One Way Only - Definitely

Husband and I visited the Steam Train Exhibition at Swindon. It took us ages to find the place - neither of us have visited Swindon (we both hate towns) for several years. Everywhere was "one way only" linked to dull featureless, similar looking roundabouts. There were no signposts for the museum, we had to ask our way several times. We enjoyed ourselves and found the exhibits really interesting. The above photo is of the Foundry Shop.

The labour force really worked hard - not allowed long in the loo!

Perilous Position

Husband and I do not like climbing ladders for different reasons. Husband cannot cope with heights and I find the climbing up and down difficult. We had a task ahead of us. We needed to coat the garage gable wall with aquaseal to prevent the driving rain penetrating the single skin (modern building techniques?) of the wall.

Husband brushed the evil smelling liquid into the lower half of the wall and I was assigned to the horrible ladder bit. I managed half way up but then decided downwards was the way to go! We ended up throwing cupfuls of the wall medicine at the gable apex - what a mess!!

Our neighbour (who is very handy with DIY) nearly killed himself laughing. We have been instructed to buy an extendable pole and a suitable roller - why did we not think of that? Because we hate DIY.

Who Me?

Hush - there is a thrush! Actually we have two simply lovely thrushes that visit our garden every day. We are really pleased to see them. Our garden used to be a concrete cow yard and it has taken two years for the birds to feel at home here. Sorry the photo is blurred - it was shot through the window.

Cats Amongst The Pigeons

We have some very pesky amourous pigeons who will insist on trying to mate and then make a nest on our satellite dish . Oh no - we do not want this! My deterrent is my "cat -o- nine tails" flag - very appropriate don't you think? ( Click on photo to enlarge). The flag is actually normally flying on "Supatrike" as a deterrent not for dive bombing giant pigeons but to warn speeding drivers down our narrow village street that I really do exist and have the same rights of way as they do. See below!

This photo was taken by my brother on his visit to us from Australia last November. Just for anyone interested "Supatrike" is a mobility scooter that can travel at 8mph on roads, but also has a safety switch to limit the speed to 4mph on pavements. The pavements in our village are too narrow for my monster machine - anyway I like going "fast"!!

Curing Bad Habits?

I am sure everyone gets niggled by perceived annoying habits in others.

Some time ago Husband used to come home from work , take off his suit, arrange it nicely on a coat hanger and then proceed to hook the coat hanger over the door of my wardrobe. Why on earth did he not hang it over his wardrobe door? Who knows? I used to come upstairs to bed and find I had to remove the offending article to Husband's wardrobe door before I could sort my clothes out for the morning. I got sick of repeatedly asking him nicely to keep his clothes to himself!

I had an idea. I came up to bed and as usual found the suit glaring at me hanging on my wardrobe door. I rootled around in the cupboard and found about six unused and unloved crumpled up wire coat hangers. These were thrust down Husband's bed. He was surprised. I only had to repeat the exercise four times before the offending suit retreated to Husband's wardrobe door never to reappear on my side.

Husband has been retired now for a few years and no longer owns a suit!

To Boot Or Not To Boot?

Our neighbour informed us about a new regular car boot sale every Sunday on Kemble airfield - he said it was very good and showed us some very healthy plants he had just bought. Husband, who is a dreadful stick-in-the-mud, said "Oh no you are not going, you would come back with junk". I left Husband muttering and pottering around the garden and zoomed down to the airfield. I came back with presents for Husband. We are always on the look out for square pots for the greenhouse and have been unable to find any. As everyone knows round pots do not fit into square holes and waste space. I also bought three dwarf carnation plants. Husband was grudgingly delighted!!!

Steel Birds Still Flocking

The worn out rejected steel birds still arrive at Kemble Airfield for dismantling. I cannot get all the planes in view with my camera from the side of the road. Another Air India flapped down on the runway fairly recently - Husband saw watched it drone overhead. For some reason we find it fascinating - every time we drive past we look to see how much progress has been made. The strange thing is we never see work in progress. Another day or two passes and we see the engines have gone, or a cockpit or two have disappeared. Perhaps all work is done at night?

We Are Very Proud Of . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

our son-in-law, Charlie Elder. Charlie is a passionate birdwatcher and set out to discover about and get a glimpse of the 40 birds on the UK "Red List" - this is his book about his travels and experiences. How he managed to juggle his work, family life and responsibilities as well as dash off at the slightest notice to view these endangered birds is amazing. The elusive Wryneck gave him some trouble! Charlie lives on Dartmoor with his long suffering family who sometimes are conned into a holiday but somehow instead it turns out to be a birdwatching exercise! We received this copy of his book at the weekend but it goes on sale tomorrow! Good luck Charlie - you have worked long and hard.

A Dodgy Rack perhaps?

My IT nerd appeared to help me with broadband just as it switched itself on again! The local post office and a few others in our village were affected - none with Virgin. My immediate neighbours were not affected either. IT Nerd said probably, just by bad luck, my phone line is probably plugged into a "dodgy" rack at the exchange. Try telling that to BT - they are not interested. Perhaps with a little bit of luck a BT engineer might just read this and leap into action at the Crudwell and Malmesbury exchange - you never know!

Virgin Troubles

Hi all - Virgin Broadband is letting me down again. I will be back online when computer nerds, BT or anyone anywhere gets their brain into gear and mends me!

What A Difference

This photo is roughly the same view as the one I took during the snow. Instead of blurry white snowflakes we have lovely browns and greens.

Snowdrops Dropped In

Over the weekend we have been enjoying the company of some very good friends of ours who live in Colchester. Maris reads this blog most days and so knew about my previous snowdrop post. She arrived on Saturday armed with snowdrops she had dug from her own garden - so problem solved - how lucky is that?

We attended the pub quiz hoping the Colchester lot would boost our brainpower - not a bit of it! Too bad - not to worry - we had a very amusing and boisterous evening!