Nice day out, October 2014

October already!, where has this year gone?,

This past Friday, friend Marjorie and I went on a day out, first going over the Snake Pass to see the  Autumn colours of all the trees, then it was down though Hope to Castleton where we had a nice lunch at the Three Roofs Cafe which is a dog friendly Cafe!. Not many children in with them all back at school, but three dogs in and probably better behaved!, and I know some of you will not be in favour of dogs in Cafes, but I'll tell you something you can't beat the clean floors in dog friendly cafes, have you noticed the floors after children have eaten!.

After a look round the shops and buying a pair of Craghoppers (Trousers) on offer and of course the jewellery shops for Marjie!, it was off up the Wynants Pass to the Chestnut Centre, which is the Centre for Otters, Owls and wild cats.

Took a few pictures (As usual) and though it was a bit of a breezy day down in the valley where the animals are it was quite sheltered.

Here are a few of the animals we saw.

Harry Potter fans will recognize this Snowy Owl 

these are Eagle Owls

A Scottish Wild Cat.

 Short toed Otters

 This one was on it's own and wasn't very happy about it, Making a right row!.

Short Toed Otters

Playing with a stone!

The stone playing one put this large stone though the fence for some reason, even though it was a struggle for it, perhaps it was just bored hey.

Family group

 This was from the old days when the land was owned by someone else before the centre.

And last but not least in the cafe after the long walk back up the hill after our tour of the centre, we found this glass cabinet by the door with these field mice in, both of us had not realised how small these little mice were, not as big as the first joint of my thumb, but beautiful with it!.

Photo taken though the glass so sorry about that!.

Thats it for today folks.

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By the time you reach the age of 76 years of age you've learn't most things.

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

Do not complain about growing old.

Many are denied the privilege.

Back Again!.

Hi There, back again like a bad penny, can't believe how long it's been since I last posted, doesn't time fly when you're enjoying yourself!.

Been down to the lake again today sailing my small yacht, but first I did a bit on the garden at the rear of the bench tables, then a bite of lunch at the Cafe and a chat with friends there.

I'd dug out the old flower pots and then filled in the gaps with some pink chippings I'd bought on the way in. Now the garden will be very low maintenance and some thorny roses have been removed as they were catching on people and sails!.  

Whilst at the lake this week also saw these swans doing their mating moves when this Egyptian Goose butted in, I think he fancied one of them. 

You can almost hear the swans saying "What's it got to do with you, Bog Off!"

This is the one he fancied.

 Handsome little devil isn't he. My mate calls him King Tut!.

And his fancy!.

Today they are still being kept apart, and there is my Micro Magic yacht in the background.

Just recently have found a wax plant on our travels round the Garden centres and thought they were amazing plants and there are 100s of different types and colours, must find out where to get some more, not all garden centres seem to stock them.

This is one of them that I'd bought earlier, then I found out off the internet that they should be in a hanging holder to get the best view of them, so bought another one and spent ages and ages breaking off the plastic trellis and making this one into a hanger and there you see they are right!.

You shouldn't re-pot these plants whilst flowering so just put the pot into the hanging container until it's finished flowering

Nice isn't it, viewed from underneath. The proper name?, "Hoya Bella".

Look like wax, just opening.

                                        

Fully opened,very nice hey!.

Another bargain, pot 99p and plant 99p can't be bad hey, small but beautiful!.

Well thats it for this time will try to be more regular in the future, perhaps Senokot will help hey!.

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1st september 2014.

Since I've finished the stand for the new yacht mentioned in the last post I thought I'd better have a look at the plants in the front and back garden as they were looking a bit battered and bedraggled after the rain and high winds we have been having lately.

So with friend Marjorie we went to the local Homebase and got a few hanging baskets, two for me and one for Marjie.

 These are in my back garden and I thought a bargain at £5 each.

Then Marjorie said,"Why don't you get some ivy and bedding plants and do your own, so always up for a challenge did just that

Out with the summer stuff and in with the winter pansies and Ivy

The same in the trough in the front garden, though My Mate Bob when he saw this said the trough was dull and drab and not up to the standard of the uncrowned King of the Trough painters Guild.

He's a card is that Bob!, but he always knows how to get me going, so I have to now think of a plan to brighten up this trough whilst it is still in situ and planted up, problems,always problems.

Whist walking Pepe round the park (Debdale) noticed that their flower beds were looking a bit drab too, still I suppose with all the cut backs in staff and budget we are lucky to have a park, unless I've missed the fact that THEY are thinking of selling it off to the developers to build more empty high rise offices!.

Not possible you say!, look at the proposed plans to build on Reddish Vale the best local beauty spot in this area.

Saw this in Debdale too, has the EU been at it and now said that you have to have Hi -Vis vests on to drive a childs buggy now, health and safety gone mad I wonder, no! I jest, but there are so many people walking round with these vests on these days perhaps soon we will be pulled up by the police if we don't have one on and asked if we have something to hide. Not that I'm knocking the police who are doing a good job with one hand tied  behind their backs, same as our armed forces.

Well I'd better get off this soapbox before I fall off!!.

I noticed in Etherow Park the other day that the Badger sett is getting bigger and there is now two fenced off areas.

Pepe and I had a good few hours at the landing stage yesterday before going to John's for Sunday dinner, ( Wonderful as usual) 

Click here for our time at the lake on the day.

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After 40 years married to the worst cook in the world a man came home to find his wife in floods of tears 

"Whats the matter Darling he said"

"It's a disaster the cat's eaten your dinner " she wailed.

"Don't you worry", said the husband, trying to comfort her, "I'll buy you a new cat"

Its the way I tell em.

Thats all for now folks.

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New Boat Stand

As some of you will remember a couple of months ago I bought another yacht for my boat yard.

I thought at the time the stand looked a bit rough, so it was down to the local wood shop for some bits of ply It was a little bowed so I stuck two pieces together which made the right thickness and cures the bowing. 

                                                                               Weighed down                                                                                              

The ends given a few curves

 

    

A couple of large holes in the ends to lighten them.

They blew the fuse in my mate's lathe as they are quite large holes. 

Then threaded rods and aluminum tubs to cover them and the job is nearly finished, or so I thought 

 Then rubber feet added.

 The ends varnished, masking the aluminium rods first of course.

Then thought the big holes looked looked a bit like eyes so added a nose and mouth, just my quirky sense of humour!.

Then painted the raw edges of the plywood.

Then the foam added so the boat doesn't get scratched

There you have it a bit lighter than the old one.

The old one, on this picture looks better than it is really. 

On a more serious note, here is my Grandson Jake with the two family dogs, Jessie and Max the two cockapoos, just before he went on his mission for the next two years, had his A Level results last week 

3 A*'s, Physics, Chemistry, Maths and one A in higher Math's 

Then this week granddaughter, Ruth got her GCSE results and  gained 8 A* and 3A's

What a family hey!

On the gardening front the Boat and Green Goddess garden planters are doing well 

Went to the local Post Office on Tuesday and saw this, someone had pinched the door off the post box, what is the world coming too, and would you believe it, people were still posting letters in it, instead of taking them into the Post Office!

That's it for now folks 

Since the last post

Like a bad penny, here I am again!.

Since my last post my grandson Jacob has gone away on his mission like his father before him, but whereas his father stayed in this country Jacob is off to The Greece Athens mission, which encompasses all it's islands and Cyprus as well, so could be travelling a lot over the next two years.

At the moment he is in the Missionary Training Centre at Chorley, whilst he learns to speak Greek and then off to Greece in 9 weeks.

That's his fathers badge from 25 years ago, his will be in Greek!.

The picture taken at the Chorley mission Training centre on the day he went away.

Last week I took my Granddaughter Ruth to Uppermill,

 The canal near to the museum 

and this makes a better picture doesn't it with Ruth and Pepe.

Then it was up to the garden centre there to buy a new pot which had fell off the fence or was knocked off .

Then it was over to the Kingfisher pub at Greenfield for dinner. 

Time for a bit of exercise then, so off to Dovestones to check on Velda's tree.

After a bit of searching we finally found it and checked that all was well and that the strange weather over the past few weeks hadn't had any adverse effects on it, has you see it's growing well

Nice outlook across the lake.

Have been trying to eat healthier lately, 

My usual lunch, the pigging out version

The healthier option.

 My latest lunch, without the cucumber which repeats on me all day

But Pepe seems to like it though, and snatched it off me before I could tighten my grip.

 Got it off him before he could eat it all though as I didn't know how it would effect him at the other end.

On the garden front look at my Succulents 

Nice hey!.

Doggie people click here

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Freds speciality was growing vegetables and he eventually won the Nobel Peas Prize for being outstanding in his field.

I Know a Bonsai tree grower who is so successful he is looking for a house with a smaller garden.

Fred can trace his family tree right back to when it was his ancestors address.

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That's it for now folks.