Category: Pic of the week

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Results Day – 2

Pic of the week 20/12/20

So Thursday was results day 2, and Sam snagged an A in his Physics A level. Delighted for him, and very proud of him. Having been given a D by “the algorithm”, upgraded to a C by his teachers, he still wasn’t happy with this, so decided to sit his Physics exam in the October exams. He had an hour’s tutoring each week  and (finally) settled down to doing some work and his efforts were rewarded with his A – he now has an A and 2 B’s, the same as Sophie. We now just await the uni offers to come flooding in …

In other news, my back improves, but is still not fully recovered. There are times each day when all is wonderful, but other times when the pain comes stabbing back. I think standing is perhaps the action that causes me the most discomfort – my domestic chores of washing up and ironing in particular. (In other health news, I had my flu jab yesterday, with no ill effects.)

On Monday, Becky and I went for a walk at “The Newt” near Castle Cary – lots of deer, lots of money, and a lovely cup of coffee in the glasshouse.

And on Thursday we went for a walk in East Harptree woods and came across this chimney and pond. At one point we got a little lost in the dense woods, but isn’t that what exploring is all about?

Today, on my own (Becky at work) I walked to the weir, along the Brue to the hump back bridge and back along the other side. (Because of my back) I can’t run at the moment, so its important that I get out and get some exercise. It was a lovely sunny day today, and a very peaceful, calming walk – much needed given the times we live in (yesterday, Boris cancelled Christmas)

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Painful

Pic of the week 13/12/20

Its been a painful week – my back has been killing me.

On Monday I could barely move. Getting out of bed was not easy, and I needed Becky to help dress me – no way was I going to be able to put my socks and trousers on. I endured the day at school – the pain was so distracting, I couldn’t really concentrate on anything. That night was not much better – moving in bed caused real pain, and having to go for a pee in the night was not easy.

But on the Sunday I ordered, from Amazon, a back support belt – a corset or girdle really – that arrived on Monday and was a game changer. It didn’t make everything alright, but it helped hugely, giving me the support I needed in the back. Monday night I didn’t sleep wearing it – a mistake – but since Tuesday morning I’ve rarely had it off.

By Wednesday/Thursday I was beginning to feel more mobile and I would say that by now I am pretty much fully mobile, but still get the odd pain, particularly after being in the same position for some time. Not sure when I’ll be able to do any form of exercise again, but its good to be on the mend.

And speaking of mending, I’ve fixed the car. The replacement brake master servo arrived from ebay and, in theory, should have been a simple job to swap. But, as is so often the case, access was not good and in the end I have patched the hole with some metal epoxy putty. A fairly quick and simple repair that has done the job. May paint the repair black, with Hammerite, to help it blend in, but jobs a good ‘un.

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Car trouble and back pain

Pic of the week 6/12/20

On Tuesday, Becky was pootling around town in the MIcra when suddenly the brake pedal couldn’t be depressed. Using her driving skills and the handbrake she was able to limp safely home.  A quick bit of fault diagnosis and inspection soon revealed the problem to be the brake servo – it had rusted through on the front side, resulting in a 1cm (ish) hole (once I cleared away the flaking rust). This side is supposed to have a vacuum (from the engine), whilst the pedal side is at atmospheric pressure, thereby giving a pressure differential to allow you to push in the brake master cylinder via the foot pedal.

With the hole, the front side no longer has a vacuum, so no pressure differential, so you can’t depress the pedal.  I have fashioned a temporary repair by taping over the hole (it helps that the vacuum is inside: therefore atmospheric pressure helps to keep the tape in place) – it works and have taken the car for a short test drive. But my fear is is that the tape would fall off, putting you back to square one.  I have ordered (and received today) a replacement master servo from ebay for £35 (they are about £200 new) and will aim to fit it when I break up. Shouldn’t be too hard:  6 bolts, one pin and a hose connection …

My back hurts.

I think I tweaked it on Friday, and then yesterday I aggravated that tweak and yesterday and today it has hurt. With management – hot, cold, ibuprofen, yoga, goo posture – I am just about coping and it does seem to be getting better. But there are times when I feel stuck – transitioning from seated to standing, for example, often hurts – and times when my back “gives.” Will take it easy for a few days and hope it resolves itself soon.

On Saturday – Becky, Sophie and Sam went to Cornwall for the day, visiting, hence the pic of the week.

 

 

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Hands!

Pic of the week 29/11/20

So last Sunday, Sam returned home from work tearful and bandaged up. I’m still not sure exactly what happened, but a metal hose was winding back into a metal drum and Sam thought it was running away out of control, so he tried to grab it (this is the bit I’m less sure of: I think he grabbed the drum, but could have been the hose). Anyway it lacerated his hands quite badly. He did get up and go to work the next day, and the day after – but on that day the school nurse sent him home (via minor A&E) as his cuts weren’t healing. Anyway, he’s now had a few days off and has gone back into work today, but a nasty injury.

La mano de Dios.

Whilst we talk of hands, on Wednesday, Diego Maradonna passed away, famous for his footballing brilliance, infamous for his “hand of God”, or, more correctly, la mano de Dios because he would, of course, have said those words in Spanish.

Saturday was a “duvet day” at school – no lessons on Saturday so a day off, and it was wonderful. Certainly what I needed, and I’m sure all students and staff alike. An extra lie in, a chance to recharge after a busy and difficult four weeks, a chance to grab a quick breather before the final two weeks of term. After glorious cold, but frosty, days on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, this weekend we have been shrouded in fog, so Becky & I curtailed our plans to ascend Dundon Beacon and went for a quick waltz along the Poldens.

And because its such a wonderful picture, I though I would include the above from Becky’s rambles earlier in the week.

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We rumble on

Pic of the week 22/11/20

We’re now firmly into mid-November, its dark early, its damp, chilly (although mild for the time of year) and we’re still in Lockdown 2 – so not a lot to write about. Its the time of year for getting your head down and getting on with life, so not a lot to report this week.

The pic above is from when Becky & Sophie went to Ham Wall RSBP reserve on Saturday – at first glance it looks to me like Sophie is fishing!

On Saturday morning, Sophie’s car wouldn’t start, but I managed to jump start it easily that afternoon. I suspect the problem lies with the stereo being accidentally left on, so we’ve decided to remove it. Haven’t managed to (yet) take it out of the car (have ordered a special tool from eBay for a couple of quid) , but have discovered you can remove the front face plate, so I’ve done that so hopefully it means the stereo can’t be accidentally knocked and turned on.

I did get my voltmeter and took the following readings of the battery:

11.83V before starting

9.1 V on starting

14.56 V when engine running

so I think the battery is probably OK, and the stereo was the cause of the problem.

Not much other news. Ran this morning, Becky now back at work after 11 days on off, three weeks of term to go …

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Happy Birthday!

Pick of the week 15/11/20

So yesterday was Becky’s big birthday – she turned 50!

We should have celebrated in Plymouth (!) watching Deacon Blue – we booked the tickets and made plans a long time ago – that fell victim to virus, along with pretty much all other plans (eg a day at the seaside today) when we entered into lockdown two a couple of weeks ago.

So it was a family affair, a lazy day.

The children (well, Sam, to make amends for being sick on his duvet in the night – el perro de booze strikes again) treated her to McDonald’s for lunch (I was working) and then, on my return, after opening her presents, we had a Chinese meal together, which was nice.

And it was all finished off with her wonderful cake baked by Sophie.

So not fireworks and fiesta for her birthday, but I hope (I think) she had a nice time as we celebrated another birthday under the constraints of Covid.

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21!

Pic of the week 8/11/20

It is still hard to believe, but on Wednesday it was Sophie’s 21st birthday. Where have all those years gone? The muse deserts me – I don’t have the words to describe the joy, happiness pride and love she has bought me over the last 21 years.

Despite lockdown I think (I hope) she had a nice day – lunch in Ask with Becky and Sam and then all of us at home for tea, a lovely family time.

We were also hoping, on Wednesday, to hear the results of the American Presidential election, but it proved to not be clear cut, so we have had an agonising wait for a few days until it was announced yesterday that Joe Biden won the race to the White House, or more importantly, Donald Trump lost. In this strangest of strange, most difficult year, at last some good news, a new hope.

Although it developed into a beautiful, sunny, clear autumn day, Wednesday dawned cold, with the cars frozen over and the temperature at zero. The perfect, and first, opportunity for me to see if changing the glo-plugs in the Micra had solved the cold start problems it had developed in late March. I turned the key part way, saw the glo-plug symbol illuminate and then go out, turned the key completely and it fired straight in to life. So it seems my diagnosis and subsequent repairs have done the job. Chuffed.

Today I ran my 1,000th Kilometre of 2020, another reason to be chuffed. It was Lockdown 1 what did it, running nearly every day in April.  I have, this year, run a total of 1006 Km in 80 hours, 36 mins (or 3 days, 8  1/2 hours). I have now run a million metres

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The Gathering Gloom

Pic of the week 1/11/20

A rather apt photo of me striding confidently into the gathering gloom.

The pic was taken on Wednesday as we (Becky & I) headed home after a walk in Combe Hill woods, but the it is, perhaps, symbolic of the darker days to come of the next phase of lockdown which was announced yesterday, to begin on Thursday (5th Nov) for four weeks. Schools are not closing, so I suspect that the new lockdown will actually make little difference to me.

Half term ends today, despite the weather (its been wet!) and despite not being able to go to Barcelona its been a good two weeks that I feel I have filled productively.  Looking back, I’ve enjoyed a number of good walks, met up with friends (Steve & Nicky), potted and tinkered with the cars, read, tidied the garden and planted some bulbs, sorted our new re-cycling centre, practised my Spanish … I’ve really enjoyed the two weeks, it seems like a long time since I was at school and I’m ready to go back for the next half-term, whatever it may hold.

Bottom right shows the pumpkin I bought and carved, the other three pics show those that I have grown. I don’t know why, but I always feel a great sense of pride about those pumpkins that I grow myself.

I’ve also run quite a lot over the last two weeks, and October in particular. 85.75 Km in fact, and I am now only one run (4 Km) away from completing 1,000 Km in the year. Maybe next week …

 

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Gorge-ous

Pic of the week 25/10/20

Its not been Barcelona, but ….

This week we should have been in Barcelona but, of course, due to Covid-19 that hasn’t happened. (Flights got cancelled at the start of September, got the money back this week.)

So, dodging between the dodgy weather, we’ve hit the hills, and its been great fun. Today we went to Ebbor Gorge (pic above and below) and I really enjoyed it, particularly the scramble up through the middle of the gorge, it certainly wasn’t just a Sunday stroll in the park. And it was lovely to have lunch in the solitude and sunshine at the top of the gorge, with the Tor in distance.

On Thursday, we went to Cheddar Gorge. Another quite demanding – but rewarding – walk. Becky particularly enjoyed the first section as she found, and photographed, many fungi. It was quite an ascent, followed by a difficult descent and then another ascent, before a more gentle walk across the top and steady decline back into town.

And on Friday we donned the walking boots again, this time as we met up with Steve and Nicky and reminisced and chatted as we walked to the weir and along the canal.

So not the warmth, bustle and culture of Barcelona, we will make it there one day, but in the meantime Covid-19 has expanded our local horizons and life is the better for that.

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‘Shrooming

Pic of the week 18/10/20

Saturday saw the start of half-term and Becky and I headed up to Stockhill Woods, Priddy, to do some “‘shrooming”. There was quite an impressive array of colours and shapes to discover and it was a really pleasant way to spend the morning, ferreting around in the woods. We did also emerge from the trees to head over to Priddy Pool – I must admit I like being out in the open – but the pool itself, and surrounding landscape, did seem somewhat devoid of life, making it a little bleak. But I did like the first opportunity to try my technical trousers and walking boots. Given that C-19 has forced us all to change how we use our leisure time (we should have been jetting off to Barcelona on Tuesday) I’m glad I’ve bought this specialist clothing – now just got to get outside and use it.

Harvested my five pumpkins this weekend. I don’t know why, but I do take pride in growing these. They are not that big, the two biggest being self-seeders from my compost heap, the other three were all from plants that we bought from the garden centre on the roundabout during lock down.

Today, I changed the oil in the Micra, although I couldn’t remove the old filter (seized in) so that’s a job still to be done.  Did enjoy doing though.