BSW01

Good morning everyone 

Well, the weather doesn’t know what to do at the moment. One minute the sun is shining, the next the sky is dark grey, as it is now as I’m typing. Anyway, today will see me complete the Sainsbury’s Grand Prix, with the possibility of a visit to Waitrose this afternoon as well.
Oh the joy! 
 

Best get a move on, back later. 
 

Brian

Good evening everyone 

The stored wood was retrieved from storage and then measurements were taken. Then cutting a schedule was drawn up to see how much more I need to buy. Other than that I’ve not done a great deal really. 

However, ION

Whilst I was at the kitchen sink at dinner time, I noticed a dunnock with nesting material in its beak, repeatedly head into the hedge, so it looks as though they’ve decided to nest there. Then, later this afternoon, I noticed a blue tit in the garden, which seemed to be showing a bit of interest in one of the nest boxes too. 

Good morning everyone 

Boy was I lucky yesterday, we had a full day of sunshine and warm(ish) weather and I spent most of it in the garden. Today, we have rain, although to be honest, it’ stopped a few minutes ago, but it’s still very wet out there, so nowt will get done outside today. So, the plan is to get a few decent lengths of wood that are stored in the underfloor storage area and measure and mark ready for cutting up. These will eventually become the legs and support structure for the layout storage area and helix. 
 

Well, bettergetamoveon, back later.
 

Brian

Good morning everyone 

I have planned a bit of a lazy day for today, but that doesn’t mean I sitting about doing nothing. So far, I’ve made the base for a dark chocolate and salted caramel cheesecake and retrieved the bin that I put out for collection last night. I didn’t have to wander far for it today, it was put back in almost the same place that I’d left it! 
 

This afternoon, I’ll be collecting Mike and Sarah from the airport. So in between, I’ll sit and work out how much timber I’ll need to buy for the support framework for the layout. As this will be a 2 tier system, lower being storage and upper being scenic, I’m going to use something a bit more substantial than normal. 
 

I’ve never worked in hot countries, but I did work in the furnace and forge departments of the steel works. The furnace working temperature was in the region of 1300C, so when the doors opened, boy did you know about it. In the summer, we were regularly given salt tablets to take, to supplement the losses of body salt due to the heat etc. 

Back later. 
 

Brian

Good evening everyone 

Well, just like yesterday, the rain began falling just before dinner and it stayed like that for the rest of the day. Despite that, shopping was shopped and the fridge is now groaning under the weight of it all. 

As planned, Charlie called round this afternoon and he and I spent a very productive afternoon in the workshop. He continued painting his models, he’s currently working on 3 different ones. Whilst I carried on with the 3 way point I’m making. Today I got all the sleepers fixed in place. For this I’m using a diagram printed out from ‘Templot’ which has been fixed to a marble slab, about 18in by 10in. This is actually a kitchen device for rolling pastry on, which I picked up in a kitchen shop for a few quid and very handy it is too. It also gets used for building coaches and truck bodies on, so I can ensure they are perfect flat/straight. Once happy with that, I made one to the crossing vees. This is the first time I’ve ever made anything like this before and very pleased with it I am too. 

ION. Over the last week or so, we’ve been entertained by a pair of dunnocks that continually sit on the handles of our French doors in the dinning room. For those who don’t know what they are, they are small birds, about the same size as a sparrow, with similar markings, but with a light grey head and face. They initially land on the handrail of the balcony and then hop back and forth between the handrail and door handles. They even tap on the door, but I think they are feeding or small insects etc that hide on the handles. I took a photo of one this morning, whilst it was feeding on one of the bird feeders.
 

Sorry about the poor quality, but I only had my phone with me at the time and it was taken through the window too.