I got a text yesterday to say the muck trailer was full. Off I went after a quick breakfast. Having collected the trailer I went to the lottie. There I set about digging up more spuds. The chick weed is getting me down. It grows at an extrordinery rate. Having got my tools together, I plugged in my Ipod and tuned into Radio 4, and set about digging spuds and weeding as I went. The breezy weather had blown away the clouds that had kept the skys grey for the last week. The scattered clouds did not shield the sun in it's big blue sky. The clocks went back this weekend to GMT and with the heat so the sun it would seem. Already the sun looks lower in the sky at its zenith. The wind did not have an edge to it so it very pleasant. I managed to dig six foot of spuds, which is about two rows and came away with a tray full of Cara. The gave a them a wash in the wheelbarrow and left them drying in sun whilst a tided up and looked at what needed doing. The legume bed looks terrible but once the Pumpkins, Peas, Beans and Corn harvested the transfarmation will be quick and extensive.
Perfect Pete came for a chat as did Dave & Harry. Dave is made up with his new plot which he has just taken possesion of. Harry was just interested in lunch. Sue had a chat and asked a couple of questions. Since I am soon to stop being the Secretary of the Society I hedged the question in favour of the Chairman. I have been Secretary for six years and having being trying to get rid of the job for two of those six years.
Spuds dried and with aching back I loaded up Degsy. That just left me to empty the trailer into the muck bin. That I did a set off, back to the stables to drop the trailer. I had a chat with Angie then trundled over to see the bees. They are still flying and looking quite active in the hive. All's well there so I took a little tour of the meadow, checked out the hedgerow and resolved to get some Sloe Gin made.
Monday, October 26, 2009
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Degsy's big day out
I had to go up to Manchester last weekend. So I thought I would Degsy a good run. The MOT chaps said that he exhaust was blowing so I figured I could get someone to give me a hand with fixing it. I chose to go early on Friday evening. Degsy does not go fast but we still did the journey just over two hours. No dramas but I bit noisy even with the Ipod turned up.
I did the other jobs I went to Manchester for and then set about Degsy. After some faffing about I decided that the engine to exhaust manifold joint was not leaking. However the manifold to exhaust joint was. I had bought a nice new exhaust bracket for the back end of the exhaust. It took more than half an hour to get the old, bent, rusted, mud caked bracket off and ten minutes to put the new one on. With back of the exhaust secured the manifold to exhaust joint was more stable. I managed to get a few turns on the nuts which made a big difference. The joint still leaks a bit but it is hardly noticeable.
Running home the next evening was a delight. Degsy was much quieter and run and bit better. Probably because the air was cold. The main bean spot lights are amazing. I had a chance to stop en route and train the spot lamps to the best focus. I noticed lately that many drivers just don't dip their headlights when approaching one another. Even truckers dipped their headlights when they got the benefit of Degsy main beam.
I had filled Degsy up with petrol before I left home. It was a 180 mile round trip and I used a little over half a tank so I reckon I am getting about 30MPG on a run. I will check my sums again. Sound too good to be true. All that way and Degsy did not miss a beat. However the vents under windscreen are not air tight so I ended up with one freezing hand and a cold knee. Looks like I have found another little thing to fix.
I have been thinking about the lottie. The night have drawn in and I busy at the weekends so I think I will have to have a word with Chairman about my current timetable. I still have five day holidays to use before Christmas so a couple of those will sort the lottie. It has been raining a bit so the ground will be easier to dig. I find myself missing the digging. I think I need to see a doctor!
I did the other jobs I went to Manchester for and then set about Degsy. After some faffing about I decided that the engine to exhaust manifold joint was not leaking. However the manifold to exhaust joint was. I had bought a nice new exhaust bracket for the back end of the exhaust. It took more than half an hour to get the old, bent, rusted, mud caked bracket off and ten minutes to put the new one on. With back of the exhaust secured the manifold to exhaust joint was more stable. I managed to get a few turns on the nuts which made a big difference. The joint still leaks a bit but it is hardly noticeable.
Running home the next evening was a delight. Degsy was much quieter and run and bit better. Probably because the air was cold. The main bean spot lights are amazing. I had a chance to stop en route and train the spot lamps to the best focus. I noticed lately that many drivers just don't dip their headlights when approaching one another. Even truckers dipped their headlights when they got the benefit of Degsy main beam.
I had filled Degsy up with petrol before I left home. It was a 180 mile round trip and I used a little over half a tank so I reckon I am getting about 30MPG on a run. I will check my sums again. Sound too good to be true. All that way and Degsy did not miss a beat. However the vents under windscreen are not air tight so I ended up with one freezing hand and a cold knee. Looks like I have found another little thing to fix.
I have been thinking about the lottie. The night have drawn in and I busy at the weekends so I think I will have to have a word with Chairman about my current timetable. I still have five day holidays to use before Christmas so a couple of those will sort the lottie. It has been raining a bit so the ground will be easier to dig. I find myself missing the digging. I think I need to see a doctor!
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Mmmmmm Pie
Today, I went to our offices in Nantwich. Nothing new in that. The office is out of town. A butty van comes round about 11 0'clock. I trooped out with the others just to have a see what folks were having. I spotted a hot cabinet full of pies, better still meat and potato pies. I had to have one. I took my turn, paid the price and took my pie inside. I got a brew and sat down in the canteen.
It was just the right temperature, not too hot. A nice short crust pastry with an egg wash on top. Just the weight of it showed it was really well filled. I tucked into the crisp pastry and soft, unctuous filling. As expected a quality filling with a nice balance of seasoning. Some pie makers bung in loads of seasoning to make up for the lack of tasty or down right nasty ingredients. I munched through the pie enjoying the unexpected delight.
It was just the right temperature, not too hot. A nice short crust pastry with an egg wash on top. Just the weight of it showed it was really well filled. I tucked into the crisp pastry and soft, unctuous filling. As expected a quality filling with a nice balance of seasoning. Some pie makers bung in loads of seasoning to make up for the lack of tasty or down right nasty ingredients. I munched through the pie enjoying the unexpected delight.
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Odd feelings
I have had a few days off to visit with my brother Adam and his missus Tracy. They came down on Wednesday afternoon by bus to Derby. I picked them up and took them home. We went to Burton on Wednesday evening. Miss L picked the venue for tea. She suggested Wing Wahs. It is a buffet style Chinese. It was packed and no wonder at £8.99 for all you can eat. It was packed out which tells you everything you need to know about the quality then onto the Cooper Arms for a few beers. It was quiet in there so we were able to catch up. We had all day together on Thursday whilst H and Miss L were at work and school, respectively. We took in the usual sites and a couple of garden centres. Tracey is a keen gardener.
Friday afternoon I drove Ad, Tracey, H and Miss L up to Manchester partly to drop Ad and T back to Manchester as they were to fly home the Fueteventura on Saturday. And to take Miss L to Manchester Metropolitan University. Man Met, as it is called, had an open day. Miss L is hoping to go there. We had a tour of the accommodation and a tour of the University. It was a bit of a shock for me. The University campus is All Saints which is an area of the city I used to live in when I was about seven. The area is completely different, only the roads remain the same and the occasional building. Although All Saints has been redeveloped twice since my time but was strangely familiar and a very odd feeling. The facade of the Town Hall in All Saints was the first building to have it's facade retained whilst the building plot behind was redeveloped. It proved the concept and was used all over Manchester in the following years.
It was home again on Saturday. I got a text on Friday saying the muck trailer was full. I had to collect the trailer on Sunday morning. H had to go to Donnington le Heath to work at a Medieval re-enactment fair. I went to the lottie after collecting the trailer. I dug up the remaining cabbages, dumped eight barrow loads of muck onto the area and turned it in. The weather has remained calm and relatively warm for October but today it decided to rain, well drizzle. I managed to get the area cleared and prepared before the I was soaked through and retired home for sandwiches and dry clothes. I went back to the lottie later in the afternoon once it had brightened up. The drizzle made very little impression on the soil. It was still dust dry. I planted 70+ white and 40+ red over wintering onions. I am hoping for some more rain....soon. I harvested some more beets. I even had time to weed the Asparagus bed. That was enough for the day. That was it for the day so Degsy and I trundled home.
Friday afternoon I drove Ad, Tracey, H and Miss L up to Manchester partly to drop Ad and T back to Manchester as they were to fly home the Fueteventura on Saturday. And to take Miss L to Manchester Metropolitan University. Man Met, as it is called, had an open day. Miss L is hoping to go there. We had a tour of the accommodation and a tour of the University. It was a bit of a shock for me. The University campus is All Saints which is an area of the city I used to live in when I was about seven. The area is completely different, only the roads remain the same and the occasional building. Although All Saints has been redeveloped twice since my time but was strangely familiar and a very odd feeling. The facade of the Town Hall in All Saints was the first building to have it's facade retained whilst the building plot behind was redeveloped. It proved the concept and was used all over Manchester in the following years.
It was home again on Saturday. I got a text on Friday saying the muck trailer was full. I had to collect the trailer on Sunday morning. H had to go to Donnington le Heath to work at a Medieval re-enactment fair. I went to the lottie after collecting the trailer. I dug up the remaining cabbages, dumped eight barrow loads of muck onto the area and turned it in. The weather has remained calm and relatively warm for October but today it decided to rain, well drizzle. I managed to get the area cleared and prepared before the I was soaked through and retired home for sandwiches and dry clothes. I went back to the lottie later in the afternoon once it had brightened up. The drizzle made very little impression on the soil. It was still dust dry. I planted 70+ white and 40+ red over wintering onions. I am hoping for some more rain....soon. I harvested some more beets. I even had time to weed the Asparagus bed. That was enough for the day. That was it for the day so Degsy and I trundled home.
Sunday, October 04, 2009
Getting Busy
Work has been mad for a while but I seem to have weathered the storm. On Wednesday evening I met Steve at the lottie. I just happened to have a bottle of home made wine in Degsy. We watched the sunset whilst chat over the business of the lottie. 9am Saturday Steve, Perfect and I met at the lottie and waited for lottie member for whom the meeting was arranged. They did not turn up! Then went to Melton Mowbray on Saturday to finish a plumbing job for a friend. On the way way back I went to nursery to pick up some over wintering Onions and Garlic. I got a call from Steve to meet at the lottie as the plot holder was available. It was the usual type of thing. They had not been looking after their plot. We came to an amicable arrangement and we are still all friends.
Sunday dawned clear and bright but for once I had a long and good night sleep. I made a very nice omelette for breakfast. Miss L was off out for the day with the boyfriend so she was hogging the bathroom. Whilst she was titavating herself I bottled up the last of the honey. When Miss L had gone I fitted a shelf in her room. Next up was along outstanding job. The upstand at the back of the kitchen has come adrift. It has taken sometime to figure out how to resolve it. In the end we decided to replace the timber upstand with a tiles. H and I had picked the tiles and the gubbins to fix, edge, space and seal the tiles. I cleared the tops and removed the old upstand. Then was just a question of fixing the tiles remembering the to use the spacer and edging strip. It took a hour or so. I will do the grouting in the week when the tiles are set.
H made a nice light lunch. After lunch and watching the end of the MotoGP. I went out to look at Degsy. Last time a set the ignition timing I did not do a very good job however I did spot a few things that were worn. A tenners worth of bits [spark plugs, distributor cap, points, rotor & condenser] where ordered from the t'interweb a few weeks ago. I popped the bonnet on Degsy and replaced all the bits. I was able to reset the timing more exactly than before. I turned the ignition key and after a couple of pops Degsy fired up. He ticked over slowly as it should. H needed some bits so we took Degsy to Swad. Then onto the farmers from whom I borrow the meadow. I dropped off a few jars of honey, the traditional payment of rent for an apiary, then home. That, more or less, was my day beside running out to pick Miss L up.
Sunday dawned clear and bright but for once I had a long and good night sleep. I made a very nice omelette for breakfast. Miss L was off out for the day with the boyfriend so she was hogging the bathroom. Whilst she was titavating herself I bottled up the last of the honey. When Miss L had gone I fitted a shelf in her room. Next up was along outstanding job. The upstand at the back of the kitchen has come adrift. It has taken sometime to figure out how to resolve it. In the end we decided to replace the timber upstand with a tiles. H and I had picked the tiles and the gubbins to fix, edge, space and seal the tiles. I cleared the tops and removed the old upstand. Then was just a question of fixing the tiles remembering the to use the spacer and edging strip. It took a hour or so. I will do the grouting in the week when the tiles are set.
H made a nice light lunch. After lunch and watching the end of the MotoGP. I went out to look at Degsy. Last time a set the ignition timing I did not do a very good job however I did spot a few things that were worn. A tenners worth of bits [spark plugs, distributor cap, points, rotor & condenser] where ordered from the t'interweb a few weeks ago. I popped the bonnet on Degsy and replaced all the bits. I was able to reset the timing more exactly than before. I turned the ignition key and after a couple of pops Degsy fired up. He ticked over slowly as it should. H needed some bits so we took Degsy to Swad. Then onto the farmers from whom I borrow the meadow. I dropped off a few jars of honey, the traditional payment of rent for an apiary, then home. That, more or less, was my day beside running out to pick Miss L up.
Bros
Last weekend my brother Adam flew in from Fuerteventura. Another brother was in Coventry for a reunion on Saturday night. He came over to my house on Sunday morning and then I drove him up to Manchester. Wet up my other brother Derek's house together his family and Mum and Dad. Derek has discovered a new talent....cooking. His son is a chef so I thing he has been having lessons.
Mum and Dad went home in the early evening but the rest of us stayed on for a few drinks. Then a few more and then a few more. Very much later we went to bed. Luckily we had all booked the Monday off work. We all pitched up at Mum and Dad's and spent the day. It was the first time the six of us had been together for years. Sitting round the living room of the house we grew up in it was noticeable how much room four grow up lads take up.
Early Monday evening Alan and I drove home. H had tea waiting for us. Then the long drive home for Alan, back home to Devon.
Mum and Dad went home in the early evening but the rest of us stayed on for a few drinks. Then a few more and then a few more. Very much later we went to bed. Luckily we had all booked the Monday off work. We all pitched up at Mum and Dad's and spent the day. It was the first time the six of us had been together for years. Sitting round the living room of the house we grew up in it was noticeable how much room four grow up lads take up.
Early Monday evening Alan and I drove home. H had tea waiting for us. Then the long drive home for Alan, back home to Devon.
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