WHAT ATTRACTED YOUR ATTENTION TODAY?

[Marilyn]

The Seagulls down in our region are missing the chips!

[Stanley]

Our streetsweeper is happy as lockdown means less litter.
How happy my feet are this morning after a pedicure by Susan. We thought the risk of contamination was worth it.

[Tizer]

`Western Australia prepares for 'once-in-a-decade' storm' LINK

[Cathy]

I meant to put the above on the weather topic for Stanley. Thanks Tize

[Whyperion]

Our streetsweeper is happy as lockdown means less litter.
How happy my feet are this morning after a pedicure by Susan. We thought the risk of contamination was worth it.

Police forces should be out ticketing the amount of parkland litter from KFC and on the beaches of early visitors.

[Stanley]

No word from her as yet Maz.
A radio piece about the Matthews Cup Final of 1953. Read about it HERE. The man was a legend in his own time because he played on for 12 years longer.

[Stanley]

Cummings using every weasel word and trick phrase in the book as he wriggled on the hook of his own arrogant behaviour. Educative but not edifying.
I remember a Phrase from 'From Russia with love'. Irma was being made privy to the Praesidium's secrets and it was described as 'A glimpse through the furnace door'. We had such a glimpse here if we are interested in the mind-set of Number Ten and its denizens.
The closure announcement for Newton Rigg Agricultural College in Cumbria. See THIS BBC reprt. It's deficit is £1million a year. The social value of the college alone is worth that subsidy. A very bad and short sighted decision by the Ministry of Education.

[Stanley]

Thinking on about Newton Rigg. I wonder what the perception of farming is in Whitehall?
To me it's a frosty morning going to do field work on a good tractor with a farmhouse breakfast of home cured bacon and two eggs inside me. Such satisfying work, so basic. I'm glad I experienced it.... I can still see the neat furrows rolling over behind the plough.
I suspect they see battery hens and cows in yards. I see hens folded on the fields and the lovely feel of a cow against your head as you strip the last milk out in a warm shippon early on a winter's morning before breakfast. I feel sorry for them, they have missed so much. That's why I would keep Newton Rigg open!

[Bodger]

I have always lived in the country, and unlike many people i do not find the smell of muck spreading offensive, it is part of lifes cycle

[Stanley]

Exactly Bodge!

[Bodger]

A very interesting half hour, nice lathe conversion in the latter half
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y8J-LB8OTIQ

[Stanley]

I'll visit that later Bodge. One of my favourite sites.

[Marilyn]

Attention attracted last night as we snuggled down in bed, by a noisy bashing/scrabbling noise at our front door. Sounded like someone or something was trying to get in.
Febby jumped up, threw the front light on and bravely opened the door after we saw the strangest shape through the glass in the door. Is it a cat hanging on the front door screen?
No! We have a small POSSUM!

[Marilyn]

Is this any better?

[Stanley]

Nature red in tooth and claw Maz! Looking for grub.
Keep going back to my little shaft fitted yesterday, perfect fit, really pleased!

[Marilyn]

He may have been displaced when the across-the-road neighbour cut a tree down. If he has been displaced, he may have been frightened by a neighbourhood cat, causing him to climb as high as he could for safety.
He stayed about an hour and we heard him climb off the door and scamper off. He will find his way back to the trees along the creek eventually. They mostly eat fruits and berries...

[Stanley]

[Stanley]

The almost absurd pleasure and satisfaction I get from this. There is the very basic human pleasure of doing something with your hands and being creative but beyond that. as I get older, I find there are other sources of pleasure. At my age you are forced to contemplate the fact that as your body wears out you gradually fail. Doing complicated and quite skilled tasks like this is a reaffirmation that there is life in the old dog yet!
I see all the faults of course but love it when people look on my handiwork and pronounce it good.
There is of course also the mental aspect, you are constantly having to assess and problem solve. They say if you want to keep it use it and I think that's right. Mentally I am as active as ever thank god!
In the case of making prime movers like steam engines there is also the magic moment when you first put compressed air on it and it springs to life. There is nothing to touch that culminating point!
This attracts my attention every day, when I finish this one I think I'll make another!

[Marilyn]

One of the joys of living alone. No one to interrupt you. You can start as early as you like and knock off when you want to.

[Stanley]

It suits me Maz! No arguments about what TV programme to watch either, Jack has no opinion!

[Bodger]

How about one of these next :-

[Stanley]

Definitely not Bodge! I fancy another beam engine for my private collection, I haven't got one.
I'm having a sit down at the moment after an hour and a half of honest endeavour. See Shed Matters later!.

[plaques]

Excellent Bodger Never seen one of these before. Must spend some more time looking at it later.

[PanBiker]

Same link as what was put up on my old motorbike clubs (DDMCC - Denholm and District MCC) Facebook site the other day.

[Stanley]

How quickly we forget the short days of winter and acclimatise to the long hours of daylight now. Only three weeks to the longest day and then we start down the long slope to winter! (209 shopping days to Xmas.....)
Australia class drying weather. A pair of heavy corduroy trousers dried in no time outside in the sun yesterday.