Nearly Spring

As the more observant of you will have noticed there is a change in the title heading, I know it's still quite cool, but I thought the change in the title to the Spring theme, that John had ready to go, was due as the clock's went forward last night and we are officially into Spring, thought it would cheer you up and you don't need any more icicles to look at do you!.

Monday it was the yearly car service which was a pleasant experience for a change, I got there at 11-00am (which I chose) and by 12-30 was on my way home, (after lunch at Morrison's just down the road,) and to make it better still, no charge as I'd paid for three years service and the first MOT in advance when I bought the car, was an offer I couldn't refuse.

Is this the norm these days or just this KIA garage, in the past I've had to drop it off at 8-30 and pick it up at 5-00pm which was always a pain, I mean to say they weren't all started and finished at the same time surely!.

This car is the best car I've had, in my current situation that is "One man and his Dog"

Spotting at Birch services.

No road tax, insurance £110 cheaper and £30+ pounds to fill up where as the last car was £50+, went to Scotland last year, 310 miles and got out fresh as a daisy, can't say that for some of the car's I've had in the past, AND a 7 year guarantee, mind you that won't be worth the paper it's written on if the North Koreans have their way!.

Whilst at Birch services spotting I spotted amongst others this "Eddie"

 Eva Ellen

Look in the background and there is this beautiful Blue truck, beautiful because of the art work on it!, I'm not biased.

Most of you will recognize the "Avatar" theme, driver said they have side panel's between those wheels, but only put them on to go to the truck shows. 

The main people and creatures in the film.

There was even a passenger, though he looked a bit scary!.

Another good spot on the day was Clare Louise

Glad I'm not paying for the tyres on this one, it say's in my "Eddie" Guide that the tyres cost £250 each and the average truck changes its tyres every year.

Yesterday it was off to Etherow and though there were no models on the lake, it was nice and sunny as you can see from the pictures.

The big lake

She's mine!

Reflections of a Mandarin

Nesting time for coots

Close up of nesting time

Mr & Mrs

A tree climbing chihuahua

How did I get up here?.

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Asked why he smoked 80 fags a day, Sid replied 

"Coughing is the only exercise I get!.

Boat for sale, one owner, green in colour!.

The little old lady rang the telephone people and said the cord at my end is too long can you pull it back a bit at your end!.

What's the difference between a Scotsman and a coconut?

you can get a drink out of a coconut!.

That's all for now folk's

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Past few days

Been out and about as usual, on Wednesday braved the traffic in Oldham to go to see about the "Tree for Life" scheme I mentioned in the last post, as is usually the case in Oldham at the moment the slip road I wanted to get to the Chadderton office for the scheme was closed for resurfacing!, still I got round the diversions and finally got there and in no time at all did the business with the nice ladies help there.

The outcome is, I chose a Silver Birch tree and the planting day will be in June, I'm glad about that as planting a tree in the present weather would be folly for the tree and myself as well, more on this later, nearer the time.

Whilst in Chadderton, being a nice sunny day, thought I might as well go to Chadderton Hall Park again for lunch as I enjoyed it so much last time.

Before lunch Pepe and I had a nice walk to work up an appetite, and here are some of the pix's from round the park

The flowers don't seem to mind the cold weather.

Plenty of wide open spaces.

This one looks a bit bruised and battered like Lara Croft in my Tomb Raider Xbox game!.

Then it was back to the cafe where we had Hot Pot and Red cabbage,

How good does that look, besides the set menu there is a day's special board inside and a Pensioners special as well!

Even that red bike was for sale at a very reasonable £60 I thought, not that I was interested!.

Then it was off home via Birch Services to see if there were any Eddie's there worth photographing.

And there is my best "Eddie" picture of the day, Morgan Patrica

I repeated the trip yesterday (Thursday) again, but left out the tree place, so straight to Chadderton Park but it was too cold to sit outside eating so had to put Pepe back in the car after a brisk walk, whilst I went inside, the meal was as good second time around as well.

The Birch Services was very busy and my best "Eddie" of the day was 

Mandy Jane

And if you think "Eddie's " are big what about this one!!.

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Sign outside a Church

"Next week's speaker will be pinned on the notice board!.

One for the road could be the pint of no return

"You can't resign" said the circus manager to the human cannon ball.

"Where would I get another man of your calibre??.

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That's all folk's

Busy Sunday March 2013

Yesterday after a visit to Etherow, where though it was quite cold the club members were out in force for the first Steering comp of this years competition.

Competitors.

There's Pepe acting as guard dog, he'll do anything for a bit of sandwich.

After that it was off up to Oldham to John and Joanne's for Sunday dinner, very nice as usual!.

Then whilst the girls watched a video of one of their previous Church camps, John and I took the dogs up to Dovestones reservoir for a walk,

Nice rolling hills

Yacht club, though not as active as Etherow

There again to be fair it was later on in the afternoon

Jessie raring too go 

The long, the short and the hat.

One of the main reason's of going there was to have a look at the Trees for life scheme they have there, which is a scheme where you can buy a tree and have an inscription on it for a loved one who has passed away, have been thinking of this for a while, so we went to see the new site that's been opened, all the others are full! so it's a popular scheme and such a nice setting!.

This is the new section, and as you can see it's right beneath Indian Head rocks, turn the picture on the side to see the Indian, no fault of mine if you put your neck out doing this (I think the proper name on the map is Wimberry Rocks or something similar)  

Looking the other way it's over the water, so would be a beautiful setting for Velda's ashes, which she would like as we've spent many happy times there.

More on this after I've made the enquiries!.

click here for more info

Then John took me up to the top end of Uppermill where there is a nice Cafe And its dog friendly, you can take your dog's inside or sit out on the back at tables fronting on to the canal and watch the Narra boats drifting by.

Click here for more info

John and Joanne been there with Jessie and recommend the food, so will be giving that a visit with Pepe soon.

I've got my XBox 360 console out again and Bob and I are both playing the latest Tomb Raider 2013 Game, ( Bob on his PC) it's hard at our age, suppose the kid's have it done in no time. 

I asked Bob to put my picture onto a Lara Croft picture which he did!

NO No Bob that's not what I meant!.

That's better Bob, He's a comedian isn't he!.

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Education is what you get from reading the small print.

Experience is what you get from not reading it.

"Sir, I want your daughter for my wife"

"Well I'm not swapping until I've seen your wife"!.

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That's all for now folks  

Money Bags

This sent from my Sister 

This is interesting: March 2013 Mo Tu We Th Fr As Su 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 THIS IS THE ONLY TIME WE WILL SEE AND LIVE THIS EVENT This year March has 5 Fridays, 5 Saturdays and 5 Sundays. This happens Once every 823 years. This is called money bags. So, forward this to Your friends and money will arrive within 4 days. Based on Chinese Feng Shui. The one who does not forward.....will be without money.

How about that then!.
You never know your luck.

Instagram and hair.

The observant amongst  you will have noticed that there is an extra Widget on the right hand side of the post, its called Instagram!. This is similar to FaceBook, only it's all pictures and hardly any text, so people just add their own subjects and mine of course in called DuckieandPepe, so that's what it's all about if you want to skip it.

There are only 12 pictures shown, so you click on the camera icon to bring up all the pictures in the album, this will be an on going album with the most recent pictures shown.

There are tab's for other members of Instagram to comment or click "like" and show their pictures, so like a international photo album really, with all sorts of subjects covered.

One good part of it is that I can load pictures direct from my iPhone whilst we are out and about, very technical hey, this of course is all down to idea's and tuition from son John, I'm like all silver surfers really not very quick to pick up on these things, in fact any problems I can ask any of the grandchildren if John is out!, they just seem to have it all at their finger tips don't they.

This picture taken whilst in Debdale park yesterday, as you can see we both have our woolies on, it was freezing cold, picture also sent to Instagram! whilst there!.

The council must still have a few Bob in the coffers as the gardens have been planted out for the spring.

At least we are getting something for our council taxes, just need the weather to improve now

Wood carving in the orchard, Orchard in a park in Gorton, fruit will never see full growth I'm sure.

As you can see the park is full of crocus, that's not me snapping them, must be popular subjects to snap at the moment.

In the morning I'd been to Gorton indoor market where I have my hair cut now, it was a case of one cutting and two bagging, I wish!! it was more like one cutting and one polishing!, perhaps I should then have nipped over to the Tattoo parlour and had a few rabbits tattooed on my head so from a distance they would look like hares, I know that's an old one but what do you expect for free!

That's one of the reasons I always wear a hat, reason two keeping warm, reason three keeping the hearing aids dry when it's raining, reason four I like Tilley Hats!. 

Another new link here is John's dog, Jessie the Cockapoo, only 6 months old and a good blog if you like dog's 

Click here

Pepe was off to the Dog beauty parlour this morning, had to get him there for 1100hrs and pick him up at 1300hrs, went and did a bit of shopping in Ashton while waiting for him.

How did they build churches like that in 1261!!

Here is the hound after his wash and brush up

He has been shorn a bit short at the back of his legs, but it seems that is the way chihuahuas are done, I suppose I will get used to it!

Sitting up

A bit Ruff at the back end!, still it will be easier for Dad when I go to the Loo.

This is how I was before to-day say's Pepe.

                                     

With Dad in his new "Eddie Stobart" themed Tilly Hat.

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A flea spent the night in a pub, at closing time he hopped out and landed flat on his face.

"Who the hell moved my dog" he said.

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That's all for now folk's