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.

Saturday 29 June 2013

Out and about

Well if you read the last post you will have read that I was thinking of buying a new camera, not that the old one was that old!, but as with all technology these days it's moving that fast that you will have a job or a big bank balance keeping up with developments.
I was having a bacon buttie with Pepe opposite PC World the other day before going to John's to puppy sit Jessie and thought I'll just whip in there and see what the size of the new Fuji-film SL1000 is so with my camera bag over my shoulder went to investigate.
The new Fuji-film SL1000 is basically the same size as my old camera ( so no need for a new bag) but with a 50x zoom and the price is only a fraction of the price of the NX300 I was looking at previously, which you then you had to buy the extra lens, bag and others things ie tripod!.
So after my trip to see Jessie, called back and bought the new camera, another Bridge camera and for the technically minded of you here is the details of it.

http://www.pcworld.co.uk/gbuk/cameras-camcorders/digital-cameras/bridge-cameras/fujifilm-finepix-sl1000-bridge-camera-21270365-pdt.html

So a couple of days later I went to John's again to see Jessie, but called at Birch Services on the M62 on the way to see if there were any "Eddies" and as usual there, I wasn't disappointed.
Apart from the trucks I took these pictures with the Zoom that with the technology doesn't need a tripod as you will see.
Above the tallest tree can you make out a light fitting

You can now, and look at the bulbs and glass fittings!, not much camera shake there is there.
I did actually have the camera on the car door if I'm honest, but it's still good isn't it.

This is a picture back home
The back garden

And the trees opposite, didn't point that end cap very well did they!

Whilst at Birch Services spotted these "Eddies" all quite new Reg's





And a long shot

The Rivals, Eddies/ Malcolm's

Spot the "Eddie" not hard is it with their distinctive livery.

Chicken Run, no prizes for guessing how many chickens in there, the smell was enough to keep you away.
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Sign's

Don't drink and drive,
There's no cure for the mourning after.

Ladies are requested not to have children in the bar.

Customer's giving orders will be promptly executed.

In case of fire, please do your best to alarm the porter.
Boom Boom

It's the way I tell em!.

Monday 17 June 2013

Over the weekend

Looking at some of my pix's over the past week I was thinking of purchasing a camera with a bigger zoom, then I thought of the people I know with these and you never see them with them after a few times and the novelty wears off.
The next thought was a spotting scope, but you need a tripod with those to keep them steady, so it was back to something that was easily transport-abell in your pocket or round your neck.
My friend said "there is nothing wrong with your pictures with the camera you have!, so here are a few from the past week.

Most of these taken on a walk round the lakes at Etherow Country park with friend Sylvia and her dog Molly.


Moorhen

Baby mandarins







On the way to the hide.

Top pool.

So the final decision was a better pair of binoculars which would still fit in my pocket
A pair of 12 x 25 were purchased at the Stockport binocular shop and John got the old ones, so we are set up for our holiday on the beaches in Scotland later in the year.
Stockport traffic on Saturday was horrendous with at least 4 events taking place I believe and also Marple carnival, so could have picked a better day to go shopping there, still the shop was just outside the town centre with parking outside the door.
The window tinting works well with Pepe in the back out of sight and cooler!.

Sunday was off to John's for our Sunday lunch, where Pepe has picked up a bad habit from Jessie of sitting on the back of the settee and looking out of the window, Pepe never did this at home until he saw Jessie do it!.
Bad habit off Jessie

What can you see Pepe, Cats! Jessie.

Give us a kiss

I can climb too.

Bad habit off Pepe, Barking at all the cats.

That's close enough Jessie.

These Doggie pix's all taken with my Iphone, marvellous what you can get out of them these days isn't it, how technology has advanced in the last couple of decades!.
Everywhere you look these days there are people snapping away, what wonderful childhood memories being stored away. My photo memories are very few and far between as it was only the well off folks that had money for camera's, film and developing.
They used to say the camera doesn't lie, but with Photoshop these days you can do whatever your imagination can come up with.
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Critic:"What do you consider your best work of fiction?:.
Author: "My last income tax return"

Did you hear of the guy who was run over by the mobile library and was moaning and groaning,
The librarian jumped out and said SSShhhh!

Its the way I tell um.
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Well that's all for now folk's 

Saturday 15 June 2013

The past week

Within the past week I've had the rear windows in my car tinted and a very nice job it is too, as you can see a real profession job, glass taken out and tinted and put back, none of this done up to the rubber type job.
Nice hey, the oldest boy racer in the world.
Mr Cool,

If you want a nice job doing go to this web site

 Keeps the car a lot cooler and as you can't see in it's better for Pepe in the back when I go shopping on the way home from the lake, that's my reason plus it looks nice too of course.

Well the weather has gone pear shaped again, still John had his new car tinted yesterday at the place I'd had mine done and while it was being done we had a good chat and then lunch in McDonald's, so the weather didn't interfere with our plans too much.
John's new car, tinted!, beautiful.

Whilst at the garden centre the other day (Aston Moss) getting some plants for my fish tank took some pix's of their fish in a giant tank in the front of the shop, no flash used of course as you don't want to get these beauties jumping about.


Talk about "JAWS" look at the sucker on that!.

Raining again to-day 

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The blind man had his hand out "Can you spare a £1?.
She looked at him suspiciously and said "Why I'm sure you can see out of one eye".
"Alright then 50 pence!

"So you had a hard time trying to explain the test match to your wife?.
"Yes especially when she found out I wasn't there"

Autobiography, the car's logbook??.

Awe-struck, being hit with a paddle.
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That's all for now folks

Monday 10 June 2013

Nothing exciting really!.

Over the last few days's nothing exciting has been happening for Pepe and I!, we have been to the lake most days and walked round the lakes with friend Sylvia and her dog Molly.
On the trip home from Buxton last Sunday, Bob and I were discussing the fact that there seemed to be a few Stag statues around there ie, This one over the door and one on the top of The Crescent.
A few days later got an e-mail off Bob with his solution.

Now....my theory for the Stag symbol?
In the old days.....In the wode era.....They liked wearing hats and symbols of authority
The leaders wore the best hat availabell.......The Stag`s head with fancy antlers
The riff raff had to make do with a Pig`s bladder, or a Rhubarb leaf or even......a Tilley hat! (Thats Mine)
So the Stags head was a symbol of leadership?.....eh?
Bob

So there you have it, problem solved!.
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Pictures from the lake this week are 
The lone survivor 

At least one still alive!.

Too tired to beg at the Cafe 

Guard Dog on the landing stage


Still resting on the landing stage whilst sailors sailing, almost standing on them

Home at last, busy days for a little dog.
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Saturday it was clean out the fish tank and replace the plants as they had become covered with Algae as in top picture 
Fish shop said I wasn't water changing enough, so that's another job, hope it works though as it looks a lot nicer when clean. This picture is done with an App called Insta-stitch.

Sunday was a clean up in the garden, the cracks between the flags had got full of moss and it looks a lot better now, just have to get the jet washer out now for the flags


Nice picture with the Panoramic App on my Iphone, just love it now I've got the hang of doing it!.

 Then it was off to John's for Sunday dinner which turned out to be a BBQ in the garden
John ,Jesse and Pepe staying out of the way in the background.
There were nine of us which included two lady missionaries from the Good Old US of A, who are attached to the Oldham ward at the moment, and very nice ladies too. Also a friend of Joanne's who works in the Ambulance service so something in common there.
It was so hot I felt like I'd been on the barbie myself when I got home still shouldn't complain it could be raining next week!.
So there you have it job's round the house, in between trips out and about, I certainly know why housewives get so frustrated with the daily routine of it all and all to do again and again and again.
  Boreiiing
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What's worse than eating Shepherds pie in a restaurant when you don't know what's gone into it?.
Eating it at home when you know what's gone into it!.

"There's a salesman outside with a young lady"
Tell him I'll take one.

Teacher "Name two pronouns?"
Fred "Who?, Me?.

Teacher "What is a comet?"
Fred "A star with a tail"
Teacher "Name one".
Fred "Mickey Mouse!.
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Boom Boom 

That's all folks.


Monday 3 June 2013

The past week

The past week has seen Pepe and I at the Etherow lake in Compstall nr Romiley, Stockport (if you haven't visited here before) you have to get out and about whilst the weather is good don't you.
Baby Mandarins

Baby Coot

Being fed

Feeding the kids

Juvenile Coot  

Had enough now, let's go home!.

Took a few video's at the lake during the week but haven't edited them yet, I'm a Telly addict and you know what someone said about that.
Television is the thief of time!, and that's quiet true.
I have no excuse and saying I've not had time is rubbish,see below.
So there you go next time you are going to say that!.

Now Sunday was a great day out for friend Bob and I, and saw us off to the Buxton Toy Fair again to see what was on offer and visit the model Boat lake in the park there.
After parking up we set off up the pedestrian high street checking out the shops at see what we would get on the way back, no flies on these two old codgers!.
Then these two made our day really.
Nice ones Bob.

I think Joyce, Bob's wife would have been quiet happy for him to take these home, though Pepe who was having a day out there with Joyce wouldn't have been too pleased

And Bob would have liked to take this home.

Then on to the toy fair, there wasn't anything that we spotted that we were willing to pay the prices being asked, so after a good look round we moved on to the boating lake, on the way there took a few pix's
The river Wye

View though to the lake, beautiful weather for it.
This is one of Bob's, he has a more artistic flare, would make a nice postcard wouldn't it.

Another one of Bob's, catching me snapping the ducks he's called this, "Duckie and his kinsfolk"
What good pictures, and we only had our Compact camera's with us.

The compact's didn't quite catch the detail under the eve's of this building though, all that detail added by the architect's in the old days which most people will never notice, (including me) but Hawkeye Bob pointed them out to me.
1500+AD this building was built!.



Unfortunately there were no Model boats being sailed, can't understand it on a day like this, he say's being in Buxton and his boats at home in Manchester! 

Then when I was thinking all little ducklings looked the same yellow and brown, spotted this family with a black sheep duckling in the family.


And there he is quiet a rarity, to me anyway.


Also a Tufted Duck, very similar to the golden Eye, but you can just see his tuft behind his head

These are small divers as you can just see here where his mate has disappeared below the surface.
Then after a nice stroll round the park we set off back to the high street to get some shopping and a bite to eat
We went to Chippy's Plaice in the high street and had Fish, chips, peas and bread and butter with a drink
Bob doesn't like waiting. 

Oh is it here already!.

I'm quite happy to wait, no hat on indoors you see, I was dragged up in Moss Side.
Wouldn't think I was only 57 would you, Oh there again mixing up the number of my model Fiesta Yacht 

So it was on down to the pub at the Railway Hotel for a pint and sadly all the railway memorabilia had vanished and only the name seems to be left, still it was a nice drink on a hot day and we discovered that the menu was far better than we had just had, still it's something to look forward to for next time.
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Mary had a little lamb
A lobster and some prunes
A glass of wine, a piece of cake
A plate of macaroons
She gobbled down a sponge cake
And what else we don't know
But when they carried Mary out, 
Her face was white as snow.
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Bob and I weren't that bad honest!.
That's all folks.