Gardening

 Busy day - shopping and taking Archie to station so he could take some work to the AIR gallery in Altringham (Open exhibition soon ). We went on to town and got a few bits. Hazel bought me two pairs of new sun glasses as the others were broken or cracked. Got 4 DVD's a CD for a quid in the charity shop next to Partners. Picked Archie up later from Lostock station. Home for some lunch. Later went to do some gardening at Granma and Audrey's - trimming hedges etc. Archie mended the bench and chairs in the back garden. Big grey clouds loomed over us but no rain - hoorah!

River Dane and Marbury

 A busy few days with our boy - off to Granma's yesterday for fish and chips in the back garden. Hazel's birthday treat. Previously a walk to the community orchard and the River Dane.  Today an abortive trip to Altringham to drop off Archie's work for the AIR gallery.  Got a bit lost around Lymm and Little Legh. Hazel hates the big confusing roundabouts so tried to avoid them but ended up getting lost. the sat nav was no help - trying to stear us back to the big trunk roads.  O well, looks like Archie will have to get the train after all.  This afternoon sheltering from the rain and thunderstorms in Marbury Park's covered picnic area. Met up with old chums Tony and Pene for a sandwich and a chat whilst the heavens opened and the thunder rumbled!

Our Boy Is Home

 Archie is home for a few days - first time we've been able to have a hug in nearly 18 months.  Those countless Zoom calls and phone converstaions are nice but nothing like the real thing.  Picked him up from Hartford station.  He said the train wasnt too bad - nearly eveyone wore a mask.  It only stopped at Crewe.   He took this one of his happy parents in the back garden having a tea and cake.  Later he looked at the bikes - considering which one to take back to London on the train.

River Dane and Community Orchard.

 Yestrdays early morning walk before it got too hot.  Glad we did as later on it was quite oppressive with the heat.  30 degrees is too much - hate to think what 46 is like!  Phew!   Anyway, cool in the shade of the orchard trees - admiring the new hand painted signs, the bug hotel and the trimmed hedges etc.  Then a walk round the fishing ponds. No herons or swans this time.  very quite at 8am - just some dog walkers we managed to avoid.  A tiny froglet.  We walked back via the cornfield which is growing apace.  A quite day indoors in our lovely cool house.  Once went into garden for an ice cream and sit in the shade of the Kooliba tree.

Walk By Canal

 This mornings walk along the Trent & Mersey canal to the Broken Cross and around to the by-pass. Saw families of ducks - some in different stages of growth.  A few dog walkers we had to try and avoid - difficult on a narrow towpath.  Most people pretty sensible thankfully.  A few pleasure boats gliding by gave us a cheery "Ahoy there!" - taking their day rental of a narrowboat very seriously!   Everything seemed very green after all the rain of the last couple of days. 

Saga Of The Tap

 The other day we addressed a long term problem with our dripping taps. They were getting worse - one in particular - in the bathroom hand basin was almost a constant flow - like water torture! Anyway, we gathered the tools and washers etc. and took the tap apart in a similar manner to the Will's cigarette card depiction here. They are old taps - probably from the 1920's when the house was built so very worn and corroded. We feared they may be passed saving. The last plumber who looked at them said he could do nothing as they were "broken". On inspecting the tap washer we could see it was very perished and also put on the wrong end of the spigot (. Hazel removed the tiny nut with a tiny wrench in a vice and we replaced to old washer with the new at the proper end. (never using that plumber again!). Works perfectly now. Job done!

Even Yet More More More Doodles

 

Yet More Doodles

 

Walk In Blakemere Woods

Pleasant wander around the woods at Blakemere - passed the miniature railway and the piles of logs and fallen trees. The owner threatens to build a large fence around it which will be a shame.  Afterwards to the antique emporiums to rummage through piles of junk.  I bought two postcards for 50p each (last of the big spenders!) one, a nice painting of Pier Hill in Southend around 1906.  Hazel bought something but I'm not at liberty to say what it is - Xmas present.  Thankfully very quite although the car park was surpisingly full . Where did everybody go?  The Play Barn?  The Wild Bird santuary?  The Candle shop?  It's a mystery. 
 

Rainy Day Doodles

 More daily doodles this rainy Saturday.  No walks - just the one round the living room checking for flies.  The fly infestation seems to have dwindled thankfully.  I put up a cardboard and sticky tape barrier over the other barrier which wasn't working - seems to have done the trick.  Hopefully get the sweep to clean out the chimney soon.