Today I shall be Mainly...

[PanBiker]

We went to Walkworth Castle Kev a lot smaller but a nice day out. Birds of Prey and Mediaeval history presentation. We have been to Alnwick Castle when it was more affordable. We went to the castle one day and the gardens with all the water features the next day. It cost less for both then than it does to get into either nowadays. Sally learnt broom levitation there, I have the photo to prove it.

[plaques]

What's going on with OG members? Our weekend was at Newbigging with a day at Seaton Sluice. Finished off with some of the best bought out fish and chips I've had for ages. Beautiful weekend, the weather couldn't have been better.

[Tripps]

What's going on with OG members?

They're 'good judges' I'd say. Good place Northumberland. I mentioned that I popped into Seaton Sluice in January earlier this year. My curiosity led me there after guessing that's where it was when I watched an episode of 'Vera'. Didn't linger - rarely been colder in my life.

[Stanley]

I like Northumberland and the people. But that East wind bringing the fret in off the North Sea can be cruel.
Susan comes up this morning to be my minder at the vets. I have an idea Gillian will stop all the pills and declare Jack OK but still healing. We had a good night.
The thing that always strikes me about stately homes and castles is that they made us finance and build them and now they expect us to pay for the upkeep.......
I improved the shining hour yesterday by writing an article...... Makes me feel less lazy!

[Sue]

Been stayin in Morpeth for a bit of exploring around the north east. Had a nice day out at Cragside today https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/cragside
Fascinating place, went to Alwnick as well but chose not to pay the £16 each to get into the castle.

Fascinating place. We went in April when we had a few days break up there. I don’t think we have been in Alnwick castle but have ben in the gardens. We had a guided tour of the poisonous garden or some such name, interesting!

[Sue]

It looks like today is the last of our really hot days, good job, days on end of 34 degrees are exhausting. It should rain a little this afternoon and tomorrow the temperatures plummet. We shall have to do a little shopping this morning and then Bob wants to tip the sludge out of the now empty waterbutts ready, we hope, for a refill this week. Just hope we don’t get a leak like we did at home.

No other plans for the day apart from deadheading the roses

[Stanley]

I've been busy. A bit of cooking and I have written another article. I told you that you were making me feel lazy Sue!

[Stanley]

Concentrating on Jack, it would be easy to drop my guard as he improves but I have firmly in my mind the fact that even tough his trachea appears to be healing, it will be weak for at least six weeks. What I have to ensure is that he has no set-backs!
I have another article in mind. No day is wasted if writing has been done!

[Sue]

Warm cloudy day yesterday but nice enough to sit out. We did our shopping and a little gardening. Then Pam and I sat out most of the afternoon, she was doing a cross stitch embroidery and I was knitting little hats for the prem baby unit at Oldham general hospital . The hats have a colour coded bobble serving two purposes. One to keep them warm and secondly the colour of the bobble indicates the problems the baby has and can be identified at a glance .

Today its a trip into the local town where they have a huge photograph exhibition each year displayed on walls and placards throughout the town.

It is cooler only 23 degrees and i had a good nights sleep for the first time in 10days,

[Stanley]

The bobble hats..... What a good idea!

[Sue]

The bobble hats..... What a good idea!

Yes they are. I found out about it and thought the U3A craft group could get knitting. We contacted the hospital who are very grateful. When the baby leaves the unit the little hat goes with them so there is an endless need for hats and knitters. It takes about one and a half hours to do hat, bobble and sew up. A nice relaxing occupation and very worthwhile.

[Stanley]

Good stuff.
I wrote another article and got Jack successfully through another day. That's the limit of my horizon at the moment! Mind you, the shed is nagging. Perhaps when I have the BET out of my system.

[Stanley]

Another article written and Jack maintained..... I was going to get him back on his longer walks in the morning but have decided it will do no harm to leave that for another few days. It would be so easy to push him too far.
The shed is calling, my crankshaft is ready for the next stage.
I was watching a Youtube video by a man who posts as an expert on steam engines. He said that he has never made a shaft out of the solid, he reckons he has better things to do with his time. In my head this is copping out, the old engineers chopped them out of solid when necessary.

[Stanley]

I still have an idea about the shed but this morning Jack and I overslept by two hours, most unusual. It will have done us both good and I am not rushing to catch up but plodding quietly on enjoying Jack's progress and looking after both of us. I shall brew my pint of morning coffee and enjoy that in a leisurely manner as behoves a person my age!

[Wendyf]

My friend from Scotland arrived yesterday for a couple of days so we are going out and about. Today we will have a wander in Skipton, lunch at Keelham' s Farm Shop then have a look around "Art in the Pen" at Skipton Auction mart where I might find myself a late birthday present. Tomorrow we will go to Trawden Show (in the rain.)

[Sue]

Yesterday we had friends round for a meal so the morning was food shopping and a short walk, the afternoon food prepping, the evening eating and washing up

Its been a little cool and very windy, today is hovering around 12 degrees this morning with an afternoon peak of 22 degrees. Tomorrow and Monday are warmer and wet then its back to temperatures climbing to the upper 20s. Its amazing how quickly you adapt to these warmer temperatures, 24 feels definitely cool.

There are a couple of fetes on this weekend , big ones that we normally go to but the rain may deter is this year. We will see. This morning its the local farmers market at La Gacilly, so a trip to the town is called for. Also I need some more wool for my little hats as I have run out of the oddments I was using. This afternoon we may go to the medieval festival at Rochfort en terre. This village won a competition in France last year as the most beautiful village in France.

http://www.brittanytourism.com/discover ... t-en-terre

[Stanley]

Nice to see you both enjoying yourselves!

[Stanley]

I am actually getting guilty about the shed now..... This is a good sign. Jack must be a lot better!
I have another project on the go. In my collection of good leather boots there are two pairs of lovely high quality Dealers. Over the years I have only worn them on occasions when I was dressed 'smartly'. The consequence is that they have contracted slightly over the years and, whilst being a good fit for my feet, are a bit tight over my instep. I am rectifying this. I am going to wear them as day to day boots until they have slackened off. This involves no discomfort, as I say, they are a good fit but it will stretch the uppers and ease them. So I shall be extremely well-shod for a few weeks!

[Sue]

I have some shoes like your boots Stanley. I often wear them with thick socks around the house to try and loosen the tight binding round the edge. Otherwise they are a lovely comfy fit.

I had the day wrong for the mediaeval fete. It is to day the same as the other fete. However heavy thunderstorms are forecast for the afternoon so we may not go. Its another cool start to the day. The mornings are getting the usual autumnal feel to them typical of this part of France at this time of year.

Yesterday we invited our friendly neighbours round for a drink and a piece of cake ‘ wot I made earlier’ . It was an impromptu invite after we realised the fete wasn’t on. It was a pleasant couple pf hours. Its so nice to see 4 beautifully behaved children playing quietly together. The eldest, 15, did a jigsaw we have started. The other three did lego, drawing, played football or frisby on the lawn. It was a lovely sunny afternoon.

[Stanley]

Sounds idyllic!



I got back in the shed, I have a round crank pin! My knees told me I had been AWOL too long, must get back in training again!

[Sue]

We went for a short walk yesterday morning, around one of the two lakes in the neighbouring village and did not go to the fete as it was torrential rain the rest of the day. I was disappointed as I love the annual visit to Lizio with craft stalls and breton dancing. Bob even gets a look in at displays of model engineering and sometimes even a small steam train ride, but it was not to be.

Today we shall go to the market in another neighbouring towm, again before it starts raining. From tomorrow things warm up again. Wednesday is a holiday, so there will be things to do and places to go. It should be 26 degrees.

Yesterday our lovely neighbour brought us a rabbit round, that is a rabbit to eat. They have a bit of a small holding. Two days ago she topped up our tomato supplies and also gave us cucumbers and french beans. She tells ys that the unfriendly neighbour, new to the hamlet, that no one limes is leaving. Hopefully by the end of the week. Do you think he knows he doesn’t fit in here? Small local politics!

[Stanley]

Probably. I wish our Neighbour From Hell would go..... (They own the dog that almost killed Jack)

[Tizer]

My sister-in-law moved house to get away from noisy neighbours who liked to use a chain saw in their back garden to feed their log burner.

[chinatyke]

Probably. I wish our Neighbour From Hell would go..... (They own the dog that almost killed Jack)

Any update on whether they have been prosecuted by the police?

[Stanley]

No but it won't happen. Haven't even seen the Dog Warden, only one for the whole of Pendle.....