Bank holiday weekend May 2013

This Bank Holiday weekend just passed I've been quite busy as I decided to go to the lake on the Saturday,Sunday and Monday as I realised that a lot of Club members wouldn't bother going with the car park problems on busy holiday's when the weather is fine, so at least they would get a taste of what it was like and what they had missed.

 First a picture of a busy little coot taken on the Saturday.

And a Moor-hen.

The park was packed on Saturday with scaffolding truck and delivery vans working at the yacht's club house getting ready for the Raft Race the next day, but our landing stage was a haven of peace and tranquillity!

click here for Club Blog on Saturday 

Sunday turned out to be even busier still and I couldn't believe how many people turned up for the Raft Race Event

Click here for the Club Blog on Sunday Raft Race. 

As you will see there a lot of car parking spaces taken up by stall's for the charities involved which were 

The Christie Charity and The Fire Fighter's Charity,

 both very worthy causes, as I know having first hand knowledge of both organisations.

Pepe doing his Guard Dog impression as there were a lot of strangers about.

Still he had to get off early for his trip to see his lady friend Jessie in Springhead, Oldham.

Here is the beautiful girl, the light of his life.

This is Jessie the Cockapoo who own's John's family!.

 An addition by John's use of Coral Photoshop.

Check his ears out, Women!

The lovely couple

Pepe with his best bib on

Something smell's of Duck poo!, did you stand in something at the lake Pepe?.

A quiet moment before the mad scamper when the family arrive home!.

So we all had a nice Sunday dinner and I had my usual tuition on all things technical from John, Jake and Ruth, people think I'm well up on all the latest gadget's but it's all down to the younger member's of the family really.

Monday though it looked a bit dull I set off and got to the lake to find it was all back to normal and plenty of car spaces to go round though it did fill up rather quickly.

Pepe and I had our usual Buttie and drink with what I will call the Breakfast Club people, these are the friends that go to the lakeside Cafe everyday come rain or shine, most of them have dogs and they get on very well, we all have treats in our pockets for the various dogs so it's a bit of cupboard love on their part I suppose though they are all nice aren't they.

To cap off a nice enjoy-Abell day we called at Bob's the Abell on the way home and Pepe enjoyed a mooch round their garden exploring all the plants and looking for dropped bread.

And here's Bob enjoying a tipple after all his gardening, looking nice now Bob!.

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Eve "Do you love me"

Adam "Who else!.

On their wedding night he declared his love for her.

He said he would swim the deepest river, cross the widest desert and climb the highest mountain.

She eventually divorced him, he was never home! 

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So that's it for now Folk's.

This week's activities

This week has been quite active, starting off on Sunday at John's for Sunday dinner, full house this week with Rachel's Fella Toby and two Sister missionaries, one from Southern Utah and the other from the flats plains of Kansas.

Spent Monday doing some modelling on my Shelf Diorama's as the weather was quite dull, but got in a walk for Pepe at Debdale Park.

The plant's there seem to be doing alright even with this rotten weather

Tuesday was better and went to the lake at Etherow and whilst having the obligatory bacon Buttie, drink and a chat to friend Sylvia had a wander into the Information centre to see how the refurbishment was going on and Ryan one of the Park volunteer's showed me this cute little orphaned duckling 

Wednesday was a lovely invite to Bob and Joyce's for dinner and very nice too and much appreciated by myself, Pepe too, then it was club night and Pepe likes that too because he is made a fuss of there as well!.

To-day Thursday it was a downpour with hailstones at the lake, but still found that one of my advert's on the Club blog had been sold. I had another given me to add to the section and then a chap came along who's father was a member years ago and had recently died and wanted to sell some of his boats.

 In my best Del Boy way I had it sold on to someone in the club before a left, never even got to go on the club blog this one, still that's why I started it in the first place to get seller's and buyer's to-gether!.

Click here to check it out, not just boats!

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As it's John's 21st wedding anniversary to-day I thought he would like this one.

Two guys chatting in a bar "Isn't it your fiftieth wedding anniversary soon" asked one of them."Yes it is said the other.

"And are you going to do anything special to celebrate?.

Well for our twenty fifth anniversary, I took my wife to Australia, so maybe for our fiftieth I'll go and fetch her back!.

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The doctor said to the elderly patient, "I have some good news and some bad news. The bad news is that we had to amputate both your legs.

"What's the good news then, asked the patient, horrifed.

"The guy in the next bed wants to buy your slippers!.

It's the way I tell em!! 

That's all folk's

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The Lake to-day

What a beautiful day to-day for a change, met friends Bob and Joyce earlier and had a chat and arranged for a trip to Buxton the week after next to the Toy Fair again and to suss out the sailing facilities at  the Buxton Model boat club at the lake there, with a view to Bob taking his Great Eastern for a sail there, and to show the club members there his great scratch-built model that has been on the "Coast" BBC program and quite a few articles in model boat magazine.

Then it was off for the usual Bacon sarnie at the Cafe, before a nice walk round the lakes with Pepe, as it was unusually quiet he had quite a long walk off his lead which he always seems to like.

Whilst on the rounds of the lakes saw a Jay.

A Chinese swan Goose

 The Greylag Family and friend

This picture is not quite sharp, as the beak's of the parents were on my leg at the time, and they were trying to get to Pepe as well.

The baby was quite tame, there again that's prob-abelly why its the only one left!.

The Predator

Best picture of the day, this Female Mandarin.

A female House sparrow, eating thanks to the fishermen.

Then over near the island in the middle of the big lake this pair of Great Crested Grebe's were doing their mating dance but not quite near enough for my camera, but came near later on.

No matter how big your zoom your always going to be short sometime's aren't you!.

It's not been good weather for the wildfowl this year, all the birds seem to be mixed up and not breeding yet.

Then it was back to the Cafe for another drink and a toasted teacake, where I found friend Sylvia and her daughter who I'd met before on one of her trips back home to mother's.

The only downer on the day was meeting friend Donald who had just had a phone call to say his lady friend had just passed away, so he was justifiably upset, we had a drink and a chat and I hope it helped him at this hard time!.

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                                                                  That's all for now folks

Since Sunday

Hi there again!.

Since Sunday I been out and about as usual, Monday was the monthly trip to the Hare and Hounds at Werneth Low with my mate Bob and his wife Joyce, Joyce and her female relatives in a side room and Bob and I where we can get a seat, not with the ladies though, as our chatting is all things modelling and engineering, goodness knows what the ladies chat about, I dread to think!, prob-abelly fashion and make up and all things in-between.

Tuesday was a trip to the lake and whilst it was rather windy the sun was out and we had a good time on the landing stage where I took a couple of video's, one of a nice big yacht and another of a submarine, both model's I hasten to add!.

To see the boating video's

Click here, if your not into boats carry on.

In the lakeside Cafe spotted a lady I knew, though for the life of me couldn't remember where, so as it is when you are older I went up to her and said, "I know you from somewhere, but can't remember where from!", How many times have women heard that old chestnut, but it was a genuine question and after a few questions and answer's it turned out we had both worked at the same solicitors in Manchester, though in different departments.
She said she had wanted a change of career so had changed her job and was now a Carer and had a young special needs girl under her care at the table with her. I have very rarely met up with people from my past, perhaps they see me first and hide hey, still this was a nice meeting and I gave her one of my cards with my e-mail address for this Blog so she may get round to reading this post, hopefully!.

Whilst at the lake called in at the model shop in the mill, Warren Kerfoot's who had said earlier on last week he had some Railway backdrop's I was looking to buy, they were off cut's from his own layout at home.

He had remembered and sold me nearly two full packets and one half all for the price of one, I'm all for a bargain as you might know, then to cap it off for the day he had a Eddie Stobart rally car in the sale.

I was delighted!, it doesn't taken much these days!.

The usual Green of "Eddie's" on the nearside

On the other side the Blue of "Stobart Rail"

The top reflecting "Eddie's" Charity work and there is plenty of that!.

Nice defined model though hey.

So in essence here is the idea in my head of how it should look when finished, with shelving and diorama on each shelf.

Picture already moved and white card added to shelf front's, with the picture back drop added, watch this space.

A couple of birds of the feathered type for you, these were sunning themselves on the lake edge, not quite crispy yet, (Chinese style!.) 

And a nice fat Wood Pigeon on my garage roof.

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"The Stork brought a little peach"

The nurse said with an air

"I'm bloomin' glad" the father said 

"He didn't bring a Pear!.

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Life is full of complications. even when you are born there is a string attached.

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That's all for now folk's. 

Sunday Dinner.

This Sunday it was back to normal at John's and it was off there for our Sunday treat. When I say back to normal it wasn't quite, as they went to a baptism after church which made them a bit late getting home.

Pepe and I let ourselves in and after the two dogs had been in the garden it was the usual pecking order between them!.

Jessie trying to creep on to my lap

Pepe saying I'm watching you, mind your manners to me I'm older.

Is Pepe really descended from a Wolf ?? 

When's my family coming home?.

There were two extra's for dinner this week as well, two sister missionaries from church, both from America. John and Jo had invited them home so they could Skype their respective mothers back home as it was Mothers day in America yesterday!.

After they had had their chat's back home it was all sit down for dinner and as usual it was great, specially to me the "out of a can or frozen man"

Whilst waiting for the sisters to finish their call's home, John and I loaded the Coaster into my car, John wanted the space to start his railway's again so the Coaster I'd lend leased him was being re-berthed back at the Gorton boatyard, non the worse for wear after its journey's  

In the front room for now after dashing in last night in the rain, and I hope you've noticed, NO Dust on the table!.

Must charge my batteries up and get it down to the lake to give it a sail!.

I've not mentioned it much yet, but I've started collecting Die Cast Model trucks and thought an alcove in the front room that had a shelf would look alright with more shelves and back drops of Low relief buildings instead of girlie ornaments, so with that in mind told John what I was thinking and he came up with some card models he'd build earlier for the scale I wanted, so that's a good start.

John's present's.

I'm sure I can modify these and make some of my own to fit the various shelves.

More on the construction of the diorama in a later post!.

Whilst we were doing this Ruthie was doing her homework assisted by Jessie

No Ruthie this, not that!.

Lastly my thought for the day

What a nice way to live that would be if everyone did this hey!

That's all for to-day folk's 

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New arrivals at Etherow.

To-day I was undecided whether to go to the lake as it was quite dull and very windy. Then I looked at Pepe sat there with his big eyes staring at me and thought well what the heck? what else am I going to do?.

So it was a wash, and brush up for both of us and off to the lake.

When I got there, I saw the perfect picture to justify our journey, the first new arrivals of the year of these Chinese swan geese Greylag Geese and their minder it looked like.

They seemed to be showing off their babies to people and even swam up to the landing stage with the members sailing their boats.

They were shooing away any Canadian geese and ducks that got too close, but there was a white goose swimming with them that they were quite happy to tolerate!

 The proud parents with the minder, I can imagine Mr Goose saying "If these babies turn white Gladys you are in big trouble!.

Now for the video.

Hope you liked the antic's of the babies.
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This is a Chinese Swan Goose by the way, you can see there is quite a difference on the head!. 

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He said "My wife does bird imitations", she watches me like a Hawk!.

He was responsible for feeding the Pelicans at the zoo. 

It wasn't much of a job but it filled the bill. 

On their 25th wedding anniversary, a wife turned to her husband and said "Will you still love me when my hair is grey?"

"Why not" said he "I've loved you though six other colours!"

Boom Boom

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That's all for now folks.

Bank Holiday weekend 2013

I've not been here for a week which is unusual for me really, but I've been out and about since my trip to the Reebok last weekend. The weather has been quite nice for a change and it seemed a shame not to get out and enjoy it.

If you go to my other Blog, which is the one I do for the Model Boat Club at Etherow country park you will see I've been quite busy with the video recording
Click here for mine and Pepe's travels

The Goose is still sat on her nest in the garden, but when she stood up to stretch yesterday I didn't see any eggs so perhaps they've been taken and she is trying to lay some more!.
the Coot's on the other hand are doing very well as you can see from the following pix's

Getting bigger now

That's the mother lying down on the left, she looks shattered with all the work of feeding and tidying up after the babies

This one looks like the babies are being taught to dive, the mother half submerged there.

Feeding time

Time for a bit of exercise and a trip up the canal

Grooming lessons 

"That's the way to do it" said in a Punch and Judy voice

Strolling down the middle path between the two lakes, came across this nest on the edge of the path in full view of the public, only one egg so something has been here for breakfast before we got there.

To cap off a nice weekend, Pepe and I had an invite to friends, Bob and Joyce for a nice roast chicken dinner yesterday and a nice chat and make sure Bob was alright as he'd had a bit of a scare on Saturday thinking he was having a heart attack, but as he put it "after an interesting ride in an ambulance with it's Blues and Two's going" and an extensive check up in casualty at the Manchester Royal Infirmary he was declared to have had a bad bout of indigestion!

Perhaps it was a bad prawn Bob.

So all is well that ends well!.

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Talking of Ambulances!

There were no serious injuries in an accident on the highway when a car collided with a taxi. The couple in the car escaped unhurt but the 10 Scotsmen in the taxi were treated for shock as they had paid for the trip in advance!

Tact is the ability to describe others as they see themselves.
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That's all folks