A missed opportunity and a stupid mistake

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

---

* a short cylinder of rolled corrugated cardboard

** Welcome to the world of diabetes

Hoping for a quick sale

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

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

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

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

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

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

It certainly has "presence" on the road

snug, but reasonably comfortable

Its turning circle makes most car parks a pain

The rarely used 3rd row seats

A space usually filled with dogs or fishing tackle

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

---

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

Can I keep it up?

Sunday's outing to Forhill demonstrated one thing.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

---

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

I'm back

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

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

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

Thursday, 27 February, 2025

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

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

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

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

Friday, 28 February, 2025

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

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

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

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

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

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

Saturday, 1 March, 2025

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

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

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

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

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

Sunday, 2 March, 2025

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

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

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

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

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

Monday, 3 March, 2025

By early afternoon I was home alone.

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

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

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

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

Longing for warmer weather

The past couple of days have been inconsequential.

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

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

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

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

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

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

A busier day

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nina Conti at the Alex

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

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

However that was not to be the case for us. 

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

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

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

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

Acquiring new skills

 It was another quiet day.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Relaxation

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

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

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

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

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

I have also been doing a fair amount of reading. 

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

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

My days have not solely been filled with leisure activities. 

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

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

Hobson goes out for lunch

 Wednesday was wet and gloomy.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

A Journey to Nottingham

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

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

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

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

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

Now back to me and Nottingham. 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

---

* Eleven years

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

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

Oh, it's red

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

---

* £735.00 per annum

** to maximise its px value

Day of rest

 Last night was a late one!

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

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

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

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

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

Socialising

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

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

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

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

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

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

Tomorrow could well be a lazy day.

A change of pace

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

So let's make a start.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

---

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

Glossary

Coprolite: fossilised excrement. Don't ask!

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

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

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

The "Middle of Lidl" *

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

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

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

---

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

Thought for the day

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

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

Apparently it's a charm

 I seem to be slowly grinding to a halt. 

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

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

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

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

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

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

I didn't do much

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Simple, but effective!

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

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

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

An annual event?

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

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

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

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

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

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

I hope I don't miss it too much

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

---

* Hence the purchase of the R 1250 R

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

Friday didn't turn out as expected

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

---

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

Rate your experience on a scale of 1 to 10

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

---

Post Script

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

---

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

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

The 3D Jigsaw

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

---

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

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

I'm getting fed up with moving logs

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

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

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

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

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

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

---

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

Odds 'n Sods

Sunday was a day of odds and ends.

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

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

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

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

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

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

---

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

** As part of a manufacturer's vehicle recall

Post Script

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

I ran out of fuel

I was up and out of the house by eight o'clock this morning, as Bubbles had got us booked in for a round of sporting clays at nine o'clock sharp.

We had a pleasant morning and my score was just over 50% for the first time in many months. I won't say that I was pleased with my score, but at least it was the right side of 50%. Let's hope that things continue in this vein,

After lunch I returned to the felled Spruce in the orchard. With chainsaw and splitting maul in hand I made a significant impact on the remaining trunk sections. I would have finished the job if the chainsaw hadn't run out of fuel ... I checked my blood sugar on returning to the house and noticed that I had run out of fuel too. That put paid to chainsaw based fun and I took it easy for the remainder of the afternoon.

I should get the last of the tree split in to logs tomorrow morning. Then I just need to barrow them over to Rose Cottage and get them stacked.

Progress?

Friday started with a checkup with the CHEC Ophthalmologist.

The CHEC service again managed to demonstrate a complete inability to schedule appointments, with my 9.45 appointment taking place at half past ten.   How the hell they can be running three quarters of an hour late so early in the day amazes me.  I wonder what the delay will be by the time the last appointment of the day takes place?

As for the consultation, that was surprisingly productive. 

For many years I have suffered from recurring corneal abrasions on the surface of my left eye. These date back to a gardening injury and they are not pleasant. Luckily I am just recovering from one of these incidents and luckier still my appointment happened to be with a Corneal Consultant.

He took my eye pressure readings and these were satisfactory and then took a careful look at my left eye. He advised that I need to be referred to an NHS Cornea Clinic to have a corneal bandage applied. Apparently this is a contact lens that is worn for up to three months. It protects the cornea and allows it to heal properly. The reason for the recurring abrasions is that the eye can become dry at night and the simple action of blinking can cause an abrasion at the site of the original injury ... let's see how long before I hear from the NHS.

After the fun that is the CHEC service, we headed over to see Helen and spent a very pleasant couple of hours drinking coffee, and eating cake. The main outcome from the morning was that we have finally agreed the dates for our next Narrowboating holiday.* I also drew a quite fantastic giraffe for Helen's granddaughter Olivia.

That's pretty much all that took place on Friday. I had great intentions, but had a massive kip instead.

---

* Easter 2025

Catching up

TP turned up on Monday evening. He advised that he was here for a few days and that his plan was to make some progress on his sound cart project. 

This is positive news, in that I might soon be able to reclaim my garage, workshop and any other space he deems worthy of monopolising. Also, My tools might also be returned to their natural resting places, rather than being casually abandoned here and there.*

The minor downside of his visits is that my computer is in the spare his room. I feel that accessing my Mac during his stays is an invasion of his privacy, so I tend not to make entries in the Journal during his visits.

Anyway, he has headed back to Cardiff this evening, as he starts a new contract next week. His car was packed with his sound cart detritus and my garage, workshop and carport are now somewhat tidier.

I am now also able to access my computer once more, so here's what I've been up to ...

Tuesday, 28 January, 2025

My plan for Tuesday was to make a start on turning the felled tree in to firewood. Unfortunatley the weather wasn't particularly cooperative and indoors seemed a far more attractive option.

We have recently changed our Broadband provider, so this morning was spent setting up the new router and ensuring that our devices could connect to the wifi network. 

I was aware that I should simply be able to replicate the old SSID and password on the new router allowing our devices to maintain connectivity without interruption. Unfortunately the internet was filled with contradictory accounts of how easy or impossible this task was. I therefore decided that it was far simpler to go around the various devices and simply logon on to the new network.

This did involve a bit of ladder climbing as our security cameras needed to be taken down and reconnected to the controlling app to achieve this ... I still think that was easier than piddling around with router settings.

Wednesday, 29 January, 2025

Today I grabbed my splitting maul from the shed and spent the morning working my way through the sections of tree trunk left up in the orchard. The tree fellers left some odd sized sections of trunk and branches and I realised that I would need a few sessions with the chainsaw to turn it into a decent pile of firewood.

I have made a decent start on the job, but, if I'm honest, I had problems getting motivated to deal with yet another fallen tree. After a strenuous morning chopping I decided a lazy afternoon kip was a much better idea. 

Thursday, 30 January, 2025

This morning I extracted the chainsaw from its lair. Although it was initially recalcitrant, I soon had it singing and headed up to assault the fragmented Spruce. I spent a merry morning alternating between sawing and splitting and can report that my pile of logs is significantly bigger.

Dot 'n Dave called round in the afternoon and we had a couple of hours drinking tea, eating cake and catching up on each other's news. Dave seemed very keen on hearing about our planned trip to the Black Forest and is very tempted to come along with us. He is about to PX a couple of his bikes for a BMW F900, complete with hard luggage and I think he quite fancies a European road trip ... It'll be fun to have him along.

I also heard that Bubbles has passed his Mod 2 motorcycle test, so hopefully he'll finally commit to buying the R nineT.

---

* TP was educated in the rules of the workshop a long time ago. I find it useful to remind him of them on a regular basis.

1. Put everything back in its proper place
2. Leave the worship tidier than you found it.  
3. If you don't know what it is, or how to use it, leave it alone 

Another bloody tree to sort out!

 Today was the day that the National Grid contractors finally arrived to clear the trees that are too close to our electricity supply.

We had been pre-warned that our supply would be interrupted, so 30% filled a flask with boiling water and I brought our camping stove in from the shed. 

A cheerful chap from National Grid turned up around nine o'clock and was very flexible about the time he turned the power off, especially after 30% offered to put the kettle on an make him a cup of tea. The tree felling contractors arrived a while later and we were plunged into the dark ages at around half past nine.

There were three trees that needed attention. A hawthorn up in the orchard needed to be trimmed to hedge height and a Norway Spruce, also growing in the orchard,  was to be felled. The final task was to trim a conifer in the corner of the lawn at the rear of the cottage. Our power supply runs through the crown of this tree and it needed to be pruned to provide one meter clearance from the cable.

The work took about four hours and the Arboriculturist left in the early afternoon. The National Grid chaps returned around half pst three to restore our power and we now have modern conveniences restored.

It is fair to say that we did very little today, other than stay in the lounge and keep the log burner going. I did start one of my Christmas books,* but have little else to report.

I did get some very good advice from the Arboriculturist. He took a look at the stump from the conifer that came down in Storm Darragh and suggested that we hire a stump grinder to deal with the stump. He even brought out his large chainsaw to further trim the stump, so that grinding it down would be feasible.

At the end of today I have yet another tree to convert to firewood. I'm not really looking forward to that, but at least it is only half the size of the last one.

As for stump grinding ... I can't wait, it looks brilliant!

---

* Bob Mortimer's Hotel Avocado

Leek & Potato Soup

 Yesterday's soup making was aborted due to hypoglycaemia. Actually I'm wondering whether aborted is a bit of an exaggeration? All I had managed to do yesterday was pull a few leeks and fetch a carton of double cream from the village shop. Gathering ingredients might be closer to the truth.

Today I got back on track and actually made the soup. The BBC Food website was my recipe source, and my mildly modified version is outlined below.

Ingredients

• 8 oz of peeled and cubed potatoes
• 2 medium leeks, sliced finely
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil
• 2 pints of chicken stock
• 5 fluid ounces of double cream
• Salt and Black Pepper to season

Method

• Pour the oil in to a saucepan
• Add the leeks, onion and diced potato
• Soften the vegetables over a medium heat for five or ten minutes. Don't let the vegetables brown and add a splash more oil if they start to stick.
• Pour in the chicken stock and bring to the boil
• Simmer for ten to fifteen minutes until the vegetables are tender
• Blitz to a creamy consistency with a hand blender
• Pour in the double cream and blitz once more
• Season to taste

The result was a lovely creamy soup with a velvety texture. 30% declared it a great success. This is praise indeed, as she is not a fan of leek and potato soup.

That's a good job really, as I have enough ingredients for another batch ... and the leeks really need using up.

Peaked too early

 After Friday's slothfulness, I thought I had better get my arse in to gear this morning.

I took the dogs out for a short walk and then headed out to the vegetable garden. 

I appreciate that it is not really the time of year for gardening, but the raspberries really needed pruning. Yesterday's storm had blown through and today's cold, but sunny weather was sufficient encouragement to get out in the garden. I grabbed my secateurs and spent an hour or so pruning back the canes and tying them in to the supports. I can now report that a small section of the veg patch now looks almost cared for.

On my way back to the house my eyes fell upon the raised beds. These still sported a few leeks. I have been wittering on about making some leek and potato soup for a couple of weeks, but haven't got beyond the talking about it stage.

I pulled about half a dozen leeks and then braved the icy water from one of our butts to wash off the worst of the soil. The leeks were then ceremoniously dumped in the kitchen, ready for soup making. I consulted a recipe from the BBC Food website and realised that I needed a pot of double cream. A quick search of the refrigerator was unsuccessful, so a trip to the village shop was going to be needed,

30% and I lunched and I then decided to walk down to the shop. For the past few weeks my knee has been twinging and I wanted to see whether some exercise might help.* I set out at a brisk pace and, although the knee was slightly achy, it didn't impede progress. I was soon back home and all ready to start cooking. 

Unfortunately my blood sugar had plummeted and refreshments and a snooze became a priority. On waking I was absolutely shattered and couldn't summon any enthusiasm for soup making. I spent the rest of the day in front of the fire.

---

* I really haven't been doing much walking over the Winter months

Nothing to see here

 Nothing of any great significance took place today.

I fitted the new panniers to my bike and they seem OK. The problem is that I have no experience of motorcycle hard luggage and, for all I know, they are a pile of crap and I have made a half-arsed job of fitting them!

I don't think that is the case,* but I really need a good long ride out** with some luggage to ensure that they don't spill my valuables down the hard shoulder of a German autobahn.

I did also manage a monumental snooze on the sofa this afternoon and crossed an item off my to do list, by proxy ... 30% collected my prescription for me.

---

* Did you see what I did there?

** That is not going to happen today as Storm Eowyn is currently crossing the country.

Have you read the manual?

 My shiny new BMW panniers were delivered today.

I carefully unwrapped them and ensured that the relevant fixings and locks were also present. The thing that wasn't in the box was a set of instructions ... Bugger!  

There are two stages to fitting the panniers to the bike; the panniers needed a bracket to be attached and this looked pretty straightforward; a couple of captive nuts were inserted into slots in the bracket and it was then fixed to the pannier using a pair of Torx head screws ... literally a five minute job.

The second stage was more complex. The pannier lock needed to be coded to the bike's ignition key and then fitted to the pannier.  There were a set of instructions for coding the key, but these were flagged with a bright orange label. It stated "Important! This product is not intended to be installed by a customer. Installation must be performed exclusively by a specialist workshop"

Well, that does tend to make one think. After all if I mess up the lock coding or the lock installation I will be left with a shiny new pannier that cannot be opened or attached to the bike. It is fair to say that I was somewhat unnerved, especially as there was no guidance at all about fitting the coded lock to the pannier.

I had already searched the internet and watched a couple of videos on coding the locks. It seemed fiddly, but relatively straightforward, but there was nothing about fitting the locks. Interestingly there were no lock fixings, just the lock and a lock sized aperture in the top of the pannier. I assumed that it must be a push fit?

After an extended period of worriting, I bit the bullet and laid out the lock components. It went relatively smoothly and it seemed that the Youtube videos were correct. The time came to insert the lock in to the pannier. I'd like to say that it went straight in, but I actually needed to re-check that I had inserted the locking plate's spring before I pushed it home ... Success! Clearly me and my dining room table qualifies as a specialist workshop. 

The second lock and pannier were a re-run of the process just completed, and I soon had two panniers ready to fit to the bike. 

The fitting would have to wait until tomorrow as this evening we were attending the Redditch College Burns Night Supper.* I am aware that Burns Night is celebrated on 25th January, but these college events are always held on a Thursday. 30%, Jules, Mummy Sheila and I had a super evening and the food was fantastic.

---

* Redditch College catering course holds regular set menu dining evenings to give the students experience of cooking and serving meals to the general public.  The food is always attractively priced and of very good quality, and tonight was no exception. 

Gossip

It was a quiet day today. 

TP's chum; Charlie paid a visit this morning to come and ogle* my new bike. He's a lovely chap and we spent a good chunk of the morning chatting, drinking coffee and loitering in the garage.

In the afternoon I did nothing more productive than cut up an old pair of pyjamas ... I have a couple of bikes to clean and am short of polishing rags. 

Late in the afternoon TP turned up as he has some location work in Birmingham tomorrow. We are a convenient base for that job, and he'll stay for a few days ... hopefully making progress on his sound cart project.**

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

A couple of days ago I was walking the dogs and bumped in to an acquaintance. As we passed the time of day, she happened to mention that someone in the village had commented about the tree that had blown over in our garden during Storm Darragh. According to this anonymous village pundit, the tree had fallen on the house and damaged the end gable.

The acquaintance questioned the veracity of this gossip and I confirmed that the tree had fallen away from the house and done little more that create a crater in the lawn, crush a hedge and provide a lot of work for me in sawing it up. The house had not been touched by the tree.

As dissected this item of gossip I pointed out that the house and the tree stump were clearly visible from the lane and, consequently, any idiot could see that the house was unharmed. I was amazed that a nugget of information could be perverted in to complete nonsense, when a simple walk past the house could provide the true picture. 

This reinforced my view of those that peddle gossip. They are stupid people that spout unfounded nonsense as fact, generally because they like to revel in the misfortune of others. If one thinks about it, this gossip has ruined their credibility, by talking such nonsense.

I don't mind being talked about behind my back, so long as the gossip is accurate. Generally I find it isn't.

---

* his term, not mine

** TP has yet to learn that out of sight is out of mind and that he will really need to make a conscious effort to come over and complete the work on this trolley. He lives and works in Cardiff and it is very easy to forget about a pile of quite expensive components when you don't see them. He needs to make this project a priority, identify the time to do the work and get his arse down here to complete it.

Glass half full?

 Optimist or pessimist? Now there's a question.

I'd like to think that I am generally optimistic, although 30% might offer a different opinion.  

I know that there are occasions when events will weigh heavily on my mind, and then I am pleasantly surprised when they don't turn out as badly as expected ... I guess I can be prone to a touch of pessimism from time to time.

On the whole I like to think that I am a realist, drawing on lifetime experience to predict how events are likely to unfold, without undue cynicism.

Now, where am I going with this? 

It is the time of year when my bees need to be treated for varroa, a parasitic mite that can devastate a colony. This morning I gathered up the necessary equipment and headed up in to the orchard. Within a few minutes I had prepared the hive* for the treatment. I removed the hive entrance and noticed a few dead bees on the hive floor. What I didn't notice was any noise or guard bees coming to investigate my assault on their home. I investigated further and was incredibly disappointed to note that the colony had failed.

At this time of year the most likely cause of colony failure is starvation, but the hive had plenty of capped stores and there was a pack of candy available to them if they were running short. The candy had been refreshed when I last checked the hives in mid December, and the colony had appeared to be doing well at that time.

I could see nothing that might give a clue to their demise, as I dismantled the hive . One possibility might be that the queen had failed at some point in the Autumn. I know that I never actually saw her during my inspections, but the hive was showing signs that she was present and laying. It could be that she may have failed and the colony has collapsed. There were no signs of brood disease, so a poor quality queen, leading to a colony that hasn't thrived, is my best guess.

Somewhat dismayed, I moved on to my second hive and repeated my preparations. This time I was welcomed by a handful of bees as I removed the entrance block. This was a huge relief. The second colony was alive.  I completed the oxalic acid vapour treatment and started to tidy up my equipment and stow the hive components from the failed colony. 

It is fair to say that this was not the outcome I would have hope for. I was hoping to see two vigorous colonies all ready for the arrival of the Spring flowers. However, I do recognise that both could have collapsed and died. 

It is good beekeeping practice to have at least two colonies. The reason for this approach is that, if one dies over Winter, you will hopefully have one that will survive. As the surviving colony starts to grow in the Spring queen cells are likely to appear. One should then be able to create another colony using the shook swarm method. 

So the optimist in me had hoped to see two colonies doing well, the pessimist in me acknowledged that both could have succumbed to the ravages of Winter. 

As for the realist, there are a few months of poor weather yet to come ... we are not out of the woods yet.

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* A hive is a container that houses a colony of bees. Colony is the collective term for the bees themselves, comprising the queen, her workers, brood and drones.

Tidying up

After finally getting the logs stacked yesterday, I felt that I deserved an easier day today.

I did pick up the few large chunks of trunk from the front garden that were too knotty to split. These were put under cover up in Rose Cottage.*

I also swept up the debris from the floor of the carport and wheeled the trailer under cover, and that is about the sum total of today's achievements.

I still have the stump and root ball to remove from the front lawn, but that can wait until the weather is better. I am, however, quite pleased that the lion's share of the fallen tree has now been processed and tidied away.

Allegedly the National Grid Contractors will be here at the beginning of next week to remove a conifer from under our electricity supply cable.** I'm glad I've finished with the first tree before I have to start on the next one ... Rinse and repeat, I think!

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* The log shed up in the orchard

** They were originally scheduled to do the work at the beginning of  December, but repairing Storm Darragh damage took priority over that appointment.  It's scheduled to be very windy over the next few days. I hope they don't get diverted to storm damage repair again.

Prehistoric Jenga

A couple of days ago my journal entry pondered whether the large pile of logs in the carport could be neatly stacked. This would restore the floor space liberated by the recent sale of the Series 2 Land Rover.

Well, after a few hours work, I can report that the logs are now stacked and the carport is once again uncluttered.

They'll need 18 months drying time

I am now wondering how long it will be before some bugger attempt to fill the space with something else?

The construction of this fabulous stack took up a good chunk of the day, although we did have an intermission ... a visit from Bubbles and Bobbyn. We spent a couple of hours catching up on their news and Bubbles came and had a look at my new bike. I actually think he spent more time looking at my R nineT, as he is seriously considering buying it ... as soon as he passes his Mod 2 test.

As for the title of today's Journal entry, it quite accurately describes my wood pile. It has been carefully stacked as high as possible and god help anyone who pulls a log from the pile and causes its collapse!

Let's do lunch

 Today's main event was "lunch". Lunch with a couple of friends from my days working in the IT industry.

I keep in touch with VERY few of my ex colleagues, but Grandad Jack and Judge Dread are two exceptions. I worked with them both during my years at IBM and, for some strange reason, we clicked. We all come from very different backgrounds, but share a similar sense of humour and are all in our seventh or eight decade.* We all have an interest in the world about us and when we spend time together our conversations range from geopolitics to taking the piss out of each other.**

In a good year we may meet up a couple of times. In a bad year we may not get together at all, and last year was a bad one ... particularly for Grandad Jack. He has been undergoing treatment for a tumour in his neck and as he puts it himself he "isn't out of the woods yet".

He is now over the worst of his treatment, so we arranged to meet up for lunch at the Oak at Upton Snodsbury ... our preferred venue.***

We had a lovely few hours in the pub and gentle leg pulling took place. A couple of gins were drunk**** as we caught up with each others' news. Strangely our conversations rarely touch on our working lives, although the tale of my journey into retirement was covered.

I really enjoy their company and hope that there will be many more sessions like this. Jack has his next scan in February and we all hope that the magic word remission is heard at the consultation that will follow.

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* Jack is now 75, John (Dread) is 66 and I am a youthful 61.

** There is a lot of the latter!

*** Jack lives over in Knowle, so it is a forty minute drive. John lives down in Portsmouth, so it's bloody miles for him. I'm laughing, it's only five miles down the road and Jack generally picks me up on the way.

**** By me. Jack was on the alcohol free Guiness and John was drinking lime and soda .... AND he calls himself a Northerner ... he's spent far too much time down South.

I hope they will fit

 For the past five weeks I have been looking out on to a large pile of split logs. These have sat in the far corner of the front lawn since I dealt with the aftermath of Storm Darragh.

The recent departure of the Series 2 Land Rover has made ample space in the car port, and I spent today moving the logs under cover.

The garden now looks slightly tidier and the carport is once again filled.* At least the logs will start to dry out and I will be sheltered from the weather as I start to stack them tidily against the wall. 

Basically I have piled a large tree in the carport and I am wondering how much space it will need when it is stacked ... I hope it will fit. 

I have also realised that stacking the logs will be the fourth time I have handled the damned things; felling, splitting, transferring to the dry store and stacking. It's no wonder they cost two hundred quid a tonne.

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* I am starting to wonder whether there is some universal law that means that any clear space will soon become filled ... it is an aspect of entropy, perhaps?

That took while to finish off

Surprisingly I did not spend the day faffing around with the new bike. I did connect her up to an Optimate battery charger and throw a cover over her, but that was it.

I did however attend to a little job that has been ignored for a couple of years. 

Shortly after moving here TP's chum Charlie asked if I wanted a "parts bin rack." Basically this is a large sheet of metal with regularly spaced, louvered perforations. These louvres allow plastic component bins to be slotted on to it for the storage of whatever you like ... usually small components such as fixings etc.

I accepted the offer and Charlie kindly delivered the rack. It was then shoved in the back of the car port and subsequently blocked in by the Series 2. It has sat there for at least two years, probably longer.

The recent removal of the Land Rover meant that I was finally able to get at it and I spent a merry couple of hours fixing it to the wall in the garage. I had even ordered a set of parts bins, so these were slotted in place. It really does look rather professional. All I need to do now is find something to put in it.

In other news, Jason and the lads turned up this morning to grout the paving slabs and tidy up the site. The new path looks lovely and really smartens up the front of the house. The only downside is that we really need to get the driveway cleaned up ... and that is a hands and knees job!

That can wait until the weather warms.

At least it wasn't freezing

 The day had finally arrived for me to head over to Cheltenham to pick up my new bike. My original plan was to collect it on the previous Wednesday, but last week's freezing weather put paid to that plan.

This morning I woke to a thick blanket of fog, which started to lift as the morning progressed. The sun was visible by the time 30% and I headed South down the M5, but patches of thick fog were encountered as we made our way towards Cheltenham.

I went through the various formalities at the Motoradd dealership before being shown the bike controls and features ... It is like a bloody space ship compared to my other bikes. I won't bore you with the specifications, but fully adjustable rider modes, hill start assist, and clutchless gear changes are but a few from the very long list* ... It's going to take me a good while to become familiar with them, and part of me is already wondering whether I should be fiddling with electronic gizmos when I should be paying attention to the maniac car drivers around me?**

Eventually the hand-over was completed and it was time for me to take the first ride on my new bike. A lower height seat had been fitted, which made me far more confident with the bike at a standstill, but I noticed how heavy she was compared to my other bikes. The starter button was pushed and she rumbled in to life. I pulled away, with 30% watching and then got cut up by a prat in a mini before I had even got off the car park!

I found her fairly easy to ride and the ROAD mode was unthreatening. However a busy motorway with periodic patches of fog was no fun. My helmet's visor needed regular wiping to remove the droplets from the fog and it was not a great ride. The roads were busy, the weather was poor and my shiny new bike was getting covered with a layer of filth from the road.

As first dates go, this wasn't the best!

I also found it challenging to find the right point in the rev range to change gears. It alternated between smooth changes and graunches that made me wince in mechanical sympathy.

I need warm weather, clear dry roads and I need that now!

TP and his mate Charlie are both keen bikers and were interested to know how I found the bike. I had to answer that I really wasn't able to formulate an opinion on a quick whizz up the motorway in shitty weather. As I've already said, I need better weather, less traffic and more miles to become familiar with her.

I did also pop in to see Buzzer and show off my new pride and joy. Buzzer was his usual lovely self and was both surprised and delighted with my new acquisition. Both he and Dotty came out for a viewing and to watch me head off after an hour of coffee and chat.

One might think that was enough for the day ... Hell No!

I then needed to spend a couple of hours with hose pipe, bucket and chammy leather to wash off the accumulated road salt and other filth.

As I write this the R1250R is now sat in the garage, and she is a lot cleaner than she was when she first arrived at her new home. She'll need a few hours with some polish and a duster, but that can wait for a day or two.

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* One of the features is that the bike is fitted with a multitude of sensors and these can detect whether it has been dropped or involved in an accident. If triggered, the sensors will contact a call centre via the on-board SIM card. The call centre will ask, via the motorcycle if I am alright. If they cannot get a response they will notify the emergency services, using the SIM card to provide location details.

** One wonders if this is why they installed the feature outlined in the previous footnote?

Tessa, whoever she may be?

The work on the path at the front of the house continues and the Indian green sandstone paving stones were laid today. It is going to look really smart once they have been grouted and edged with pea gravel.

A couple of days ago, during the construction of the hardcore base, Jason knocked at the door. They had lifted the old step and discovered a finely worked grave stone. The face of the stone is about a foot square, and it is seven inches deep. It bears the inscription "Tessa, 1957 - 1969" and this has been done with much skill and care.

We can only assume that this was a memorial to a much loved pet, and it seemed quite disrespectful to have used it as a foundation stone for some steps. It has now been placed in the low stone wall that borders the front lawn and can be seen each time we leave the house.

Our neighbours;* Charmian and Peter have lived here for many decades and were certainly familiar with the two previous owners. It is hoped that they may be able to shed some light on who Tessa was.

My day was hardly momentous. I visited the dentist this morning for a filling and a cleaning session and, on the homeward journey, picked up a bag of layers pellets from the feed store. I also checked on the state of the charging batteries. They seem to be taking a charge, so it looks like I'll be treating the hives for varroa in the next few days.

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* They live out of sight, on the other side of the low hill about four hundred yards away from the cottage. That's the definition of a neighbour round here.

I'm not safe out on my own!

If you read yesterday's Journal Entry you might have noted that one of my minor accomplishments was the emptying of the embers from the Log Burner. This needs doing every few days to ensure that it burns well. The embers can be very hot so they're shovelled in to a metal bucket, which is left in the carport while the embers cool to ashes.

The cooling time is a key point and I clearly remember reminding 30% that the bucket needed leaving for a couple of days before it was tipped in the dustbin.

Unfortunately I didn't heed my own warning ... let me explain. 

Alan was due to arrive around lunchtime to collect the Series 2. So, for the fourth time in the past few days, I again needed to clear the garden chairs, barbecue etc from around the Land Rover so that it could be winched out and on to a transporter. 

The bucket of ashes was sat in the carport and I chucked them in to the black wheelie bin without a moment's thought.  The area around the vehicle was now clear and I headed indoors to continue with my day.

All was well until there was an urgent knocking on the door. On opening the aforementioned portal I found Josh, one of our workmen, looking a little flustered. "You've set your bin on fire" he advised, and he almost managed to conceal a grin.

I went outside to investigate and I had done a proper job. The black bin was melted from rim to base, and its contents were spilling from a 10" wide wound. The adjacent recycling bin fared slightly better, but it too was going to need to be replaced.

I am such a tool!

Having ensured that the bin fire had been extinguished, I then spent a merry twenty minutes on the internet and phone arranging for the two bins to be replaced. The cost of my idiocy; sixty three of your Great British Pounds.

Nursing my bruised wallet, I spent much of the day injuring my bank balance even further. The 5 Series insurance and warrantee were renewed and it also needs an oil service, so that got added to the list of work that will be done when it goes to the local dealership on 5th February.

Obviously the Series 2 did get dragged off the premises at lunch time and Alan did his best to make my bank balance look a little healthier by paying the outstanding balance on the car.

So that was my day; Arson, Administration & Automotive Antics.

Domesticity

There is little of interest to report for today.

That is not to say that my day was dull. It was just taken up with domestic activities. The little jobs that need to be done to keep things rolling along.

In the morning 30% and I headed in to Redditch to pick up a few groceries and to replace our carbon monoxide alarm. You see, nothing exciting, just making sure that we are fed and that we don't suffocate in our sleep.

In the afternoon I emptied the log burner and spent half an hour transferring soot and charred tar from the log burner glass to my hands and clothing. 

I then headed outside and refreshed the moisture traps in the 5 Series. It is currently sat in the carport under cover. I have prudently installed a couple of moisture absorbing devices to prevent the car getting damp as it sits unused over Winter. I replaced the crystals in one of the traps and put the silica beads from the others in to a low oven to dry for a couple of hours.

While the silica beads slowly desiccated I finally got around to insuring the new motorcycle, as I will be picking it up in the coming week.

The final activity of any significance was to attempt to get a charge in to a car battery.  This is not for automotive purpose, but is actually beekeeping related.  Each Winter the bee hives are treated with oxalic acid vapour as a precautionary measure to control varroa mites.* The battery is used to provide a heat source to vaporise the oxalic acid crystals in the hive.

Unfortunately my battery didn't seem inclined to take a charge. Bugger, I may need to find another, as the hives need treating in the next week or two.

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*These are a parasitic mite that can have a devastating effect on a colony. A varroa infection can lead to total colony loss.