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A Typical New Years Day for us

Just a quick visit to show you Ellen's new fella and the few scoops we had.He is a great bloke as I said to him "You'll do for me" We had a great time together and he is seems to be happy with our nutty family. Catch up tomorrow. Photos here

Expecting a little flooding I looked out of the back bedroom window around high tide and saw this,between the two lampposts there is a road somewhere. I took this one from the top of the hill,the sea is sweeping in from the left. On to the channel and

Things were really bad up the north end with Ernsey bay taking a battering Video here

The weather is much kinder today,no wind,no rain and the sea stayed in it's proper place.Also it looks as though the expected snow is hitting farther north.So a little respite for the poor folk you may have seen in the video. More wind and rain to look

After a quiet morning the rain is lashing down and the winds are picking up.We have a severe weather warning from 3 am until 10pm tomorrow for both wind and rain. The folk at Ernsie Bay with be getting worried abut the 3 pm high tide with the wind

This morning there was no sign of the promised strong wind and rain.This altered my plan for shopping I strolled over did my big shop left it to be delivered and headed home again. I was strolling along nicely but as I got on to the bridge and nowhere

After a tidy start to the day things became progressively worse, starting with a peak going into trough before picking up again. I wandered over to town this morning , nice and dry with no wind My first call was the post office to send a parcel and there

I haven't been to chipper since yesterday,firstly I took a big gulp of air with the water for my tablets which hung about all day.In the early evening I started getting the odd shiver and by nine I was aching all over.I had the flu once a lot of years ago

Happy Birthday to my dearest friend Jenny. As you all know we talk daily on the telephone actual meetings are a lot harder,door to door it took my almost 79 hours to get there and 10 to come home. The visit was well worth the effort and I am trying my

I am back a raring to go,not quite 100% but improving by the hour.After 2 days of alternating between soups to give me nourishment and keep my liquid intake up today I am going to make a chicken curry,good comfort food. Thank you for your kind words They

I made a break for freedom today,not the freedom I want just a short bus ride over the bridge to town, a wander around a couple of shops for odds and ends and a short trip back.No big deal but it was nice to get out and about again and talk to a few

This is my day so far. I arose at 7:15 with Zazzles waiting for me on the landing he rolled over for his belly rub and sat there while I finished my ablutions and we came down together.He wanted feeding as always Sooty was off on an adventure.Ellen had

A nice sunny morning for my trip to see Mother on here 88th birthday. I decided the 6 mile round trip over the big rise was a little bit too much after my recent bad spell so I bused half way there and walked along the flat.Not picturesque but it was good

After the glorious day yesterday I awoke to teeming rain and two pissed off cats who wanted to play out.They finally conceded defeat and went back to bed. So cabined up again I caught up on reading my book about life for ordinary folk in 50s Britain,it's

Another cold damp dark day here.Whatever happened to nice crisp winter mornings? With rain in the air I flashed the pass over to town,picked up my pipe fodder and had a mooch around the freezer shop for any bargains. I picked up 2 tomato and two chicken

Where do the minutes and hours go? A question myself and other retirees often ask.I have little spare time for long on line sessions sometimes just a pop on to see who's wrote anything a couple of times a day. My lifestyle isn't by accident I like to keep

I haven't seen Peggy the Herring gull for about 2 weeks, she has visited amost daily for 15 years.I fear age or fate in the form of some mishap have caught up with her. 15 years ago when she landed in our garden Margaret fed her, befriended and named her

I made something I have made lots of times before for dinner,chicken breasts glazed with honey, roasted and thinly sliced, garden peas and the fried potato thingys. This is boiled spuds mashed with milk and butter to which I add finely diced onion and

An unpleasant day here.We have a very cold north westerly blowing in from the Irish Sea bringing hail showers.The temps on the gauge bear no resemblance to how bitter it feels outside. Maybe the winter is going to take it's first bite at us. The cats

Another wet and dark day here,the island is blanketed in a sea mist,very damp and clingy. Today as I am cabined up and Ellen's away I am going to make a very unhealthy but delicious dinner.I have some nice pork sausage from the butchers so I will fry a

I'm cabined up again today,watching heavy rain flood my garden,we did have snow warnings but we got rain instead.No doubt the snow will have given the fells a battering. I am spending a lot of time in my Queen Ann chair and feeling the benefits,I

After a rainy start we had sun this afternoon,a pleasant change to have it streaming through my windows and saving on fuel bills of course this room gets very cozy for a few hours with the sun on it. Today I decided to roast a joint of mad cow for dinner

We have just had yet another severe weather warning. Tomorrow for snow and Saturday for very heavy rain and gale force winds. The problem is on Saturday and Sunday we have 10 metres tides which is a meter over the norm.With possible tidal surges this

We had a very high tide and strong winds today with roads closed and the village cut off completely.more to come tomorrow,Oh goodie www.nwemail.co.uk/home/update-4-37pm-cum bria-coast-lashed-by-storms-barrow-hit-c oast-road-closed-trains-cancelled-1.1113

A much calmer drier day today although the wind is bitingly cold. I decided to flash the pass for my trip to town and clambered aboard the bus where I met two of the Dot's we have around. These were Irish Dot and just Dot. I spent the trip listening to

A better day and Zazzles exhausted after play

I'm late on parade today.

Another cold wet day here with heavy rain clouds rolling in,it was another wet one. Luckily we haven't got the storms that Jenny has down her neck of the woods but it was certainly a day for watching sport on the goggle box. There were 3 rugger and 2

A reminder of happier times when my old friend Peggy was around.Peggy would come to see me daily sometimes 2 or 3 times for any scraps I might have.She would gladly let the sparrows join her. The photo is from 2011,I was sitting on my little garden chair

Today dawned a much better day than we have seen of late, the sun is shining and the wind has gone. I was late starting so I flashed the pass for my trip to town. First stop Morrisons for pipe fodder,then B&M for Mustard,Pickle,Coffee,Glass cleaner

I went to see mother today.The weather was dry with a threat of rain so I flashed the pass and bused it. The old girl is in good fettle and she was very pleased when I gave her an electric paper shredder,she had been cutting all her mail up with

We have just had a red weather warning for winds in excess of 80mph maybe reaching 100mph.Red warnings mean take action so that what I will do making sure everything is tied down or stowed away.I hope we don't lose power or the roof.The storm is forecast

We had a real blow starting at 4pm. The winds were up to 80mph and are only slackening down to 50 to 60mph in he last hour and it's 10pm.The winds are forecast to fall to 40mph in the early hours. Plenty of damaged houses falling,trees up rooted and roads

A much calmer day here the wind is only gusting to 40mph now,a brief respite however because we have another big storm heading in tomorrow. Lots of damage here on the island and over the bridge with roads closed due to fallen trees and damaged buildings

We are a lot better weather wise with no flags up for winds today or tomorrow.Of course storm paths are erratic but at the moment it seems to be coming up the country farther east.we do however have yellow flags for snow from early afternoon until

I received a letter and an E.Mail today both concerning money. The E.mail was from my energy supplier.The power companies finally got our greedy Government to drop the extra tax they had levied at them.This means my prices or gas and electricity have

At last a nice sunny morning so it was walking gear on and off to town for my Sunday trip. The walk to the shops is not scenic by any means but it is a walk none the less. I set off early so I wasn't rushing and had a nice stroll over.It was good to

Hello folks back to normal here with wall to wall rain,at least there are no gales. I am on the laptop this morning,it was time to fire it up and let the awaiting updates install. So I thought I would say hello from here.I should have this switched on

Another dry if cloudy day here so I started work on modifying the high level bird feeder,more on that as work progresses. My on going mission is to introduce Ellen to good home cooking.She can cook right enough but only plain boring food.I have made

I finished my modified bird feeder today. With the ground being so soft with the rain the old set up was struggling to get a firm grip. The solution was the old laundry whirly pole which is set in a cubic foot of concrete. I used the top two sections of

I am having a busy day here. This morning I decided it was time to move my computer back along the wall to the window looking into the garden,the garden is a mess of course but it's a great place for bird watching while I breakfast.I had made my mind up

With the sun shining I made a break for freedom this morning and took a stroll along the beach. Although the sun was out a bitter wind reminded me it is still February.There were a few hardy dog walkers scurrying along just in a hurry get off the beach

Our Government will go down as the most cold hearted vindictive one in our history. They have a policy of badgering people with long any term serious illness to find work of some sort.This is just the latest in a long line of the strong arm tactics gone

It is going to be an interesting few days here. Ellen is going to meet her beau Colin in Blackpool after work and will be there until Wednesday.There is a purpose to this visit,they are looking for accommodation suitable for them and the cats. When they

Bernard asked if I would like the keep the cats when Ellen leaves,the answer is no and here are a few reasons why. Things I can't do at the moment Watch Blue-tits,Goldfinch,Chaffinch,Green Finch,Robins,Blackbirds,Thrushes and others in my garden because

Yesterday finished in an odd way. As most of you know I have been talking to Jenny on the phone every night bar for her Summer holidays for a long time now.We first started in 2008 and have been going strong ever since. I have a timer set for 56 minutes

A few people wondered why Jenny and me don't Skype instead of phoning each other.There are reasons for this,firstly it is the end of the day and we both want to relax so I sit with my feet up, my little table beside me containing a full briar and a brandy

I mentioned my new kitchen gadget,well here it is. An Electric Teppanyaki Table Top Grill Griddle. It is 45cmX24cm so is much better than my 27cm frying pan for doing full English breafasts all in one shot. It has 5 heats settings and with a trough and a

With a dry day for the 3rd day running I decided to start the rescue mission on the garden. The bottom corner where the fruit bushes are.I attacked the gooseberry bushes with secateurs,hedge shears and branch saw. After 2 hard hours and a little damage

Today the rain has returned making the decision to crack on and finish the pruning yesterday an even better decision . The rain is hammering down so it will be 2 or 3 days before I can get back to clearing the off cuts. Ellen brought news of progress on

As you may have read I started on the big garden clear up on Wednesday. This photo shows what it was like along the back wall with brambles growing amongst the Gooseberry bushes and dead grass tangled in them.I got as far as pruning the goosebery and

I have had a tidy weekend.The weather has been dry but overcast so not good for long leisurely strolls. To compensate for that I have had a good weekend,the family all visited me. Yesterday morning I had a stroll to the shop and met Stephen at the end of

A glorious morning here,just the weather for a stroll over town to Iceland. As I crested the brow of the hill leading to the promenade I caught sight of the Lakeland fells in the distance,this view is looking towards Consiston. I reached the bridge and

Another sunny day here but no walk for me.I got stuck into removing the pruned branches from the fruit bushes and fighting the dead grass that was growing in the gooseberry bushes.Gooseberry bushes are sneaky little buggers,they lash out and impale the

The day dawned nice and mild and as I rose the sun was just peeping over the rooftops,a grand day ahead. After breakfast I decided to check out the front grass to see if it was dry enough to cut and if I could mow it or needed to strim first. Good news on

The sunny weather of the last couple of days had been replaced by cold damp fog.It started rolling in late evening yesterday and is still hanging around. I took a stroll down the channel this morning hoping for some atmospheric shots but I was

The fog that has been blanketing us for 2 days is finally lifting.It is still very damp and miserable out there but I took a stroll the the shop this morning for some spuds. Coming back I came across Bimbo heading out to town with more skins on than an

A dry day with a promise of sunshine greeted me when I rose.So walk or work was the question.I decided on work because the back grass really needed tackling. A leisurely breakfast watching the birds first then a catch up on the news reader before I

I awoke this morning with no after effects from yesterday's gardening session.I had the normal stiffness in the back which I get every morning and this was soon sorted with my stretching exercises.The decision to carry on and mow the grass after strimming

A dull morning but at least is was dry so I set off to visit my old mam. I was planning to go yesterday but of course the weather put paid to that idea. I decided to walk, a brisk walk on a coldish day is very invigorating I walked along the channel side

As some of you know we get very strong gusts of wind. Yesterday it only took one to spread these things around the garden,the little planter was ripped fom the ground,the tray blown out of the bird feeder the rest were neatly stacked at the top of the

I awoke to a frosty morning with the cars and grass wearing white. By the time I had fed and watered the cats and birds the frost was lifting but the wind was bitterly cold. I decided it was no weather for a stroll so just nipped to the corner shop a

A fine sunny morning for my Sunday shop but a cold north east wind meant no hanging around. As I turned the corner to the promenade I saw how cold it was by the snow on the fells. I walked though the little haven and noticed a lot more green and the odd

A cold dry morning with rain due later here so I decided on a stroll.What I thought was going to be an amble along the shore turned into a brisk walk.Going up to the beach was pleasant if a little cool but when I hit the edge it was a different story, by

A dull grey morning here but at least it was dry. Tomorrow is Mothering Sunday despite the more commercial Americanized version named Mother's day appearing in recent years.That is just unashamed greed,people trying to get children involved in

A lovely spring morning for my walk into town. I spotted there were boats lining the quayside ready to be lowered into the water for the season ahead so headed that way. I took a couple of snaps while passing and climbed an embankment on the other side to

A cloudy morning but signs of a better day ahead so I decided to give the grass it's second cut. I started on the front with the idea of doing that one this morning and the larger back garden after lunch. I duly finished the front in just under an hour

I took these earlier but forgot to post them with the blog. A couple of Collared Doves arrived for breakfast,their breakfast not for my breakfast you understand More daffodils out

The day dawned warm with a slight mist that soon lifted and left a pleasant morning with the promise of sun later. After a leisurely coffee,toast and honey breakfast watching the birds I checked on supplies needed and wandered to the shop. It was slow

After a very wet day yesterday this morning was dry but the rain would soon appear.I walked over to town with Stephen as per usual nowadays. I snapped a shot of some mussels bagged up and ready to go on the beach,there were 20 bags all filled by hand with

I have a chicken casserole going at the moment and the smell of the herbs particularly the rosemary and thyme reminds me of the smell often emanating from my maternal grandparents house. That smell signaled my granddad's favourite dish was on the hob

A nice dry day for a trip to Iceland. I found some colour at last,not a lot but a sign of spring at last. I took the following snaps along the prom. The shopping was routine and I was back home in about an hour with nothing to do but wait for the

Nothing much happening here on a sunshine and showers day so here is a little snapshot of the lives of two cats. Zazzles resting after causing mayhem around the house. Meanwhile Sooty paid a visit to Janine and Luiz wanted him to read his book while he

A lovely sunny day here,so I was up with the sparrows and stared my chores,firstly feeding the cats of course,they watched me dish their breakfast up then promptly vanished into the garden and beyond on an adventure.Next I sorted the bird feeders out and

After two bitterly cold days today feels positively tropical with temps hitting 50f that's around 10 in new money. The sun is shining from a cloudless sky so a stroll over to town for my delayed shopping trip.I had a gander round Home Bargains and was

Another lovely day here so a walk along the beach to Thorny Nook was the thing to do.I didn't want to walk too far from home after yesterday's gardening session and on this route I was sure of a lift home if my back started acting the oil can. A raise of

What do these two have in common? well at first glance they are not much to look at,but this is mother nature,take a closer look. This is a garden pest as we all know but in sharp focus with a little jiggery pokery with the background colours to bring out

I thought to hang the photo of the Dandelion just because I like it so wanted a companion for it.I came across this photo of a bee on a daisy I snapped in 2012 and decided that would fit the bill. So I took down the two photos of vintage tractors from

A busy day in the homestead today. Ellen and Colin wandered off into town for the ingredients for tomorrow's Easter dinner,which they are cooking by the way. In the meantime I cut and strimmed the front grass and then I took a lunch break before attacking

A sunny morning here and with no Sunday shopping trip and with my back recovering well from the grass cutting I decided to clear some of the undergrowth to let some daylight at the seedings popping up. I just finished the borders when the weather changed

Another nice sunny day here after a dull start so I was back into the garden. I cleared the three small patches I made last year but didn't turn them over but just raked the surface for some wild flower seeds.I wasn't sure if I should sow anything this

No sun today a rather hazy gloomy day but warm enough.I wandered over to Iceland and arrived smack on half eight just as the doors opened. I did my shopping parted with £40 arranged delivery for 1pm and ambled back towards the bridge. I took a long shot

It was a warm but muggy morning and I was off to visit my old mam. I decided on a 30 minute bus ride to get to the top of the hill near her house.The reason for this was to visit How Tun woods an ancient woodland being restored to it's former state or as