May Day, 1.5.23.

 Didn't go out on May Day, it's not much of a holiday when your retired as all days are a holidays now, took a long time to get used to it at first, after 40 odd years working with only the annual holidays to look forward too.

On Tuesday I went to Reddish Vale park and it was nice and quiet!, with only the usual regulars there for a chat.

Think spring has arrived at last!.

Mr & Mrs Mandarin duck.

Plenty of the Squirrels about.

There were Coots and their babies on Sunnyside pond.

 On the lower mill pond there were plenty of terrapins sunning themselves 

Female swan on the nest, whilst her mate was busy trying to see off last years kids.

On the top mill pond this large terrapin was trying to get to the Canadian gooses eggs, but she's not moving. 

Today Wednesday I went to the Lower resser at Debdale park,

 and there were these cute little Canadian goose chicks.

Super cute hey!.

These geese aren't daft, as soon as they see me with my bag of goodies they come running and some of them even eat out of my hand. 

A nice coot, though they are quite nasty and with those big feet can run on the water at quite a speed. 

The Great Crested Grebe sat not her nest and when she moved off to stretch her legs perhaps, her mate soon chased her back.

That's him on another fishing trip, he'll soon be fishing for her and four to six kids as well.

Got talking to a chap with a drone, and as is usually the case he was very enthusiastic about his hobby and I told him I'd met a chap called Steve there before who had tried to get me interested in them. Told him my Son has a pilots licence as well and fly's one at work  to inspect the roofs of his work place.

This picture isn't very good, I'd questioned him about the colour as I'd only seen drones in grey!, and he said there are things called skins that you can buy to make them more noticeable.

Had the controller in the same colour too, think I'd have to have one coloured too, as my eyes at distance are very good, but still struggle to see it when its far out, suppose its like everything have to get used to it.

Will I get one?, very tempted when you see the pictures you can get with them!.

So it was a good Bank holiday for me and there's another one next week, the only down side is that Pear Mill will be closed Saturday, Sunday and Monday!.

Had a trip to The Windmill today for lunch and very nice too as usual, the only thing that put me off was the big flag they had hung up, couldn't get it out of my mind has it was upside down!.

I had to say something on the way out, the young lady at the bar said I  didn't put it up, be a good idea to tell the person who did then said I.

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Everyone is someone else's weirdo.

I used to be a schizophrenic, but we're all right now!.

Madness takes it's toll. please have exact change ready!.

Tuesday, 25 April.2023

 I've been a bit lax this month, but it's still been quite cold and wet, so had that winter syndrome and the Hay fever doesn't help does it!.

Friday I went to the Snipe for bird food at Home Bargains cheapest there, and whilst there had to have a bacon buttie at O'Neilds buttie wagon.

That's what you call a bacon buttie!.

Saturday it was off to pear Mill where the staffing was better this week so didn't have to leave my friends to help out this week!, though as I said before I did rather enjoy it the week before.

I got home about 2-00pm and there on the door mat was a letter from the Doctors with my referral for my NHS hearing aids to attend on Saturday 29th April at the Hyde branch of Specsavers!.

I phoned Specsavers and asked if it was possible to change the appointment to the Denton branch in Sainsburys?

The young lady said "No problem, in fact if you can get there in the next half hour, you can be seen today!!".

I was there with 15mins to spare and it was the lady who fitted my aids when on loan, and said at last the doctors came though!.

She overhauled my aids, fitted new tubes and gave me a couple of spares, a poking out rod and a couple of packs of batteries!.

I went home like a dog with two tails, they really have changes my life.

I was telling her about a chap I was talking too at the Snipe who had NHS aids like mine and said the only thing was they charge you £75 pounds if you lose one, I said if I lost one I would expect to be charged as I would be an idiot losing it in the first place, to which he replied, "I've lost two" to which I said "Enough said", The lady said it was £68 to replace a lost one!. 

This past week friend Jean has got her new hearing aids and we have both had our 6th Covid jabs, this was the spring program for 75s and over. So as I'd booked in friend Bob for his jab as well, I'd booked it for 5mins after mine, and we sat together to give in our details and as Bob had on coats and jumpers and had to strip off I was humming "The stripper" which caused a laugh!.

Today it was off to Reddish Vale and it was a really nice day for a change.

Likes the monkey nuts.

This fatty had broken the feeding table so had to knock it together as best I could, will take a screwdriver next time.

Everyone's favourite.

Heron fishing on Sunnyside pond. 

Looked Purple in the sunlight.

Mandarins on the banking enjoying a snack. 

I future Chris Packham?.

Then it was off to Morrison's for fish and chips, though I have changed my allegiance to Sainsburys, no one can hold a candle to Morrison's fish and chips and I only have the mini version!.

Tea tonight, Bob!.

Finished another Wooden model this past week too, but I knew early on in the build it was never going to walk ,still enjoyed the build and it will look nice on display.

Just one of the wooden ball races

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So a weekend enjoying the birds singing and wondering what all the other noises are that I've never heard for years, the NHS hearing aids have really come on in the last few years, you can buy them at Specsavers but why would you if you can get a doctors referral?!. 
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First post of April!!, 17.4.23.

 I've had lots of complaints, well a couple that I've not posted much this month was here we go again!.

This past Saturday, my two other friends went to Fleetwood again, and again I resisted the offer to accompany them. I went to Pear Mill Café as usual but a bit earlier, and was told that they were two staff short so after my meal I got hold of a tray and between playing my Word game kept the tables cleared up and wiped down much to the delight of the two lady owners. I kept at it for a couple of hours until the dinnertime rush was over, I was offered another free drink but I'd had enough by then and headed home.

It's one job I've never done in my varied careers, but I quite enjoyed it, has if you know me I'm quite a chatter box and enjoyed chatting to the customers, especially the ladies!, you can get away with it at my age hey!.

On the way out I did stop and buy this, the one on the right which was only £7, But I thought it matched the other one nicely, which we had bought in a glass blowing place in Southern Scotland many years ago, think it looks nice in my bathroom on top of the cupboard.

This morning to my surprise and delight the two owner ladies gave me these!.

So the few LBS I'd lost on the day will be going back on, tried to give some to Peter and Jean but they said "you've earned them so eat them".

Talking about Ladies here is a photo I discovered on Facebook from years ago when my silver lady and I worked at Belle Vue Ambulance Station.

That's my Silver Lady on the right in the jumper, where do these pictures spring from?.

We were talking today about Facebook and the fact that some people we know have been long gone and dead but they are still there and can't seem to be removed.

I have been out a bit between the showers, here are a few pictures from Reddish Vale last week.

The Terror-Pins were out sunbathing

I'd thought this was a greylag goose, but others on the Reddish Vale website said it was a pink footed goose, so I think it may be that!. 

A couple of Herons in attendance.

A male and female Mandarin duck.

The coots were busy nest building, this male thinking "I'll get some brownie points for this bit!.

Also visited Debdale ressers for a while too.

A couple of Cormorants were fishing there.

A great Crested Grebe looking for love.

My Microwave finally looked like it was on its last legs so it was off to Argos in Sainsbury's and got a bog standard one, no clock and fancy push buttons.

As you can see there's a clock on the wall there.

The new one, a bit smaller but fits in better, and so easy to use I couldn't believe!.

Tonight's dinner using the new microwave, and my new discovery at Sainsbury's, shredded beetroot which is Polish!

Very nice too!.
So there you have it another post done, hopefully won't be as long to wait for the next one.

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He was so unlucky that when his ship came in he was waiting at the airport!.

Why do people think horse shoes are luck,

 Sheerga had four of them!.

Before we were married she said "You told me you were well off"

Yes said he "unfortunately I didn't realise just how well off!
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