Early Risers.

[grandadbob]

I did seriously think about a catapult but if using anything hard as ammo there is the danger of injuring the cats (which I certainly wouldn't want to do), my shed windows or as you pointed out - myself.

I'm still recovering from last week's mishap. 

 

Incidentally I looked online and was amazed to see this on offer (and many others) complete with ball bearings for ammo. That shouldn't be allowed - you could blind or kill someone with it.

 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Professional-Adjustable-Slingshot-TigerSlingshots-Ergonomic/dp/B01JCXDDCC/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1494245994&sr=8-4&keywords=catapult

 

 

[Purley Oaks]

Afternoon all

 

Another sunny day here but the wind is chillier than yesterday.

 

Some good news to report is that a few martins/swifts were spotted here yesterday - they left in mid-October.

 

Other than a few series and C4 news, tv is dire just now. Even with cable it's the same 800 channels and nothing on. Like the Now tv or Amazon tv idea and very tempted to get rid of the cable except it goes with the phone line and broadband. One of our friends got a Humax receiver/recorder but it took ages for the cable tv to stop calling them to ask if they were sure.

 

So it goes

 

Hope your afternoons are joyous

 

Mal

[Barry O]

This works against cats:

 

 

I've just realised that one of these was the last tracked vehicle I drove whilst in the Army.

Cabs built by Vickers Defence at Barnbow and my last job there was MLRS upgrade bid... which went belly up when UK PLC decided to go for an American (expensive and carp) solution against a European one (cheaper, simpler and capable of working!) so I left....

 

Baz

[Horsetan]

Surely it's for having breakfast in bed. Since the kids are all either away some or all of the time, we have breakfast in bed most days - we take it in turns btw!

 

And then there's the other thing

 

That's three things now. I wasn't exactly expecting the Spanish Inquisition.

[Barry O]

New card from my new employee collected, one day international tickets collected for England v South Africa, weathering materials, track, for the use on have been bought.

 

A few bits of catching up with emails etc to do and then... trains.......

 

baz

[Happy Hippo]

Cabs built by Vickers Defence at Barnbow and my last job there was MLRS upgrade bid... which went belly up when UK PLC decided to go for an American (expensive and carp) solution against a European one (cheaper, simpler and capable of working!) so I left....

 

Baz

I agree, tracked vehicle should have steering tillers, one for each track, not a bleedin' steering wheel

 

It ain't right and it ain't proper!

[shortliner]

Neil. have to report my first purchase from the IOM retailer this morning - only a small one - but have to say the phone call to the delightful and most helpful (young?) lady made the transaction a pleasure. She did say that they would send the purchase ASAP, but they have so many back orders from over the weekend that it may not get away till tomorrow - they obviously need you back, business is seemingly good. My purchase, as supplied from them was cheaper, including postage, than any supplier on ebay - which can't be bad!

[TheQ]

That's three things now. I wasn't exactly expecting the Spanish Inquisition.

You only get that in the bedroom, if you've upset SWMBO.....

[lightengine]

I've mentioned previously that I've been having problems with cats using my garden as a toilet and am trying various methods to deter them. Several people have suggested water pistols so today I bought a pump action version in Sainsbury's.

Just spotted one of the culprits jumping off my shed onto garden, took aim and fired. I've never seen a cat move so fast.   

There is a new sheriff in town!

My window has a quite noisy opening noise. The visiting cat usually vanishes on the opening sound. If not my pump action ensures he moves.

[BSW01]

My window has a quite noisy opening noise. The visiting cat usually vanishes on the opening sound. If not my pump action ensures he moves.

Bragging now are we?

[PhilJ W]

I've mentioned previously that I've been having problems with cats using my garden as a toilet and am trying various methods to deter them. Several people have suggested water pistols so today I bought a pump action version in Sainsbury's.

Just spotted one of the culprits jumping off my shed onto garden, took aim and fired. I've never seen a cat move so fast.   

There is a new sheriff in town!

That reminds me of two incidences involving cats, both ginger toms. The first was when I lived in Romford, the back of the house faced due south and by the back door was a box bush. I was hosing the garden and I thought the said bush was looking a bit dry and dusty so I gave it a blast with the hose. A rather damp and bedraggled ginger tom shot out from under the bush where he had been sleeping. The second occurence was when I lived at Burnham-on-Crouch in a Victorian 2 up 2 down cottage. At the rear was a single story scullery with a pitch roof. I was sweeping the yard when I espied a ginger tom resting on the roof of the scullery with just his tail and his b0ll0cks hanging over the edge. In my hands I had a stiff broom and I couldn't resist poking the round objects with the bristles. Did you know a cat is quite capable of jumping six feet vertically upwards from a supine position? He then spent the afternoon further up the roof licking his offended appendages and glaring in my direction.

I agree, tracked vehicle should have steering tillers, one for each track, not a bleedin' steering wheel

 

It ain't right and it ain't proper!

The wartime Bren Carriers had a steering wheel, they were steered by twisting the tracks.

Edited May 8, 2017 by PhilJ W

[Ian Abel]

Morning awl.

 

Sunday went off as previously documented, mostly lazy, trains.

 

As the Mrs returned from the cabin by mid-afternoon, I then helped with some more work on her row boat. Various repairs needed and she wants to be able to use it this year at the cabin.

Boat story -> this is a small stainless steel row boat, in spite of anyone saying "it can't be", it is. Says so on the tin and at the manufacturers web site.

The boat was originally her dads, obtained in the '50s when he purchased the lake property and built the cabin. She has fond memories of fishing from it at the cabin with her dad as a young girl. It's languished on the property literally for 30+ years, needing some repairs and having no-one to care for it.

Mrs decided to restore it and has the goal of rowing across/around the lake for a few years, while she still can. Yours truly is the major contributor to said repairs, she's doing a lot of the work, but needs guidance/know how from me... very much a brownie points project for me (think, buying more locomotives!!   )

 

We then went out for dinner at one of our regular restaurants which has a nice outdoor sidewalk area, weather was perfect for that. Oh, and they have a "bottomless wine glass" feature for $2 extra charge over the first glass of house wine

 

12 and sunny this morning, expecting 20 but some rain later.

 

Hope the week starts well for everyone.

Edited May 8, 2017 by Ian Abel

[Tony_S]

Ian, why would anyone doubt the existence of a stainless steel rowing boat?

[shortliner]

Morning awl.

 

Sunday went off as previously documented, mostly lazy, trains.

 

As the Mrs returned from the cabin by mid-afternoon, I then helped with some more work on her row boat. Various repairs needed and she wants to be able to use it this year at the cabin.

Boat story -> this is a small stainless steel row boat, in spite of anyone saying "it can't be", it is. Says so on the tin and at the manufacturers web site.

The boat was originally her dads, obtained in the '50s when he purchased the lake property and built the cabin. She has fond memories of fishing from it at the cabin with her dad as a young girl. It's languished on the property literally for 30+ years, needing some repairs and having no-one to care for it.

Mrs decided to restore it and has the goal of rowing across/around the lake for a few years, while she still can. Yours truly is the major contributor to said repairs, she's doing a lot of the work, but needs guidance/know how from me... very much a brownie points project for me (think, buying more locomotives!!   )

 

 

 

We then went out for dinner at one of our regular restaurants which has a nice outdoor sidewalk area, weather was perfect for that. Oh, and they have a "bottomless wine glass" feature for $2 extra charge over the first glass of house wine

 

12 and sunny this morning, expecting 20 but some rain later.

 

Hope the week starts well for everyone.

For further brownie points, why not contribute a small, similar-vintage, outboard motor - so that she doesn't need to strain her back?

[Ian Abel]

Ian, why would anyone doubt the existence of a stainless steel rowing boat?

Tony, I have NO IDEA, but I'm not exactly a "boating person".

 

However, on mentioning it to several quite well informed boating-types here the first reaction has been one of doubt. These aren't weekend-warrior types, but folks who are pretty knowledgeable. It seems a stainless steel row boat is somewhat unique, even though, obviously at least ONE firm made a substantial number of them.

Most of the metal row boats one runs across here are aluminum aluminium it seems...

[Ian Abel]

For further brownie points, why not contribute a small, similar-vintage, outboard motor - so that she doesn't need to strain her back?

Ahh Jack, that misses the point completely (although in fairness I did suggest the same!!  ).

The goal is to recreate her youth and especially the closeness she had with her dad, she's quite capable of rowing it, though probably NOT as far/often as she likes to think (shhh, I did NOT say that!!)

[shortliner]

Ahh! I just noticed that there seemed to be some at moderate prices on Ebay.com - I remember buying a bicycle thinking that it would be a good idea - my friends and I used to think nothing of doing a hundred miles a day at the weekend when we were young - VERY soon learned that riding bikes was for when you used to was - not at current vintage!

[lightengine]

For further brownie points, why not contribute a small, similar-vintage, outboard motor - so that she doesn't need to strain her back?

She wants to row it on the lake not across the "pond"

[Ian Abel]

She wants to row it on the lake not across the "pond"

Indeed, to put it in perspective, we're talking about rowing across here...

 

 

Maybe 1/3 mile to the far shore...

Edited May 8, 2017 by Ian Abel

[Donw]

Please don't say what the other one is.....

 

Changing your clothes of course 

 

Don

[The Stationmaster]

Pedis duly cure'd but at full price today although I did get a free cup of tea (not  a bad cuppa either) and all quite amusing as I was sat in the chair by the window so the passers by could gawp;  one lady of mature years actually did a treble take in a sort of 'I do not believe it' moment.  However even at £20 it was still considerably cheaper than going to a chiropodist/podiatrist and I doubt if they apply a nice oil on your toenails let alone the lower leg massage that is included at the nail bar.

 

An amusing aside was that I walked down just about at junior school chucking-out time which allowed to have the added entertainment of a double-parked residential road (with even more parked cars than usual) and cars coming from opposite directions trying to get along the space between them - which is hardly wide enough for a single vehicle.  However there were also some obviously socially deprived youngsters whose mothers had actually walked to collect them.   Poor things, I wonder if they get picked-on in the playground because their mummy doesn't turn up in a fancy 4 x 4 built on a chassis that would easily take a 12 seater minibus?

[45156]

Afternoon All

 

Was hoping to visit this morning, but had an appointment at the garage for the annual rooking service/MOT.  Was advised that car had failed, due to a couple of tyres below the minimum tread depth, and that if I could get a couple of new ones today, then they could issue the new MOT straight away, and without the retest fee.  However, the garage that I use does not supply tyres at all, so a quick trip to Lancaster to my usual tyre supplier, who didn't have a fitter and a ramp for about an hour.  By the time that I had the car reshod, and back to the MOT station, the morning had evaporated.  Still it's done now, and the new MOT is in my sticky little hands. 

 

Having now brought 30747 from work, it has taken this long to catch up, and greetings are on offer to the ailing, and deserving.

 

Back tomorrow.

Regards to All

Stewart

 

ps that lovely cake has all now gone.

Edited May 8, 2017 by 45156

[roundhouse]

Sitting on our normal train home. I don't usually get irritated by other passengers but today behind us we have one that is making one hell of a noise eating, licking his fingers then brushing himself down rocking my seat. The bloke next to him has a really loud grunting type of cough and now or putting his hand or handkerchief over his mouth. Gong to be an unpleasant 45 minute journey if they both stay beyond East Croydon .

 

Oh and now the one who has finished eating and just brushed himself down again is now sneezing and sucking whatever has come up back in again.

 

I must not try to strangle them!!

Edited May 8, 2017 by roundhouse

[Ozexpatriate]

Boat story -> this is a small stainless steel row boat, in spite of anyone saying "it can't be", it is. Says so on the tin and at the manufacturers web site.

The boat was originally her dads, obtained in the '50s when he purchased the lake property and built the cabin. She has fond memories of fishing from it at the cabin with her dad as a young girl. It's languished on the property literally for 30+ years, needing some repairs and having no-one to care for it.

Mrs decided to restore it and has the goal of rowing across/around the lake for a few years, while she still can.

Ian, why would anyone doubt the existence of a stainless steel rowing boat?

Tony, I have NO IDEA, but I'm not exactly a "boating person".

 

However, on mentioning it to several quite well informed boating-types here the first reaction has been one of doubt. These aren't weekend-warrior types, but folks who are pretty knowledgeable. It seems a stainless steel row boat is somewhat unique, even though, obviously at least ONE firm made a substantial number of them.

Most of the metal row boats one runs across here are aluminum aluminium it seems...

Indeed in the old tongue small aluminium boats were known as 'tinnies'. The reference to beer cans was not coincidental.

 

Using stainless steel for anything that floats is a bit remarkable and usually impresses. I'm surprised that it exists, not so much in terms of it's construction, but that anything without motors in your part of the world would look more like this or possibly this. Isn't that the law?

 

There are of course exemptions for metal boats, but I thought they required trolling motors, fishing tackle and a cooler full of beer.

Edited May 8, 2017 by Ozexpatriate

[grandadbob]

Just got another one, first was a tabby , second ginger. 2 - 0 to Bob. All I want now is the black & white one for the hat-trick!