It's a dogs life

The week started with a trip to the Vet's. It was Whiffler's post-operative check-up, and I can report that all is going well. There are no signs of infection and he seems to be healing well.  We have another appointment booked for Thursday when we will be seen by the Vet that operated on him.

The only problem that I can see is that Whiffler seems to have developed a taste for pate, and I have my suspicions that we may have made a rod for our proverbial backs. 

Let me explain. Many years ago we discovered that the easiest way to get a dog to take a pill was to smear it in a glob of pate. It would be wolfed down with none of the ridiculous pantomime of attempting to poke the pill down the dog's throat, and it then being spat out moments later.

Well, Whiffler currently needs to take antibiotics twice a day, and he also needs to have a dose of anti-inflammatory pain mediation after his evening meal. The latter medication must be taken on a full stomach. We have, therefore, been using pate to ensure he takes his medication, and eats a good meal. Now Whiffler always was a very intelligent dog and I am bloody certain that he is now refusing to eat his food until 30% has stirred in a good sized spoonful of liver pate!

I think his meals may now include pate for the rest of his days.

Later in the morning we headed over to Littleton to pick up a Record bandsaw that I bought at Saturday's auction.* I was a little apprehensive, as it was bought unseen, but it seemed quite tidy, when seen in the flesh. We soon had it stowed in the back of the car and were heading homeward.

Early in the afternoon I headed out with Hobson and TB for our usual walk. Pete the Beekeeper was pottering in his garden, so we stopped and chatted for a while, before I headed home across the fields.

I then headed out to the workshop, where I spent a couple of hours assembling my new saw's stand and marrying the saw to its base. I cleaned the rust from the cast iron saw table, and gave it a coat of tool wax, before I attempted a few test cuts. It seems to be working really well, although the fence needs adjustment and I had purchased a mitre fence before I retired for the evening.

Some spare blades might end up being bought too!

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* 30% placed a commission bid

Let's do brunch

Our relationship with Bubbles and Bobbyn, actually just Bobbyn, has cooled recently.  She is hard bloody work, so we have avoided meeting up since well before Christmas. 

It therefore came as a complete bloody surprise when 30% arranged for us to meet up with them for breakfast this morning.*  This irritated me for a couple of reasons.  Firstly, I am a strong believer in letting sleeping dogs lie, so why the hell did she reignite a relationship that was hopefully waning? Secondly, I don't like eating at odd times.**

I'm 62 years old and for a good chunk of those years I have taken a light breakfast at around 7.30 in the morning, I eat a sandwich at midday and we have our evening meal a little after seven in the evening.  I do not want to wait until ten o'clock in the morning to break my fast. By that point I will either be fucking starving, or will have already eaten a slice of toast to avoid feeling famished. 

A similar thing happened last week when we went to the Lygon Arms for afternoon tea. It was another oddly timed meal that was too late to be regarded as lunch and far too early for my dinner.

I really dislike these oddly timed meals like brunch or afternoon tea. They have a tendency to become extra meals rather than rescheduled meals and they totally mess up my blood sugar control.

So, brunch was fine, apart from the fact that I would have preferred to eat it at home about two hours earlier.  

We arrive home a little before midday. Obviously I was stuffed with bacon and sausage, so I wheeled out the mower and trundled around the lawns at the front of the house.  This was in the vain hope that mowing less than a quarter of an acre would go some way to counteracting the caloric overload from this morning.

Final accomplishment of the day was to hang a tapestry in the Inglenook in the living room.  This wasn't hugely complicated, but I did need to fabricate a hanging rod from an old curtain rail.  We're both delighted with how it looks in situ, and it finally means that I don't have to look at that bloody bread oven.***

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* We ate at a cafe/restaurant on the site of the Evesham Golf Club. I can't remember the name of the place and I really can't be arsed to Google it. The food was great, the service was good and the decor made it look exactly like every other cafe/restaurant that you have ever visited. Why am I not enthusiastic about the place ... It doesn't take a massive amount of skill to cook a full English breakfast and serve it with a cup of coffee!

** There was a third reason ... the inevitable post match analysis, where each and every utterance from Bobbyn is analysed, and not in a positive way.  For the record, I don't disagree with the analysis, It is just a reiteration of points that we have discussed before.  As I said at the outset, "Our relationship has cooled recently."

*** At some point in the history of the cottage, someone installed a bread oven door in the Inglenook.  It was never operational and simply installed for visual effect. Unfortunately they didn't make a good job of it and, in my humble opinion, it made the Inglenook look really unbalanced. If I am honest I really didn't like it and was sorely tempted to rip it out and brick up the aperture. Until I get sufficiently motivated to do that, we have hung a lovely tapestry of a caged unicorn in front of it. It works so well!

A bit of mowing

30% had arranged a Theatre Day in Birmingham with 'Chelle and Mummy Sheila. They headed off a little after nine o'clock, leaving me home alone for most of the day.

This morning I did what any man would do, when not under the watchful eye of their spouse ... absolutely nothing, other than ablutions, a little light reading and imbibing coffee.

There was a bitter breeze once again, making me very reluctant to seek jobs outside, but the lawns really did need attending to.

In the early afternoon I donned coat and hat, and spent a couple of hours mowing the lawns at the back of the house. They now look much tidier, but, as soon as I had finished,  I was very keen to retire, make a hot drink, light the fire, and plonk my arse in front of it.

Whiffler starts his recovery

Whiffler, understandably, took a long time to settle last night, and was not up to climbing the stairs. As a consequence, both he and 30% spent the night in the living room.  I was informed that, at one point, 30% was sharing the sofa with both Whiffler and TB!

I woke early and took over dog care duties and can report that he seems to be recovering well after the operation and anaesthesia.  30% retired to her bedroom for a couple of hours to catch up on some sleep.

This morning I headed out for a walk with Hobson and TB. Our outward leg was down the lane, and we returned across the fields. We had another close encounter with the Fallow deer, and, again, TB needed to be gently persuaded to duck under the stile.  I'm quite puzzled about his lack of comprehension. Hobson nips under it without a thought, but TB just looks at it, like I am expecting him to climb over the top like a person.

In the afternoon I headed out to the carport with brush and can, and applied a coat of oil to the second gate.  I can now report that they both need one more coat before they can be hung.

I omitted my usual weather report, so I should mention that it was bloody chilly today. I needed a coat to keep me comfortable while I was attending to the gate, and a fire was lit as soon as I was back indoors.

Ouch!

Today was the day that Whiffler had his operation.

30% took him in to the Vet's, while I headed out with Hobson and TB for our usual walk.

It was significantly cooler today, and the weather and our schedule meant that very little was removed from my to-do list. I did add a feeder to the nucleus colony, and I also had an appointment at the surgery to review pain management for my stenosis symptoms.

The GP confirmed that my self-mediation was appropriate, but he also recommended that I refer myself to NHS Physiotherapy for guidance on appropriate back exercises.

The Vet called in the early afternoon to advise that Whiffler was out of surgery and could be collected at four o'clock.  The operation had gone well, and the Vet seemed quietly confident of a positive outcome.  We are well aware that the cancer may had metastasised,* and that Whiffler is an old dog, but we are hopeful that it will give him another year of good quality pottering and sniffing.

Shortly before four, we headed up to the Vet's to collect Whiffler.  We were briefed on his post-surgery care, drugs were handed over, and follow-up appointments were made.** Then the old fellow was brought out.  He seemed quite perky, but he was a bit wobbly. This was totally understandable when we saw the site of his surgery. You might have heard the phrase, "tear someone a new arsehole." Well, it looked like that was exactly what had happened to our poor, old dog.

Ouch!

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* Anal gland cancer can metastasis through the lymphatic system and take hold in the spine causing a variety of nasty symptoms.  

** I almost forgot to mention that the best part of nine hundred quid was handed over too. I'd also paid the roofers this morning, so it was quite an expensive day!

Just in time?

Wednesday was always going to be quite a busy day.

Our local roofing company turned up promptly at eight o'clock,  and spent most of the day giving the roof a touch of remedial attention.  The main job was to replace the cement flashing at the base of the chimney with lead flashing.  They also attended to the cement haunching around the pot, and repointed parts of the chimney.  The chaps advised that the job was definitely overdue.  They also attended to a few loose and cracked tiles, and a couple of dodgy ridge tiles.  

We are aware that we will need to have the cottage re-roofed at some point, but this remedial work will keep us watertight for a while longer yet.

Mid-morning saw me head out for a walk with Hobson and TB.  We took our normal route along the lanes to Pete's house, before returning through the fields.  

TB is now quite happy about the footbridge, and both he and Hobson charged across and headed right along the hedge line at full speed.  I followed behind and looked to the left, our normal direction of travel.  The idiot dogs had totally failed to see a group of six or eight Fallow bucks about sixty yards away.* I called the dogs to me, and they still hadn't noticed the deer.  I soon had them back on their leads and watched as the deer jumped through a gap in the hedge and headed off.  The rest of the walk was uneventful, as I selected a route that headed in the opposite direction to the one chosen by the deer.

Today was forecast to be warm and sunny, perfect conditions for my first inspection of the hives.  In the early afternoon I put on my bee suit, lit my smoker and headed up to the orchard with a trolley laden with queen excluders and supers.

I started with hive #1 and was delighted to see that it was filled with bees. There were at least eight frames with brood at various stages of development and I even managed to locate the queen.  There seemed to be some nectar being stored and I was surprised by the large amounts of pollen being packed away too.  I added a queen excluder and super to the hive and returned the crown board and the roof.  This hive had not seemed to be as active as the other colonies, so I was expecting something similar, or perhaps more impressive from the other hives.

I moved to hive #2 and gave them a good puff of smoke before opening up the colony.  It was filled to bursting with bees. There were so many, considering that many would be flying on such a fine day, that it was difficult to check the frames for brood, disease or signs of possible swarming.  I inspected as carefully as I could and soon saw signs that the colony was preparing to swarm. I saw a few queen cups, and encountered open queen cells as my inspection progressed.

I didn't want a strong colony to swarm so I replaced the crown board and headed back to the store room to collect a nucleus box and some spare brood frames. I had made the decision to perform a split of the colony, and planned to relocate the queen, a couple of frames of brood and plenty of nurse bees to the nucleus box.  The only problem with that plan was that it entailed locating the queen in a hive that was filled to overflowing with bees.  Fortunately the God of Beekeeping** smiled down on me and I managed to find her ... at the second attempt.

I assembled the nut with a couple of frames of brood, a frame of stores and a couple of frames of foundation. I shook in a couple of frames of nurse bees and moved it about six feet away from its parent hive. I'll add a feeder tomorrow and give them a couple of litres of sugar syrup. That should encourage the workers to start building comb on the sheets of foundation.

The parent hive will now be left for at least four weeks in the hope that a new queen will hatch, mate and start to lay ... I just hope that the weather stays fine and that there are sufficient drones in the area.

Hive #3 was similar to the previous hive, but not quite as advanced in the development of swarm cells.  This was fortunate as I do have another nucleus box, but I had no spare brood frames available.  I continued with my inspection and was very happy with the state of this colony too. I'm just well aware that it will need to be split next week, unless the buggers swarm beforehand. 

I spent an hour in the workshop this evening assembling a batch of brood frames and can also report that I have made contact with a Beekeeper in Studley, who may have a couple of buckets of honey available ... watch this space.

So, in case it isn't clear, the title of today's Journal entry comes from the fact that a) we seem to have had the chimney repaired, b) I managed to restrain the dogs, and c) I inspected the hives just in time.

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* They were originally a hunting dog. My two obviously didn't get that memo!

** Apparently it's Aristaeus.

That's quite enough for today

The plan for today was to bottle a couple of batches of honey.  I set to work straight after breakfast, and soon had the first batch clarifying in a hot water bath.  

I also realised that today's honey bottling efforts would leave me with only about twelve pounds of honey in the bucket.  I have reached out to a couple of local Apiarists for a new supplier of bulk honey, but have yet to find anyone with any spare.  I even reached out to a chap in Monmouth, who had thirty buckets available, but he had sold out already!

I took the dogs out for our usual walk in an interval while the honey was liquifying.* We, again, headed out to Pete's house and returned across the fields. I can report that Traitorous Bastard is becoming far more confident in crossing the footbridge across the stream. Perhaps the troll has moved on, or has decided that the local Fallow deer are a more tasty treat?

The afternoon included a short snooze on the sofa, before I headed out to the carport.  TP had given me a hand to turn the new gates around, when he was here at the weekend, so I was able to apply a coat of protective oil** to the other side of one of the gates.  I hope to have them ready for installation shortly.  The only tricky task will be getting access, so I can oil the bottom rail of the gates.

I had planned to perform the first full inspection of the hives this afternoon, but the weather was quite breezy, so I decided to leave that until tomorrow.

I was also quite tired after what had turned out to be a busy day.

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* This last batch from Pete has set like concrete!  Previous batches have been thick and viscous. This honey has set hard and breaks apart in chunks after considerable persuasion with a spoon.

** Osmo UV Protection oil

Afternoon Tea

It's Easter Monday and there were hordes of walkers out and about.

I headed out with Hobson and TB and we took our normal walk as far as Pete the Beekeeper's house. On our return we, again, cut away from the road and headed down the footpath across the fields.

Traitorous Bastard was slightly less apprehensive of crossing the footbridge, but was totally confused later when he was expected to duck under a stile.  Hobson dipped under it with barely a break in his stride, but TB just stood there looking bemused.  I am rapidly coming to the conclusion that he is a definite Townie with no understanding of our Country ways.  TB was eventually persuaded to duck under the stile, when I grabbed his collar and gave a gently tug.

This afternoon 30% and I headed over to the Lygon Arms at Broadway. We had been gifted a voucher for afternoon tea by Bubbles and Bobbyn and we had made our reservation for four o'clock.  I grew up less than three miles from The Lygon, but have never before visited.  It had a reputation, much as the rest of Broadway does, of being filled with International* tourists. I can confirm that this little Cotswold village lived up to its reputation and was very busy in the early Spring sunshine.

We settled ourselves at our table and had rather splendid afternoon tea. There was endless tea or coffee, a variety of sandwiches, scones with jam and clotted cream, and a selection of cakes and gateaux.  There was plenty to eat and neither of us had any complaints, although we had researched the cost of this gift, and I'm not sure that we had consumed ninety quids worth of food!** 

So that was it for Easter Monday, apart from one thing ... as the day drew to a close I noticed that my stenosis symptoms seem to be slightly improved. It's could be just that I have had a good day, but I am hoping that it may be easing, as it did after a few weeks last year.***

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* My Dad used to refer to them in a dismissive tone as "Yanks" or "Bloody Foreigners" 

** About four years ago we were gifted a Champagne afternoon tea at The Grosvenor in Chester.  It was unbelievable!  I have never eaten nor drunk as much in an afternoon and we both rolled out of the hotel bloated and tipsy.  I haven't a clue how much it cost, but it did make The Lygon's fare look rather penny pinching.

*** It played up a few weeks before I went on the Black Forest motorcycle tour, and subsided slowly over the following weeks.

Have we found a Troll?

Today is 30%'s birthday, so the day started with coffee in bed, followed by the opening of cards.

We spent a leisurely morning pottering around the house and TP turned up just after midday.  We all lunched together before TP and I headed out for a walk with the dogs.

We headed out as far as Pete the Beekeeper's house, and then turned to head home. On a whim I decided to head homeward via the footpath across the fields,* rather than my normal route along the lanes.  After a few hundred yards we came to a footbridge over the stream.  Hobson and The Rat charged across it, and headed off in to the next field.  Traitorous Bastard stepped on to the bridge and froze!  For some reason he was very perturbed by the wooden slats of the deck and would not cross. I tried calling him, but he was having none of it.  In the end I put his lead on and gave him a "heel" command.  This seemed to work and he crossed the bridge. His nervousness was still apparent, but at least his willingness to comply with the heel command overrode his apprehension and nervousness about the footbridge.

TB comes across as quite a confident dog, and this is the first time, since he came to live with us last May, that he has demonstrated apprehension on one of our walks.  In retrospect it is quite possible that he has never walked across a footbridge before today, or perhaps he sensed the presence of a Troll?**

This evening we headed over to The Arrow Mill for 30%'s birthday dinner.  We were a little apprehensive, as we had not eaten there for many years after receiving indifferent service and a truly terrible dessert.***  On this occasion I can report that the food was lovely and the service was great.  The terrible dessert was still on the menu, but I made a different selection.

So, I think we all had a relaxing Easter Sunday. It was nice to have TP join us to celebrate 30%'s birthday.

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* We have had reasonable weather for a while, and I was hopeful that the fields and footpath would now be dry underfoot. 

** They do, after all, like to take up residence under bridges

*** It was a coconut panna cotta that had a horrible grainy texture.  I abandoned it after one mouthful and did advise the waitress that it was terrible. She just shrugged and carried on clearing the table.

On the go

 Today I seemed to be on the go from the start.

After breakfast I headed out to choose a birthday card for 30% and get some fuel for the car. Normally I would have said "fill up the car," but the price of diesel has sky rocketed as a result of Trump and Netanyahus' little exercise. Consequently I shoved forty quids worth in the tank and preyed that sanity might prevail .... fat chance!

On my return I headed out for a walk with Hobson and TB. We returned with just enough time for me to have lunch before I was out again.

I spent a blustery couple of hours at Cotswold Shooting Ground attempting to hit some clays.  I was not very successful and my score was a paltry 36/80.

I headed home and settled on the sofa for a restorative nap, before lighting the fire and settling in for the evening.

In retrospect, I may have been "on the go" for a lot of the day, but the only worthwhile achievement was  the selection of a suitable card for 30%.

An Arsehole

 So, yesterday's Journal Entry was about Whiffler's arse cancer. Today's entry is about an arsehole.

Both 30% and her nephew, Oswald celebrate their birthdays in the first week of April.  30%'s brother always arranges a joint party as an excuse for a family get-together, and today was the day. 

The little gathering was fine. A great spread was laid on the table and Oswald was engrossed with his cards and gifts.  The family assembled and pleasantries were exchanged.

Everything was as agreeable as it could be,  considering the fifty two year age difference of the birthday girl and boy, and the very cramped conditions of the venue.  

Everything was going amicably until the black sheep of the family turned up ... 30%'s half sister.  Now I could go on for several pages about what a complete waste of fucking skin this individual is, but I will simply record one of her utterances that shows what a fucked up parasite she really is.

She was bemoaning the fact that her upcoming hip replacement will mean that her benefits are likely to be reduced, and went on to tell us exactly how much she manages to extract in benefits. The taxpayers among us were horrified when she announced that she had received a back payment of several thousand pounds in sickness benefit and advised that, "she had worked hard for that money."

Basically the lazy bitch's definition of working hard is filling in a few forms and blagging about her health.  Her poor health that is a result of years alcohol and drug abuse.

She's not an arsehole, she's a cunt!

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* She can still go to the gym regularly and seems to exhibit no mobility issues.

Arse Cancer

It is a joke in this house that any extremely irritating, and I mean EXTREMELY IRRITATING, person may be cursed with arse cancer.  Obviously this is not a serious wish, but just a way of reducing the level of extreme annoyance that some people trigger.  I can't think of anyone at the moment, but I am sure that if I thought hard enough I might find a global political figure towards whom this curse might be appropriate to launch.

This ridiculous and, possibly, bad taste joke came about when I was suspected of having prostate cancer last year. I know that it is a urogenital condition, but we all know how it is initially diagnosed. So, for a few weeks in 2025 I had a potential case of arse cancer.

So why am I rambling on about this today?

Well, this morning we took Whiffler down to the Vets for a follow-up consultation.  The Vet showed us his blood results, and all were perfect, apart from a very high calcium level ... a clear indicator of certain cancers.

She had suspected that it might be an anal gland tumour, and had emptied his anal glands last week. She re-checked today and thought she could feel a small lump. A colleague came in and confirmed the diagnosis, so there we have it ... Whiffler has arse cancer.

We discussed the two alternatives; palliative care, or surgery to remove the gland. In consideration of his age, the Vet agreed that either was appropriate, suggesting that he might have six months with palliative care, and maybe two years if the surgery was performed ... provided he had no other health issues.*

We went home to think about it, having been advised that any surgery should be performed promptly.**

It didn't take us long to decide that he should have the operation and he is booked in for the ninth of April.  We are well aware that he will probably only be with us for another year, at best, but he is still alert and moves well.  Removal of his anal gland is a straightforward procedure and will mean and end to the current symptoms.

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* He is already showing signs of arthritis, but is still moving well, and there are effective pain medications.

** We were also given an estimate of £750 for the surgery

Stump Removal, Phase 2

Hobson and Whiffler were booked in for a bath and clip today, so 30% headed off to drop them off with Sarah* just after breakfast.

I headed out for my usual walk, but this time I took Traitorous Bastard and The Rat.  I have to report that The Rat throughly enjoyed her excursion, but is nowhere near as well behaved as Hobson or TB.  She charges around like a thing possessed, and pays scant regard to requests to heel or come back.  It is fair to say that she had a great walk and even attempted to engage in play with TB.  TB was quite bemused by this.

In the afternoon I executed phase 2 of my stump removal project.  I took much the same approach as I did for phase 1.  I peeled back the turf and excavated the soil to expose the roots. On this occasion I encountered a couple of lateral roots that were far too large to be chopped out with an axe, and, after clearing away the soil, I broke out the chainsaw to cut them away from the stump. One was the size of my thigh and about 5' long. The other was slightly smaller, but still worthy of the Stihl.

I can report that another square yard of the root wad has been removed and I am now able to see a slight improvement in that area of the garden.**

30% collected Whiffler and Hobson in the afternoon. I can report that they both look splendid, but poor Whiffler was absolutely shattered after his day out.

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* Dot 'n Dave's daughter-in-law

** I've tried to turn a blind eye to the stump and root wad. It's a bloody eyesore, but I'm well aware that there are more important jobs to attend to.  Now I've started I'm very keen to progress and get it sorted.

Getting our ducks in a row

TP will be here at some point over the weekend and this is both welcome, and convenient.  Welcome, because we enjoy his company and are keen to catch up with his latest news, and convenient because I have two very heavy wooden gates that need to be turned around, so that I can oil the reverse sides.  We can then think about getting their installation arranged.

With TP arriving in a few days, today my focus was on applying the second and final coat of oil to the second gate.  I can report that this has now been completed, and I'm hoping that the gate should be dry by the time he turns up.

I also wandered up to the hives and added a pack of fondant to hives #2 and #3.  I still haven't performed a full inspection of the colonies yet.  I plan to do this during the next spell of warm weather. I can see that the queens are now busy building up the colonies, and I'm wondering how soon it will be before I'm adding queen excluders and supers.

Tree Stump Removal, Phase 1

Now that the grass has started growing, I am, again, having to manoeuvre the mower around the stump and root wad of the conifer that blew over during Storm Darragh.  

The stump and root wad is quite a feature in the front lawn ... an unwelcome feature.*  It needs to be dug out, but last year I focused on processing the trunk, branches and brash, leaving the stump for another day.

I think that day has finally arrived.

I am conscious that my back is playing up, and have decided that I am going to approach this job in small stages. Today I planned to peel back the turf from about a square yard of the root wad, cut out any roots projecting from the stump, level out the earth with the surrounding lawn, and relay the turf.

30% wisely suggested that I walk the dogs in the morning. I could then attack the root wad in the afternoon and then collapse on the sofa to recover.  I followed her advice and this afternoon saw me out on the lawn with a spade, and axe and a mattock.

I am pleased to report that the lawn feature is somewhat reduced in size, and the improvement has already got me planning phase two of this garden project ... I reckon phase four will be the stump grinder!

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* When the tree blew over it lifted about three square yards of lawn around the stump.  As the trunk was cut away, the root wad settled, but sits about a foot above the level of the lawn. Basically I have to dig out a large amount of earth, chop away any roots projecting from the stump, and level out the ground.  The final stage will be to hire a stump grinder to deal with the stump.

A lazy day

Yesterday's theatre trip meant that we didn't get home until close to midnight. Combining that with the loss of an hour, as a result of the transition to BST, meant that we both lacked energy and motivation today.

I did manage a walk in the afternoon, followed by a monumental kip, but that was about it.

Most definitely a lazy day.

A night at the theatre

A good chunk of today was spent bottling a couple of batches of honey, from the bucket I bought yesterday.

This last batch, from Pete, is a late Summer crop from 2025, and has set with a very coarse crystal structure. It is also incredibly sweet, and floral, compared to the previous buckets. It'll be interesting to see whether anyone comments on the change in flavour.

I can also report that the change in price hasn't seemed to dampen custom, as two jars were sold this morning at the new price.

In the afternoon I took my usual walk with the dogs and am slightly saddened to note that we have lost two of the Crested Cream Legbar hens today. Both seem to have been subject to feather pecking by the other birds. This is common, and they were clearly at the bottom of our little flock's pecking order.  30% and I plan to increase the size of the hen's run, in the hope that it will reduce the amount of bullying that takes place.

I can also report that we had a late night. 'Chelle joined us for an evening at The Hippodrome in Birmingham.  We went to see a performance of Priscilla Queen of The Desert, and had a fantastic time. It was the same show as the amateur production that we saw in Pershore back in 2024, but, obviously, performed by a different cast and production team. 

Both were brilliant, but I have to say that if I had to make a choice, I preferred the intimacy and joy of the PODS production. Its moments of madness were an absolute delight.

I've been expecting this

It is now almost two years since I first started to buy bulk honey from Pete, and resell it under my own branding.  I'm guessing that I have purchased a 30 lb bucket every six weeks, apart from the five or six months when I was selling the 125 lb crop I took at the end of May 2025. 

I suppose that I could search through previous Journal entries to come to a precise number of buckets, but that sounds like far too much trouble. Suffice to say, I am certain that I have bought a lot of honey from Pete over the past couple of years.

Now I am aware that Pete likes to hold a full year's harvest in reserve, in case he has a bad year.  He does, after all, have his own customers and outlets to support. I therefore came as no surprise that he was less keen than usual to sell me another bucket, when I contacted him this morning.

It seems that he has exhausted his 2024 stocks, and would need to supply me from his 2025 reserve.  We had a long chat and I made certain that he understood that I was a) very grateful for his support, and b) very aware that his bulk rate was well below market pricing.* Pete suggested that I should explore alternative suppliers, and consider raising my prices in an attempt to slow down sales a little.

The net result of this conversation is that I have increased my pricing by 25%,** changed my sign accordingly, used chat GPT to produce a customer friendly explanation for the price hike, and 30% has posted on the village FaceBook page to make our clientele aware.

I was a little concerned about increasing the price, but I do consistently forget to take account of the time I expend in caring for the colonies and bottling the honey.  After all, why shouldn't I get some recompense for my labours?  It was rewarding to see that one individual responded to 30%'s post by saying that £5 was still good value for local honey and "objectors" should buy the "sugar syrup of European origin sold as honey in the supermarkets"

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* Current bulk rate is around £3.50 per pound

** to £5 per 8oz jar

Unfortunately it wasn't a great surprise

The weather has turned cold again. Fires have been lit in the evenings, and neither of us is particularly keen to spend much time in the garden at the moment.  It's certainly been too chilly to attempt to apply another coat of oil to the gates.

Basically I have had a lazy day.

I did head out in the morning with Hobson and Traitorous Bastard. We took our normal walk out as far as Pete's house  and we did have an extra exciting moment when a squirrel darted across the road a couple of yards in front of us. I had the dogs on the lead at that moment and the buggers nearly wrenched my arms form their sockets. I was lucky I didn't end up on my arse!

The afternoon was quiet and a fire was lit to ward off the chill before four o'clock.*

The Vet rang us to let us know the results of Whiffler's blood tests. Whilst his kidney and liver functions seem normal, his blood is showing high calcium levels. This is an indicator of cancer** and additional scans have been suggested to attempt a diagnosis.

30% and I discussed this and we are both in agreement. He is an old dog, in his twilight years. He is currently alert and pain free. Our decision is to manage him to ensure that he has a good quality life. We will make the decision to have him put to sleep, as soon as he cannot be kept pain free. Chemotherapy is not a path we wish to follow for a dog of his age.

30% had a follow on call with the Vet in the early evening and has booked him in for a follow-on consultation. That will be to determine the best approach to managing him in the coming months.

---

* The US/Israeli attack on Iran has caused a doubling in the price of heating oil, and we have become more conscious of our consumption. We have plenty left in our tank, but we'd like that to last as long as possible, in the hope that prices will fall back.  The thermostat has been adjusted, and we are less likely to put the heating on for an while in the middle of the day ... Thanks Donald!

** High calcium levels tend to indicate mid to late stages of cancer

Why did we buy it?

If I am truly honest, I have been pondering how to relocate the large leather armchair, that has dominated one corner of the living room for far too bloody long.

It was commissioned on impulse by my dear wife a few years ago, and I wasn't sure about it from the outset.  The key word in the preceding sentence is impulse." 30% tends to swing from extreme procrastination to impulsivity, and the large leather chair was ordered without sufficient any thought to how it would fit in to the room.

When it arrived, I think it is fair to say, that we were both quite shocked at how large it was, especially as the living room is modest in size.  Over the years were have come to tolerate it,* but certainly not like it. For the record, I do not find it at all comfortable.

Having acquired a pair of Stressless chairs for the seating area of the dining room, I suggested that we might like to replace  the monster with a smaller chair, more appropriately proportioned to the room, and probably more comfortable too.

Hence this morning was spent heaving the monster up a steep, narrow staircase with a quarter-turn in it! I am pleased to say that we managed it, without falling out, or over, but I was shattered by the exertion of heaving a huge chair over the newel post at the top!**

The new Stressless chair now sits in the living room and looks brilliant. The room looks far less cluttered and we both find the chair pleasant to sit in.

The rest of the day involved a dog walk in the afternoon, before we headed in to Redditch to attend the Chuckl Comedy Club at the Palace Theatre. 

Russell Kane was the headline act, and I have to admit that he does tend to give me the ick. I find that he can be a bit manic/angry/preachy, which can overshadow his material. However this evening there was a great compere, and opener,*** and Kane was actually quite good, once he had stopped improvising and settled in to his material.

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* I refuse to sit in the fucking thing, going with the incontrovertible argument of "30% chose it, she can sit in it"

** It now lives in the corner of the main bedroom, and looks far better there

*** I won't bother mentioning the second act.

Whiffler has a check-up

Whiffler is nearing the end of his twelfth year,* and has been showing his age for a while now.  He is probably best described as creaky.  He still loves a walk, but not too far, and will even break in to a short sprint. However, when he is at home, his preferred activity is to snooze in one of his favourite spots.

Recently we have noticed that he is drinking and peeing more than usual, so this morning we took him up to the Vet's for a health check.  The Vet gave him a through going over, and Whiffler even obliged by giving a urine sample, so she was able to confirm that he isn't diabetic, but the very dilute urine confirmed that he is drinking a lot.

She checked his gait, and he is showing a little stiffness. We have recently started giving him a joint supplement, and she confirmed that we should continue with that. A couple of blood tests were also taken, as the Vet is of the opinion that he should be able to go through the entire night without needing to be taken out for a pee.  She is of the view that there is something that is causing his need to drink and pee more often.

We now wait for the results of his tests.  We are both well aware that he is a good age for a large dog, and that he is in his twilight years.  Neither of us want to write him off yet, but I think we are both aware that the diagnosis may not be welcome.

I think this is a case of preparing for the worst, whilst hoping for a positive outcome ... at least for a while longer.

In the afternoon I took Hobson and Traitorous Bastard for a walk down the lanes.

I then managed a quick kip, before 30% and I headed towards deepest, darkest Halesowen.  In fairness I should clarify that I have never visited this part of the West Midlands before and found myself driving through very pleasant suburbs. The reason for the visit was that 30% had found a Stressless recliner on Facebook Marketplace, and we had gone to take a look.

The chair was in lovely condition and was accompanied by a matching footstool.  A deal was struck and the chair was loaded on to the back of the car.  We are both delighted with our purchase, but I am a little concerned ... The chair is destined for the living room, and this means that the enormous leather, wing backed chair, it will replace, will need to be manoeuvred up the narrow staircase to its new home in one of the bedrooms.

That ain't gonna be fun!

---

* He will be twelve on the first of July

Dogs and Doctors

This morning started with a walk, accompanied by Hobson and TB. We took our usual route out towards Pete the Beekeeper's house, where we did an about-turn and headed back home.

Although our walk only takes an hour, it seems to consume the entire morning. It must be the obligatory coffee on our return that fills the rest of the time before lunch ... and also the fact that I am rarely ready to start my day before ten o'clock!

30% headed out just before lunch with Dog #4 aka The Rat.  The Rat had been booked in for a bath and brush with Dot 'n Dave's daughter-in-law, Sarah.* 

The bath and brush would take a couple of hours so we lunched and then headed over to visit Dot 'n Dave. Unfortunately Dave has badly damaged his knee and is currently in plaster and fairly "out of it" on prescription painkillers.  He is in a lot of pain and, understandably, frustrated by the enforced immobility.  We did our best to cheer him a little and reinforced our previous offers to assist in any way we could.

Sarah called at around two o'clock, and we headed just down the road to collect The Rat.  She looked absolutely marvellous after her wash, and the big surprise was that Sarah had clipped her too ... I was expecting to have to give her a clip** over the next few days, but she's even had her claws clipped.  Hobson and Whiffler are also booked in for baths in a couple of weeks. It'll be interesting to see how she gets on with those two.

I wasn't able to crack on with oiling the gates as 30% had an appointment at the ROH in Birmingham this evening.  

We had an amazingly traffic free drive in, and she was seen early too. The consultation was inconclusive, but suggested that her spine is actually in very good condition. Blood samples were taken and another scan was arranged. Her GP has also been directed that she needs to be seen by other Specialists.

To take a glass half full perspective, there was no bad news.

---

* Sarah learnt to groom at the same school that all of our dogs have attended as models. She absolutely adores Standard Poodles and was really keen to get her hands on them ... Her rates are also very reasonable

** I wasn't really looking forward to giving her a clip as my back is playing up at the moment and I generally clip her whilst kneeling or being over her. This can be quite painful after an hour , or so.  It is fair to say that I was very envious of Sarah's pneumatic grooming table.

What is it with bloody cyclists?

Sunday started with a trip down the road to the local Nursery. Three bags of rotted manure were purchased and two of them were dug in to the raised beds, as soon as I got home.

At this point I will make mention of the cyclists I encountered on this little trip. 

I met two groups within a hundred yards of leaving home, and pulled up on the verge to allow them to pass safely. Barely one of the ignorant fuckers could be bothered to acknowledge this courtesy.  I am well aware that cyclists should be given priority under the UK Highway Code, and I do follow this rule. However, it is rare that these Lycra clad buffoons ever acknowledge that someone has gone out of their way to allow them to proceed safely.  Fundamentally a lot of them are just fucking rude, and I have encountered others that are literally dangerous!*

Anyway, rant over, and now on to Sunday afternoon.  A couple of hours were spent applying a second coat of oil to the first of the new gates. 

Once that was done, I put on my bee suit, lit my smoker and added a pack of fondant to hive #1.  The bees are now flying regularly and it won't be long before I lift the crown boards and give the colonies their first inspection of the year.  I am hoping they will be needing supers in early April.

The final news for today is that I had a call with TP and Charlie, and we finally agreed dates for our motorcycle tour to France in July. I can now report that my Le Shuttle tickets** have been purchased and I will be away from 10th July, returning on the 19th.

---

* Please don't misunderstand me. Most cyclists are well mannered and ride safely. However, as soon as they join an organised group, put on Lycra and start getting competitive they seem to loose any sense of personal responsibility, personal safety and good manners.  They ride like arrogant pricks, and will happily cause long queues, apparently, simply because they can!

** I cashed in my Tesco Clubcard vouchers and managed to reduce my ticket price by £94 ... Result!

Mostly mower related

It came as no surprise that the new gates had not dried sufficiently for a second coat of oil, so I spent the morning fixing the drive belt on the Mountfield mower.  This is the second time I have had to perform this minor repair, so it was reasonably straightforward to get it back up and running.

Having fixed the mower, I spent the first part of the afternoon mowing the lawns at the front. I can also report that the cowslips in the verge are finally starting to peep out from amongst the grass.

I was also brave enough to make a start on removing some of the smaller surface roots from the large conifer that blew down during Storm Darragh.  The large stump is a huge pain to mow around, and I inwardly curse each and every time I attend to the lawn. The only problem is that I am well aware of how hard it is to remove a large tree stump.

I have played this game several year ago and am in no rush to make my back worse than it already is.  My plan is to deal with it a little at a time.  My next objective is to dig out and level a few square feet of the ground lifted by the roots as the tree fell over.

I'll see how that goes before I start making any rash commitments about removing the rest of the stump.

Spring has certainly arrived

I woke up this morning in a fair degree of discomfort.* 

It is nowhere near as bad as it was back in 2023, when I could walk no further than about fifty yards. This morning it was just general discomfort in my lower back, and left hip with occasional twinges in my left shin. I'm no expert but these seem to be mild forms of the symptoms I experienced as a result of formainal stenosis.

I decided to cancel plans for a walk with the dogs, and made an appointment with the GP instead.

I then headed out to the garden and took the lawn mower out on to the back lawn. My thinking was along the lines of, "I can always abandon mowing if my back hurts too much."  I got the mower running and the bloody thing threw its drive belt within the first five minutes. This meant that I had no powered assistance, and had to push the mower up and down the sward.  It is a good sized lawn and I was pretty tired by the end of it.

Lunch was followed by a lengthy kip, and I then headed out to the store room. My afternoon was spent sorting through my collection of supers. I now have three piles; supers with no frames, supers with frames of foundation and supers with frames of drawn comb.  

My preference is always to give the bees supers with drawn comb. This means that they can start storing nectar with minimal effort spent building or repairing comb, as they would if given frames of foundation.

It's still a little early to be adding supers to the hives, but it won't be long before I open them up for their first inspection of the year.

---

* I also woke after a night of very strange dreams. This was unusual, as I rarely remember my dreams, but could recall several from last night. I'm not going to recount them, as I am a strong believer in the view that there is nothing as boring as listening to someone else recount their dreams.

Have I overdone it?

Thursday was very similar to Wednesday. I started out with an early morning walk with Hobson and TB.  This time my blood glucose control was far better, and I made it home without having a hypo.

The recent fine weather has meant that the lawns have really started to grow, and they really need cutting. I used the spare time before lunch to mow the lawns and paths around the greenhouses and the veg patch. I also moved the tree ferns back to their shady spot* under the variegated maple, and relocated a couple of pots of tulips to sit outside the ornamental greenhouse.

In the afternoon I grabbed my brush and pot of timber treatment, and applied a first coat of oil to the second gate.  The instructions state that it should be applied thinly and should be dry within twenty four hours. When I oiled gate #1 yesterday I brushed the oil out as much as I possibly could, but it had tacky patches when I checked today. It seems that I am going to have to leave at least a couple of days between coats. Perhaps the weather could do with being a little warmer?

So that was Thursday. I must admit that my back was twinging after walking, mowing and applying a coat of oil to a large wooden gate ... where are my painkillers?

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* Actually not yet shady, as the maple hasn't yet come in to leaf

Oil and Water?

We were up and about early this morning and slightly concerned to note that our water pressure was very low. The kettle and a few jugs were filled, as a precautionary measure,* and we set about our day.

30% headed off towards Evesham to meet up with Jules and I set about my morning ablutions, only to find that we now had no water at all. Oh well!

I headed out down the lane with Hobson and TB, and we had a lovely walk in the spring sunshine until I noticed that I didn't feel quite right. Unfortunately my blood sugar had plummeted with a corresponding drop in my energy levels.  I had a snack and eventually made it home. The rest of the morning was spent doing very little.

I did make a cup of tea for the water engineer who had positioned himself by the water main access point just outside the cottage. Allegedly he was there to bleed any air locks from the main, following the repair of the burst. I think he had found himself a cushy little job in the sun and intended to have quite an easy day.  Anyway, the water supply was reinstated shortly after lunch.

In the afternoon I grabbed a paintbrush and applied the first coat of protective oil to one side of one of the new gates. It's not a particularly arduous task, but I do find painting quite tedious. I am also very aware that it is easy to see where I have applied the first coat of oil, but it is going to be a complete pig of a job to make sure I don't miss any spots when applying the second.

So I have two gates, and each one needs two coats of oil. I can only coat one side at a time, mainly because I can't stand the tedium of painting and the dogs need a walk. This means that I have eight sessions of painting before this job is finished ... another eight days!  I will also need to find someone strong enough to assist in turning the gates around at the mid point of the job ... each one is six feet wide, five feet high and made of hardwood. They weigh an absolute ton!

Final activity of the day was the regular trip to the Parish Education Centre for my Tai Chi class. There is not a huge amount to report, other than an interesting shamanic breathing meditation as the final exercise ... most unusual!

Perhaps I need to seek out a state of mindfulness when I am applying coats of oil to the gates?

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* I also reported the low pressure via Severn Trent's website

Preparations

Back in the autumn we ordered a new pair of gates for our drive. They eventually arrived early in the new year and have sat in the carport ever since. The reason for their extended sojourn is that they need two coats of UV resistant oil before they are exposed to the weather.

Now 30% is not the most patient of people and has been dropping stronger and stronger hints that the gates really need to be oiled, so that she can make arrangements for them to be installed.  I have delayed this job as long as possible, using cold, damp weather as my main excuse. However, the weather is forecast to be glorious this week, so it looks like I'll be wielding a paintbrush in the very near future.

Consequently my day panned out like this.

Hobson, Traitorous Bastard and I took a walk out as far as Pete's house this morning. It was a pleasant walk, but my stenosis symptoms are ever present. There are regular twinges in my lower back, hip and shin. It's not painful, uncomfortable is probably the most appropriate adjective, but it's not pleasant to have to endure it.  I suppose I should consult my GP, but the cynic realist in me has very low expectations of the NHS providing any relief.

In the afternoon I headed out to the carport and spent a few hours tidying up. I now have no excuse and plan to make a start on the gates tomorrow.

So that was my day. There was one weird moment of delight relief, that probably only makes sense to another dog lover.  On this morning's walk I was delighted to see that Hobson produced a normal poo for the first time in several days. We have been so worried about him and and are so happy that he is now recovering.

This should bring The Journal back up to date

I'm well aware that it's over a week since my last Journal entry. The problem was that, as each day slipped past, I became less and less inclined to wander upstairs and settle in front of my Mac.

However, I can no longer use that pathetic excuse, as in the past week we have purchased a MacBook Air.  The flimsy justification for this purchase was that I needed a decent laptop for an upcoming presentation.  I think the truth is that 30% does like to splurge the cash occasionally, and her aged HP is well past its sell-by-date.

So here I sit with a rather lovely machine on my lap, whilst the TV witters on in the background. 

So here is my attempt at summarising the news from the past week.

Let's start with TP.  Last week was TP's first week in his new job as an Acoustic Consultant.  It is his first salaried position after spending several years as a freelance Sound Engineer.  He had become disenamoured with the nature of the work, and was keen to explore career options.  He seems really excited and motivated by the new job and is looking forward to acquiring new qualifications. He is also quite keen on paid holidays and membership of a private health scheme.

We are both really proud of how he has applied himself to making changes to his career and wish him great success in the new job.

Next I will touch on the honey business.  Sales seem to have gone a little crazy recently. I bottled twenty jars on the 9th of March and all of them had been sold by Sunday the 15th. As a result I was bottling another batch today, and will be soon be popping down the road to get another bucket from Pete.

This week's drama was provided by Hobson.  Midway through last week I noticed that he had a touch of diarrhoea, but wasn't overly concerned. He seemed fine and wasn't subdued.  It was a little unfortunate that he seemed fine, as we had popped in to the Vet's on Friday to get him weighed.*

Over the course of Friday night Hobson had clearly not been well and I awoke to both puke and crap on the floor. A good while was spent clearing up the mess and cleaning the carpets. Hobson seemed a little subdued, but was still keen to come for a walk later on in the morning.  As we wandered homeward Hobson wandered onto the verge and arched his back. He then produced a stream of poo that contained a lot of blood and mucus. 

As soon as we were back home a call was made to the Vets. They had closed for the weekend and a stressful hour was spent trying to make contact with their emergency out-of-hours service. We eventually gave up and made contact with an associated Practice listed on their website. We were soon on our way towards Shirley with a very poorly dog in the back of the car.

The Veterinary Practice in Shirley was VERY different to the little country practice that we normally use. It was gleaming walls, eighteen consultation rooms, 24 x 7 service and free refreshments for customers. Our normal Vet's has two consultation rooms and is tiny by comparison.

Anyway, the Vet we saw was lovely and decided that an anti-emetic injection, combined with canine paracetamol and a pro-biotic paste should sort him out.

I can report that he is now back to normal, but we were both incredibly worried for a couple of days. This was the first time that he has ever been ill and neither of us could bear the thought of loosing him.

So that covers the main events from the past week. I can also report that we have split and repotted a waterlily that grows in one of our rainwater tanks. It has lived in the tank for a couple of years, and we were both amazed when an arm-sized rhizome floated to the surface, having totally outgrown its original pot. It has now been divided in to four, and we are now waiting to see whether the fragments of rhizome start to shoot.

I have also collected lawnmower #5 from a chap in the village and 30% has kindly purchased a lovely little four wheeled trolley that is the perfect size for carry hive components to and from the orchard. It will be a boon when we need to take heavy supers off the hives. 

I should also mention that I added a couple of packs of fondant to the hives at the weekend. I took a quick peek under the roofs on Saturday 14th, and two of the hives had emptied the previous packs. The bees are flying quite regularly now, but the spring flowers are still quite sparse, and the blossom is not yet out. I want them to have a reliable supply of food until they can rely on the local flora.

So that just about brings The Journal up to date. I'm sure I will have missed something ... Oh yes, 30% and I also had an appointment with a Solicitor on Tuesday to draw up our wills.

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* He now weighs 33.6 Kg, having lost 1.4 Kg since the beginning of February

Another busy day

Earlier in the week the bathroom basin plug mechanism came adrift, leaving the basin permanently plugged.

This has happened on a previous occasion, and, due to the basin's half pedestal, I was aware that it would be a bit of a faff to solve the problem.  Consequently a call was made to our friendly handy man, Matt.

A couple of days had passed, and nothing had been heard from Matt. Whilst not being able to use the bathroom basin isn't the biggest problem, by today it had become a little frustrating.

As a result I spent all of this morning disconnecting the half pedestal, removing the silicone sealant from the pedestal and tiles, and reconnecting the plug mechanism. Interestingly the plug mechanism took about 5 minutes to reconnect and test. The removal and replacement of the half pedestal took the best part of two hours!

Weirdly, the half pedestal is connected to the basin by a pair of velcro straps, and a bead of silicone is applied to hold it firmly to the tiled wall.

So, that was my morning. A few hours spent on something akin to plumbing. 

I was pleased to have solved the problem myself, as I am not a great fan of plumbing activities, and I regard silicone as the devil's own snot. Some people can apply the stuff with panache. When I use it, it goes everywhere, but where it is supposed to go, and looks like a pile of crap! But on this occasion, I am giving myself a commendable 8/10.

 Midway through the morning I was headed out to the workshop to pick up some tools, when I saw a couple of acquaintances passing by. They stopped to pass the time, and, as a result of this chat, I will be picking up a spare lawn mower early next week.*

I'm not sure that I need another mower, but the beast was a little temperamental towards the end of last year. If it dies I will have another on hand, for use up in the orchard.

Now on to this afternoon.

Early in the afternoon our friendly, but eccentric, horologist arrived to take a look at our two long case clocks. The short version of this story is that he quite confident that he can service and repair them, his quote was reasonable,** and they should be back with us in early April.

That was the short version. He was actually here for nearly two hours and, by Christ, that man can talk! We covered bees, dogs, underpinning foundations, every house he's ever lived in, and a problematic expensive Italian tap, in fact every subject under the sun. He just wouldn't shut up! 

I needed a lie-down after ha had gone ... and I'd had a kip before he arrived!

So that was it for Friday. The other news was that Carol turned up with the new curtains for the living room and TP arrived home for an overnight stay.

On reflection, it's been quite a busy day.

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* When this was discussed with 30% later in the day, she couldn't seem to comprehend that I need five lawn mowers ... even though mowers #4 and #5 were/will be free of charge.

** A while ago I called the chap who sold me a rather fine Swiss watch. I enquired about the price to inspect and service a single long case clock and was told it would be at least £1200.  Mr T's quote was £720 to attend to both of them!

Even more activity

Much like yesterday, today started with a dog walk, whilst the sun did its best to dry off the lawns. I also removed the mouse guards from the hives, as the bees are now flying regularly.

I was home well before lunch, and was actually on the hook to attend a memorial service for our neighbour, PG.  This was always going to be a strange event as, even by our standards, they are an odd couple.  Both are well in to their eighth decade and keep themselves to themselves. As a result, no relationship has developed in the five years were have lived just over the hill, other than the occasional "hello," and a superficial chat.

He was a deaf as a post and she is very churchy, with absolutely no sense of humour.  It's really hard to get a conversation going with people like that. To compound matters, they made it very clear that they planned to move over to Ludlow in the near future. As a result we simply just didn't invest time in building a relationship that was never going to go anywhere.

It will therefore come as no surprise that I wasn't particularly keen on going to the memorial service, but 30% reminded me that, "we really should." Fortunately fate gave me a get out of jail card, when ex frolleague, Tel had to rearrange a catch-up call to the very hour that the service was due to commence.

30% took one for the team and attended for us, and I had a rather pleasant chat with Terry. We hope to catch up with him and Deb in early April.

This afternoon I hauled the mower from the shed, once more, and spent a good couple of hours mowing all of the lawns at the front of the house. I even cut the narrow verge between us and the lane.

After all of that effort, I decided that I had definitely had sufficient exercise and did bugger all for the rest of the day.

The other big news was that the hens finally seem to have realised spring is here, and laid four eggs today ... I also need a plan to stop Traitorous Bastard from charging along the hedge line and wrecking the sward ... tying him to a heavy concrete block is an option!

Lots of activity

I certainly got my steps in today.

This morning started with a walk with Hobson and TB. We wandered as far as Pete's house and they had a splendid time trying to catch squirrels.  They have no chance, and all this really means is that they just tend to leap excitedly in to water-filled ditches, and stare up in to the branches of the trees.  Both dogs got absolutely filthy, and needed their feet washing before they were allowed back in the house.

The weather was, again, cooperative and the lawns had dried by the afternoon. The mower was wheeled from the shed and I spent forty minute mowing around the greenhouses and the vegetable patch. That is the lawns at the back of the house completed, just the ones at the front to do.

Unfortunately that was not going to happen today as my blood sugar plummeted. A slice of carrot cake and a long snooze on the sofa were required to restore me to health.

It's Wednesday, so this evening included an hour at the Parish Education Centre for this week's Tai Chi class. There were fewer attendees than normal, and the class included the usual warm up, the spring exercises, followed by the Shibashi 5 set. Unfortunately this term, Kung Po Fran is set on concluding each session with a guided meditation. 

For some reason I seem to have problems with these and simply could not manage to visualise myself wandering up a mountain path towards snowy summit.

I think I'd rather have completed another Shibashi set.

First cut

Most of today was spent bottling a couple of batches of honey. I now have twenty jars ready for sale, and can report that the "shop" will be open again tomorrow.

The weather was quite lovely today, and, by the time I had finished with the honey, the lawn at the rear of the house was quite dry.  I therefore did the gardening equivalent of making hay while the sun shines, dragged the mower from the shed, and gave it the first cut of the year.*

If the weather stays reasonable throughout the week, I may get the remainder of the lawns mowed before the weekend.

I can also report that I took a call from Mr T. Now Mr T is a rather eccentric horologist who lovingly attended to our 30 hour long-case clock when it needed some work about a decade ago. It now needs further attention, and the 8 day clock could also needs looking at too.  Hopefully Mr T will be here on Friday to give us a diagnosis and a quote ... and then take them away to be fixed.

I should point out that out that we both love the ticking and chiming of the two clocks and their sound is sorely missed. It is like the house's heartbeat, and I hope they can be restored to working order in the near future.

---

* The dogs may not have been walked, but I certainly got my steps in today

Big news from TP

Today seemed to be focussed on the dogs and the bees.

First thing this morning I called PtBK and arranged to pick up a 30lb bucket of honey in the early afternoon. 

I then headed out with Hobson and TB for a walk. I wandered as far as Pete's house, and one might wonder why I didn't pick up the honey there and then? The succinct answer is that there was no bloody way I was going to lug a 30lb bucket of honey over a mile down the road,* and have to deal with potential wayward antics by the two dogs.

I lunched and then picked up the honey. This was never going to be a five minute job, and forty minutes were spent chatting, mostly about bees, over Pete's gate.

Back at home, I headed up in to the orchard and added a new pack of fondant to one of the hives.  The bees were flying well today, and I could see plenty of pollen being brought in. This indicates that the queens are now laying, and building up the strength of the colony.** I am looking forward to the point when the weather is warm enough to carry out a proper inspection of the hives.

The final news from today came from TP.  For the past couple of weeks he has been undertaking work experience with an Acoustic Consultancy company. He called to say that they had offered him a position and it is highly likely that he will be starting with them in the very near future. We are really pleased for him and will be watching with interest as this change in career trajectory develops.

Actually that is not the only news from today. I couldn't finish without mentioning that 30% has been contacted by the local constabulary about exceeding the speed limit in the vicinity of Leominster. I mention the location as I haven't driven anywhere near Leominster in several years, "there is no way I'm taking the wrap for this misdemeanour!"

Will it be an SP30 and three points, or a speed awareness course?

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* I should also point out that the handle on the honey buckets is not designed for carrying any distance. Think of supporting a thirty pound weight on a short plastic cylinder little wider than a biro ... not comfortable!

** The workers that have overwintered are nearing the end of their lives, and will be replaced by the new brood over the next few weeks.

This week seems to be mostly Lunches and Dinners

 It has been the best part of a week since my last Journal entry. I'd claim that it has been a busy week, but, on reflection, I'm not sure that it has.

When I was working I was forced to sit at a laptop for several hours each day, yet I still managed to cook, walk the dogs, socialise and complete various DIY and gardening tasks.  However, now I'm retired I have close to forty hours more free time, and am still claiming that I am far too busy to make a daily Journal entry.

So, what have I been up to?

Tuesday, 24th February

30% returned from Rhayader late in the morning and we were joined by Mr & Mrs Tweedy for lunch. We spent a couple of hours at the "Tuesday Afternoon Club" listening to a talk about the Gloucester and Warwickshire Steam Railway. 

The real reason for attending was so that I could have another attempt to connect 30%'s ancient laptop to the AV equipment in the Parish Education Centre, as I will need it for a talk I will be giving in April.

The laptop, once again, refused to cooperate, and I am now considering either borrowing, or purchasing a new machine.

Wednesday, 25th February

Virtually all of Wednesday was taken up with slicing and packing the bacon, that I have recently cured and smoked.

We did take an extended lunch break and joined Mr & Mrs Tweedy for lunch at the Redditch Catering college restaurant. We had a splendid three course lunch for the ridiculously low price of £8 per head. The food was lovely and the portions were huge. I was asked if I didn't care for my dessert, as I had only eaten half of it. I had to point out that it was lovely, and that I just couldn't manage it all.

Wednesday also included another equipment failure. Our vacuum packer has become very temperamental. This was bloody annoying as I had more than twenty packs of bacon to vacuum pack. I did manage other complete the job, but a new packer is now on order.

Thursday, 26th February

We have Rosie & Jim, and Gizzy & Jules coming over for dinner on Friday night. 

Our chosen menu has a Swedish influence; starting with gravlax served on rye bread with cream cheese, followed by meatballs in a cream sauce with mashed potatoes and green vegetables. The dessert will be carrot cake served with homemade vanilla ice cream.

This morning was spent making the carrot cake. Once that was set to cool, I attended to the gravlax. Half of it was vacuum packed and frozen and the other half was sliced thinly, wrapped and left in the fridge.

I think we may have managed a short walk with the dogs too.

Friday, 27th February

Most of today was spent preparing for our guests, which basically came down to tidying the house and laying the table. 30% focussed on the meatball dish. I was tasked with domestic ambience!

The party was great fun, and we had a lovely time. Our menu choices were complimented and both Gizzy and Rose were keen to have the recipes for the gravlax and carrot cake.

I should also point out that a fair amount of wine was consumed and it was gone midnight before we retired to bed.

Saturday, 28th February

It has felt like we have been rushing around all week, so Saturday was taken at a very gentle pace. We both had lengthy snoozes in the afternoon, before we headed out again!

This time we were out to see B&H for a catch up and to start planning our 2027 holiday. B is sixty next year and is very keen to go on safari. We were flattered and delighted to be asked to join them, and the evening was spent working out some high level requirements.

We were also entertained by their two granddaughters, and shared a lovely supper, before heading home at a reasonable hour.

Sunday, 1st March

After several food and entertainment focussed days, we did very little today.

I did manage to walk Hobson and TB as far as Pete's house, and that was about it. 

30%'s friend 'Chelle paid us a visit in the late afternoon ... basically the lure of a carrot cake could not be resisted!

So that brings me up to date.

Busy doing nothing?

 Today was one of those days when I don't recall doing much, but I seemed to be occupied for most of the day.

30% left the house early this morning, as she was having an overnight stay with her friend; Pinky. Pinky's recuperation is going well. Not as fast as she would like, but she is returning to a normal life ... Well, as normal as it can be without a stomach!

I was left home alone, and my day was filled with the various chores that keep the house going. 

I do seem to come across a variety of half completed jobs, that have been abandoned left by 30%. For example, I now always check the washing machine, as she, invariably, will have left a load of wet washing festering in there.

She didn't disappoint, and that load has now had a spell on the line, and in the tumble drier. As I type this, it is folded neatly in an ironing pile.

So that was my day. A series of domestic duties and pet care. I'm not complaining. I quite enjoyed myself, and the house does seem to be slightly tidier.

Day of rest?

Sunday used to be referred to as the day of rest.  That is a concept, of which I definitely approve. To be honest, I'd like to extend that definition to a few more days of the week too!

So, as today panned out, I was concerned to note that there wasn't a lot of resting to be had.

First job of the day was to remove the bacon from the smoker. This was cut in half,* wrapped up in clingfilm and left at the bottom of the fridge, to rest for a few days before slicing. I then tidied away the smoking paraphernalia and took a moment to appreciate the warm, sunny morning.

The bees had noticed too, and were flying for, probably, the first time this year. I could see them bringing pollen in to the hives, which suggests that the queens are starting to lay.

I decided to check whether the colonies had consumed all of their fondant, so I donned a bee suit, lit my smoker and returned to the orchard.  All three of the colonies are working their way through the packs of fondant. One of them was virtually empty, and was replaced. 

At that point I decided that it was warm enough to take a peek under the crown boards,** and assess the size of my overwintered colonies. I started with hive#2 and was amazed. All eleven frames seemed to be crammed with bees and the underside of the crown board was covered too. Hive#1 seemed to be a similar size too. The third hive was slightly smaller with seven or eight frames of bees, but this is still very good for a colony approaching the end of the winter.

Obviously I haven't checked the frames to ensure that my queens are laying, and that the colony is healthy, but I am reassured, if not delighted, by this brief check on progress.

In the afternoon I took the dogs out for a walk. We walked as far as Pete's house, and he appeared from his front door. Half an hour was spent chatting over the gate, before I turned and headed home. I did also remember to order another bucket of honey, as supplies are running low.

I made sure that we had plenty of logs and kindling available for a fire this evening, and then applied myself to the last of my planned activities ... We will be having friends over for dinner on Friday, and 30% decided that gravlax might be suitable as a starter. Consequently I spent a short while preparing the cure mixture and applying it to a pair of rather lovely pieces of salmon.

They will be ready to sample on Wednesday.

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* Simply to make handling easier, as it was huge.

** This would be a quick look under the crown board. No frames would be removed, as I didn't want to chill the brood nest.

The Beekeeping Show 2026

I had an early start this morning.

Firstly I needed to refill and relight the smoke generator, to give my loin of bacon another twelve hours of smoke, before I made preparations for my day out.

Today is the annual Beekeeping Show up in Telford, and, several months ago, I had made the decision to attend. 

Over the past few weeks I have assessed my beekeeping equipment, checked on-line prices, and had drafted a shopping list.  The list covers the items I will need, to facilitate increasing the number of colonies in the apiary.

One of the more costly purchases was a large quantity of wax foundation.*  I had learnt that one of the Companies at the show offered a wax exchange service.**  I would be able to exchange my stores of beeswax for sheets of foundation at the show. This would be a considerable saving, as I estimate that I need about eighty sheets of foundation, which would cost well over one hundred pounds. I have about eighteen pounds of bees wax which, when exchanged, should supply the foundation needed.

So, shortly after eight o'clock this morning I loaded up the car and headed North towards Telford. It was a relatively easy drive and arrived at about nine thirty.

As I wandered across the carpark I was amazed at how many people were in attendance. The place was absolutely rammed with people and queuing seemed to be the order of the day. I queued to get in to the venue, every point of sale had a very long line of people waiting, and even the stock and exhibits were obscured by the hordes.

Fortunately the wax exchange was less busy, and I had soon offloaded my beeswax in exchange for sixty sheets of brood and twenty sheets of shallow foundation. I put the foundation in the car and then returned to the exhibition hall to continue my shopping.

I was glad that my list was relatively short and I soon had everything I needed, including some rhombus clearers and a new bee suit. By lunchtime I had had enough and was glad to head home.

In retrospect it was worthwhile visiting, as I had managed to offload my beeswax and I had also been able to try on my new bee suit before purchasing. But, generally, it is far easier to purchase on-line and endure the postage fees, especially as my visit incurred ticket and fuel costs.

I would only go again if there were fabulous show offers, or if I needed to physically assess a product before buying. 

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* 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.

** They take in beeswax and will either offer a credit note for other goods, or will swap it for sheets of wax foundation.*** They use the wax to produce the foundation they sell.

*** At the rate of 3.75 sheets of wired, brood foundation in exchange for 1 Lb of wax

Smoking bacon

First job this morning was to retrieve the cured loin from the workshop, unwrap it, and hang it up in my tea chest smoker. 

I then filled the smoke generator with sawdust, lit it, and checked to ensure that it was producing a gentle stream of smoke. I closed up the smoker and left it in the carport to work its magic. 

The little smoke generator is amazingly efficient, and should continue to produce smoke for the next twelve or fourteen hours. I needed to do nothing further, apart from checking occasionally for a trickle of smoke coming from the smoker.

My only other activities were a shopping trip with 30% in the morning, and a walk with Hobson and TB in the afternoon.

 

I didn't do much

It was yet another soggy, grey day, and I did very little.

I did manage to clear some space in the store room, and, as a result, had a small bonfire to dispose of some cardboard boxes. 

I'm keen to keep the store room as tidy as possible, as the beekeeping season is nearly here. I will be regularly accessing my supply of hive components, as the colonies increase in size, bring in nectar, and start honey production. 

I will also need to get my hands on my bacon slicer in the next few days.

On the subject of bacon, the cured loin has been hanging from the workshop ceiling for the past week and is now just about ready to be smoked. I therefore spent some time gathering my smoking equipment together, in preparation to smoke the bacon tomorrow.

Daffs and Dogs

I keep forgetting to mention that the daffodils are finally starting to flower.

We planted well over one hundred bulbs back in October last year, and I noticed that the first signs of growth were visible on New Year's Day. I can now report that they seem to have done really well. There are lots and lots of buds and the first dozen flowers have just started to open. 

It'll be interesting to see how they look at the peak of flowering.

There is not a huge amount to report for today. The weather was cold and dry, and I got out for a walk with the two dogs* in the early afternoon. 

I use the walks as an informal training session, focussing on their recall and walking to heel, off the lead. These are the key behaviours that are needed so they become conditioned to returning when we see cars, horses or pedestrians, and that they walk alongside me as we approach blind bends and junctions.

I have to say that they are both doing really well. They still love to race ahead, exploring the hedges and fields, but are content to come and walk to heel, when conditions dictate. We have had a few tests recently, and, so far, they have responded perfectly.

I should state that these tests have all been where the car, person, or horse has been seen well in advance. We have yet to execute a recall in a close encounter scenario.

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* We seem to have divided and conquered when it comes to dog walking. I walk Hobson and TB. They are the youngest and need most exercise. 30% now walks Whiffler and The Rat. They are the older dogs and need far less exercise. The reason for this division of labour is that 30% is less mobile than I, hence I get to complete the longer walks.

How long have you had that?

Over the past week, or so, 30% has been having a clear out of her dressing room.  She has made half hearted attempts at this over the five years we have been living here, but, this time, it seems to be a serious attempt to make the room look presentable.

Yesterday evening she wandered downstairs and presented me with a voucher. "I found this upstairs," she said, "You're going to be in the vicinity of Halfords tomorrow, why don't you use it?"

I looked at the voucher and it seemed voucher ish. It was clearly from Halfords and offered the owner £5 off any purchase. However, on closer examination there were many things you would expect on a voucher, that just weren't there. There was no QR or barcode. There was no expiry date, neither were there any detailed terms of use or limitations, just a reference number of eight or ten digits.

I said I'd give I a go, and that leads us on to today.

First activity this morning was a walk with Hobson & TB, once the painkillers had taken effect. This took up most of my morning, and any spare time was used to refill the log basket and chop some kindling.

After lunch I headed in to Redditch. I will need some plywood in the near future.* A quick visit to Wickes had plywood ticked off my list. I then drove around the corner, parked up, and wandered in to Halfords. I spent several minutes wandering around, and failing to be inspired by any of their stock. Yes, I could have purchased something shiny in chrome vanadium, but I have plenty of tools already.**

Eventually my eyes fell upon a little visor cleaning kit in the motorcycling section. "That'll do" I thought, so I picked it up, and wandered over to the tills. Eventually a member of the team ambled over and cheerfully scanned my purchase. I handed over the voucher and he looked a little puzzled. He made a couple of attempts to get the till to recognise it, before calling over his team leader.

The team leader looked equally puzzled and, was about to just create a manual discount, when the till seemed to recognise the voucher code and I was able to complete my purchase. The chap advised that he had worked for Halfords for over ten years and had never seen a voucher quite like the one I presented today.

God knows how long that voucher had been lurking in 30%'s belongings, but I happen to know that she does have a Co-op voucher that she received when she was first married, over thirty years ago.

Perhaps we should try that one next?

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* I have a few clearer boards to make. These are used to get bees out of the supers, before the honey is extracted. They act as a one-way valve. Once the bees have exited the super, via the clearer board, they can't find their way back in. 

I also need to finish making a pair of cupboard doors for my carpenter's bench refurbishment.

* You can NEVER have too many tools!

A slight improvement

The forecast for this week looks almost pleasant after the preceding weeks of rain.

It should be noted that the weeks of continuous rain has meant that my definition of pleasant has been tempered, and is now satisfied by showers rather than downpours, and sunny spells rather than endless rain.

Today started with blue skies. It clouded somewhat later, and there was the occasional shower, but it was dry enough to get out with the dogs and walk out as far as Pete the beekeeper's house.*

I have learnt that I need to schedule these walks, as my back is much improved, but I need to dose up on paracetamol and ibuprofen about an hour before we set off.

I am reasonably confident that I am not making matters worse, as my back seems fine when I am walking and no worse when back at home, pottering around the house and gardens.

So that it is it for Monday.  The dogs got walked and I managed to tidy up the bits and pieces left over from yesterday's honey bottling.

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* Today I established that this is actually about 2.6 miles in total. Consequently it is not my new three miler, but in fact just a pleasant walk with far fewer encounters with Townies. There is also always the chance that I will bump in to Pete, and can order another bucket of honey.

Sales report

Yesterday's sun was a brief reprieve, and today the rain is back.

Fortunately I was running low on bottled honey, so I was able to use that as an excuse to stay indoors and bottle a couple of batches, over the course of the day.

I thought that sales had slowed down,* but, on checking, my last bottling session was on 27th January, so I still seem to be shifting about ten pounds every fortnight.

That pretty much sums up Sunday. There was also a snooze the sofa, and a fire was lit early in the evening. There was also a rather nice bottle of Governo to go with this evening's dinner.

And I didn't get too wet shutting up the hens.

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* Hardly surprising considering the weather!

Fishing

Today we had a brief reprieve from the endless, soggy gloom.

The skies were blue and the sun shone down. There was even a light dusting of frost early this morning. Don't be mistaken, everywhere is still soaking wet, but it was lovely to have a bright sunny day after weeks and weeks of cloud and rain.

After a hefty dose of painkillers* I headed out along the lanes with Hobson and TB. We completed the new three miler, before the dogs were dunked in an icy bath to wash away the mud.

Late last night 30% happened to mention that an important document** had managed to slip in to the windscreen vent of her car.  After listening to a somewhat waffly explanation, I avoiding saying "FFS," and advised that she might like to use the long reach, locking forceps*** that I have in my fishing bag.

Let's now roll forward to this morning. 30% advised that she had tried to retrieve the document with her eyebrow tweezers, but had failed. I asked why she hadn't used my fishing forceps and was advised that she "didn't know where they were." I would have thought that the large,  and only, green bag in the store room, adjacent to the three rods and the landing nets would have given her a clue.

Again I avoided saying "FFS" and went to have a look for the forceps. I have to be fair and say that I totally failed to find them. I must have left them on the bank on our last angling excursion. I then tried and failed to retrieve the document with a pair of long nosed pliers. I eventually fished out the damned piece of card with a steel rule, tipped with a piece of gaffer tape.

Here endeth the tale of my first fishing trip of 2026 ... At least I had a catch!

This evening we headed in to Redditch to see the Dazzling Diamonds drag review at The Palace Theatre. We had a splendid time watching three queens sing, lip synch, bitch and take the rise out of the audience. The humour was, most definitely, fellatio focussed and absolutely brilliant.

There were moments of true drag genius, and particularly worthy of mention was the mash-up of Rod Hull and Emu with Bjork singing "It's Oh So Quiet."

We had so much fun that we have already booked tickets for their new show in April '27.

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* My back is still not pain free, but I can now stand upright and walk, confident that things are on the mend.

** The arrival time recorder that accompanies her blue badge

*** Have you seen a pike's teeth!

I think I've watched as much curling as I can take!

The rain today was relentless.

It didn't stop at any point. The ground is now so soaked that it cannot absorb another drop, so it is collecting in huge puddles, and streaming on to the roads.

There was no way that I was going to walk the dogs in this weather so I limited my activities to those I could perform indoors.

The loin of pork, that I started curing last Friday,  was taken out the fridge, dried off, and wrapped in muslin. It is now hanging from a hook in the ceiling of the workshop. It will remain there for the best part of a week, before I take it down and smoke it.

I'm embarrassed to say that that was all I achieved today. I did watch more of the Winter Olympics, but have now reached the point where I am starting to come up with suggestions for new sports to be included in the French Alps Olympics of 2030.

I think snowmobile racing could be a big hit, as could dog sledding.  Wrestling polar bears is probably a little one sided to be taken seriously, but I'm pretty sure it would bring in the viewers.

"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!