OneGuyFromBarlick

This morning I mounted the shaft and flywheel in the lathe and turned the wheel true on the shaft. That took 45 minutes so now I deserve my breakfast.

Morning

Rain for a couple of hours this morning then dry , cloudy, and back to a low 5 to 6 degrees. After a few lovely days the garden is now all tidy, even the apple tree pruned so later this morning when the rain stops I intend planting some sweet pea seeds in large pots at the back of the house. I will cover the pots with black bin liners and hope the seeds start to germinate whilst we are in France. This morning I also have a trip to the surgery for a routine blood test. Lunch will be at the Italian with Wendy and Keith.

Talking of the surgery my GP has the same cough, it started, he says on Dec 23 rd. i saw him on Dec 23 rd, mine started on Dec 27th. Hmmm

Have a good day all

Happy Birthday to Gloria! I'm sure you will be having a wonderful time.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY GLORIA
.
I think you will be celebrating your birthday for more than just one day. Eat, drink and be merry.
Hope you are getting some .

Morning Sue.... that is indeed a suspicious conjunction!
Happy birthday Gloria.....
All is well here, three pans of savoury cabbage on the hob.....

Oo yes Happy Birthday Gloria

Gloria

Happy Birthday Gloria.

I shall be in the shed doing useful things to my poorly engine. I think I have cured its problems, now I have to rebuild and test it..... I shall take a view on later on after second sleep. Could be doing very little slowly....

This morning I stripped the engine back to the bare base board. When it had its fall the impact was sufficient to bend one screw and break the other at the cylinder end of the bed so I had to get the bent one out and the broken one had to be drilled out of the bed. At the same time I took the opportunity to give the base a coat of paint to smarten it up (And sanded the base board as well for the same reason.) That took 45 minutes and now I deserve my breakfast.

Morning

Yesterday I planted some sweet pea seeds in large pots and covered them with black bin bags to encourage germination and to protect the seedlings from squirrels and pigeons. They should just about be germinating when we get back from France on the 25 th. We set off for Portsmouth tomorrow but the ferry isn’t till early Monday morning.

Today I shall iron, finish a few bits of washing, weed the last bit of the bottom patio that I was too tired to do the other day and the do some packing for a couple of overnight stopovers on the way to the house, one in Portsmouth and the other just outside Caen. For once we will not be calling at Coventry on the way down as Julia and Eve are at a big swimming event at Ponds Forge pool in Sheffield

The forecast is dry, cloudy and a maximum of 9 degrees. Have a good day all

Morning Sue! You are more that usually organised for this trip to France.... I hope it's a quiet crossing.....
I've had a big second sleep and now I am surveying a quiet day ahead, nothing on my social calendar.

I shall be in the shed continuing the repair to my engine. Later in the morning I shall be cooking buttered swede and sweet potato chips as extenders to my veggies..... Apart form that, whatever my fancy dictates. One thing I have been doing is reading the instruction book that came with my Nikon D200 camera. There's 210 pages and I have never seriously addressed it.....

Good progress this morning. The engine rebuilt apart from the valve gear and everything fits and runs correctly. I straightened the right bits out! Tomorrow I shall finish it but at the moment breakfast is the target.

Morning

Today will be a leisurely breakfast, pack the car and drive down to Portsmouth. No doubt we will stop somewhere en route .Its also Erins birthday. She is 12. That has been a fast 12 years.

The forecas is ok for the day so driving shouldn’t be too bad. Have a good day all

Morning Sue! You must have got your last bits done except for the damp patch. You both deserve an easy day and yes, the weather looks OK. I am looking at a second breakfast here and then an easy day.....

Stanley wrote: ↑08 Mar 2026, 07:48 Morning Sue! You must have got your last bits done except for the damp patch.

Yes all done but for the damp bit. We are hoping it will be dry enough to finish when we get back. Then I can buy new curtains and cushion covers

I improved the shining hour by cooking buttered savoury swede and frying sweet potato chips.....

Thankyou for all the birthday wishes, I had a lovely day in warm sunshine, back to the cold now

This isn't cold Gloria! We are having a very easy ride through the end of winter!
I shall be attending to my belly pork this morning, getting it going in the slow cooker. I shall take a view about finishing the engine repair in the shed.....
I could very easily be back in bed for second sleep early....
Later at 04:00. I'm having breakfast and then I shall go back for second sleep.... I deserve it!

Morning

Up and out just after 5.30 now at the port. We have just eaten the remnants of the kitchen fruit bowl which will keep us going till breakfast on the ferry. Its foggy

Have a good day all

It looks like a calm crossing Sue. Bon voyage!

I shall be in the shed early doors finishing refurbishing the engine. Nothing on the cards to interfere with that. I don't see anything to interfere with a short walk later..... A normal Day.

This morning I completed the refurbishment of the damaged engine by replacing the eccentric and rod and Timing the steam valve to make it a runner. It is now no longer poorly and is going to go to St Louis with Bob after he visits me next Tuesday.

Stanley… looking forward to a photo of you and Bob. Hint hint.