy Sheila and Jules are also fans of my cakes and will be here later in the week.

I think it's a case of "if I bake it, they will come!"*

---

* You can always rely on my smutty wife to add, "in more ways than one" to that statement ... If I say so, myself, I can bake a very good carrot cake.

Kicking back

 The past few days have been very quiet. 

The weather is uninspiring, and there are very few pressing demands on my time, so I have been taking it easy ... well easier than I usually take things!  

Thursday did see me venture outside for more time than is required to let out the chickens and fill the log basket.  

When letting out the chickens, I happened to lift the roofs on the hives, and check on their consumption of fondant. Hive #1 was down to their last morsel, so, once the day had warmed a little, a replacement pack of fondant was placed on the crown board. Hive #3 is working their way through their first pack, and hive #2 doesn't appear to have made great inroads in to the fondant.*  I'll keep checking on a weekly basis to ensure they have enough food to keep them going.

Friday saw a trip over to Cheltenham to look at curtain fabric.  We had been posted a small sample of a fabric, but really wanted to see a large area of the material to get a better idea of how it would look as curtains in the dining room, hence the visit to a fabric retailer. We both agreed that it was fabulous, but was going to be far too busy in the same room as the rug we bought last weekend.

We have now developed plan b, which involves using a deep red jacquard fabric** in the dining room. Those curtains will be made with a triple pleat to give the curtains an additional element of visual interest. The fabric we originally chose is likely to be used in the lounge instead.

Saturday saw me to succumb to repeated, and good humoured nagging from 'Chelle.  She is a huge fan of my carrot cake and I really do owe her a cake, after she so kindly sat the dogs when we visited C&S a fortnight ago.

Consequently I spent most of the morning baking a carrot cake. I will ice it tomorrow, in preparation for a visit from 'Chelle.

Once the cake had bene set to cool, I headed out down the lanes with TB and Hobson. We had a lovely walk and and I was reasonably impressed by Hobson's recall.*** Something caught his attention, possibly a squirrel, but I did manage to break his attention, and get him to come back.

So that is pretty much it for the past three days. It is Winter. The weather is dismal and I am really enjoying kicking back and relaxing in the warm.

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* The packs are clear plastic, so one can see the bees as they start to consume the fondant.

** A roll of which has sat in 30%'s dressing room for more years than I care to remember. Apparently it was purchased to cover a pair of sofa's which have, long since, "left the building."

*** He has been a little obstinate recently.

I'm back

It's been a few days since I last jotted down a Journal entry, so here's a quick catch up on recent events.

Saturday, 17th January

Saturday was mostly filled with domestic activities. The coffee maker was descaled, the rodent traps in the store room were reset, the motorcycle trickle chargers were checked and so forth.

The exciting news was that we have bought a rather splendid Iranian rug from the auction and we also acquired a lovely wooden sledge too.

Now we don't get much snow in these parts, and I am way too large for a children's sledge, so why did we buy it?  

When I said I wanted it, 30% steadfastly refused to even engage the thought of bidding on it. I then played the trump card of, "it'll be perfect for when we have grandchildren."  As if by magic, she is bidding like a maniac and the sledge is ours.

I now have the perfect method of getting her to agree to anything I want. Next on my list is a pet camel to live up in the orchard.

Sunday, 18th January

Yesterday evening 30% shut the chickens up for the night. This is a key point, take note.

This morning I headed up the orchard to let them out and I noticed that two bedraggled and somewhat annoyed hens were wandering around the run. They were not happy and were wittering on about, "reckless endangerment." 

As I fed them and refreshed their water it transpired that 30% had callously left them outside all night. Even worse, a prowling fox had visited and scratched at the bottom of the run. They were most distressed and were demanding restitution. The hens in the coop were making similar demands, based on the fact that they had been separated from their flock mates, and had been emotionally damaged by the enforced and involuntary isolation.

I reassured my little flock that I was the chief judiciary, responsible for this serious matter and would ensure that their case was considered and dealt with appropriately ...  Later in the day 30% was found on her knees making sure that the hens had a lovely clean coop to sleep in this evening.

The only other news was that we were required to collect TP from Birmingham Airport, on his return from  his adventure in Vietnam.

Monday, 19th January

Obviously there were many conversations covering TP's tour of Vietnam today. It sounds like he had a splendid time, and I am certain that more will come to light over the next few weeks.

This morning 30% and I headed over to Littleton and collected the sledge and rug. A large part of this afternoon was spent shifting furniture, vacuuming, and getting the rug laid in the smug. It looks beautiful, and is the perfect size for the room. 

We have subsequently learnt that it appears to come from the Tabriz region of North West Iran, based on a Google Image translation of the Arabic text woven in to the border of the rug.

Tuesday, 20th January

This morning TP and I headed off for a walk with the dogs down the lane.  It was great to have a chat and hear about some potential plans for a slight change in career trajectory.  It will be interesting to see how this pans out. 

It was also nice to be able to walk at a decent pace, as 30%'s mobility issues mean that most of our walks are short, and have frequent halts for her to catch up. I don't mind, but, for me, they are a wander rather than a walk.

TP headed off back to Cardiff after lunch.  30% and I then hitched the trailer to the car, and finally took the broken dishwasher to the tip, along with a few other accumulated items.

Wednesday, 21st January

The weather was vile this morning. Rain was pouring from a leaden sky, and the forecast suggested that it was likely to stay that way for most of the day.

Unfortunately the heavy rain meant that the drain across the drive at the entrance to the property needed attention.  I spent a fun hour lifting the grating, clearing the accumulated debris, and rodding the clay pipes that lead on to the ditch.

I then did my best to stay inside for the rest of the day, although a trip was required to collect logs from Rose Cottage.

A massive hypoglycaemic event meant that much of the afternoon was spent on the sofa, although I managed to summon sufficient energy for this evening's Tai Chi session. A new member joined us this evening, a driving force in the local men in sheds group.*

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* Make of that what you will!

That's rather nice

 Friday morning was taken at a gentle pace. 

30% was hosting a sewing circle* this morning and had requested that I stuck around to ensure that the dogs didn't eat any of the guests. This resulted in an extended session of pottering. I read a little, but couldn't settle in to the book I had selected, so I headed out and tidied away the oxalic acid vapour treatment equipment that I had used on Wednesday.

The afternoon started with a snooze, before we headed over to North Littleton to view the lots to be sold at tomorrow's auction. I was interested in a pair of fighting spears and a couple of other bits and pieces, but was not overly enamoured, when I saw them in the flesh.

However, we were both really taken by a large rug, that we stepped over as we wandered through the sale room. On closer examination we could see that it was of beautiful quality** and we overheard that it had been previously sold, but there had been a cock-up with the courier service. The owner had decided that it should be re-sold rather than bother with arranging another collection.

Back at home we checked the size and agreed that it would be perfect in the dining room. We also learnt that it had previously sold for £250, so we had a guide price too.

Our final outing was to take Whiffler in to the Vet's to have the bandage on his foot changed.  The Vet was quite happy with his progress and, all being well, he will be dressing-free*** next Tuesday.

We also settled our account and will probably be eating value beans and items from the reduced price aisle for the next month, or two!

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* also know as a stitch 'n bitch morning

** The pile is unbelievable, you could get lost in it!

*** it is so embarrassing for him to have to wear a plastic bag on his foot, when he goes out for a pee!

Keeping dry

Having collected 30lbs of honey from Pete yesterday, there was only ever going to be one thing that dominated today ... honey bottling.*

My timing was fortuitous, as heavy rain was forecast for most of the day. It really was the perfect day to be occupied indoors.

I was just about to put the first batch in the hot water bath when Craig the roofer arrived for what now seems to be an annual occurrence.  30% had noticed a couple of slipped tiles just before Christmas and, I think, panicked, hence Craig's visit to have a look.

After a quick wander around the house his opinion was thus, "there are a few tiles that need refixing, and the chimney and flashing need some attention, but there is no need for re-roofing ... yet!"

The roof has clearly been replaced at some point in the past, as is evidenced by the presence of bituminous felt under the tiles, but this was obviously many, many years ago. It seems to be holding up well, and attending to a couple of weather worn areas will keep us watertight.

He advised that, if this is to be our forever home, it will need to be re-roofed and he gave me a ball park estimate, based on his quick visual appraisal. I was pleasantly surprised that it was well below twenty thousand pounds.  Even allowing for finding problems when the tiles, laths and felt are stripped off, it is likely to be nowhere near as expensive as we had expected.

I can see this job being scheduled in the next few years.

The honey bottling continued, and a local curtain maker called in to give us a quote for making new curtains in the dining room.

And that is how the day continued. In the intervals when the honey was melting, various domestic duties were progressed, and I now have a ten pound batch of honey, bottled and ready for sale.

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* It's been little more than a week since I ran out of honey, and passersby are already asking when it will be back on sale.

Mostly taken up with Beekeeping

I have been wittering on about giving my bees their Winter oxalic acid vapour treatment since the New Year. However, a combination of icy weather, rainy weather, snow storms and a weekend away with friends has meant that it has still not happened.

Today was to be the day!  I had checked the forecast and it seemed to be perfect. There had been a frost overnight, but by early afternoon it would be four or five degrees celsius ... just right for the treatment.

Obviously my morning was free, so I headed down the road to see Pete the Beekeeper. I ran out of honey about ten days ago, and desperately needed another bucket of honey. Fortunately Pete was at home and I soon had a 30lb tub sat in the back of the car. We then settled in his cosy kitchen and spent half an hour chatting about bees.

I think it's nice for Pete to have someone who he can talk to about bees without them glazing over. For me, I find him incredibly informative, and he is also very complimentary about my beekeeping skills and knowledge, despite the fact that he manages about fifty colonies and I only have three. He often makes a point or observation and then says, "but I don't need to tell you, you know this already."

He is far more skilled than me, and I have learnt an immense amount from our regular chats, particularly about when to intervene, and when to just leave the colony alone.

In the afternoon the weather warmed, as predicted, so I headed up to the orchard to attend to the bees.

It took just over an hour to treat the three colonies and I was delighted to see that each of my hives had healthy clusters of bees within. This was so much better than this time last year when I discovered that one of my two colonies had died. I am well aware that there are still a couple of months of cold weather yet to go, but, so far, I seem to have three strong colonies.

I have mentioned previously that I find beekeeping to be a very zen activity. The oxalic acid treatment is most definitely not zen. There is a lot of hanging around, and the bees really don't appreciate the disturbance. I appreciate that it is very good for the health of the colony, but I'm glad that it is now done.

A more zen activity was this evening's Tai Chi session at the Parish Education Centre.  It was a small group of seven of us that was taken through the Slapping Qigong, followed by Qigong Shibashi, set 5.  

It was our first time at attempting the Shibashi, set 5, and, as expected for a first attempt at a new routine, parts of it were completely baffling. It will take a few run throughs before it starts to make sense.

Running around

 Monday was uneventful, hence the lack of Journal entry.  I can't make tidying the house and a quick walk with the dogs fill a page, no matter how verbose I am.

Today, was slightly more active.

I woke a little before eight o'clock and realised that I really needed to get my arse out of bed. I threw on some clothes and headed downstairs for the obligatory cup of black coffee. The chickens were let out and then job #1 needed my attention.

Back in November TP had booked his car in at the local workshop for its MOT test. He had then headed off to Vietnam and delegated the responsibility for this to me. 

This morning Hobson and I climbed in to his car,* and headed down the lane to drop off the vehicle. We then wandered back, with Hobson taking immense delight in being an only dog.**

Back at home I had sufficient time for breakfast and ablutions, before we headed out again. 

Our first port of call was the local Vet's surgery. Whiffler was booked in for a couple of minor procedures*** and a few minutes were spent dropping him off and signing the necessary consent documents. We were informed to call "after two", to get an update and likely collection time.

The rest of the morning was spent choosing some new bedding and a wander around Aldi to pick up a few essentials.

The afternoon included a short snooze, and I awoke to hear 30% checking on Whiffler's condition. She let me know that all was well, and that he could be collected just before three o'clock. I made a mental note of this just as my phone rang.  TP's car was ready to be collected.  30% and I, therefore, divided and conquered. She headed off to collect Whiffler, and I wandered down the road for TP's Ford.

So, that was Tuesday. Whiffler is fine, but has a bandaged foot that needs to be re-dressed on Friday afternoon. He also needs to wear a plastic bag on his foot when he goes outside ... this makes him look and sound ridiculous. But he had no problems with the sedation and seems completely unperturbed by his trip to the Vet's ... that's all that really matters.

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* Funnily enough, I wasn't really worried about the state of Hobson's feet ... it's not my car!

** He loves a walk with the pack, but a walk with just me seems to be a completely different experience for him. He is incredibly attentive to me, but I can tell from his body posture that he absolutely loving every step of the walk.

*** There is a small growth on his left eyelid that is now making contact with his cornea, and a small cyst on one of his toes that is starting to irritate him. Both of these are to be removed. They are relatively minor procedures, but each has the potential to be problematic if left unattended.

A night out

This weekend we had an overnight stop arranged with C&S down in Aston Clinton.  M&M would also be coming up from Brinkworth, so a lively evening was likely.

The early part of Saturday was spent putting the house in order and getting the dogs exercised.

I had managed to persuade 'Chelle to house sit for us and she arrived mid afternoon. A few minutes were spent handing over brief instructions on canine and poultry care,* before we hit the road and headed off down South.

A lovely evening was spent catching up on each others' news. I think the headline item was that M had finally tendered her notice and would be finishing work at the end of February.

It was concerning to see how unnerved she seemed by this significant life change. She is almost obsessed with her responsibility to her, soon to be former, partnership. It is almost as if she has been brainwashed by them to the point that her identity is limited to that of being a partner in a law firm.

I truly hope that she soon sees that retirement will give her the freedom to be her own person and not feel owned by, or responsible to, anyone but herself. Furthermore, that it allows her to find herself again, once the stresses fall away.

We all breakfasted together, before we headed back home. 'Chelle had left our house mid morning, and we really didn't want to leave them too long on their own.**

The rest of the day was spent catching up on some sleep and getting the fire lit. 

It is nice to go away, but it is lovely to be back home.

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* ... and where all the booze and food was kept!

** We know that they can be left for several hours if they have been emptied beforehand. However, 'Chelle is new to caring for dogs and might not be certain that they have all had a pee.

Processing bacon

The only thing worthy of mention for today was the slicing and packing of the recently smoked bacon.

The slicing* and packing took up the most of the morning, and I can report that we produced a little over five and a half pounds of bacon. 

A half pound didn't make it to the freezer, and was consumed for lunch. As expected, the bacon is a little on the salty side, as it was cured for a couple of days more than planned, However I can report that it produced a lovely bacon sandwich.

The afternoon was spent getting the slicer cleaned and packed away.

Not the most exciting of days, but certainly productive.

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* I sliced it a little thinner than usual, about 2mm, and I think I preferred it that way.

Much less snow than predicted

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Smoked bacon and curtain poles

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Out for lunch

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

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

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

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

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

Just like Sunday

Today was very much a copy of Sunday.

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

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

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

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

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

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

An "indoors" day

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

A frosty start to the New Year

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

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

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

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

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

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

Preparations

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

A moment of delight.

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

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

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

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

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

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* They are hung up in the workshop