Early Risers.

[Torr Giffard LSWR 1951-71]

Is echos your sentiments G....myself, I prefer to remain a visitor.

 

Dave

[45156]

Afternoon All

 

Caught up and not a lot to say this after at all, as it has been domestic task after domestic task - recementing the stove pipe where the fireproof board is starting to wear, then painting the bathroom ceiling - wow.

 

Were going to take a trip to Penrith where one of life's little delicacies is on offer at one of the chippies, in the form of the Spam Fritter, but the forecast was for rain, but it didn't (yet).  So tomorrow instead.

 

Posts rated, and generic greetings are offered as usual.

 

Regards to All

Stewart

Edited August 5, 2015 by 45156

[gordon s]

One of the streams in our pond has developed a leak over the past few months meaning the pond needed topping up almost on a daily basis.  Trawled off the to the local water garden centre to look at the possibilities and over the last few weeks every avenue was explored from a small wildlife pond, to preformed sections and everything else in between.  None of them seemed to fill the space and like an idiot the words 'I could do that' fell from my lips and the deed was done.

 

Truth is I should be able to put a stream together from butyl liner, underlay and a few rocks, but I had completely underestimated just how much earth had to be moved and how back breaking digging is once the magic figure of 70 is rapidly approaching.  I'm a reasonably fit guy, certainly not overweight and play golf at least 3-4 times every week, so digging out a stream should be a piece of cake….

 

Jeez, every bone and muscle is screaming enough is enough!  Never again...

 

Well, the component parts are in and water flowing.  This stage always looks strange as you have water flowing right across the liner.  Once the rocks are placed inside the liner, the area of flow narrows completely and what looks like the Amazon right now will become a narrow stream, flowing faster, but nowhere near the width you can see in this pic.

 

Doing bits on a pond are rewarding, but it can take weeks until the whole thing settles down and careful planting softens the whole look as it stands right now.

 

Tonight could be spent with heat pads and similar devices to try and get my back functioning normally for golf in Surrey tomorrow….:-)

 

The next few days could be sad ones for Mrs S.  Our dear old puss has showed no signs of normal toilet habits and the fear is a minor stroke may have blown the electrical connection to the muscles that help in excretion.  We've tried everything to get things to work, but enema's etc have proven to be so stressful for her, we fear nothing more can be done.  The next 72 hours could decide everything.  We're hoping it will have a happy ending, but all the odds are stacked against us.  Of course I will miss her as well, but Maine 's are one person cats and she has always been friendly, but not to the same level of love she shares with my wife.

 

I don't think we'll replace Phoebe and we'll just stay with our two dogs.  Funny to think that 25 years ago when Jackie and I first got together we had six cats between us, but one by one they have passed on until we now have have just one.  It will be strange having no cats at all….

 

 

 

 

[BoD]

I'm not a cat person but I know how attached one becomes to animals.

I'm sure that your cat has had a wonderful life Gordon and that over the next few days you and J will only do what is best for your beloved pet.

[gordon s]

Thanks BoD.  It never occurred to me our cat breed would be censored….

 

That pic could be Phoebe.

 

http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d3/MaineCoonSilverTabby.jpg&imgrefurl=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maine_Coon&h=598&w=822&tbnid=zsZhp7uLL7o6UM:&tbnh=145&tbnw=200&usg=__kRsulf4dPMmUZDBAJ0kjHaGJDoc=&docid=xH7YNEDMVMcJQM&itg=1

 

 

 

 

Edited August 5, 2015 by gordon s

[roundhouse]

Thanks BoD.  It never occurred to me our cat breed would be censored….

 

That pic could be Phoebe.

 

http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d3/MaineCoonSilverTabby.jpg&imgrefurl=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maine_Coon&h=598&w=822&tbnid=zsZhp7uLL7o6UM:&tbnh=145&tbnw=200&usg=__kRsulf4dPMmUZDBAJ0kjHaGJDoc=&docid=xH7YNEDMVMcJQM&itg=1

I was trying to work out what word might be censored!

 

EDIT - my other half got the name straight away. She would love to have cats but we are away too much.

Edited August 5, 2015 by roundhouse

[grandadbob]

Absolutely cream crackered now after getting most things on the list done except one more coat of emulsion needed and the strimming can wait until another day. Oh and hoping for more rain as the plants haven't had enough to drink yet. However I am having a drink and relaxing after a nice meal and on my second pint of Theakston's Lightfoot. ( I picked up a couple of cases at the brewery a couple of weeks ago)

Edited August 5, 2015 by grandadbob

[AndyID]

but I had completely underestimated just how much earth had to be moved and how back breaking digging is 

 

 

Reminds me of how I thought it would be "no problem" to level a pad for MrsID's greenhouse. Our garden is essentially a pile of consolidated basalt rubble. I hacked away at it for one day. The next day I went out and bought a diesel tractor with a backhoe

 

Sorry to hear about your cat.

[emt_911]

Today was definitely busy but I managed to escape early to avoid any rush caused by the underground strike.

 

A question for the driving instructors out there after seeing this numerous times over the last few days. When did it become a requirement to indicate right when going straight ahead at a roundabout?

[New Haven Neil]

Sorry to hear about Phoebe, Gordon - I still miss our last one.  And the previous three, for that matter.  Friends across had a Maine 'unusable word' too, also a one woman cat.

 

Nice Koi pond - wish our water was so clear!

 

We've had enough rain to share with Bob, hissing down all afternoon, and still gently raining yet.  Only just managed to stop myself buying a Heljan 05 this afternoon whilst opening a new box full, but divorces are expensive......and the DVD hard drive recorder thingy died last night so that is a higher priority, I am informed.  So now we are getting one that can record two channels at once, so that will be twice as many programmes we never watch!

[grandadbob]

The other night my old mate wondered why I hadn't got Sky with all the Sports & Movie Channels. I said that I haven't got the time to watch everything I record now and am forever deleting stuff.

[Jock67B]

Stay safe Mike, Mrs Stationmaster (is Dr. Sc going?). Enjoy yourself!

 

G’night Jock.  I’m knackered, I just got back from the hardest working 4.5 hours I can remember. I enjoy my “work” as you know but tonight I just feel old. You’ll be pleased to hear that I still did a good job....

 

Best, Pete.

Evening(here!) Pete,

I agree that getting old isn't a lot of fun, but as I've often said, the alternative is not very palatable either! I struggle to understand whether the aches and weariness I feel come from my bone cancer, or they are simply part of being sixty-eight years old!!

Keep going mate, it will probably feel worse if you stop.

Kind regards,

Jock.

G'night for later!

[Coombe Barton]

Weather report far South West

 

So low cloud I had to use rear fog light when coming back from the chippie two miles away. 50 yard visibility.

[Judge Dread]

 When did it become a requirement to indicate right when going straight ahead at a roundabout?

What happen to signalling left on your approach to a roundabout showing that you intend to take the first exit? How many times have you had to hold back entering a roundabout because you are not sure whether the car to your right is or is not taking the previous exit and thus you have to wait? Those persons don't consider when they have the same problem, a left signal would have made all the difference. 

As to those who signal left as they are half way into their left turn!!

[AndyID]

So low cloud I had to use rear fog light when coming back from the chippie two miles away. 50 yard visibility.

 

Harr?

[AndyID]

What happen to signalling left on your approach to a roundabout showing that you intend to take the first exit? How many times have you had to hold back entering a roundabout because you are not sure whether the car to your right is or is not taking the previous exit and thus you have to wait? Those persons don't consider when they have the same problem, a left signal would have made all the difference. 

As to those who signal left as they are half way into their left turn!!

 

Is the Arc de Triomphe still a gigantic roundabout? Years ago the standard technique was to take the shortest path between your entry and exit

[emt_911]

What happen to signalling left on your approach to a roundabout showing that you intend to take the first exit? How many times have you had to hold back entering a roundabout because you are not sure whether the car to your right is or is not taking the previous exit and thus you have to wait? Those persons don't consider when they have the same problem, a left signal would have made all the difference. 

As to those who signal left as they are half way into their left turn!!

I don't know if this is something observed only by me, but, indicators seem to be less common as the value of the car is increased

[newbryford]

Today was definitely busy but I managed to escape early to avoid any rush caused by the underground strike.

 

A question for the driving instructors out there after seeing this numerous times over the last few days. When did it become a requirement to indicate right when going straight ahead at a roundabout?

 

Not a requirement in my car. "Right" usually means anything after 12 o'clock, when approaching from the 6 o'clock direction.

Bad/wrong/indifferent roundabout signalling is something I warn my pupils about to be ready for.

 

 If you want to see weird signalling at roundabouts - go to The Algarve, there is s series of them along the main road through Albufeira. Some of the drivers indicate every move. So to turn left (the equivalent of our right), they will indicate right, as that's the first direction change into the roundabout, then indicate left to go around the roundie and finishing with a right signal to exit.

 

Cheers,

Mick

[Tony_S]

Gordon. One of Aditi's colleagues has just acquired a kitten, Freddie, of the variety you describe. Aditi said Kevin, her colleague, had been down to the Isle of Wight to collect a Mancunian cat. I said I wasn't aware of such a breed. She showed me a photo and when remembering that Kevin is South African I realised what it was!

[leopardml2341]

Perhaps we could start a 'Mugshots' sub thread?

14387792238081092994228.jpg

But I only drink from the Yorkshire part

OK, I couldn't resist:

 

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/101828-mugshots/?p=1975934

 

Humour me?

[Tony_S]

Evening(here!) Pete,

I agree that getting old isn't a lot of fun, but as I've often said, the alternative is not very palatable either! I struggle to understand whether the aches and weariness I feel come from my bone cancer, or they are simply part of being sixty-eight years old!!

Keep going mate, it will probably feel worse if you stop.

Kind regards,

Jock.

G'night for later!

I know what you mean. The last 30 odd years have been good practice for normal aging symptoms. I cope quite well now! Edited August 5, 2015 by Tony_S

[station cat]

Mr and Mrs Stationmaster report their arrival aboard. They were greeted with tea and home made cake, followed by champagne.

 

We've had a couple of heavy showers. They did nothing for the laundry but the garden is looking cheerful.

[Simon G]

Well knackered here today.  No 1 son gets married on Saturday (in Boston Lincolnshire), so today has been spent sorting out all the last minute issues (and Mrs G found plenty of them, so stress levels were high!).  Tomorrow, we travel to No 2 son in Leeds - but I think I am being permitted to have a stop & run on the Embsay to Bolton Abbey line, as we haven't been on that before.  Then on down to Lincolnshire on Friday for more last minute stuff no doubt.  Big family gathering is planned on the Friday evening before the big day.  New 16GB memory card arrived in the post today, so lots of photos & video can now be taken (I only had a 4GB card before).

[Killybegs]

What happen to signalling left on your approach to a roundabout showing that you intend to take the first exit? How many times have you had to hold back entering a roundabout because you are not sure whether the car to your right is or is not taking the previous exit and thus you have to wait? Those persons don't consider when they have the same problem, a left signal would have made all the difference. 

As to those who signal left as they are half way into their left turn!!

 

I think that (and not signalling at all) is considered the norm over here! Whatever happened to signalling before braking.

[Tony_S]

We had a nice meal in the hotel restaurant this evening. Apparently President Tito liked this hotel but I don't think we have his room. We have only prebooked one tour while we are here and that is tomorrow to see some caves. Aditi overcomes her mild claustrophobia for interesting geological formations. Years ago in some French caves Matthew had a bat fly into his face which he thought was amazing though Aditi was convinced he would get rabies. The caves tomorrow have a train ride so I will be happy!