Welcome to my new Blog



Welcome to my Blog.
My Blog is mostly about my hobbies, ie Model boats, Cross Stitch, Gardening, Days out and about, Lego Technics and Photography you might recognize the hat rather than me. My models and other hobbies can be found in the Tabs at the top below the header picture.
There will also be entries of days out with my camera, weather permitting of course.

Saturday 28 June 2014

Here, there and everywhere

Been here, there and everywhere the last few days since our club trip to Lyme Park
I was surprised to hear from our Exhibition Secretary that the park didn't want us back in September as we had hoped, they only wanted us as extra's to their own event's. Looking back to our visit this time realised that their Fathers day event would have had nothing at all if we hadn't been there, seems strange to me but it's their lost in my opinion!.
Will be looking for other venue's perhaps more accommodating!.
The painting of my tug boat is going well and here are a few pictures of progress so far,

Superstructure painted Aquamarine, after a bit of thought on colour for this, I thought of one of my favourite authors Clive Cussler and one of his hero's in the Dirk Pitt series. Dirk works for the NUMA agency ( National underwater and Marine Agency) and all their boats are painted Aquamarine, so thats good enough for me.

Rear view not quite finished yet

Talk about silver tongued, Tuffy is Copper tongued.


Funnel and decks finished, started on the port holes.

On the gardening front, bought a new plant 
A Begonia type

 This is now the view from my kitchen window, no grass cutting for me, complete with Pepe surveying his domain,

He wasn't so thrilled on Wednesday I imagine when I took him to the Groomer to be washed and trimmed, though he doesn't seem to mind too much, and does look great afterwards.
Where's the bacon buttie then?.

I feel a right pansy!.

We went to Chadderton Hall Park for dinner and then after the groomer cutting and two bagging job, it was off to Daisy Nook Country Park for a cuppa and a sandwich to put me on until the BBQ and sailing on two lakes event at the club in Etherow Country Park at 7pm.
So Three Parks in one day Pepe, can't be bad.
At Etherow for the Boat Sailing saw our little friend from the threesome family, remember the two Canadian geese and the white minder I spoke about in an earlier post?, the baby is growing quite big now!.
Any bread mate?.

 The following day (Thursday) we went to the Lake again and there a few feet out from the landing stage with all our sailors watching there was a right racket going on with two pair of Coots and their babies, couldn't wait to get my camera out and video it.
Checked on the internet at this strange behaviour and found out it could be territorial or perhaps females not wanting to mate again with babies to still look after.
Perhaps my sister and her husband who are keen birdwatchers will know and tell me.

                              

Hope you liked the video, certainly good training for the babies getting stuck in hey!.
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Marvellously Mature

When you and you teeth don't sleep together.
It takes longer to rest than it did to get tired.
Your address book has mostly names that start with Dr
Your sit in a rocking chair and can't get going.
When your idea of a night out is sitting on the patio.

Well, that's it for now, the microwave is calling.
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Friday 20 June 2014

Babes and Boats.

Babes and Boats the last few days for me!.

On Sunday the club was at Lyme Park with our stand for Fathers Day, started off with rain but cleared up after we had had dinner in the Cafe.
With friend Bob's Boats

A few of the other members

To see the pictures and video's from on the day,
Click here

Over the past few days been to the lake at Etherow and taken this video of babies in the park.

                      

Other pictures of  Bitz n Bobz were,

Think this one fancied Pepe, perhaps for dinner!

Another nesting Coot, the park is full of them at the moment

And here are a few more which are a few weeks old now

While sat on one of the fishermens pegs just happened to see something in my peripheral vision and looking down saw these baby Mallards lay there not more than a yard from me and Pepe!.

Amazes me the fact that people walk round the park and never notice these lovely things under their noses.
In the park, a selfie, patriotic hat band hey.


This is the strange family of Canadian geese with their baby and the white minder, been together for at least three years I know off!


This looks like a juvenile Wood pigeon on my garden fence today. 

To follow on with the boat painting in the last post here is an update.

Deck and cabin roof painted

Waves finished

  Funnel nearly finished, watch this space

Thats all for now Folks, the less said about the England team the better hey!.
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Teacher: What is a comet
Fred: A star with a tail
Teacher: name one.
Fred: Mickey Mouse!

Dumb
He thought badminton was why the lamb tasted awful.

She thought the tooth fairy was a gay dentist.

He thought that Vice-Versa was a rude poem.

She thought Joan of Arc was Noah's wife.

He thought polygon was a dead parrot.
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Its the way I tell em!.
Thats all for now folks.


Saturday 14 June 2014

In, Out and round about

The past week been in, out and round about, been to Son John's for Sunday dinner last week with Marjorie. 

Playing with the dogs before dinner, John's two Cockapoo's and Pepe.

And with the old dog himself , Me!

During the week we (Pepe and I) went to the lake to test and video Mate Bob's two latest boat's

"Ellie" Vintage Broads Cruiser

And the Bob the Builder

If you are as good as Bob you have to have a handicap and here I am, but there again I did supply the Champers for the maiden voyages!.


Whilst there Bob took this picture of the unusual family that's been together for the last few years, the mother, father, baby and white minder, talk about mated for life!.

On the hobbies front as mentioned in the last post made a start on the tug boat I'd bought with the fire engine.

First it was a Jet wash to get any grime and mould release agent off it.

That's a bit better isn't it.

Then I struggled to get it on top of the wheelie bin and gave it a spray of primer paint.

Whilst having a cuppa waiting for it to dry, noticed that it was looking like it was going down into a trough, as in the film "The perfect storm" and realised the lid of the wheelie bin was buckling with the weight and the heat of the sun didn't help, so just managed to lift it off before it fell of, what a relief!.

                            
Then a light masking and a drop of sea colour, now on my Black and Decker workmate, it's a bit sturdier.

Today before going to the lake it was more masking and the hull painted Red!!


From the rear.

Inside the trough, remember it's a flower planter like the fire engine, so it's never going to float or have any electric's unless it will have some solar lights fitted, Just thought about that!!, don't know how I do it for the money!.

Here are some of the plants coming up in the garden at the moment






Getting the hang of it, there again it's only been a couple of weeks, hopefully some of them are supposed to come up every year, we will have to see.

Whilst at the Wilmslow Garden Centre in the week with Marjie took these pictures with my Iphone, not bad are they, it makes one wonder if you really need to carry an ordinary camera about these days, there again my main camera has a 50x zoom, its stretching  the phones capabilities a bit much for that.
Still if you can get near enough these are quite good, Marjorie strokes them on their backs and must think I'm a bit of a wimp when she see's my antics.
 There again when I was a young lad (That's a long time ago now but I still remember it ) I was stung on the back of my neck and it knocked me out, perhaps that accounts for my strange behaviour now I imagine  you thinking.



Well that's enough for today, must get the buffet and drinks ready for England's first game tonight!!.
Good luck England.
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"The doctor told me I would have to limit my drinks to one a day"
"I'm now up to June 2016"

Fred the Boozer has finally given up drink for the sake of his Wife and Kidneys.

"I think your dog likes me said Fred.
He hasn't taken his eyes off me all night".
"That's because you're eating off his plate".

"Has your wife learned to drive yet, Fred"
"Only in an advisory capacity!".

That's all folks.
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Monday 2 June 2014

Jobs over the weekend.


Been busy over the weekend, had a trip to the lake on Saturday then it was home via pals Bob and Joyce to see how they were getting on.
Then it was home to finish off the Fire Engine details as below.

Was only after I'd sprayed all the model Green I remembered that the rear was mostly silver chequer plate, so that was the next job

Then picked out the valves and connections

Added a number plate, realise the number plates in them days were silver and black but where's the fun it that!.


Hose reels on the side painted


More detailing on the front ie blue light, bell and windows. I know the windows look a bit funny but the interior of the cab was cream and I've been out in the evening when the sunset was on the windows and it looked a bit like this, there again I was only a young sprog at the time!.
And there you have it a coat of copper paint on the inside of the trough to seal it, I'll bet you'd forgot it was a planter!, it was finished.
On sunday it was a quick spray with lacquer all over to seal everything, and then off to the lake to see the fiesta racing as it was the first Sunday in the month again.

to see the happenings at the lake click here


Spotted these cute baby ducks on the big lake.



This morning (Monday) whipped out before the showers and placed and planter in the spot in the garden reserved for it and planted it up with the plants I'd earmarked for it.
 A couple of heathers called Red Fred, reminds me of my father-in -law who was also in the National Fire service during the last war.


Here is the planter in situ 


A closer shot of the front and side elevation 

The rear, quite a lot of detail considering its a concrete planter don't you think

Then a more pulled back picture of the garden. So that's the end of this project which I've enjoyed very much and will continue to enjoy in the years to come, he say's touching wood franticly

So on to the next project, you see the rainbow in the last picture, well I've got the materials for another one for a friend and made a start this afternoon, it's being so busy and active that keeps you young I think!. And don't forget in a previous post I mentioned that I bought two planter, so that will be another project to do for the garden.
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You know you're getting old when you bend down to tie up your shoes and look round to see if there's anything else needs to be done while you're down there.

I'm so old that when I ask for a three minute egg, they ask for the money up front!.

He was so old that when he asked the doctor how long he might live the doctor replied 
"Put it this way don't go buying any green bananas"

It's the way I tell em.
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Thats all for now folks