Author: Jeff

Pic of the week 4/9/24

So I didn’t blog (on here) for all of July as we we spent the month in Greece, and what a fantastic month it was, starting in Santorini, and the island hopping our way through Milos, Sifnos, Antiparos and Syros before reaching the mainland in Piraeus, the port suburb of Athens. I did, though, blog everyday on the holiday and my record of our Greek Odyssey begins here.

And since returning life has been busy.

Coming home, the garden was not quite overgrown, but in need of some serious pruning and cutting back. Although the front bed – the geraniums in full flower and several sunflowers blooming – was a wonderful site in the first daylight hours of August as we arrived home after our two and half hour delayed flight.

and whilst pottering in the garden, I heard some rustling from the end of the bottom deck. Fearing another rat, but hoping it was just a bird, I took and tentative look and was delighted to see a hedgehog (and quite a big one!) – more than happy to have them living in our garden.

Yesterday (3rd of August) was our 28th wedding anniversary – we don’t do gifts, and after a month travelling Greece, eating out every day, we didn’t feel the need to go out, but as ever we exchanged cards and sunflowers will always feature on this day.

Friday evening, I took up the whistle for the first time this season – Ashcott v Banwell – and I enjoyed the game. The, on Saturday, I was Assistant Referee in the FA Cup! Shepton Mallet v Horndean in the 1st extra preliminary round. Shepton won 1-0 and I do feel a little proud that I have been involved in this prestigious cup competition. I will now follow this thread of fixtures through to the final in May, and crow about how I was there at the start!

And today I had a go at replacing the a ball joint rubber boot on the Micra in preparation for its MOT in 10 days time. After some initial challenges, I made some progress, but then realised I would need to remove the control arm. Shouldn’t be two difficult – three bolts, one of which I’d already removed. The second came out fairly easily, but the third is stubbornly stuck. Have ordered a 16mm socket for my impact driver – will try that tomorrow, but if that fails, I will have to admit defeat – a grubby face for nothing!

Pic of the week

Today is Father’s Day. Sophie has been home (she came home on Wednesday evening, then she and Becky went to Cornwall on Thursday, returning late last night) and it has been nice to see her. I popped over to Wells in the morning to see my Dad – looking sprightly for an 85 year old – and of course I saw Sam last week. Sophie gave me the latest Thursday Murder Club book (book 4) and Sam gave me a choc/nut/pop corn snack mix, which I will tuck in to this evening as I watch England’s Euro ’24 opener v Serbia.

Still on a football theme, yesterday I refereed at the Ashcott FC charity festival – four hours of officiating (that is actual time either on the line or in the middle, not including breaks), it was a long afternoon, I did over 26K steps and my legs ached by the end, although not so bad today.

The weather continues to be poor – very wet and cold (although apparently it has been a very warm – possibly record breaking – Spring, but I think that is because the nights have been relatively warm.) Friday the heavens opened at lunchtime, fortunately only the occasional bit of drizzle yesterday afternoon, and today has turned out better than expected.

Things still seem really busy, hard to think that in two weeks time we’ll be heading off to Greece – whilst I feel a little unprepared, I also think that doesn’t really matter: it will be nice to vanish into the Aegean sea and let everyone else sort themselves out for a month whilst we just chill in obscurity!

Pic of the week 2/6/24

So half term week comes to a close. We’ve done a lot – nothing major, but plenty of little things. Except for today – which has been glorious – the weather hasn’t been too good, with most days having some rain.

On Monday evening, Becky and I took a trip to the cinema in Wells to watch “Back in Black”, the biopic of Amy Winehouse. An enjoyable – if a little sad – film, I’m glad I went, a rare night out!

Tuesday and Wednesday saw me visit the dentist twice! Once for a scale and polish, and then the next day to have an old filling re-done. Boring but important stuff, a bit like the Ka going for its MOT on Wednesday – needed a new rear shock absorber, but other than that, its good for another year of motoring.

Still on the boring but important front, I do seem to have spent considerable time (and quite a bit of cash!) buying insurance: renewed the house and travel insurance, Becky’s car insurance, and also sourced insurance for Sam for the Civic. Not the most exciting of stuff, but that’s what half-terms are for, to get the life admin done!

A trip to Lidl on Thursday should have been uneventful, but when picking something up of the floor I “tweaked” my back. It hurt for 24 hours, and I am still “aware” of it now, lying on my back stretcher for 5 minutes really does do it the world of good.  Then, as we emerged into the car park, we saw (and heard – this was a definite bump, not kiss) a young lad bump into the back of the Ka whilst trying to park his car. A quick look showed some chips to the paintwork, but the bumper did its job, deforming to take the load, then springing back into position, so no major damage done. Fearful of his insurance rocketing, he was happy to bung me a few quid for me to repair the car myself, touch up paint ordered and applied (but I will be the first to admit, bodywork is not where my talents lie)

Yesterday we had another day out! It was an open day at Glastonbury Abbey and Becky and I took advantage of the opportunity to wander around the grounds without having to pay to enter. I’m glad I did, a lovely big space, the sun shone (but was not too hot) and its nice to know what is behind the walls in our neighbouring town.

After leaving, we wandered up the high street in Glastonbury to see the Delilah mural, which was impressive

And so half term comes to a close. Four weeks of work, then Kalimera to Greece!

 

Pic of the week 26/5/24

Half-term began late lunchtime yesterday, a sunnyish day, possibly the best of the last week (which has been, in turns, cold and wet) and this morning was pleasantly sunny, I enjoyed a run beneath warm, blue skies (although big puddles evidenced the rain I heard in the night) and I managed to get all my geraniums planted up before I felt the first spots of rain at noon. Then the heavens opened, and although we have had some dry spells this afternoon, the rain, when it has fallen, has been of biblical proportions. And, sadly, I think its going to be a wet week to come.

Last Sunday I listed the 205 for sale; on Tuesday – after a lot of interest (and a few time wasters) I sold it for £700. Sold it via Facebook Marketplace – once listed it became an almost fulltime job (not really!) keeping on top of, and replying to, all the messages. So by Tuesday, when someone came to see it (someone was supposed to becoming at 5pm that evening to take it away for £600, but didn’t show up) I was quite happy to see it gone. The end of a chapter, I’ve enjoyed owning it, but couldn’t justify keeping it, especially as it was due to be re-taxed (for the princely sum of £400!) at the end of July.

A few weeks ago, I spotted a nest in our ivy hedge near where I hang the washing line.  This was from 4th May:

and we have been watching it like concerned parents ever since. Last Sunday, whilst having my breakfast, I saw a cat looking menacing up at the hedge so out I raced shouting and waving to scare the bugger away.

On Tuesday we (well, Becky) were able to snap the young:

and so on Wednesday it was so sad when I found a dead fledgling on the lawn. Closer inspection of the next revealed another two, or possibly three, dead chics in there too.

and so I removed the next to dispose of the bodies in the hedge across the road. The suspect? Possibly magpies? The birds appear to have been killed, but with no real attempt to consume them. The circle of life, but sad non-the-less.

Also on Wednesday, Rishi Sunak, in the pouring rain, with “Things can only get better” belting out from a nearby sound system, announced a general election, to be held on 4th July.  At last, an opportunity to rid ourselves of these corrupt crooks that have governed us for too long.

Yesterday, Sophie came home, to spend a few days with us for the Bank Holiday weekend, which is nice.

Pic of the week 12/5/24

At last the skies have cleared and the temperature has risen and for the last few days we have enjoyed some wonderful early summer sunshine. On friday we ate outside for the first time this year, I have been wearing shorts (when not at work!) all week, and today I ran without gloves on for the first time. It has been wonderful, and today has been spent in a mix of sitting and chilling, and pottering in the garden, cutting back some mad growth, and planting up some geraniums (still more to do, though.) But alas, it looks like next week is a return to grey skies and rain.

The last couple of nights, the northern lights – aurora borealis – have (reportedly) been seen all the way down here.  Waking up on Saturday morning to social media streams full of photos we decided to see if we could see them on Saturday night.

I couldn’t see them from the back garden, but the moon was spectacular:

I, sensibly, went to bed, but Becky decided to stay up looking out of our window

but to no avail. Although in the early morning, circa 5am, when she got up to go to the loo, the sunrise over the tor didn’t disappoint

Summer – you can’t beat it.

Pic of the week 28/4/24

Yesterday (Saturday – I skived swapped my volleyball so I was free in the afternoon) I went to Cardiff to deliver the Fiat 500 to Sophie – which she loves – and then, crossing all my fingers and toes, drive the Micra back home.  I my confess, I was a tad apprehensive, not so much because I didn’t think I’d get back in the Micra, more because of the mega hassle that would be caused by not bringing it back, or even worse, breaking down en-route.  Anyway, I was wrong to ever doubt her, she drove back without fuss, coping well with steady motorway driving at circa 72 mph, and didn’t flinch when I pushed her a little quicker to pass a lorry, or reach the dizzying high speed of 80mph for the last mile of motorway. Anyway, she’s back home now, I’ll monitor her battery and starting over the next few weeks, but she’s such fun to drive – like a little go-kart – that my current plan is to get rid of the 205 (mid-life crisis averted) and when the Honda Civic goes to Sam, I’ll have the Micra as my little run-about.

The summer term has begun – always the best term: shorter, punctuated with exams and the days longer and lighter.  But the “summer” bit is still missing – it continues to be cold, grey and damp.  I am still wearing jeans after school and at the weekend and, as I glance outside, the rain has started to fall again.  Becky and I did manage an hour or so sat outside circa 2.30pm today in some sun – but the weather is definitely disappointing at the moment. (The garden, however, is beginning to resemble a jungle – lots of green growth and without any warm, dry days/evenings, I’ve not been outside cutting things back.)