Wednesday, 27 March 2024

Busy week, 24th -27th.March.2024.

Decided I'd had enough of my living room light, had it for years and was a 300watt strip light!.

I plumbed for a slimline LED light from Amazon, which is only 43watts and its brighter than the old one!, and neater.

Only thing was it didn't like a dimmer switch so luckily I still had the old switch.

So it was off with the old and back on with the older one, only trouble was I didn't have a brass cover, so used one from the boxroom and today went to B&Q and didn't see one so asked a Asian lady worker there if they still did them, she said "I've worked here 30 years and never seen them" I didn't like to tell her I bought them before she was old enough to work there!.

I saw all brass ones at £7.50 so perhaps they find its more profitable to sell them, than just the cover plates at a couple of quid.

So just bought a new light switch as the one in the boxroom

was a bit discoloured after having the brass cover on all these years, £1.75!

I took the old light fittings down in a few minutes, and left it at that as number one son was coming to fit the new ones, I don't trust myself too long on ladders anymore.

In the meantime I thought that the smaller ones of this light would look nice in the hall and stairs, so ordered 2 smaller ones from Amazon again.

The old ones were a pig to clean or change the bulbs.

Son came today and fitted all three lights.

The new LED light in the living room only 43 watts!.

Think it's rather neat.

The new light in the hall. and stairs

are only 22 watts, but nice and bright!.

Nice and flush.

The new one on the landing.

These lights are said to be good for 50,000 hours, so should last me out!.

During the week I'd been over to the Gorton ressers and saw that the Great created Grebes had started to build their nest., see last post.

The female today was sat on the nest.

Also on a previous post I'd mentioned that the Old Aviary had had a paint job same as Reddish Vale Park and today there was another painting on the Debdale sailing centre this time.

As it says here, not finished yet, but it's already brightened the place up.

So plenty of news today.

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Think this should read 31st March.

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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.