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Good afternoon. Weather has been very kind here for those of us wanting to get on with outside jobs, not a drop of rain for the best part of two weeks and none in the near forecast. The Iseki has has been parked up most of this time while I got on with the last brick wall of the old bull pen. It...

(y) keep those plugs going Wng, else 3M shares are sure to slip now mask usage has declined :) The noise cancelling headphones I use with the Iseki have been playing up recently, so I looked around and decided to treat myself to some end-of-line Sony ones as replacements. Not since I splashed...

Good afternoon all. Still getting bashed around by incessant cold winds, making it quite miserable to be outside for long - or perhaps it's just me getting ever more "nesh" with age. We had a trip over the hills to see our new granddaughter and opted on the way back to take a more scenic route...

Good morning. A wet but not that unpleasant a day for us, with more buds and leaves opening up . We have blackthorn and a few cherry still in blossom, while hawthorns and willow trees are the first to turn green. First time in a while the roof tops and water troughs have not been covered in ice...

Good morning all. With very little wind and it being a dry sunny morning, I ought to be outside, however you can get too much of a good thing, as I discovered yesterday. Like Wng, I had been clearing an oak that fell into the hay meadow and spent a little too much time having fun with chainsaws...

It has been a strange week. I am normally very laid back, yet my wife said I've been "like a cat on hot bricks" for a few days. Now my paws are at last cooling down, thanks to the eventual arrival this morning of a baby girl to expand our collection of grandkids. Helogabals, there must be a...

Good morning all. I am struggling to keep up with GM, the weather here has been fantastic for doing things outside, yet the list of things still to do seems to get ever longer. While we were moving sheep around this morning to make room for the latest arrival of lambs, my wife pointed up at the...

Quite right Kyle. Don't mind them being slightly grumpy for a short while at that age, but if we don't get a smile before long, there are always consequences to make grumpiness the least attractive option ;)

A great day here apart from the biting easterly wind. Just seems wrong to have to put on sun screen while shivering. Spent some time yesterday afternoon clearing out pond weed with a simple T shaped hand drag, cast out on a rope (The ground is much too soft at the moment to get anywhere near...

Good evening all. The weather has been getting a lot kinder for us, morning frosts disappear at sun rise and the wind is no longer quite as relentless. Managed to get down a few small windblown trees today. First time I have had any sweet chestnut (Castanea sativa) to cut up for firewood. It...

David, too nice a day for that. I will meet you half way though, as what I sense you are really after is an excuse to take a little break from caretaker home construction. Here are another 3 samples, in total almost exactly the same weight as before. Let me know when you have finished the...

11C/52F in sunny Shropshire. Back inside for another cuppa, a little too windy for an old man like me to be out with a chainsaw. So this is Pi day ? Hadn't realised, but that is typical for yet another "Good Morning" coincidence. Before reading that, I had just set my little atmospheric sensing...

Good evening all and Happy Birthday Drew. More family members with aligatoritus meant a quiet Sunday for us. It gave me plenty of time to try and answer that question of how much a 20 ton pile of 14mm crushed gravel works out per rock. First off I took random samples of rock from 3 different...

Good evening all. The wind is rattling our slates again, it has been gusting on and off all week and drawing the fire like crazy. Almost makes me long for the calm foggy days of a damp autumn. Wng, I appreciate now why there is fencing on those shelters. It can't be easy to get a good night's...

LS, I was thinking of you earlier today when this delivery came. The price of crushed granite has rocketed since I last bought some a couple of years ago. With 17 mile haulage and tax this 20 ton load cost 1056 pounds ($1379). Good job the stuff lasts forever, only a direct hit from one of...

Kyle, only just catching up on here and reading about your bent cylinder rod woes. What a bummer. I am sure a talented machinist like you will not have to succumb to JD's extortionate prices to fix it. Some less skilful cheapskates like me would be thinking along these lines... :giggle:

Good morning all. Despite a being bit chilly in the wind, the sun is doing it's utmost to get us in the mood for spring. Neighbour's fields and our pond was covered with many hundreds of gulls this morning. Don't think anyone is ploughing or spreading at the moment, but something has...

Another wet day here. Each morning when I hear rain rattling on the skylight above our bed, I feel apprehensive about what I will find out in the fields, however so far all except one of the lambs are coping well. Right now out of the window I can see those that are only a week old running...

We received invitations to go and get flu jabs some time ago, however not until today could we go due to colds and being in contact with various family members with aligatoritis. It seems all supplies of the normal stuff for older people have been used up in England, instead we received doses...

Good morning, snow on distant hills to the east and west, while here we are fortunate to have only occasional flurries. Some may remember me capping straining posts a while ago with aluminium sheet. I thought it would keep the rain out - and it certainly did for a while - now some very...

Good evening all. At long last the wind has died down. Last night it howled so much that it was impossible to sleep for the last couple of hours before daylight. Fortunately no significant damage to the house, trees have taken the brunt. I can't help assessing tree damage in terms of firewood...

Good afternoon, another day that is a lot more enjoyable from the inside looking out. A quick trip to get more firewood gave great dollops of wannabe snow the ideal opportunity to slap me in the face Wng, what do you use to clean it with ? Breathing on the glass to steam it up, followed by a...

Good morning all. A bit noisy here, gusts expected to reach over 70mph this afternoon. Over the last few weeks I have become intrigued with atmospheric pressure, how to measure it precisely and how it relates to altitude. This is all thanks to Popgadget and his occasional insights into the...

PJ, I can certainly relate to that, some of the customs I hear about are incredible. For example, without the internet I would never have imagined Rich would tolerate a deceased 🦨 in his house, let alone on his table. :)

Thanks for the warning L4N, the Daily Mail has a tendency to exaggerate things, however this time it seems that there are exceptionally low pressures in place over the Atlantic contributing to these two. The first storm has just arrived, Ireland and Scotland are going to get the worst of it...

A new experience for me today, my first ever ride through a CT scanner, for the docs to resolve an anomaly inside my face that the dentist discovered when my teeth were X-rayed last year. I was expecting the table to gradually move me into position, instead it took me by surprise with an...

BEF, very sorry to hear the loss of your friend.

Kyle, don't think we went much further than the Golden Gate bridge, remember it being too misty to see much. Wiki tells me the Haight-Ashbury "Summer of love" was the following year, so I missed out there - then again, I was only 11 at the time :giggle:

A wet 'n' windy day here, far more pleasant inside than out. RNG, we were struggling to catch a wayward lamb the other day, ended up chasing it 3 times around the field. Often thought it would be fun to do it the Hatari way, with a long pole and rope, though it could end in divorce once my...

Drew, I hadn't appreciated how many folk you have in your county. The county where I live (Shropshire) is one of the most rural in England, with an average of 375 people per square mile. England has a lot of people packed into a relatively small island. There are 1124 people for every square...

Good morning all. Noticed this morning that a few more wild Cherries have broken bud. Some call this the "false Spring", as the worst of our winter weather is often still ahead of us. Even so it is a sight that cheers on cold wet mornings. RNG, for once I know a little of the place you visited...

Good evening all. This is shaping up to be a bitter night, Max has been going crazy at the sound of the wind throwing sleet against the windows. I can only hope the ewes out in the field have found their lambs a good sheltered spot until morning. Those born this week are more fortunate, safely...

Good afternoon all. The telephone engineer was here for a few hours this morning to locate and fix a fault on our broadband. Eventually he found a couple of poor connections, once close by and another in their service box down the road by the cemetery. Uploads are still chronically slow and with...

Good morning all. Firewood store next to house is empty, no rush though to fetch some more as it is a mild 11C/52F outside with just about enough heat coming off 2 adults, one small dog and numerous electrical appliances to keep the inside comfortable for a few more hours. There was said to be...

Good evening, still no snow here yet this winter, thanks for all the pics to show what were are missing out on. Drew, can't believe anyone would pay $22 for a wabbit ! Another Rugger m77 fan here, mine is chambered for the Hornady 17 Hornet. Quite a coincidence you mentioning that Bups as I...

Good evening. This week the yearling sheep started to get some additional feed to help with the last few weeks of pregnancy. Most were unsure at first about eating a single corn pellet, now they can't wait for me to come out with a bucket full of delights each morning. In just a handful of days...

Well, what a strange past 24 hours on Good Morning. The only impolite "discusion" - or lack of - on "Good Morning" seems to have been when someone decided to delete the entirety of Mostly's post. It would have been far better to have posted a simple polite message in this thread about the...

Is there a reason for these shortages ? We are feeling the knock on effects of American ammunition hoarders, though not heard of Pet Preppers before ! Makani, hope you get better soon. Tell David he is lucky you found the sharp edge first, instead of a future caretaker who could have been...

I seem to only get on here well after dark recently as our wonderful spell of dry weather continues. My wife even managed to get the mower out today and cut next door's lawn. I would have suggested putting a few sheep in there while the neighbours were away, except they tend to leave behind one...

Our fields look a lot more empty this morning, 2/3rd of the ewes are now away at a friends farm for indoor lambing, safe from all the crows and ravens. The mornings are getting noticeably lighter, didn't need to turn any lights on to make breakfast today. Drew, great to hear your train...

Good afternoon, today going slightly better than yesterday. My wife seems to have forgiven me for letting a few sheep into the garden - some spring flowers may be a little late this year ... :oops: Mostly, you certainly don't need the extra exercise of splitting with all that biking. They say...

RNG, surely a solipsistic Kyle would believe tbn and all of us exist only in his own imagination? Kyle, wish you never took it off the shelf in the first place - all us imaginary folk have wasted far too much time today working out the meaning of "solipsism" :)

No snow in prospect for us, we have been enjoying a lot of windless, dry and only slightly foggy days this last week. It encouraged me to spend slightly too much time with chainsaw and pole saw, my forearms are telling me to take a rest tomorrow. The first lamb to be borne had no others...

L4N, that is very impressive for firewood. Doubt even our kitchen table is that dry - I am tempted to stick the moisture meter in to find out, only my wife may think we have woodworm (again) if she sees the test probe holes :)

Good afternoon all. Is anyone else curious about how dry their firewood is ? In the past I have weighed, dried in the oven, then weighed again slices out of a log to see how much water it had inside. Recently I got a Bosch moisture meter, which is a lot more convenient to use. The wood coming...

None at all when tested. Two days later has a few aches, but nothing worse than what you get with a cold. Rest of family test results are all negative so far. A year ago a failed test could well be the start of a serious issue, now for most of us who have been vaccinated it is thankfully only a...

Good morning all. It feels colder out than the thermometer suggests, my face is still numb from a short trip round the hayfield to collect the last of the mole traps. Our daughter teaches disabled children so she has regular Covid tests. Two positive tests mean she is now off work for the...

Good afternoon. This has been a day of surprise early deliveries. Postman brought my replacement driving license when I was quite looking forward to being chauffeured around by my wife for at least another week. The other early surprise was delivered by this ewe

Good evening all. It didn't take the wind long to melt the ice this morning Roy have you ever read "Karamoja" Bell's book about his time in Africa ? My money is on Egore, with or without the hood. Don, see if Whipper can find you a stick to bite on - tastes better than soap :)

Good morning. No snow here yet, just back to regular icy mornings with more heat sucking winds. Mk 3 Jay proof peanut feeder has had them puzzled for 3 days. They are such smart birds I need to wait a good few more before I can claim victory. Thomas, sounds like you well deserve a rest from...

Good afternoon all. Not quite tropical weather like some of you have seen, but still extremely mild weather here. It has been the warmest New Year ever over most of the UK, with Wales and Scotland peaking at 16C/61F. Kyle, hope the hospital can soon make your mom more comfortable. I had a...

Happy New Year !

Good afternoon. Apart from a blustery wind it seems very quiet here too today, especially now our son and partner have returned home. After the rain stopped I did a bit of welding which didn't go quite as intended. Never mind, I have come to realise that one of the best parts about being retired...

Good afternoon all. It has been nice to have children running around the house for a couple of days, all is quiet now the grandkids have departed. The youngest (4 yr old) was delighted yesterday to unwrap presents . A small toy truck fascinated him for a short while, then he decided what he...

Ken, did the not-so-friendly one taste best ? :giggle:

Merry Christmas to all.

Good morning, best kind of mist today, clear enough to see trees and livestock while completely hiding from view everything further than neighbour's fields. Our turkey arrived very fresh last night, I will dress it this afternoon. Is there a special food that those of you who already ate turkey...

Good afternoon. Being outside looses some of it's appeal to me in winter when the days are dull and damp. This morning I was out setting mole traps in the hay meadow by the drive. It took longer than I expected because the wet soil was slightly reluctant to reveal the path of the underground...

Good morning. Foggy here, can't see to the far side of even the smallest field. Bups, hope your feel a little better when you are allowed a shower today. Don, good to hear your knee is recovering so quickly. A few more degrees each day and it won't be long at all before you are double jointed...

Good morning all. It has been a very pleasant day so far, with neither wind nor rain as we slipped and slid in muddy sheep pens. The last of the tups are now out and on their way home over the hill. It is not often that the region I live in (North Shropshire) makes the headlines, but it has...

Thankfully the days don't get much duller than this one, never ending low cloud with a fine drizzle searching out every scrap of once dry firewood. I started making a weatherproof box to store firewood last winter, then when steel prices rocketed I "borrowed" the pieces that were to be used for...

Good afternoon. We escaped frost by a smidgen last night, thought I would warm up by cutting brambles with my ancient, yet still very useful, billhook. The porridge powered hand tools of years gone by still appeal to me on a cold winter's day. Ironic really as yesterday I was sucking petrol...

A far off rainbow is enticing me outside, hopefully signalling the end of rain for a couple of hours, so just a quick Good Morning from me and I will catch up later.

Good morning, the wind is up, making our range cooker push out an almost uncomfortable amount of heat for someone not wishing to smelt iron. Can't really go removing clothing with a delivery due (wouldn't want to scare away the driver :giggle: ), best I let the range go out and fire up the much...

Good morning, a wet start to the day, giving me plenty of time to recover after playing with grandkids over the weekend. They nicely distracted us from the minor discomfort of our Moderna booster jab on Friday. Hopefully will dry up enough to get out for a couple of hours this afternoon before...

It wasn't possible to get our Covid booster's locally, so we had a nice trip out today for our Moderna stabbing at a Scout hut situated in a market town to the South. No doubt the venue had been selected because of the very generously sized car park, however not being local made it a little...

Good afternoon. Nothing much happening today, it is wet 'n' windy again, ideal conditions to stay in and update my workshop status - it's progressing nicely from "incredibly untidy" to plain "untidy". Thanks for the aluminium cutting fluid suggestions. Good to hear you are enjoying retirement...

Good morning all. After months of putting off a simple job, I finally got around this morning to replacing the wiring for my Fergie's solar trickle charger. If the sun would care to shine in the next week or two it should have caught the battery before it self discharges too far. Wng, that...

Good afternoon, I am pleased to be back inside after having got caught in near to freezing rain which came heavier than expected. My intention was to move more cut wood out of the wetland while the ground was frozen. It was not a bad plan, however cold wet gloves and the miserable conditions...

Good afternoon all. The storm is over, while it killed people in some parts of the country we got off lightly with only disrupted sleep and few downed branches. Most of them can wait for another day, though I did have to go out this morning with a chainsaw to cut away an ash that had taken out a...

Good morning, it sure is windy today, makes putting hay out quite a challenge. I will have to sneak out tonight when it drops a little and refill racks before the full force of the storm hits tomorrow. Hope you all enjoyed your Thanksgiving. You are making me wish my life away - in England our...

Good morning. After a glorious day yesterday the sun set in an almost clear sky. According to the forecasters that may be the last we will see of it for the rest of the month, can't complain it has been a wonderful autumn to get things done this year. Wng, good to hear your wife got the all...

Good afternoon. We have been enjoying more dry weather today. I almost felt guilty at not making the most of it to cut more timber in the wetland, then reasoned that you can have too much of a good thing. Instead I played at welding up a steel frame for a Mk3 shooting bench. I had thought of...

It has been so warm these last few days that wasps have come out of hibernation and all the tiny annoying biting insects that we thought were over for this year are once again feasting on us. These last few months have seen relatively little rainfall. I have been making the most of it, spending...

Good afternoon. Back inside earlier than I expected, forgot to take water with me so decided to come back for a cup of tea and a bit of a rest before I do any more chain sawing in the wetland. After many misty days it is to good to see the sun again, especially as most trees are finally...

Have been making the most of the dry weather, was nice to be able to take the Iseki into fields without making too much mess of the gateways. Finally got on with digging in a replacement gate post that has been cluttering up my mental to-do list for way too long. Don, both my wife's and my PC...

Good afternoon, another windless and misty day here. At first light I thought there had been a frost as the fields were white over, yet it is only light reflecting off countless damp spider webs. It is nice to see all the fall pic's including Steppenwolfe's today. Our ash trees are shedding...

Good morning all. This mornings mist is slowly lifting, there looks to be a competition in progress to see which type of grass can hang on to the most water droplets. David, sorry to hear of the loss of your BIL. Bird, our small town has been expanding rapidly too. I can never complain about...

Good afternoon, thermometer says it is not cold, a good few degrees above freezing, yet it feels much chillier thanks to a wind that is determined to suck away all the heat it can get (random thought - was the salt sucking monster in Star Trek ever sated ?) Tried to help a friend with an...

Good morning, a nice dry day ahead after the third frosty night in a row. Yesterday I took my time clearing out some hedgerow and burning off piles of blackthorn brash. The only voting I did was for an early finish when my dairy farm neighbour came along up wind with his muck spreader. Great...

Thanks Wng, very interesting.

Good morning all. Showers haven't died out yet and the wind is still up, a good excuse to take a little longer over breakfast and leave the chainsaw work until this afternoon. Ron, what a stunning row of fall colours. The mole I caught on Friday was the biggest I have ever seen, your pic...

Good afternoon. Our 4 year old grandson wasn't fooled at all by the clocks going back an hour, he got us up as usual an hour before the first chink of daylight. My wife had carved his pumpkin out yesterday, so this was the ideal opportunity to try it out before his return home for tonight's...

Good afternoon. At this time of year the sun is just about to show as I take Max outside for his first 3-legged balancing act of the day. Often it is dull and damp, neither of us can wait to get back inside. Very occasionally though we get mornings like this Rich, congrats on setting the...

Good afternoon, rain shower just chased us inside after moving more rocks from the new garden. Can't be much more than a ton left to move. :), now I understand ! Our most popular scam call/text at the moment is to say you have missed a parcel delivery. Police have been slow to react to...

Good morning all. Mild dry weather has let me keep busy outside for a few days. Worryingly, my wife hasn't mentioned a single thing that I should be doing this weekend - can't tell yet if that is a trick - or a treat :unsure: :giggle: Wng, not a clue what Publishers Clearinghouse Sweepstakes...

Good morning all. I know a few here enjoy eating and sometimes producing maple syrup, but I was surprised to hear just how valuable it is as a bulk commodity and that "The Great Canadian Maple Syrup Heist" is not simply fiction. I understand there is a new film about it soon to be released -...

Good afternoon, 2 teaser tups have just been taken out, 6 non-blank firing tups have joined the flock. There are some very happy sheep out there. Not really, except Blackthorn has 2 inch+ thorns. You could say it is irritating when they find a weak spot through my gloves. :) When left for...

Good morning all. Gateways are a little sticky this morning after last nights rain, I may leave it another day before continuing to thin out the hedge that borders the hay field. It was slow going yesterday with loppers and chainsaw, I'm sure Don would have cleared twice as much in the same...

Dry weather for last two days has let me get on with more painting. My right arm is now complaining, it will either have to be left hand brush strokes for the rest of this afternoon, or else I take it easy and risk the weather for tomorrow. Whichever I go with, I am likely to regret it ;)...

The doubling glazing production lines finally caught up with our order, we had 11 window panes replaced yesterday. Strange to open the curtains this morning and see through an almost invisible hole in the wall instead of beads of condensation sandwiched between 2 pieces of glass. No I...

Autumn biding it's time to arrive here too, a very pleasant time of year to get around the fields each morning and see the trees slowly adjust. Kyle, you are going to need a much bigger house if you keep succumbing to temptation at those yard sales. ;) Psst LS, great advice for David's...

Had an interesting walk around our fields with a man who is part of a group researching "Acute Oak Decline". I understand it is not the same disease as found in North America, though the end result is about the same - dead oaks. They are looking at the connection between 3 different microbes and...

Some mornings the sheep run away from me, other days they hold their ground and give me the "Who are ewe looking at ?" stare Alien, I reckon your steering wheel is perfectly positioned (just like mine !). Wng is just reluctant to admit that he is "alternatively orientated" ? ;) :giggle:

Good afternoon. Max had to be sedated for his annual check last week, which resulted in him going back to have 11 of his teeth pulled. I hadn't been aware before that such extensive tooth decay is almost inevitable in some of the smaller breeds as they get older (he is 9). It seems that dogs...

Good afternoon. Quite a blustery day here, clouds travelling over at a speed that doesn't give much chance of anticipating the showers. Decided to give up using power tools outside as it only seemed to be attracting more rain clouds. Wng what a remarkable roofing company. We probably will...

A series of chilly nights and damp mornings convinced me it was not too indulgent to fire up the range in the kitchen. Sadly weather is warming up enough not to justify any more burning today, which is tough on a woodburner addict who has just experienced the first real taste of autumn. Roy...

Roy, hope your wife's ankle op has gone well. It is back to shortages of essential stuff here. Panic buying of petrol has been going on for a few days now, mostly caused by the way that news stations reported on a shortage of tanker drivers. I will give it a few more days to hopefully calm...

Good afternoon. A sharp shower has brought me inside and persuaded me to put away the concrete breaker for today. Not that I needed much persuading, except I promised my wife I would finish removing the last part of the old concrete cattle yard at the front of the house before she can transform...

Good morning, plenty of light cloud here and little chance of rain. It should be a good afternoon to take a walk with a knapsack and kill off the last of the weeds before colder weather has them thinking of winter. RNG, good work on tracking down a 4-in-1 in stock. The fit between the halves...

We took Max to the vets yesterday for his annual jab. He has never been keen on needles, usually I just have to hold his head firm then it is all over in a few seconds. Covid rules meant I could not do that this time, the young lady took him away on his lead. He went quietly enough but then was...

Don't worry Bups, you won't have to go without staples, I have plenty to share. :)

Wng, thought about your coffee roasting when I was by the big pond the other day. From a distance part of it looked like a rich dark roast with cream floating on top, except when I got closer ... The "cream" topping was actually goose feathers. Unfortunately the rich dark brown colouring also...

Good afternoon, enjoying a very pleasant day here, plenty of sunshine and only a very light wind, which my wife says is coming from the east. I like any easy life so did not disagree with that opinion, though my herbicide spraying records for this morning say northerly. If a farm inspector...

Good afternoon, weather is great at the moment, was nice to be able to paint a couple of doors this morning without the threat of rain. Managed yesterday to say goodbye to last year's muck heap, with me loading and a friend spreading. The stuff was well rotted, yet still very wet and dense...

Good afternoon, rain is finished for a few days and the sun is out. With no lambs to mither the ewes and lush grass up to their belly's, the sheep are as happy as can be. PJ, fantastic pictures. The Crystal City web page says "Crystal City Underground has been closed due to flooding, except...

Good afternoon. Said goodbye to the last of the lambs today. Many of the ewes were getting too old for tupping this year, they have also been going to market over the last few weeks. Replacements expected by next week in time for the teaser tups, in the meantime thanks to the warm wet weather...

Good morning all. After a week of crazy high humidity and temperatures, we are back to something more normal for September. It made for far more comfortable sleeping last night, I felt quite refreshed when the grandkids woke me up at first daylight. Mostly, two young enthusiasts taking over...

Good afternoon all :oops: must try to remember to post earlier tomorrow !

Bird, enjoy your cool weather, you are welcome to take the heat back anytime you like. I am just not used to all this sunshine and humidity, the workshop and shed are uncomfortably warm too. With plenty of leaves still on the branches, I should be spoilt for choice looking for a bit of shade...

Good morning, the sun soon chased away the fog this morning, expected high of 28C/82F, which is pretty warm for an English September. RNG, that is an impressive soil screen. Appreciate your dedication in filming that for us into a headwind :) I had a friend who used to take delight in...

Good afternoon, thought I would catch up on here while having a sit down to give my finger chance to stop throbbing after getting a splinter down the back of my finger nail. Fortunately there was enough wood left poking out to be able to grip it with pliers. Best of all, my wife says I am now...

Good morning. Lots of sun for a change today, thermometer should be getting some mild exercise with a stretch to 22C/72F by this afternoon. The front ones are not too bad, especially as I am lucky to have a friend who has had lots of practice with much larger agricultural tires than mine. This...

Wng, good to see you fit enough again for the more adventurous trails. How does such a scenic spot come to be called "Old Rag". I said goodbye to an old friend this week, my Claud Butler "Olympic" bike that I bought second hand way back in 1978. The old bike was always my favourite, even after...

Good morning. No floods here, just a chilling wet mist that numbed my fingers and soon had my insides longing for a bowl of porridge. Mostly, I think porridge could have quietened your Peugeot axle too - not sure for how long though :giggle: After not using the Iseki for a few days I noticed...

Good afternoon. Other than seeing a batch of lambs off to market, this is turning out to be a pretty lazy day, partially because we are still recovering from grandkid visits on Bank Holiday Monday, partially also because I just can't find the bottle of special oil that I need to turn burnt...

Good afternoon, we are enjoying a day of pure sunshine. My wife has spent most of the morning trying to spot an elusive and unusual butterfly which has been making fleeting appearances this week. The small brown ones all look much the same to me. Her patience with me in general is remarkable, so...

Good morning and thanks for the anniversary wishes. I have been keeping out of trouble this morning by applying a second light coat of oil stain to a couple of upstairs windows and the French doors on the snug. The oil finish may not be as long lasting as the stuff that was used before, but it...

Good morning, a clear sky today yet not too hot thanks to a gentle easterly breeze that will keep the thermometers to no more than 20C/68F. Broadband has been pitifully slow these last few days. Repair man came and swapped over the last spare pair of cores in the cable that runs under the...

Good morning all. Had a trip to timber yard yesterday and ordered some oak glazing beads for the windows, together with a few sheets of birch ply. That stuff is now so expensive, wouldn't be surprised if delivery truck has armed security guards. RNG, I think that is true for a small air space...

Watching you up there made me feel queasy - I could just image the ladder falling away with you still clinging to the top of the tank ! (y)

Good morning. Despite what the forecast had promised, we could feel rain on our faces as we started our little walk up the track before breakfast. It was so light, not a ripple showed on the mirror flat surface as we reached the top pond. It took only a few seconds to call up the camera app on...

A very wet and slightly chilly summers morning for us, high of 17C/63F. I have just put a new bag in the shop vac, time to transform the workshop into a sawdust free zone so I can do a bit of reloading. Does anyone else wear hearing aids ? I find them the most frustrating thing about mask...

Good morning, not so many bear sightings around here. Our heat pump has been having to do an unusual amount of work this week to keep us supplied with hot water. It will be the same again today, the solar panels are on the west side of the roof and will have missed out on the delightful...

Good afternoon. I am late checking in, been busy catching up with a few outside jobs before the weather turns wet tomorrow. Ken, very sorry to hear the loss of your long-time friend. Don, thanks in no small measure to you, I can tick the last 9 of the items on those guidelines and my meat...

Good afternoon. Definitely not going to be a hundred plus day here, our "high" is 16C/60F. Gardening didn't go quite to plan yesterday. Had some rocks to move so I put the bucket on the loader and was fortunate to catch a hydraulic oil leek before too much was lost. A flat face coupler had...

Good morning, 19C/ 66F with little chance of rain. I had planned on doing a bit of outside painting later, except the wind is up and bringing with it lots of weed seeds. Never mind, gives me more time to help my wife get our front garden into looking less like a building site. Steppenwolfe, my...

Good morning all. Been doing quite a bit of grass and weed cutting with the rotary topper. All 4 blades had dings in their cutting edge, so I took them off and dressed them. Picked the last one up to put on the balancing jig and for some inexplicable reason, tested how hot it had got during...

Good morning all. There are many times each year when the sun beats down, or the heavens open, or a cold wind is buffeting, that I am grateful I have a cab on my tractor. Never more so though than days like yesterday, when I put a front wheel down an unseen hole in the grass and out poured...

Good morning, a great day here, no rain and a nice bit of cloud for some cool hatless wandering with a knapsack. I used to be able to catch up on here while eating breakfast. Since my laptop died I have been using a full sized PC in a part of the house which is out of bounds for food. Toppop...

Thanks to more heavy rain there has been a lot of slipping and sliding in mud this afternoon, pulling out lambs for market. My welly boots couldn't get a grip, my feet felt like a 2 wheel drive tractor on turf tires, while the 40kg+ lambs were digging in like a 4 wheel drive on ags - with diff...

Good morning, expected high of 18C/64F and very wet - just another typical summer's day in England. That is sad. Do you avoid riding your bikes near to and after sunset ? I guess deer are even more of a problem than in the UK. Each year we have 40,000 - 70,000 collisions with deer, over 400...

Hi Charlie, email sent, hope you have lots of fun with your 545 !

Good morning all. Not much of a view here today, low cloud and heavy rain obscuring everything further than a couple of fields away. Good day to catch up on some machinery maintenance in the shed. Most sports that pay individuals obscene amounts of money are an instant turn off to me too. I...

Good morning, the rain has been hit and miss for the last few weeks, mostly missing, but still letting us enjoy the rainbows after others nearby have had the soaking. Radar leaves little doubt that we all get drenched for the rest of today. Nope, all chairs accounted for. :)

Yes, both gate and sheep "unhinged". I will have to drill and put in a cross pin.

Good morning all. Last night we had just sat down after tea to enjoy a cup of coffee when I noticed sheep at the top of the shed field. Not an unusual sight, except I had shut them out earlier to do some spraying. Jumped in car to drive up and see what was going on. What the *!@K That's the...

Good afternoon, 20C/ 68F with hardly a breath of wind. My jobs for the day are done so I will go pick up some of the green cherries that dropped early and do a bit of target shooting. My wife surprised me by having done some compact tractor spotting while she was watching the Olympics. She...

Good evening, it has been a great day here to do anything that requires a bit of manual effort, lots of thick cloud to keep the sun away. I have been chain sawing alder and silver birch that was felled in the wetland last year. This is the first time it has been dry enough to get in there...

To the funny farm Where life is beautiful all the time I am guessing something like this :-

Good afternoon, after a lot of rain last night it kindly help off today while a man came to measure up our windows for replacement double glazing units. Many have failed in not much more than 10 years. He told me that at the moment there is a shortage of glass, the main manufacturer has been...

Interesting Don - though I guess it depends too on how fast the light is falling. Doesn't it take about 20 minutes for your pupils to fully dilate? Perhaps another test is needed, placing a blindfold over your eyes at 8:35. Take it off at 8:55 and then see how dark/light it looks. Then ponder...

Good morning, I was lucky to get the sheep moved between fields without a soaking this morning, thunderstorms have so far been content to look threatening and rumble away in the distance. Had a visit from daughter and family yesterday. Usually they come at the weekend, still struggling to...

Good morning. Lovely day here, not much wind and set to go no higher than a very pleasant 24C/75F. Back home today after a trip to Yorkshire to see our son and girlfriend. It was good too to catch with friends too on the other side of the Pennine hills without any Covid restrictions. That's...

Good morning. My old fergie had to come out of the shed to get at some other machinery. Ran for a few hundred yards, then engine died. First time out in almost 2 years, a slow diesel leak had left the tank empty. It was going to a new home just before Covid kicked off, but now they don't have...

Good morning all. The cloud promised by the forecasters yesterday has so far turned out to be a no-show. Thought I would crack on regardless at filling a couple of holes in window frames. Mixed up some 2 part filler, only to find it had gone solid before I could get it in place. I guess those...

With a bit of luck this will be our last warm day at 29C/84F. It would be pleasant enough if it wasn't for the humidity, just glad that unlike some I don't have to participate in any Cedarcide. Don, how do you cope wearing chainsaw protective leggings in that heat ? Ron, your field edge...

All 3 hay fields baled yesterday.

Good afternoon all. The day started out with a thick mist when we took a stroll up to the top pond to feed the fish with a few crusts. My wife heard a steam train in the distance and we waited in anticipation. Usually the sight and sound of those majestic old machines is really impressive, not...

These last few days have been hot for a country that has very little air con except in cars (and tractors!). Lots of people complaining, I am just relieved that thunderstorms have stayed away. Hay is ready and the bailing contractor should be here in about an hour. Looks like we will be stacking...

Another cloud free day here. At 28C/82F the heat would be nothing for many of you, for us it is more of a struggle, as we slowly learn to do nothing much except sit in the shade and watch buzzards soar high in the sky. Actually I am surprised the buzzards and kestrels are able to fly today...

Kyle, outdoor air rifle shooting is a popular sport here, with at least 3 different monthly magazines and 2 very active web sites. It is not too hard to find a "Field Target" club for people who do not have big enough gardens to shoot at home. The uninvited visitors were neither keen shots nor...

Walked the fields this morning wearing only a thin shirt and was glad to keep pausing in shade under the trees to cool down. Summer has arrived at last. Yesterday evening on my way back from collecting the bin from the roadside, I noticed in the distance some people far away from the footpath...

So true PJ, I was wondering why everyone had suddenly started talking dirty ! :unsure: :)

Good morning, just been out on what I am hoping is my last ragwort pulling session for this year. Fingers crossed the weather forecast will hold for haymaking to start tomorrow. Those in the pic were Prunius avium which are edible for humans and tend to disappear as soon as they start to...

Good morning all. Looks like we are entering a dry and sunny spell for the rest of the week. A few things to get from town, will be nice to walk in without needing to take a waterproof coat. Wild cherries are starting to fill out. This relatively wet spring and summer has been good for many...

A late Good morning from me. This is the time of year when I seem to do lots of walking to try and keep on top of ragwort in the hay fields. Spot spraying when the grass is short earlier on in the year is not too bad, now the grass is taller the stuff is almost ready to seed by the time it...

Good morning all. I moved the sheep over to a far off field this morning and it has brought a pleasure I haven't experienced for months - the luxury of being able to drive in and out of all the other fields without having to keep getting out to open and shut gates ! Roy, my dad would have...

Good afternoon. A muggy day here, I was drenched in sweat this morning by the time we got the second lot of lambs away to market. No water shortage here, had some really heavy downpours yesterday on the way home from visiting my sister. The anti-collision system had long since declared itself...

Good afternoon all. Unusually windy here, at the speed the dark clouds are passing over it is difficult to judge a gap long enough to do much outside without getting a soak. Nice and dry though in a tractor cab. Pennwalk, hope you don't get caught hotwiring the power company equipment !

Steady rain and a gentle breeze has helped cool my ears down this morning, the right ear was particular grateful after suffering from an unexpected Covid side effect of too much time in the sun. My stained Tiley hat offers great uv protection, however I had to leave it at home yesterday while...

A thick cool mist is proving slow to clear this morning. Wish I could share it with those of you who are feeling too much heat. 5/16th UNC bolts arrived in post this morning, they screw in perfectly. I bought a few 3/8" and 1/4" stainless bolts for the next time I am playing with spotting...

Thanks for all the bolt info. Good morning is a great thread - for finding threads !

Good morning, we finally had some very considerate rain, only falling after dark and almost done by breakfast time. Most new things here are made with metric threads and have been for quite a while, so I was a bit stumped yesterday when I came to fit a plate on a water pump to find that an M8...

Good morning, lots of catching up to do here, which is partially the fault of the weather forecasters. Since Friday they keep saying it will rain later in the day, so I put off sitting down with a computer until it arrives, however the clouds keep refusing to part with a drop. I have never felt...

Wng, so sorry to hear of the loss of your great friend. I bet for the rest of your life you will smile and think of Coco each time you see a frisbee in flight.

Had a pleasant stroll around town with my wife this morning. It was good to see the place so busy again, even if we all still have to put on masks before entering shops. Fuddy, are you tempted to buy the island home ? Wng, good to hear you recovered enough to be roasting not just one but 3...

Good afternoon, unlike some it is neither hot nor humid here, even though the sun is shining. Cooling comes courtesy of a gentle northerly breeze, it nicely kept us from overheating this morning while worming the lambs. Think I will go for an easy afternoon, especially as exterior woodwork...

Good afternoon. We had heavy rain last night that dashed down the grass in the hay fields, leaving only weeds standing tall. My legs are tired out from zig zagging through just one field with a knapsack to try and nuke as many weeds as possible before they can think of producing seeds. Unless it...

Good evening, I am slowly catching up with GM while waiting for my wife to make tea. Don, pleased to hear Whipper is on the mend. Looks like it will be water instead of red wine with our meal today. Ken that is a very handy looking back hoe. Can you roll the dolly while it is on grass ...

The app I use to remember passwords often does not let me in recently. Found out that my vpn connection was finding the fastest connection to the internet through Ireland and France, which was something the password manager did not appreciate. Good morning, Bonjour and Top of the morning to...

Good afternoon, had a warm afternoon topping thistles and then cutting a path down the side of the far hayfield. Sat high up in a cab gives a good view of both weeds and more welcome wild flowers, including a few orchids. Drew, great to hear you got the all clear. I was thinking about you as...

Winter !! Now I'm feeling depressed, I suppose the signs are there every day of how quickly the year is passing, the sheep are shorn, my wife just picked the first strawberry and the ducklings on the big pond are no longer little balls of fluff. Wng, congratulations to your son & wife. By the...

Good morning, minor good and bad news. Bad news first - the sun is shining, no rain in forecast and I have lots more windows waiting to be sanded. Good news - completely ran out of sanding discs. Until they are delivered I can sit in the shade for an hour or two without feeling too guilty and...

Good morning all. That new drug for Alzheimer's seems to be controversial in terms of it's effectiveness in trials, but it has got to be great news in that it at least gives hope to many. Yet another gate post rotted off, this time one at the entrance to the yard. Not much space to dig it...

Good morning, we have a bank of light cloud for a change today, makes a nice change to not have to hide under the wide brim of a Tilley hat. 😁 😁 😁 You wouldn't believe how long it took to find a can of Zebra paint. Ken, Tulip poplar is not grown here but is available from some timber...

Good morning, we have been enjoying dry weather all week, spent last couple of days rubbing down old paint on windows, going to try Osmo oil this time, only problem is deciding which shade to go for. Don, you are too modest, those shapes are surely carefully crafted countries of the world -...

Good morning, on the same day that Thomas's wife was firing up her woodstove we were enjoying our warmest day of the year, although it was only a modest 24C/75F. Today could be hotter, the sheep have yet to be sheared so most are already hiding in the shade of the oaks. The few that were still...

Good morning all. A clear sky morning for us, possibly the the first time this year we will be closing curtains in the afternoon to keep the house cool. This was the view towards town as I strolled up the slope on my way to chase weeds in a hay field with a knapsack. Lots of half hidden gems in...

Good morning, the sun is shining, a good day for preparing outside doors and testing some sample finishes. A clear wax oil looked good at first when the oak was new, however it soon weathers away on the sunny sides of the house. Popgadget, 60" square is an interesting size for plywood. Most...

Good morning all. Had an almost completely dry day yesterday, trying to catch up on lots of little jobs, such as breaking up the concrete stanchion pads from where our front garden is to go. Concrete hammers soon tire me out ! Kyle, you are a lucky man, having so many talented kids to be...

Good afternoon, apart from the weather things seem to be finally returning to normal. This latest relaxation in Covid rules have allowed our son and his girlfriend to come and stay with us for the weekend for the first time in over a year. I even managed to get hold of a couple of hundred Berger...

Good morning, "unseasonably windy" said the lady on the weather forecast. Having been just lashed by some almost horizontal rain, I think she was right. This is turning out to be a very good year for blossom, the pink glow from crab apples cheered up a very dark morning. Has Covid effected...

Good morning all. The day started with a beautiful sky, all blue except for the odd fluffy white cloud. Not sure if it was my wife that lured in the dark clouds by putting out the washing, or me with my welding. The rain started as I was half way round tacking up a square frame. Would you move...

Good morning, the day has started well, I got only slightly damp while doing my rounds, I got back home in time to hear it start pounding on the roof. The "Goose Island" needs renaming. Nest abandoned, all to be seen for mother goose's weeks of effort are ever fatter ravens. Kyle very sorry...

Good morning all. Rain all day long predicts the weatherman. Fortunately I can finish one little "outside" job from yesterday while under cover, fixing bolts through a steel plate. One of the roof timbers above a bay in the shed has sagged badly and had to be temporarily propped to prevent the...

Ken you have just made me realise that this pesky pandemic has also been curtailing my enjoyment of kippers and smoked cod. I am only allowed to indulge in stinky fish when my wife has a day out with friends, something she hasn't been able to do for over a year. I don't know what has got into...

Good morning, a bit dull and wet but at least no lightning, I may be able to get the fly rod out later. Ken, we can try, although when it comes to taking pics I am only an opportunist snap shooter. Ron is in a whole different league, as he's showed us again this morning ! Chris, I don't think...

Good afternoon, we are having a lot of showers this week, most of them start within a minute or two of me stepping out of the door. These are ideal conditions for the Ladys Smock to come into flower Lightning has taken out the power a few times recently, the longest yesterday was just shy of...

Good morning, the weather has warmed up at last, last night we stayed a full 10 degrees above freezing (that is full sized Celsius degrees, not those measly half portion Fahrenheit degrees :D). It is not unusual for a lamb to get it's head stuck somewhere, though when I left this bit of old...

Good afternoon, not a bad day here, much helped by being able to look at the radar map and timing work outside to avoid getting drenched by the thicker banks of cloud. We got our 2nd shot of Astra Zeneca vaccine yesterday, 12 weeks after the first jab. When they first announced the untrialled...

Good morning, the wind has calmed down nicely, shower clouds passing by slow enough to be able anticipate when to go out for ten minutes without getting too wet. When deciding what seed to buy for vegetables, my wife goes for best flavour instead of size. She was surprised how large the last few...

Good morning, no tornadoes like BEF, wind is certainly gusting strong though, stripping lots of new fresh green leaf off the oak trees. Jackdaws are appreciating the rain showers, it seems to improve their chances of finding a tasty grub when they flick over dried sheep poop. One of them kept...

Good morning all. Thick cloud has brought a frost free start to the day at last. Randy, good to see you keeping busy outside again. After 3 nights of baiting I thought it was time to sit out at dusk and see if I could put an end to the cheeky rat. I tucked myself into a dark corner on the...

Good afternoon, I thought I would have all day to play outside, however rain came sooner than expected. At least I got out for a couple of hours with the brush cutter and made an impression on some unwanted weeds and rushes. Thomas, 9 wheelbarrows is a lot of kindling at one go, how is your arm...

Good morning, almost no wind today, very pleasant to outside to sit and do next to nothing for a short while. I am not a great fan of Canada geese, at times in winter we have hundreds descend on us and they make a right mess. Even so, I don't object to the occasional pairs that decide to settle...

Good morning, we have seen frost almost every day in April and last night was no exception. LS, sorry to hear about your plan changes yesterday. On the positive side, it doesn't sound as though your head damaged the tractor ... RS, please quit it with those tight circles - your pics are making...

Good morning, it has clouded over today and wind has switched direction, which is quite fortunate as neighbour is spreading more muck on the other side of the railway. Yesterday I put my new waders on and tried to drag the Mk1 fish refuge in to position. It got stuck in the mud below before it...

Good morning, another night of frost had my wife shuttling plants between greenhouse and kitchen windowsills, though this could be the last time this side of autumn. Our daughter and family visited yesterday for the first time in six months. Covid restrictions still don't yet allow them to come...

Good morning, with a slight haze here to temper the sunshine, it is not a bad day to be out and enjoy some calming nature as Drew suggests, only minor issue is the wind. Not that it is blowing strong, only issue is the direction - it puts us downwind of where a neighbour is spreading the slurry...