Tuesday 24 February 2015

Gardening update

Several weeks ago I said that I had set some geranium seeds also some onion seeds that were about 10 years old. Now to the progress.
 I had about 16 geranium seeds and 14 germinated within a couple of weeks and I thought that this was good. However the other day I noticed another had decided to grow so now I have 15, much more than the popular seed merchants who sell them in packets of about 6 per packet so you can guess I am happy.
 I also set plenty of broad beans seeds in pots. All germinated and I have saved 6 for my mate, who I did tell him but so far has not told me whether he wants them or not. If not I will gladly plant them out. Indeed I have planted out about 3 dozen into the garden some 10 days ago. With the weather being cold they have established themselves but not grown much.
 Now to the onions. I did set about 15 seeds altogether and most did germinate which surprised me a little as I didn't expect such a high germination. However with most of the onions I grow, a few have given up so I have about 10 onions growing nicely. It is my intention to plant a few out in the greenhouse, hoping that they are jumbo onions.
 I also set some new potatoes in the polytunnel but so far nothing is showing. That also goes for the potatoes I set in pots, I guess soon though they will begin to grow.
 We have had so much rain lately that the garden is vey wet, indeed yesterday morning there were puddles of standing water all over. I did see the postman and he remarked that the ground was far too wet to get on it. I have covered a couple of raised beds with glass to protect it from more wet weather. Still the days are getting longer and next week we will be into March. Warmer weather is hopefully just around the corner. More soon.

Thursday 19 February 2015

Installing

As mentioned in my last blog I had delivered a Printer/scanner/copier. Normally my mate would install the item and to be honest he sent me an e-mail stating that if I had any problems installing the printer he would talk me through the installation.
 I had originally told the young man from next door and he assured me that he could install the item. Anyway I saw him get off the bus from work placement on Thursday and he told me he would probably come round on Saturday.
 Saturday came and it was well into the afternoon when the door bell rang. It was him and he told me he would never let me down but he had been swimming. His carer had taken them all to the swimming pool.
 I have to watch him as he tends to rush things, also he tends to be rough with things. I told him to take his time. The first thing we did was to unpack the printer and sort out the leads etc. I asked him if he was sure he knew where everything was connected and he assured me he did. He actually did know for he connected things up but I told him I would connect the plug to the mains. We were now live.
 He had no idea as to how to fit the ink cartridges in though but installed the installation disc in the computer.
 When I turned on the power to the printer I informed him that things were not correct because there were warning lights on the printer.
 As I have poor eyesight I can not see very well. However I turned the printer on it's side produced a lantern battery and fiddled with the ink cartridges when all of a sudden the first one clicked home. Soon after the second one was fitted. He then clicked the continue button and soon we had the printer installed.
 I had the invoice from HP in my mail box and the receipt was there so I decided to print a copy. These new apps are a nuisance as all it did was to send it to an app. This is where my young friend came into his own. He told me to click the right of the mouse and where it said print click that.
 Sure enough it worked perfectly, well not perfectly really as the print was small. No doubt my mate will adjust the print size so that it will be large enough for me to read. However for the first time in about a year I now have something that I can print with.
 Finally I had a call. I wrote in my last blog  that my mate's partner would probably not appreciate what he had bough her. She informed me she did appreciate it.
 IT is a pity that she has NEVER appreciated what I have done for her. She would never had solar panels fitted if it had not been for me, also she would never have switched energy Companies if it hadn't been for me. I informed her partner that the solar was a great value and kept telling him  over several weeks. In the end he told me he had told her what a great deal it was but it was up to her. Mind you when she told him that she would have Solar fitted it was him that had to organise everything. With the Energy I told him several times because he had never switched Companies. This surprised me because he is very careful with other things. I pointed out just how cheap this Company was. To be honest it was the fact that this Company charges next to nothing as a standing charge that made him contact the Company advertising the deal. Now they are both saving money, more than I can because they have a dual fuel contract. Unfortunately for me I do not have mains gas in my area. More soon.

Tuesday 17 February 2015

To continue

Before we had our mid day meal I went online to show my mate what I intended to purchase, really only for him to confirm that it was a good buy. It was a replacement Printer/scanner/copier, the one that he originally bought me was of no use to me at all. I think it had 8 colour cartridges and it needed to be used on a regular basis. He gave the green light.
 Well it passed muster so I ordered it from HP. This was about 11.00am. The next morning around 9.00am. the doorbell rang and it was the goods. What excellent service.
 Now back to Wednesday afternoon. After we had our meal we had a drink and a chat, then a little before 2.00pm. I suggested we go back to Skegness which he readily agreed.
 When we got into Town he asked me if I would take him to his home so that he could put out his waste bin, no problem there at all as I knew where he lived.
 On leaving his home we made our way to Tesco where I filled up with fuel. I think it was £1.10p.a litre which was most acceptable. We then went into the store. I was surprised how well he knew where everything was also several staff knew him too. We first went to the reduced counters and he bought the odd thing for his Partner, mind you I don't suppose she would appreciate what he had done. He also bought some lemons which were wax free, he told me he would make a Lemon Drizzle cake.
 He asked me what I wished and he certainly looked after me in that department. He knew exactly where all my needs were, so much so that we finished the shopping there in next to no time.
 Off we went then to Lidl, neither of us wanted much but the store is larger than Mablethorpe but parking is far worse there but the car park was half empty so we had plenty places to choose from.
 So that was that, I did remark how dreadful the roads were in Skegness. To be honest I would guess they are the worst roads in Lincolnshire and the Highways Department should be ashamed of themselves. He remarked that many people had complained about the state of the roads but nothing had been done.
 It must be remembered that the population is somewhere around 20,000 but the summer visitors swell the Town to around 250,000 on peak days and the traffic is very heavy.
 Anyway I took my mate back to his Partner's home and made my way home, arriving just before 4.00pm.
 I was lucky because I saw the young Man from next door and told him that I had delivery of the Printer/scanner/copier and that he could come round anytime to get it installed.
 He told me that he would try to get to see me on Saturday. More soon.

Friday 13 February 2015

Recovered

On Wednesday I went, as planned to see my mate, we could do some shopping get to mine and have a decent meal and then shopping again.
 I got up around 6.30am. Not that this is much earlier than normal. I generally have the radio on from before 7.00am and get up soon after 7.30am.
Anyway I prepared all the vegetables and prepared the meat so that when we arrived at mine I could light the oven and soon after get the meat cooking.
 My mate had informed me he would be ready around 8.45am. so I left mine just before 8.15am. I gauged it about right for he was ready and waiting for me. We set off for Morrison's and I told him what I wanted, among those were some fresh yeast, a fresh herring some potatoes and oddments. He went to get the yeast whilst I was getting the herring. It didn't take long and although he took me to see the reduced offers we were out of there before 9.00am. I asked him if there was a cheap card shop as I have to spend somewhere between £1.70 and £2.60 each card. He then suggested where we park and as usual he was correct by saying there would be a free parking space at this time of day.
 When we got out of the car he pointed Home Bargains Store. It is massive and he suggested that we may look in there as they do sell cards but not the range one would expect in a card shop. He pointed out the Nescafe  which was very cheap, although not in the regular glass jar but who cares. We found the card area and I was amazed at the cost. I bout something like 7 cards, the most expensive was 69p and the cheapest was 29p. I couldn't believe it.
 After that we made our way back to mine where I left him to look at my camera, which was not successful but I didn't expect it to be but hopeful the next time he comes there will be better news.
 He then set up the T.V and hopefully the next time he gets here he will be able to get the contents on my computer on the T.V. so that I can look at pictures I have taken.
 It was then soon time for dinner(lunch to you posh people)
 To be continued.

Monday 9 February 2015

A little behind.

Every 2 months there is a sort of Newspaper delivered. It is just a couple of pages informing one of what is going on locally.
 This came yesterday and dated. February/March 2015.
 It started this way. "Hello and a very Happy and Prosperous New Year to everyone." It doesn't get much better for on one of the items advertised was for Dick Whittington at the local Village Hall. Week commencing \Monday 16th. February.
 Seasonal Greetings in February and the Pantomime in the middle of February made me wonder if it was just me? I know things are a little backward in the Country but surely this is going too far.
 I have waited for ages for my mate to recover sufficiently for him to visit me. The day has more or less arrived. On Wednesday I intend to go and pick him up we will then call at the local Supermarket for a few things then head back to mine where he will have a look at the Television and hopefully try to sort my camera out. While he is doing this I will be preparing the main meal which he told me he is looking forward to. Anyway it will make a pleasant change for him as he has been more or less housebound since early December.
 After the meal we will have a chat then once more I will take him back to Skegness where we will go to another Supermarket, get a few things and fill up with fuel. I will then drop him off and come back home.
 I know I will feel tired after such a hectic day, mind you one person will be pleased if the T.V. is fixed, that is the Young Man next door, he keeps asking me when it will be fixed and I have told him so he will be happy.
 I will also be happy if once again I can use my camera to take photos and post them on  my blog. Here's hoping. More soon.

Tuesday 3 February 2015

Resigned

I continued to feed the chickens until Sunday afternoon when the neighbours came back. I have never been so pleased to see them and informed them that I would never again look after the chickens during the months of November to the end of February. I didn't tell them exactly why but the paths were treacherous at times and I have problems with my balance at the best of times and if I fell and broke any bone then I would be helpless especially living alone. Anyway I have told them that this is the last time I will do it in the Winter months. I did however manage to get 8 eggs 7 of which I gave them.
 Now to the Car Service, my mate gave me the name of a guy and he told me he would be here on Tuesday around 9.00am. As we had overnight snow I wondered if he might not be here but I had no need to worry. He arrived about 9.10am. Told me that he had booked the car in for MOT. at 2.00pm. so didn't know if he would get the car back to me at 3.00pm. if not it would be 5.00pm..
 The young lad came to see me about 2.00pm. the carers had gone out so I showed him how the things had grown  taking him to the greenhouse to see the broad beans. I then took him to see where I had cut a thick branch from one of the trees. I tried to pull it down , he started to pull his sleeve over his hand. I immediately stopped him and we went to get some heavy duty gloves. We did manage to pull a few branches down, then I told him the next time he came to bring his camera as mine was not working properly. He told me that he knew how to work them and took a look, to simplify things I told him to take a few photos, incidentally he is far better than I am. To be honest I think almost everyone would be better than I am at photography.
 Anyway he took several snaps, so when we came inside I told him we would try to download them to my computer. He took the sim card out and was about to place it in the slot when there was an update notice so I updated the thing needed then he put the sim in the slot, we waited but nothing happened. I told him that it wasn't working but he wished me to try other things so I went to my pictures. There was an empty folder named camera roll.
 Anyway I took it out and put the sim back into the camera, then tried to access the photos, there were dozens of pictures but I could not manage to get them on my computer. No doubt my mate will be able to sort it out if not he will have the answer.
 Now back to the car. The guy came and bought the car back just before 5 5.50pm.  apologising about the lateness. I told him I wondered if there had been something wrong but he assured me that all was good. He told me he couldn't stop as he had someone coming to see him between 6.00pm and 7.00pm. to do some work for him in the kitchen. I know he would be late because he told me he was the old fashioned worker. I then told him that I too was the same and had worked on the steam trains at Grantham. He then told me he loved steam and that was that. He told me that he used to go to Burgh-le-Marsh, commonly called Borough to all Railwaymen. The Station was kept in an immaculate condition with a beautiful goldfish pond being the centrepiece. I told him that some Drivers only knew the road(that means they did not go any further because they had not learned the signals)so we were shunted into the siding and would wait for the changeover to take place. We would leave Grantham with Ironstone and from Immingham the crew would bring the empty wagons and when they arrived we would just leave one footplate and take charge of the train full of empties, they would take the full  train to Immingham. Anyway after about 20 minutes I insisted that he go, we both admitted we could talk for hours. After a few more pleasantries he left about 6.15pm. More soon.