Welcome to my new Blog



Welcome to my Blog.
My Blog is mostly about my hobbies, ie Model boats, Cross Stitch, Gardening, Days out and about, Lego Technics and Photography you might recognize the hat rather than me. My models and other hobbies can be found in the Tabs at the top below the header picture.
There will also be entries of days out with my camera, weather permitting of course.

Monday 18 March 2024

The past few days, 16-18th March 2024.

On Saturday it was a trip to the Bridge View café at Portland Basin Museum, on the way I stopped at the Ashton Moss Nature reserve to see if there was anything going on there.

The big male swan came right up to the car to see what I had for him and I was brave enough to feed him by hand!.

 



The Muscovy duck with his new mate came too.



Then it was off to the café to warm up, though it is getting a bit warmer by the day, no singer at weekends but still a nice welcoming place to visit.
Chris the singer.



Plenty of people out walking, over the bridge that the café got its name from I assume.

Always a few narra boats passing though.


Then it was home to finish another jigsaw.


Looks a bit like Reddish Vale doesn't it.

Sunday it wasn't looking too good so only went out to Morrisons for one of their Sunday roast beef dinners, but when it came it looked beautiful But over facing for me, still I ate the best part of it and left the rest.
Today Monday, I went over to the Gorton Lower Resser and though it was a beautiful sunny day I still had my winter clothes on, but looked a bit over dressed when looking at some of the young women walking about with next to nothing on, suppose they had their youth to keep them warm, or perhaps be ill in bed in a few days time wondering why!.  


The resident swans, glad of my goodies. 

A male Tufted duck having a bad hair day.

His mate, "He's not with me"

Then having walked to the left hand corner, noticed there was a pair of Great Crested Grebes doing a bit of courting and nest building.

The female building and sorting out the twigs the male was bringing.

Having a rest whilst waiting for him to bring my dinner.

She's on the nest and he's being very attentive with food and nest building material.  
They did well last year with 4 babies which all survived.


Then a visit to KFC for dinner inside to get warm, but it was a bit tense with an argument as the young coloured guy charged me a £1 too much and tried to tell me the price had gone up, but still the old price on the overhead board, so I told him to get the manager, who came out , a big Black guy who I told to change the price list shown before charging people, the guys behind me said the same, so I got my £1 back!, it wasn't the price so much as the way it was put over, still don't think I'll be going again at that price.
Signage inside KFC, "You might Colonel, but not many truck drivers will be going any time soon with your price increases!.

This is evidently not one of the millionaires, seen these advertised and thought they looked small, but in reality they are smaller than that!, French I think, left hand drive.

 So home to a nice welcome from my kitty friend, its cupboard love I'm  sure, must know the sound of the car, he has two other friends come as well.

So another good weekend, it's what you make of it isn't it.
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Tuesday 12 March 2024

Monday, 11.3.2024.

 As my gang have changed our Monday at Pear Mill for some reason to Tuesdays I found myself out with the camera on a Monday!.

As  the road down to the vale was closed of work on the road, I thought "I've not been in Debdale park since the pandemic!", how time flies when you are enjoying yourself, I'd been over there but only on to the ressers.

In the park looking out on to Hyde road, one of the busiest roads in Manchester, yet the park is a haven of peace.


The ladies rose garden is starting to bud.


My first surprise on entering the park from the car park was these nice new colourful seats and table.  




These rhododendron's are budding well.

The park full of daffs, the kids will have picked them all by now for their mothers.

Thinking of mothers, its a throw away society now it seems

The Bug Mansion built by the garden group a few years ago
is still doing well, no doubt full of little beasties by now. 

My next surprise was the old aviary building had been given a face lift and my first thought was the paintings looked familiar and when I got nearer I saw that it was by Home Murals the same people that had done the Information centre at Reddish Vale Park!.
If you come out of Morrison's at Reddish the old toilets near the bus stop has similar painting on them.
Of course the toilets have been closed for years as the various councils couldn't keep up with the villains keep stealing the lead/ copper piping. 


Showing one of my friends these pictures today, she thought that Robin was a cardboard cut-out.


On the other end was this nice peacock.

Round the back, not sure whether they will be bothering with this side, will keep my eyes open on that.

Not many birds about though, some did come out for seed.


Out at work all day? and dog lonely, here's your answer!. 

Ready for home after a nice walk round the park.


One for Babs, who always stays here on their visit from OZ!.

Finished another jigsaw from the charity shop this week.

As you will notice there was a piece missing, but still a bargain for a couple of quid though.


This next one was a real bargain as it was still in a plastic bag inside that was still sealed, so its a case of swings and roundabouts isn't it.
Thought it would be nice with all the animals, didn't realise how many black pieces in it though, still it was a challenge.


As I was doing it a ladybird came out of somewhere?, not sure where from, didn't want to throw it out into the cold so left it to find somewhere to go back to sleep.


Off to Portland Basin on Thursday, friend and neighbour Chris will be singing there again from 12 noon.



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Well it's a second for us again, if Jeremy Hunt had done a bit more we could have got a first hey!.


No matter who you vote for, the government always seems to get in. 

Politicians and babies nappies have one thing in common,
They should both be changed regularly and for the same reason!.

There are three kinds of lie
a small lie, a big lie and  politics.
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