One step forward

 The car has been mended.....but I don't get it back today...the rear calipers fitted, back brakes bled..but the nipples on the front are rusty. Hopefully by lunchtime tomorrow.....

I did two lots of washing last night so as not to waste daylight...the first and half of thr second dried so much overnight on a rack in the kitchen that they didn't need to go out on the line! 

Yet more sorting......more rubbish in the wheelie bin for collection tomorrow morning ( landfill goes out once every three weeks).

Yesterday's loaf is a decided success...next time I will increase the proportion of rye flour...I do miss baking, but there are so many other things to do!!

Including a session on the turbo....

I had thought of a ride outside until I cleared the ice off the car before taking it to the garage!

Decorations are up....

That'll do!! 😄

Plans disruption

The garage man has hurt his back..so no work for at least a week..could be just a little twist..but I think that it is linked to when he was knocked off his motorbike by a careless car driver.

So any travelling plans are on hold, even locally.

I sorted a few small electric goods that I don't need..an iron, two kettles, a coffee machine, a couple of fan heaters and a few other kitchen things.

They were collected today by Recycle Ayr, so if they all pass testing they will either go to people who need them or be sold to raise funds.

It has been colder and windy all day, with yet more showers ..the weather system is stuck over the Northern Isles at present, but tomorrow should see some dry and colder weather.

Which is fortunate as I have a fleabay sale to post...some handlebars will be on their way to Bristol.

All packed...my method is the "get out of there without moving will you " method of taping!!

Duolingo French lessons are proceeding...and why did they never teach us celui ci and celui là in school?!!

Foraging starts!!

 After dropping the car down the road to the local garage....and having morning coffee....foraging was the order if the day.

A leisurely walk down the big hedge in the field 

Normally you can see Arran....

The hedgerow looks promising.

They aren't ready yet...and there is only one sort of pear and practically no plums this year....the wrong weather at blossom time, cold and wet, must have done a combination of damaging the blossoms and stopping the insects from flying.

In the other big hedge I found small apples...like crabapples but bigger...and small cooking apples, which I thinned out a bit, taking the bigger ones and the windfalls. Also haws, rowan berries and brambles.

I collected the car after lunch. Tyres ok for another month but keep an eye on the safety wear markers. One bit of the front suspension at one corner had gone...the potholes are playing merry hell with everyone's cars, however carefully you drive...

And there was a knocking noise....so back to see Davey.... possibly the apprentice could have tightened the wheel nuts a bit more...so everything was checked for play...and the nuts done with a proper torque wrench, not just the setting on the air driven tool...

Now it doesn't sound like "Three wheels on my wagon" is imminent!!

There is a wee bit of play in the steering rack...but nothing serious...we'll keep an eye on that too. All in all, not bad for a 20 year old car!!

Arrived home to a fleabay sale....hooray!! I probably should list a few more things...one every four weeks is not enough...but at the moment with all retail sales struggling...and with bikes, Wiggle et al ( now owned by the owner of Sports Direct.....) are selling things at knockdown prices....

People are expecting me to sell quality goods at knockdown prices.

I don't play that game...I will be patient....

Birthday

 I have had a lovely relaxed couple of days staying with my bro...

The wife of one of Pirate's contemporary competitors , at the celebration, gave me a bottle of bubbly to share...so last night we went over to his best mate from uni and work and his wife and they made chilli con fave and rice...with glasses of bubbly!!

Then today we went twenty minutes up the road to see friends of mine...a 6'8" potter who looks like Gandalf...the plan was coffee and cake and chat in the morning. We were chatting for four hours...and had plenty more we could have carried on with!!

Then a picnic lunch in the park...supper at home...and diagnosing the long-standing intermittent fault on my car.

The automatic self levelling mechanism isn't working properly...so at times stops the dipped headlight on one side from working.

At least now we know what needs sorting....and I'm driving in daylight...and there isn't rain forecast!!

So a lovely break and on the road again tomorrow.

News

 No radiotherapy...as he got zapped for prostate cancer 9 years ago..just surgery.. apparently by the top bod...good to hear that. Sometime in the next two months..well they did say, should be by his birthday!! Then a long convalescence. That will test his patience, being a patient patient again!!

I did the shopping alone today. Normally Pirate likes to do one stop shopping....this was five stop shopping, plus one to get cards to print on....but it saved about a third on what it could have been. With 19 % inflation just on food, speaking as an average, and income going down due to tax changes, despite pension rises...this must be done.

On some things...like tinned beans for example....prices have doubled.....

Before I left the village I checked in on our mechanic with a soft tyre...he pumped it up again and said bring it back when you have done the shopping!! It may be just the valve... hopefully...we will see tomorrow. He looks after us well, not doing what isn't necessary... doesn't overcharge...so he gets homemade marmalade and chutney as a thankyou as well as paying the bill!  He likes our wee Berlingo!!

Then before watching the Giro d'Italia on TV tonight I planted out the first dozen runner bean plants. Slugs beware...there will be slug patrol!!

Onwards and upwards.....

Wet and windy

 A grey day

Today we were supposed to have been going to Glasgow for Pirate to ride the boards for an hour or two.

He isn't feeling happy as a cousin has just died...one younger than him...yesterday.

All sorts of niggly problems and other peoples' sadness gets to him...plus the state of the world.  How can humans be so awful to one another?

The car was packed and he did the usual check round... one soft rear tyre...go to our garage down the hill....no special lock nut opener....

The garaged pumped the tyre up hard...but we didn't make the trip, instead the car had a long overdue sort out. No widgit....back after lunch and leave the car for him to sort tomorrow morning! He makes sure that he keeps useful things like that from any car that gets scrapped...so,live in hope!!

I have done some house sorting while in the mood, making things more accessible in the kitchen and cutting clutter there and in the living room.

Neither are really good, yet, but it's work in progress!!  I can't be too drastic as that would really stress out Pirate!!!!

Now after a cuppa I must head to my study and think what needs doing to get back to doing craft/artisan fairs and markets.  I have a form to fill in,but no point doing that until everything else is ready.  Its been ten years since I did the last proper market selling.

Now I need to make signs and display units and think how I can present everything.

A proper challenge, but a constructive and creative one. A step in the right direction.