With this week end being another long week end with the May Day Holiday being next Monday the weather forecast does tell us that it will gradually get warmer. These last few days have been cold with overnight frosts. I have been covering my early potatoes up each night but the forecast for this night says it will not be quite as cold. This doesn't surprise me as today has been dull with occasional light rain.
My mate called yesterday and I gave him a few onion sets, some Freesia corms and half a bag of potatoes. I don't think he was enthusiastic about the potatoes but the day before I went to the local store and bought 1/2 a bag of potatoes. As I don't eat a lot I thought I would give him half the bag especially as almost certainly will not eat all of them. Hopefully my new potatoes will be ready in about a month's time. My mate eats lots of potatoes and I presume they will not last him much longer than 10 days or so.
With the rain we have had it will help him sowing the onion sets, although it is getting late in the year to sow them, they will catch up and as he eats lots of onions they will come in handy.
I don't know if I will go to have my haircut tomorrow, it all depends on the weather and how I feel. If I don't go it will have to be next Tuesday as Monday is a Holiday.
On Saturday the lad will be here and I have planned that we will fit the gutter guards on the roof facing the main road. With the little rain we have had the gutter will be nice and clean so it should not be a hard job. I only hope that the weather will be a little warmer than it has been here these last few days. On no occasion has the temperature reached double figures and this is towards the end of April. I look forward to May. More soon.
Thursday 27 April 2017
Tuesday 25 April 2017
Late April Frost
Later this afternoon we had a short and heavy hailstorm as you can see from the photos I have posted. I guess it was around 3.00.pm. when the sky suddenly darkened and first it started to rain bit as it got heavier it turned to hail. Had it lasted for say 15 minutes we would have been covered to a depth of about 2". Thank goodness it didn't last.
Over the week end I have had contact with my relatives regarding to me making my last Will and Testament. One I had a conversation with was my Sister's Daughter, it is the one who lives in Scotland and I asked her how my Sister was for I knew she was struggling with memory loss. What she told me made me wonder. First she told me that she has difficulty in reading anything which is a pity as it was her Birthday on the 16th. of the month. She then told me that her Husband does the cooking and they seem contented. The next thing she told me though made me think hard. She told me she had a telephone from her Father and he told her it was urgent for her to go over to see them. She lives several miles away but went straight away. When she arrived he told her the Police had been to see him and took his car off him because his eyesight was not so good. She told me she had a devil's own job to persuade him to scrap his car but he seemed to accept it after all. The next time she paid a call he then told her that the Police had also taken his Pilot's Licence away too. She told me she had to keep a straight face. Incidentally he has never had a Pilots Licence and has no idea how to fly. Finally she admitted that her Mum sometimes fails to recognise her which is a shame and to be honest my Sister will only get progressively worse. It seems as if her Husbad is heading that way too. We must be grateful for small mercies.
On a more positive note. At the week end the lad came to see me ready to plant the onion sets that was left y the gardener. Off we went round and I told him that first we would dig the garden over. He went to get the garden fork and rake but could not find them. It was not surprising for his Carer had let her Son take them to do his garden, so it was back to mine to get my fork and rake.
By the time we had finished it was getting on for 12.30.pm. but at least with the wet weather the onions should benefit from that. More soon.
Thursday 20 April 2017
A Contact
Last night the phone rang, when I answered it I found on the other end was the guy who had the Business off me. He has been retired for 2 years but unfortunately had cancer before he retired. I told him and his Wife asked me to tell him to retire but he did not until a couple of years ago.
It was nice to hear from him and when I asked him how he was he was still positive and told me he was still on Chemotherapy but they had reduced the dosage, he also told me that the Cancer was under control and had progressed no further. He did say he thought he could have retired a year earlier. I told him that he loved being up there so I understood just how he wanted to stay in Business. We had a chat for about 30 minutes then we finished.
Soon after I thought about my Best Pal, it was in the 90s when my Mother was visiting, I suggested to him that we should not work too long for we only needed enough to be able to retire with enough money to live on. With that suggestion he stated that he had not quite got enough yet to retire. I also told him that I had nowhere near enough just yet but the aim was to have enough without the need to work needlessly.
When my Best Pal left my Mother said to me, and I will always remember the quote. "Your head need never ache Boy for he will NEVER have enough to retire on". How right she was for my Best Pal worked until he was 70 years old and no sooner had he retired when he had Bowel Cancer. He has since, on more than one occasion remarked that he might have worked a little too long. I am certain he did for I don't think he is a lot better off for his working till the age of 70.
For what it is worth I retired at 60, mind you I was not well for the first year or so being in and out of Hospital often, but I didn't go on the sick I lived off what I had saved and took my Private Pension earlier than what I had planned to do. Now I am approaching 80 I can manage quite well on what I get every week. I must admit that I put that down to the way we were bought up. We have always been bought up to spend a little and save a little and I was fortunate in the fact that I have never had a lot of money. In fact I have never earned £10.000 a year in my life so I have been used to having to make my money last me. My Best Pal tells me regular that he thinks I am the best handler of money he has known and thought he was a good handler but he adds that he is nowhere near as good as I am. More soon.
It was nice to hear from him and when I asked him how he was he was still positive and told me he was still on Chemotherapy but they had reduced the dosage, he also told me that the Cancer was under control and had progressed no further. He did say he thought he could have retired a year earlier. I told him that he loved being up there so I understood just how he wanted to stay in Business. We had a chat for about 30 minutes then we finished.
Soon after I thought about my Best Pal, it was in the 90s when my Mother was visiting, I suggested to him that we should not work too long for we only needed enough to be able to retire with enough money to live on. With that suggestion he stated that he had not quite got enough yet to retire. I also told him that I had nowhere near enough just yet but the aim was to have enough without the need to work needlessly.
When my Best Pal left my Mother said to me, and I will always remember the quote. "Your head need never ache Boy for he will NEVER have enough to retire on". How right she was for my Best Pal worked until he was 70 years old and no sooner had he retired when he had Bowel Cancer. He has since, on more than one occasion remarked that he might have worked a little too long. I am certain he did for I don't think he is a lot better off for his working till the age of 70.
For what it is worth I retired at 60, mind you I was not well for the first year or so being in and out of Hospital often, but I didn't go on the sick I lived off what I had saved and took my Private Pension earlier than what I had planned to do. Now I am approaching 80 I can manage quite well on what I get every week. I must admit that I put that down to the way we were bought up. We have always been bought up to spend a little and save a little and I was fortunate in the fact that I have never had a lot of money. In fact I have never earned £10.000 a year in my life so I have been used to having to make my money last me. My Best Pal tells me regular that he thinks I am the best handler of money he has known and thought he was a good handler but he adds that he is nowhere near as good as I am. More soon.
Tuesday 18 April 2017
Easter gone
Easter came and went with the weather being cold but mainly dry. One could say a typical Easter.
On Saturday the lad came round to help me with spraying my roof to get rid, or more than likely to control the moss. I got him to hold my ladder for me and when I climbed the ladder i noticed that the moss had began to congregate on the gutter guards. My mate had fitted them I guess 3 or 4 years ago and I also noticed that they were beginning to rot so later in the day I went Online to see what was on offer and ordered some more gutter guard. My intention is to remove the old gutter guard and remove as much of the loose moss as possible then get the pressure washer to give the guttering a good clean and after that get the replacement gutter guard. That is my plan anyway.
Today I had to go and post my repeat prescription in the local Surgery, I then decided to go to Lidl to see what the new store is like. On seeing the entry point it is so inviting with plenty of parking space, also the trolley place is more convenient well away from the main building. the store entry is on a sort of corner but once inside there is plenty of room to push your trolley, mind you I managed to arrive early so that the shoppers were not around in large numbers.
I did find most things easy but I did ask a guy who was stocking up and he gave me perfect directions where I could find what I was looking for. I did find it easy. I asked him if it was easier for working in the new store. He immediately told me it was far easier.
On reaching the check out I was behind an old Lady and mentioned to her that it still was the same problem getting out. With this a member of staff informed us that another till was available so I ushed the Lady to where the till was open, there the customer was just paying and then it was her followed by me so in all honesty I could not complain at all.
I didn't get too much, just as well really for it is all new to me but I am sure it won't take me long before I get to know where everything is. More soon.
On Saturday the lad came round to help me with spraying my roof to get rid, or more than likely to control the moss. I got him to hold my ladder for me and when I climbed the ladder i noticed that the moss had began to congregate on the gutter guards. My mate had fitted them I guess 3 or 4 years ago and I also noticed that they were beginning to rot so later in the day I went Online to see what was on offer and ordered some more gutter guard. My intention is to remove the old gutter guard and remove as much of the loose moss as possible then get the pressure washer to give the guttering a good clean and after that get the replacement gutter guard. That is my plan anyway.
Today I had to go and post my repeat prescription in the local Surgery, I then decided to go to Lidl to see what the new store is like. On seeing the entry point it is so inviting with plenty of parking space, also the trolley place is more convenient well away from the main building. the store entry is on a sort of corner but once inside there is plenty of room to push your trolley, mind you I managed to arrive early so that the shoppers were not around in large numbers.
I did find most things easy but I did ask a guy who was stocking up and he gave me perfect directions where I could find what I was looking for. I did find it easy. I asked him if it was easier for working in the new store. He immediately told me it was far easier.
On reaching the check out I was behind an old Lady and mentioned to her that it still was the same problem getting out. With this a member of staff informed us that another till was available so I ushed the Lady to where the till was open, there the customer was just paying and then it was her followed by me so in all honesty I could not complain at all.
I didn't get too much, just as well really for it is all new to me but I am sure it won't take me long before I get to know where everything is. More soon.
Thursday 13 April 2017
Unbelievable
A few weeks ago I went Online for a local Lady who was willing to make a pair of Bib and Brace for me. Luckily I found someone local only a few miles away, less than 4 miles and that was good.
We conversed by e-mail and a date was set for us to meet. I marked it in my diary and thought no more about it. Then yesterday I decided to see when my next appointment at the Dental Surgery was due. I cold not believe my eyes it was the same day as I was to meet with this Lady the only difference was that my appointment was in Mablethorpe a further 5 miles away from where this Lady lived and my appointment time was 11.20.am. It had been arranged to meet this Lady at 11.00.am.
I emailed her and told her of my predicament and suggested that if she was willing I could meet her at Noon. She contacted me and told me that this would be acceptable so hopefully all is well.
I also went Online to look for something completely different and I noticed an address in Tuxford. It immediately bought my mind back to my early days on the Footplate on British Railways. They were happy days before I had a regular Driver I guess it would be from my age of 16 to 22 remembering I had 2 years National Service from 18 to 20 years.
I was often on Firing duties with local goods trains, mainly Pick Ups. This consisted of dropping off empty wagons and picking up full ones from sidings. We had one job that took us to Tuxford in the Dukeries. There was a large place where wagons were selected to go to different areas and where the job consisted of when one got there we had to wait for another similar train that was heading South. It was called a change over where the crew on the South bound would take charge of our North bound and we would take over their train.
Often we had a lot of time spare whist waiting for the change over train. I used to love it at Tuxford because there was a huge strawberry patch. It had obviously been some sort of allotment that had been left to go wild. I picked plenty of strawberries and eventually got back home. My Mother told me that they were the best strawberries she had ever had to make jam.
I loved these sorts of jobs. We would often be put in a siding to let the Express trains go by. Often there would be at a crossing and there would be a house, generally empty because the old crossing keeper had either left or retired. Of course there would have been a garden with fruit bushes and fruit trees. I loved going to pick gooseberries, blackcurrants a few raspberries, generally the birds ate them and in the Autumn I would go and pick apples off the trees.
I must say that I really enjoyed those days mind you I also did similar things when not at work. I would go mushrooming in the Spring, go picking blackberries in the Summer and in the Autumn go foraging for nuts, hazel, chestnuts and the odd walnut. Picking walnuts though made your hands look as if you had been smoking for the outer coating used to stain your hands. Oh happy days. More soon.
We conversed by e-mail and a date was set for us to meet. I marked it in my diary and thought no more about it. Then yesterday I decided to see when my next appointment at the Dental Surgery was due. I cold not believe my eyes it was the same day as I was to meet with this Lady the only difference was that my appointment was in Mablethorpe a further 5 miles away from where this Lady lived and my appointment time was 11.20.am. It had been arranged to meet this Lady at 11.00.am.
I emailed her and told her of my predicament and suggested that if she was willing I could meet her at Noon. She contacted me and told me that this would be acceptable so hopefully all is well.
I also went Online to look for something completely different and I noticed an address in Tuxford. It immediately bought my mind back to my early days on the Footplate on British Railways. They were happy days before I had a regular Driver I guess it would be from my age of 16 to 22 remembering I had 2 years National Service from 18 to 20 years.
I was often on Firing duties with local goods trains, mainly Pick Ups. This consisted of dropping off empty wagons and picking up full ones from sidings. We had one job that took us to Tuxford in the Dukeries. There was a large place where wagons were selected to go to different areas and where the job consisted of when one got there we had to wait for another similar train that was heading South. It was called a change over where the crew on the South bound would take charge of our North bound and we would take over their train.
Often we had a lot of time spare whist waiting for the change over train. I used to love it at Tuxford because there was a huge strawberry patch. It had obviously been some sort of allotment that had been left to go wild. I picked plenty of strawberries and eventually got back home. My Mother told me that they were the best strawberries she had ever had to make jam.
I loved these sorts of jobs. We would often be put in a siding to let the Express trains go by. Often there would be at a crossing and there would be a house, generally empty because the old crossing keeper had either left or retired. Of course there would have been a garden with fruit bushes and fruit trees. I loved going to pick gooseberries, blackcurrants a few raspberries, generally the birds ate them and in the Autumn I would go and pick apples off the trees.
I must say that I really enjoyed those days mind you I also did similar things when not at work. I would go mushrooming in the Spring, go picking blackberries in the Summer and in the Autumn go foraging for nuts, hazel, chestnuts and the odd walnut. Picking walnuts though made your hands look as if you had been smoking for the outer coating used to stain your hands. Oh happy days. More soon.
Tuesday 11 April 2017
Card
These are my potatoes I set in the greenhouse in early January. They are in bud.
A view of my tomato plants that I planted in the greenhouse about 2 weeks ago.
I went to get my money today also I took a Birthday card for my Sister in Scotland who is suffering from Dementia, I guess I am getting forgetful for I bought the card back home although I went inside the Post Office. I guess I was more interested in the new £ coin which one of the lasses showed me one and asked if I had an old one to swap, I had so I swapped for a new coin.
It was when I got back home I realised that I had forgotten to post the card, so as it was a decent morning I decided to walk into the village to post the card. It was pleasant enough and as I walked to the Post Box I passed a couple of people and we greeted each other with a good morning. I guess it is a little less than 1/2 a mile to the Post Box I posted the card and set off back to my home. I had not gone that far when an elderly Man was messing around with his LPG connection. He greeted me and I commented that the LPG prices had increased. He told me he didn't know, I told him that Calor had informed me that the price increase would be in early April. He told me he was with Atlas, not that it is called that but before the take over several years ago that is what it was called. He then asked me how much I was paying, I told him that the next delivery would be £100. He exclaimed £100!! but I told him that was for 2 bottles. He then told me he was paying £54 for one bottle but he was told someone had gone for a bottle and was charged even more. He asked me what I was paying before the increase. I told him £92. He looked at me then told me that I must be a good regular customer. I agreed with him and told him I had been with them several years. He then told me he was having trouble with the pressure and that his connections were probably at fault but a new 4 way connection would cost £100. I did notice that his connections were very old and looked as if they could do with replacing. He then told me he would get someone in to look at it. Wil that I bade him good day and left. All I thought was that Calor had been fair with me, remember that just before Christmas when the last increase was issued I was one of the fortunate ones that that increase didn't happen with me so although it is a lot to pay for LPG it could be a lot worse. More soon.
Thursday 6 April 2017
Glue
My mate called yesterday and as usual he put me right on a few things. I asked him to set the glue gun up so that I could put a glue barrier on my fruit trees.
Today I decided to go and put a barrier of glue on the trees. Oh dear!! what a palaver. First the nozzle was too small to let the glue flow, something that I noticed after I had finished the work. Secondly with the nozzle being small it made the gun very hard to work. If my mate had been here he would have sorted it out in no time but he wasn't. The more I tried to get the glue to flow the more I managed to get glue everywhere but in the right place. After about an hour I decided to call it a day. Mind you my hands were covered in glue and it spread to the gun. I tried to clean toe gun up but after a few minutes I thought it was easier to dispose of the whole lot. I will only use grease from now on.
It took a further 20 minutes or so to get rid of the glue, well most of it from my hands.
I was sitting down just finishing my meal when the door bell rang. It was just 5.00.pm. I went to the door and saw Sainsbury's driver standing there. I mentioned to him that he was early as the time was between 5.30.pm. and 6.30.pm. He asked me if it was alright to call early as I had told him before if he was running early then deliver to me. I told him that was fine and suited me. I had only booked a later time because my mate, who I didn't expect to get here rung me up to say he was available. I certainly wouldn't have him disturbed by a delivery. Incidentally I had a complete delivery with no exceptions, only the second time I have had that. Incidentally this is the final time I get a discount. It has worked out each of the last 4 deliveries at a discount of 17%. I am well satisfied with the quality of the products too but from now I will only order occasionally say once a month or so. Sainsbusy's did offer me free delivery for the next 12 months but I have declined as I will not use their services that often. I did get a leg of Lamb for £7 a kilo instead of £8 a kilo. The leg cost me just over £10 which I thought was a good buy. I will cook it tomorrow. More soon.
Today I decided to go and put a barrier of glue on the trees. Oh dear!! what a palaver. First the nozzle was too small to let the glue flow, something that I noticed after I had finished the work. Secondly with the nozzle being small it made the gun very hard to work. If my mate had been here he would have sorted it out in no time but he wasn't. The more I tried to get the glue to flow the more I managed to get glue everywhere but in the right place. After about an hour I decided to call it a day. Mind you my hands were covered in glue and it spread to the gun. I tried to clean toe gun up but after a few minutes I thought it was easier to dispose of the whole lot. I will only use grease from now on.
It took a further 20 minutes or so to get rid of the glue, well most of it from my hands.
I was sitting down just finishing my meal when the door bell rang. It was just 5.00.pm. I went to the door and saw Sainsbury's driver standing there. I mentioned to him that he was early as the time was between 5.30.pm. and 6.30.pm. He asked me if it was alright to call early as I had told him before if he was running early then deliver to me. I told him that was fine and suited me. I had only booked a later time because my mate, who I didn't expect to get here rung me up to say he was available. I certainly wouldn't have him disturbed by a delivery. Incidentally I had a complete delivery with no exceptions, only the second time I have had that. Incidentally this is the final time I get a discount. It has worked out each of the last 4 deliveries at a discount of 17%. I am well satisfied with the quality of the products too but from now I will only order occasionally say once a month or so. Sainsbusy's did offer me free delivery for the next 12 months but I have declined as I will not use their services that often. I did get a leg of Lamb for £7 a kilo instead of £8 a kilo. The leg cost me just over £10 which I thought was a good buy. I will cook it tomorrow. More soon.
Tuesday 4 April 2017
Riot of colour
With the sun eventually shining here and the weather being a lot warmer, I think you will agree that my garden looks fine but it didn't last for we have not seen much sun these last few days and although the forecast is for little or no rain, the sun will be at a premium these next few days.
The lad came round the other day so I went to see his garden. Prior to me going round I did venture to look at what was going on as there was a lot of activity but noticed that a path had been dug and concreted from the Pigeon Loft but I didn't know where it finished. I guessed it would go to the patio doors. Wrong!! as I walked round to see his garden I was shocked to see that his little flower garden had been concreted. I was also a little sad and angry for I had planted for him a few nice plants including a geum, scabious, lavender and several polyanthus plus a marigold and snap dragon. I remarked that I was disappointed that his flower garden had vanished and he told me he was a little disappointed too. Off we went to his garden, he had sown his broad beans previously decided to alter the place where his tomatoes would go. They are now facing North and I told him that although the sun would not shine so much on his tomatoes they would still ripen. I took the tomato plants from the pots and showed him how to set them. He does not have subtlety with his hands but tries hard and made a decent job of it. We then went to his little vegetable garden, I had originally told him that whatever he grew it was for them all. With that in mind I had taken 3 seed potatoes, first earlies for him to set, also I gave him my last 3 shallots which he managed to set without any help from me. He is used to sowing shallots. I then dug 3 holes about 3" deep and told him to drop the seed potatoes in and cover them up showing him the space that I had given each potato. I had originally told him that he would also sow carrot and beetroot seeds but I told him that as the carers had removed his flower garden I would, if he agreed sow things just for him. I suggested that we would sow spring onions and a few Little gem lettuce I told him that the radish seeds I gave him could be sown anytime as they were easy to germinate. If however they were too old then I would give him more to sow. He then told me with the new Tablet he has it does not have any photos of my car on it so I told him I would clean it on Monday so that he could take photos anytime.Yesterday I decided to use a no wash spray which cleans the car without any water at all. I don't think for one minute it would clean a really dirty car but as mine was relatively clean I went out yesterday afternoon. The sun was breaking through and was shining a little. I started to spray one side of the car then started to wipe it off. To be honest I found it too hard for me but I persevered. When I finally finished I was buggered and sat in the car for a rest. I will admit though that the car was as clean as it had ever been.
Soon after the lad was dropped off the bus and came to see it. He was impressed and asked me if he could come round a little later to take some photos. Naturally I told him that it was fine for him to do that. About 25 minutes later he came round, I moved the car into the sun and he took about 10 photos including the engine compartment. Now all he has to do is find out how he can download from his Tablet but he told me he was going to a shop in Skegness to see if he wants an attachment.
Tomorrow my mate is coming, I was pleasantly surprised for we normally talk on a Saturday but this saturday I had no reply from him but he rang late Sunday tea time. The week before he had been under the weather so I was getting a little concerned about his health but he is fine now. So we will have a good old chat, also calling much later will be Sainsbury, it is the last discount but I have done well taking all the discounts available for me 5 in all. £18 off my first £60 order than £10 off the remaining 4 orders of £50. I will use them but only occasionally not every 2 weeks which the discount vouchers were sent and had to be used within the 2 week period. I think you could miss one but you would lose that one but still have the remaining 3 to use but I used them all. I have ordered a delivery for around 6.00pm for £1 which suits me fine. More soon.
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