Boat trials and tribulations

The week before last went with friend Bob for the trials on his latest model boat "Brutus", I'd forgot to mention it until my Sister from OZ asked how we went on, and here is the story!. 

No the tests were a big failure, but there again it was a big laugh from start to finish.

First Bob arrived in his camper, I had also told our friend Charlie, who is a laugh a minute any way, what was going on!.

First we all had dinner in Bob's camper, beans on toast with beetroot which they both thought was funny to start, but I've been having it that way for years,

My Dinner

Charlie tucking in

Bob the Chief cook and bottle washer

Bob's carrier

I can fix it!.

No!, you can't have a ride Pepe

Then it was on to the water with the boat, it slowly crept the middle of the lake and stopped, I said I will get the rescue boat out as I normally do, Bob said I'll come with you?, when I was rowing to the model Bob said "I have trouble getting out of the Bath and this boat is a bit like a bathtub"!, "Now you tell me says I, the only difference is that the water is on the outside here for the moment!, how are you going to get out of this then".

We finally got the boat (model one) and got back, I got out and Charlie and I pulled the rescue boat out with Bob in it, then rolled him out.

The other thing was Bob had given his Camera to Charlie and said take as many pictures as you can for my Forum on Model Boats Magazine, Charlie another old geezer had been pressing the on off button all the time so there was nothing on the camera only his dirty finger marks!.

Still it was all good laughs and when I said are you sure you set the speed controller up right Bob snapped "I know what I'm doing", obviously not said I, when he got home he found it wasn't even working never mind set up, that's Bob though, he is the sort that thinks reading the instructions is the sign of  homosexuality I think!.

When I was telling Marjorie about it all the next day I thought she was going to wet herself she laughed so much! Good job she wasn't there on the day, she said it sounded like something out of "Last of the Summer wine" do you remember them 3 old codgers getting up to mischief!.

It's all Esprit de Corp isn't it says Bob, he wouldn't have known I'd had it on my cap badge for three years in the Army, it's the Royal Signals Motto!, "The spirit of the Corp".
Stands for Camaraderie among a group of people.

Marjorie and I went to Son John's church on Sunday and then on to The Stable Gate at Denton for Sunday carvery roast dinner, didn't want John to think they had to invite us to dinner every time we went to his Church, then we went to Brookside Garden Centre to check up on their stock, nice day out, cold but sunny.

Had a bit of sad news later in the day as Archie the big Retriever that was part of the family for years passed away and John went up on Monday to help bury him in the garden, quite old and had a good life at Philip and Jean's I know that for sure!.

That's Archie trying to make friends with Pepe.

And here is the big fellow, centre stage here on holiday last year in St Andrews with all the family, 8 grown ups, 1 baby and 6 dogs!, can't be bad.

In the Garden centre the other day saw these two planters,

A Tug boat 

And of all things a green goddess, that brought back happy memories of when I was in the Auxiliary Fire Service, someone else must have thought it was a good idea to make a planter of this, might even get one for my garden, happy memories again hey, bit pricey though!.

A picture of my back garden new plants, framed by mate Bob

 And a new plant (centre) for the front garden

This is a hanging bird feeding table that Marjorie had given me to mend for her and I thought it needed a bit of a spruce up, so painted it and added a few for those Wheelie bin stickers, I'm glad to say it passed with flying colours!.

Well thats all for now folks

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Spring 2014???.

Spring 2014?, are we sure of this, only last week was sat out in the garden with a cool drink after doing a bit of tidying up and then the next thing it's back to the thick woolies again!.

Perhaps the change of header to the spring version is too early hey, "Nar cast a clout till May is out" don't they say?. 

Saturday, Pepe and I went to Uppermill to collect the latest pictures we had taken the previous week to be framed, just managed to squeeze the car into a space in front of the shop, always bad parking in Uppermill but worse on a Saturday.

After picking up the picture which are to exhibition standard from Millyard Gallery, popped Pepe on his lead and had a nice walk up the village, never mind that you are thinking!, what about the pictures, well here they are, frames to match the last one, though a little slimmer to match the size of the picture.

Honeysuckle

Pansies

Roses.

Back to the walk with Pepe,

After the walk we went to the "Limekiln Cafe" mainly because they allow dogs in, there again the food is good as well.

Well , are you going to order then you plonker!, or am I going to die of hunger, I don't think so Pepe you could live off your fat for ages!

Happy and settled now the order is in, A breakfast, only the small version mind you.

To burn off some of those calories we then had a walk along the canal at the back of the Cafe.

Looking towards the Village

Looking back to the cafe

They knew how to build in these days didn't they and without all the modern equipment they have these days, still standing and a marvel to see!.

It was a quick look round the nearby garden centre, but too cold to sit outside and have another drink, so it was off home.

Sunday it was off to Etherow to see the guy's doing their steering competition and though it was cold and overcast it didn't stop these hardy members having a go.

 Judge and jury?.

Nice crowd and there is Alan the Vice commodore in the left background helping out a youngster with his parents, that's what it's all about helping each other with experience and idea's and that youngster could be the Commodore in the years to come, we need more youngsters in the hobby!.

I can imagine him thinking I could build one of those eventually!.

After that I was off to John's for Sunday dinner and has the two eldest G/Children were out at the dedication of the new Chapel in the city centre there was only the four of us and the three dogs of course!.

Joanne sent me the latest picture of Velda's tree at Dovestones 

 Still standing after all the high winds we have had this winter, Velda would like seeing these two beauties Jessie and Max!.

Well that's it for now.

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Do not complain about growing old

Many are denied the privilege.

Is a geriatric a German cricketer who captures three successive wickets?.

By the time you reach 75 years of age you've learnt everything.

 All you have to do is to try and remember it!.

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Nice weather in Manchester

Nice weather in Manchester the past couple of days I'm glad to say, so it was out with the gardening tools and into the garden yesterday much to Pepe's delight.

Pepe thinks that even birds flying over his garden are trespassing and his bark is quite piercing with my hearing aids recalibrated now, but at least I have the option to turn them off!, shame for the neighbors though.

So had a full day in the garden and here are the fruits of my labours,

  This section that used to be a tall BBQ was cut down and for the past few years was just filled with pebbles, so yesterday I scooped out all the pebbles and filled it with matured compost bought at a garden centre earlier in the month and this is the result, hopefully it will be good draining as that's what it says these Alpine plants need, we shall see!. 

 Then it was over to another part of the concrete jungle to plant this other Alpine which is supposed to trail over everything.

 This other alpine called rainbow was put into this container and hopefully will spread and trail over the side.

After that it was out with the garden chairs and the Sun Blind as it was getting a bit warm by then, or was it just me working in the sun?, you have to watch over doing it in the garden at my age!, as I found out when I was in the Ambulance Service, so it was out with the Gottle of Gear that Friend Bob had given me to try (Belgian) and my current book (Jeffrey Deaver) and my feet up. As you can see Pepe also brings all his toys out, and takes them all in when he thinks they've had enough, funny dog!, but there again he's been brought up to be tidy.

Perhaps it's time to remove the icicles off the header picture, but there again it's still only the middle of March so might be tempting fate hey!

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Fred was an Atheist, but he gave it up as he said there were no holiday's.

When a barber cuts another's hair, which one does the talking?.

She approached the hairdresser,

"What do you have for grey hair?"

"The greatest respect, madam".

The better a woman looks, the longer a man does!.

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

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That's all for now folks.

Ellesmere Weekend 2014

Just spent a great weekend at Ellesmere Model Boat Show with my good friend Bob.

There were plenty of other members there at our stand showing off their boats and explaining the in's and out's of them to the visitors.
Here is a short video of the site to give you an idea of the action there

If you want to see more of the show
Click here

I thought this boat was a nice touch, built by a member of the Liverpool MBC for his daughter

It's a springer tug and you can have any design for the superstructure, 

And at the back it tells you what its powered by!!.

Plays Disney tunes from the sound system too!.

This past week been out with friend Marjorie, visited a couple of new (to her) garden centres  namely Gordon Rigg's GC  and All-in-One GC  in north side of Manchester, Rochdale.

My Star buy was this massive succulent, beautiful hey, if you like that sort of thing that is!.

This is a present from Bob and his good lady Joyce to add to my rapidly growing collection, good job the plants are not the rapid growing type 

And here is friend Bob and Joyce with Bob up to some more of his Photoshop tricks!

Got up a bit late today after all the walking round this weekend, so decided to make up for that by doing a bit of housework, I suppose you have to do it sometime hey!, other wise won't be Abell to open the doors for the pile up of dust.
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When the wife said she was going to change the baby.
He said well get a quieter one!.

Small boy watching his Mother do the washing up
"Mum where did you work before you got this job here with us?".

Children, what a comfort in old age.
And how soon they bring it on!.

Don't worry if our life's a joke
and your success's are but few
Remember that the mighty oak
was once a nut like you!.

Did you hear my last joke?,
We hope so they said!.
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Thats all for now folks.