Early Risers.

[The White Rabbit]

Afternoon awl,

 

Another day in the fast lane. One letter/snottogram composed and sent. One parcel (also from Widnes) delivered one minute into the window. Both wheeled objects (originally from Canada) and liquids for changing the colour of surfaces. 'Tom' drove past the house then stopped and reversed - he's not our usual DPD driver and the road does have some irregular house numbers. 

 

After this, I believe I saw 'Caroline'. I heard an unusual hoot for the crossing near us, looked up and saw a green coach being pushed up the branch by a large logoed 37. Realtime Trains confirmed it was a Carlisle-York departmental working - definitely a 'round the houses' route though, with some excursions into various branches. Sadly, I wasn't able to get out for any photos, did not feel well enough. But it was nice to see.  

 

A little scanning of photos has been done until I ran out of steam. Still, journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step and all that. 

 

A few more flowers are now in bloom, though strangely the back garden crocuses are well ahead of the front garden - normally the other way round as the front is significantly sunnier and warmer. 

[Ian Abel]

BIN day, morning. BIN trucks, as best I can tell, must've installed some noise quieting apparatus as they seem MUCH quieter than they used to be. Also of note, at least one company has moved to smaller trucks, not sure why!

 

Yesterday was quite an extensive choir rehearsal as we're prepping for a concert Sunday, Ash Wednesday and the first Sunday in Lent <phew> 2.5 hours in all!

Needed a well earned drink after that, onward to a late happy hour <hic>

Had a delivery also, though not of any parallel metal related items. New SQUIRREL PROOF bird feeder. I was down to my last non-squirrel proof one and they've finally destroyed that, so sourced another of the deterrent variety. That'll keep the buqqers confused for a while as it's in the same location they've been destroying the previous one! Hah, I win.

 

Today, work is busy, otherwise will be unusually quiet as I'll not be headed off for choir rehearsal.

 

Weather decided to return to the cold range for a day or two, -14c and partly sunny first thing, only expecting a high of -7c today.

 

Carry on.

[BoD]

I have just received an e-mail from Northern Powergrid, our electricity supplier, saying that following an amber met office warning there is the possibility that the supply may be affected.  I suspect @DaveF @Two_sugars and others may have had the same.  Having checked the met office's own site the warning appears to have been downgraded to yellow, although it is still the first named storm of the season. Otto I believe.  We are on the bottom edge of it so those further north be be hit harder than us.

 

Unfortunately the direction of the wind suggests that there will not be the chance of any spectacular photographs of waves breaking over the lighthouse this time.  A pity as they have just repainted it for the occasion.  

[polybear]

1 hour ago, BoD said:

If my maths doesn’t let me down that’s…. err …. a fair few drill bits.

 

Bear got exactly the same answer.  What's even better is that whoever designed the storage box most thoughtfully left a storage slot for a 6mm drill bit as well - and Bear had a nice shiny new spare 6mm Dormer drill in the tool chest so that's now in the drill set as well.

I do have a second set of 1mm to 6mm drills in 0.1mm steps - some of these are starting to show their age so I figured a nice shiny new set for "best" would be nice and also makes financial sense; as I identify which older drills are getting blunt I'll turn them upside down in the case and replace them with new as required.

[Coombe Barton]

... finish to see on Apple maps that there’s lots of traffic on my way home – deep joy, so sitting having a spot of indulgence in the coffee pod ...

https://johncolby.wordpress.com/2023/02/16/cases-slightly-up-again-people-admitted-to-hospital-on-the-up-as-well/

[Tony_S]

I didn’t order drill bits but I did order some replacement screwdriver bits. The PH2 and PZ2 ones I have are more likely to damage screws than turn them. So I put in an Amazon order (all Prime)yesterday for a couple of bulk packs and a mixed driver bit set. They are coming from three countries. The UK one arrived today. One, arriving Saturday, is undergoing customs clearance near Leipzig and the other one, due Sunday, is near Lille. 
Tony

[Barry O]

50 minutes ago, BoD said:

I have just received an e-mail from Northern Powergrid, our electricity supplier, saying that following an amber met office warning there is the possibility that the supply may be affected.  I suspect @DaveF @Two_sugars and others may have had the same.  Having checked the met office's own site the warning appears to have been downgraded to yellow, although it is still the first named storm of the season. Otto I believe.  We are on the bottom edge of it so those further north be be hit harder than us.

 

Unfortunately the direction of the wind suggests that there will not be the chance of any spectacular photographs of waves breaking over the lighthouse this time.  A pity as they have just repainted it for the occasion.  

Yes we got one of the earning emails....in Leeds.. better to be safe than sorry

 

Baz

[grandadbob]

Evenin' each,

Feeling rather full now after a couple of very nice BBQ pork steaks washed down with a glass of red.  As it's been a rather good day I might just have another glass.

Cheers.  🍷🍷

[Winslow Boy]

Thought I might post this shot from this mornings exploration of the Croel- Irwell Valley.

 

Most of the area is now looked after by the Forestry Commission, one of there Urban Forests I initiatives. However when I was but a wee nipper so fif ty odd years ago none of the trees existed and you could virtually look from one end to other.

 

Anyway the photo is of the thirteen arches viaduct, a magnificent structure that took the L & Y railway across the valley and up into deepest darkest Lancashire aka Bury.

 

Once across it followed virtually the same route as the Manchester to Bury/Bolton canal. The canel hugged the river in order to reduce the number of locks.

 

The old railway line was chopped by the M60 in the late '60's/early 70's, as it now is but was the M62/63, and has been converted into a SUSTRANS cycle route and is extremely popular even during the winter.

 

Another spectacular bridge across the Irwell is just before you get into the outskirts of Bolton. On a lovely sunny day it is a excellent walk/cycle.

 

There are still industries and remains of previous ones including mines, bleach works glass works (Pilkington Glass) and paper mills that show the valley being part of the industrial revolution so in the region of 250 years.

Edited February 16, 2023 by Winslow Boy
No camels in the cancels here

[Winslow Boy]

Oh and just to pip  Q to the post we have a narcissus - that's a daff to you lot, out in our local park.

 

A bit bedraggled I will admit, I think someone had attempted to pick it, but still its out.

[Tony_S]

6 minutes ago, Winslow Boy said:

Oh and just to pip  Q to the post we have a narcissus - that's a daff to you lot, out in our local park.

 

A bit bedraggled I will admit, I think someone had attempted to pick it, but still its out.

There were lots at RHS Hyde Hall. We have some out in our garden, all near a west facing fence. The same variety planted on the other side of the garden haven’t bloomed yet. 

Edited February 16, 2023 by Tony_S

[PhilJ W]

Afternoon all from Estuary-Land. Done a bit of shopping at Tess Coes, just for a few bits and pieces. I bank with Nationwide and have done so for almost 45 years. I had an e-mail from them this morning stating that when I shop at Tess Coes and other major supermarkets between 9th of Feb and the 30th of April using my Nationwide debit card I will get a 5% cashback up to £10 per month. Quite handy as I have spent £45 just today.

4 hours ago, Tony_S said:

Condolences card about your brother?

I very much doubt it, unless its from the golddigger.

3 hours ago, The White Rabbit said:

 

Joking aside, I have seen this...  Usually in springtime. Sometimes horses just love a ****** good roll, especially if it's sunny and they've just been put on a new field. It's a bit worrying for a few seconds until you realise it's just high spirits! 

 

Nor is it confined to horses. I well remember a certain dog, who, when he thought I/we weren't paying him enough attention, would roll onto his back and stick his legs in the air. If that didn't do the trick, after a few seconds, he'd start barking (while still upside down). He would probably have got on well with the awl, as at the time I was building a layout in the garage and he was outside on the lawn. If he didn't see me for a while, legs up time! Photographing this was tricky, as if I was in sight he'd roll back and start tail wagging. But one day I managed a frame before he was right way up again. (Apologies for the poor photo, it's from a cheap camera and has been on my wall for many years, with some UV fade). 

 

He doesn't seem too pleased at being caught on camera.

32 minutes ago, Winslow Boy said:

Oh and just to pip  Q to the post we have a narcissus - that's a daff to you lot, out in our local park.

 

A bit bedraggled I will admit, I think someone had attempted to pick it, but still its out.

I have some just in front of the house, they haven't flowered yet and I'm not expecting them to as they are in constant shade until April when they do flower.

[Erichill16]

11 hours ago, polybear said:

(Diazepam - as a muscle relaxant apparently) are useful.  We'll see.

Bear gone.

Much more than that. 
 

[New Haven Neil]

Narcissi have been out a week here, the snowdrops are almost over, the crocus in full bloom.

 

Given the wind outside this evening, there'll be none left in the morning.....🤧

[Two_sugars]

Evening all . . .No warnings about weather/power, but that's not unusual

 . . . More mind owa matter . . . They don't mind  . . .we divn't matter .  .

 

I have an appointment at Hartlepool hospital on Sunday at 7.00pm . . . for MRI scan for my neck and shoulders . . . .

I 'phoned to confirm and expressed surprise at the day and time . . .I was told . . ."we're working 8 till 8 7 days per week to try to clear the backlog.. . . .

I said you're not getting paid enough . . . she said that she had not been on a picket line, as they were too busy . . . . .  .

 

Goodnight all . . .sleep well

 

John

 

Edited February 16, 2023 by Two_sugars

[Ozexpatriate]

10 hours ago, grandadbob said:

Maui.

Made me homesick. The terrain, (mid-island) the dirt, the flowers, the sugar cane, the way the air felt/smelt, the colonial architecture in Lahaina.

 

It's nice.

[Ozexpatriate]

10 hours ago, jamie92208 said:

... the smaller Kauie

Lovely place. Honeymooned on Kaua'i - pre-Hurricane Iniki*. It took a long time to rebuild after that.

 

* 1992.

[polybear]

Bear here.....

 

I watched a programme last night that I don't normally watch - "Million Pound Pawn".  Purely by chance it featured an extremely nice Victorian Railway Carriage that was fully restored and wouldn't look out of place in the NRM (and with a Royal Crest on the door - it was that nice).  It'd been owned by the same family for a lottayears and had been fully restored and furnished to an extremely high standard.  But now they were in their 70's and wanted to find a good home for it.

The catch was they were expecting £2.5M for it......Very Big Ouch.

The Pawnbroker secured an offer of £1.1M for it, which was turned down.  I suspect they may well have to drop their expectations somewhat......

 

In other news......

Bear has just secured a rather nice chassis kit at a very good price. - it's kinda handy that I already have a wheelset and bodyshell to suit.  Result.

 

And finally......

VSBT's to Bruce Willis & Family - it's just been revealed he has Dementia.

Edited February 16, 2023 by polybear

[monkeysarefun]

Summer is making a late run up the inside finally, forecast is for mid-30s today, high 30's tomorrow. 

 

I  realised recently that although I've seen my fair share of the country as a whole , I've seen comparatively less of Sydney, despite it being my home town. I have never taken a  picture  of the harbour for instance, nor been to the zoo since I was in Primary school, nor visited many of the beaches, because Wollongong is easier to get to.

 

SO -  I though that this year I would spend weekends playing  tourist around the local sites, starting tomorrow (since its a great beach day)  where I plan to check  out some of the snorkelling spots in the city. I've been to various sites on the Barrier Reef, the south coast  and the Torres Strait but I've  never gone to any of the Sydney ones,  which seems a bit stupid, I mean  how many major cities have sites like this just 8km from their Central Business District?  (This is the Coogee/Bronte Aquatic reserve in the eastern suburbs) 

 

 

 

So this is the first destination in my local tourist site bucket list -  Gordons Bay at Coogee.

 

 

 

It contains the Bronte/Coogee Aquatic reserve, and better still its all free -  it hasnt been flogged off to Disney or someone to privatise and charge 100 bucks to visit, and theres free parking if you know where to go.

 

 

 

 

Actually, scratch that! As I was googling Sydney things just then, I realised that this weekend it is World Pride 2023, held in Sydney. With 80,000 international visitors here the beaches will be packed with  winter-white northern hemisphere bodies  topping up their marching tan.  

 

Cant think of Pride though without a thought for poor old chrisf. He'd have been up for some of the

 merch I reckon!

 

 

 

 

Edited February 17, 2023 by monkeysarefun

[PhilJ W]

Evening all from Estuary-Land. The foxes are at it hammer and tongs tonight going by the racket they are kicking up. They are in for a surprise in a couple of weeks  when my new next door neighbour moves in with his terrier dog that hates foxes. I will pop into the sorting office to find out the source of the underpaid letter. It just might be something important.

[Winslow Boy]

2 hours ago, New Haven Neil said:

Narcissi have been out a week here, the snowdrops are almost over, the crocus in full bloom.

 

Given the wind outside this evening, there'll be none left in the morning.....🤧

 

Yes but you're on 'foreign' turf so to speak Neil so I wouldn't expect anything else.

 

It used to be that you would see them in the supermarkets but I've not seen any. Now of course someone will pop up and say they saw them in sainsbods or wait rose only the other day.

 

I know you can get them flown in from the isles of Scilly or from deepest darkest Cornwall but they charge quite a bit - ask me how I know. One thing I do know is that there's been a big push in floristry to only use UK grown flowers in recent times but unless you grow things under cover, 50 acres of polys anyone? you are handicapped if you want to that.

Edited February 16, 2023 by Winslow Boy

[pH]

1 hour ago, Ozexpatriate said:

Lovely place. Honeymooned on Kaua'i - pre-Hurricane Iniki*. It took a long time to rebuild after that.

 

* 1992.

 

We stayed just across the road from the Coco Palms Resort, badly damaged by Iniki. As of today, that still hasn't been rebuilt.

[PhilJ W]

Goodnight all.

[BSW01]

Good evening everyone 

 

When we got to RHS Bridgewater it started to rain, so we ended up not doing the woodland walk after all, pah. However, we did go for a drink and a slice, so all was not lost. When then had a mooch about the gift shop and plant shop, we got some more bird food as the current bat is almost finished. 
 

When Charlie turned up, he and I headed down to the workshop and spent a good 3 hours in there. He continued to work on his current project. I however, got side tracked with an old R/C model of a Sherman tank and began a long awaited repair. Whilst doing so I remembered that I intended to modify the tank, so that the turret would work. So, after rummaging around in a cupboard I found the bits for it and began rebuilding the turret. Hopefully, I’ll get some more done on it next week. 

Edited February 17, 2023 by BSW01

[BSW01]

Goodnight all