Weekend, 21-22.1 23.

 Not been out much this weekend, too cold and still got a cough, the cold wind makes it worse so better not to aggravate it hey.

Finished another jigsaw, an oldie worldie one which I like, that could be me in the pram, had one like that!.

 After my friend Jean bought me a wooden kit mentioned in the last post, it started me off again and had bought another kit from Amazon last week, so plenty to go at this weekend in the warm and try to get rid of the cough.

The current kit.

This one plays a tune if you get it right.

The comments in the Amazon catalouge were mixed in that 50% said it didn't work so I was a bit concerned when I bought it!.

What's in the box?.

 So made a start, some of the instructions are a bit strange with the translation.

I usually go away and think about it for a while if not quite sure what it means.

Eight of these strikers to make.

The winder, lot of bits for that.

Strikers and winder fitted.

Rear of strikers and Drum spindle made.

Large cog wheel fitted with racket parts, perhaps this is were people go wrong?.

Drum spindle constructed 

Note bars fitted to wheel, light smear of PVA glue and my Mates laccy bands idea to hold until set.

Care must be taken to fit bars in right order

Coloured sound bars fitted!, 

Strange, scroll up and down on this picture and the drum seems t move!. 

Plectrum's fitted into note bars as per the music sheet provided!.

There are three tunes on the music sheet provided but if you are musically minded no doubt you could make any tune you wish.

Does it work, you ask and YES it does!, so the people in the comments that said it doesn't, mustn't be very good modellers hey. 

So the weekend was quite nice sat crafting in the warmth and looking out at the cold weather.

The jigsaw was a Charity one and will be going back in the week!.

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What do you call a woman who knows where her husband is every night , 

A Widow!.

A friend of mine is engaged in a custody battle,

His wife doesn't want him and his mother won't take him back!.

A study of economics usually reveals that the best time to buy anything is last year.

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On the mend again, 18-19.1.23.

 On the mend again, yes I've been poorly, not felt really ill, just the sniffles and a cough. The only thing was the sleepless nights coughing that wears one down!.

Still not been idle, a friend bought me a wooden kit for my birthday, knowing I've been a modeller, and this is the one she bought me.

In the box was the instructions 2 sheets.

Also the flat pack wood and steel strings and wire for speaker.

Plenty of spares in case you mess up!.

The construction was as follows,

The stand.

I covered those raw edges with a felt tip pen.

The Base.

The amplifier.

The guitar arm.

The front.

The Back.

Front and back joined.

Used my mate Bob's idea for joining the two uneven parts, laccy bands!.

Finished, if you bite your nails don't even try this model as there are a lot of very small parts.

Stringing it was probably harder than the real thing.

Forgot to mention there was a square inch of emery paper in the kit but from earlier models learned that a ladies nail emery board is the ideal thing to use.

A nice kit but very fiddly, but there again its the  challenge isn't it, if I'd felt very ill I wouldn't have attempted it until I'd felt better, so I mustn't have been too bad hey.

My first day out this week was yesterday, just a drive over to McDonalds and a walk to the lower Ressers all wrapped up!.

Looked nice but very cold.

Saw these two fishermen, but they weren't having much luck, didn't have the heart to tell them there were 8 Cormorants there the previous week, so any fish they would have got!. 

Surely there must be warmer hobbies for this weather!.

Swan family still doing well. 

The monkey nuts I took were most welcome by the Maggies.

A few bags full of seed for the other birds. We seem to have escaped the Avian Flu at Debdale up to now, heard on FaceBook that Etherow and Reddish Vale have it at the moment so will steer clear of them places for a while.

Got to have a Robin in somewhere haven't I!.

Well, A bit of a change of subject this time, but has I've not been out much it's all I've done.

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How do you spot the Irish Jew at the Wailing wall?,

He's the one with the Harpoon!.

What do you call it when an  Italian has one arm shorter than the other?.

A speech impediment!.  

Sounds a bit like me!.

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Past week, 6.1.23.

 The past week has been very wet and raining, but our favourite watering hole Pear Mill Café reopened after the Christmas break, so we were still able to meet!.

One of my friends had managed to save me a new King Charles 50p in his change, knowing I collect coins, but only the ones in circulation, not the over priced collectors ones from the Royal Mint. 

Thought there was no date on it, but then someone noticed there is a date round the Welsh leek.

That would have been a real collectors one without a date wouldn't it!.

Some of the nice unusual crockery at our table this week.

With the very wet weather this past week I've not been out much, managed a short walk on the ressers though, to feed the birds.

They love the monkey nuts.

 Realised why my Fitbit watch wasn't working properly, it was since I'd changed my phone which I now know wasn't compatible.

So I've bought a more up to date one, A Fitbit Versa 2 which also includes Alexa.

It also has only 1 button instead of the three, the other actions are swipe sideways, up and down, a lot easier, technology marching on, If you can keep up with it!

With the weather as bad, it was fortunate that one of my birthday presents was a wooden kit.

When finished I took it back to show my friend it was fully working and said she could have it now, as when I've finished a model I lose interest, so she took it home.

 To see the full build go to the tabs at the top under the header picture marked as Wooden kits.

I got another wooden kit as well but more of that next time, But John! its a Guitar and speaker on stand.

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If all the nations in the world are in debt, where did all the money go?.

Why don't Oysters give to charity?,

Because they're Shellfish.

Bills travel though the post at twice the speed of cheques.

Birthday Week, 1.1.2023.

 Was my birthday this week, very quiet as all my friends and family have had either flu or Corvid, still at my age having had 85 of them I tend to want to forget them!.

My Son and his Wife brought me my present on the day but didn't come indoors in case of passing any infection, had a amazon voucher which I've cashed in for a game on my Nintendo Switch.

On the day I had a celebration Fish and Chips at Morrisons,

Those chips were like those double fried ones, that's a mini meal, can't manage a full one, what ever they look like!.

Meanwhile down at Reddish Vale park it was very busy but found a few quiet places to feed the birds.

Everyone likes feeding the ducks don't they, but bread isn't very good for them, mind you chocolate isn't good for me but I still eat it, every thing in moderation hey! 

That's the young Swans.

The parents catching an afternoon nap whilst the kids playing out.

Plenty of Cormorants about on the day

Should imagine the preening is paramount to cormorants with all the diving they do. 

A Coal Tit, with that white stripe down the back of it's head.

Look there it is.

Male Blackbird.

Today I was down the rezzers at Debdale park, and with my Camo jacket was nice and warm, though it was a cold day.

Mallards with one a different colour.

Moorhen having a root amongst the leaves.

I met two foreign chaps today there and noticed the older one had a camera, which is always an excuse to start a chat!.

It turned out it was a Nikon P1000 which is the one I've stopped using as its too big and heavy. it turned out the older one with the camera said he'd had it a year this week and didn't know what most of the buttons were for, so I was there giving him an impromptu lesson on his camera, ie he didn't know the view finder at the back folded back on itself, he was over the moon with that and gave me a hug, gerr off!.

So after a while I said are you related to which the older one said no just friends, I'm from India and he's from Burma!, how wrong can you be, I said my Dad was in both those places during the war in a Naval Mine sweeper!.

I then gave him one of my Homemade hot shoe covers and you'd have thought I'd given him a tenner!.

Finished off advising him to get a guide book by Alexander White which is a brilliant book and gives you your moneys worth out of your camera.

Finished the day visiting my mate Bob a recent Widower and seeing how he was getting on, and like me is quite getting used to being on his own, mind you I'm an old hand at it now, though still missing my little dog Pepe!.

So a good week though quiet, Pear Mill reopens tomorrow so it will be nice to go back there and see old friends again. 

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I wouldn't say his car was old, but it was insured for fire, theft and Vikings!.

What do you get if you cross a cat with a gorilla?,

An animal that puts you out at night.

Cars are almost fool proof ,

as long as the fool stays awake at the wheel.

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