Today I shall be Mainly...

[chinatyke]

We had a lovely walk around Kelbrook Moor yesterday morning. I thought I'd share this view of Pendle with those of you not able to access our beautiful countryside.

Thanks Wendy. Great picture. I've saved it to show Jiaping when she gets back from Liuzhou. When we were in England in 2010 we had lunch one day in Barley, so she recognises the Pendle area.

[Wendyf]

Glad you like it China. We are on Teddy Carr's Drive there, which was a private road from Teddy Carr's house 'Accornlea' in Foulridge to his shooting lodge on Kelbrook Moor. There is a gun club at the shooting lodge now, mercifully silenced for the duration! We are just about to turn right onto Cob Lane, which runs between Kelbrook and Colne. You can just see Blacko Tower in front of Pendle Hill, and the hill on the left in the foreground is Noyna.

[Sue]

According to the weather forecast Stanley your temperatures are 2-3 degrees warmer than us too. Just wrapped up warm, t shirt and two fleeces to go and garden, just waiting for the washer to finish the towels.The sun is out so once I get working I should warm up. It's still very blowy out there.

[Marilyn]

Hubby’s hairdresser works from home and is still taking appointments on a solo basis, so hubby has a time slot this morning. I did offer to trim his hair. He said he would rather become a hippy if his hairdresser wasn’t taking clients.
Meanwhile, I’m off to do some more gardening, mainly trimming plants. I have a potted Rose I want to transfer into the garden, as it didn’t do well at all this Summer.
Not sure what I will get up to after that, but it won’t be watching the News. Once a day is enough.

[chinatyke]

Hubby’s hairdresser works from home and is still taking appointments on a solo basis, so hubby has a time slot this morning. I did offer to trim his hair. He said he would rather become a hippy if his hairdresser wasn’t taking clients.

Maz, I let my wife cut my hair recently. For years I have resisted her offer to cut my hair. Our daughter warned me about her styling. When Xiaolei was young she had given her a "pudding bowl cut" and she showed me a picture. It was brutal! Anyway, because of the lock-down, I had not had my hair cut since I was in hospital last November, so I bit the bullet. She made a good job and has a job for life now! Another five quid a year saved!

[Marilyn]

If Dave doesn’t get his haircut every 3 weeks, he thinks the sky has fallen in. (And it would be a stressful experience for me to have to cut his hair. I’m sure I could do a reasonable job but he would question every snip!)
Well done Mrs China.
He had to drop his script in at the chemist on the way, hoping to collect it on his way back from the hairdresser. Only one person allowed in the chemist at a time. The rest line up, social distancing, outside. You must pay with tap and go. No cash.
From here on in ( which could be a hell of a long time) chemists will only restock medicines. They will not be getting any deliveries whatsoever of “shelf” items. So no point going near a chemist except for scripts. I’m not sure yet what will happen with flu jabs...
He came back from his haircut quite shocked at the way the world has changed since we went grocery shopping on Saturday!

[Stanley]

I have hair cutting down to the absolute minimum. I simply cut my own by shearing it all off when it bothers me. Simples! I regard this obsession with hair and who cuts it as totally foreign to my mind set.



I shall be having a long look and a think. The cylinder is finished, now I have to decide where to go next.
Apart from that, the normal exercise and looking after both of us. No shopping needed again today.

[Sue]

Maz, China, I trimmed the sides of my hair the other day after I coloured it. Normally I have mine cut once every 5 weeks, so its now getting to the ballooning stage as I call it. The RHS of my hair is thick and the left is thin. As it grows it waves from left to right. Eventually it settles out at a particular length, actually looking quite nice. It may reach that here. I don’t normally persevere as I like short hair, but perhaps I shall have a new look after this.

Morning all, sunny morning but still chilly. I think the wind has died down at last. However out of the wind in front of the house it gets quite warm. So much so, that the runner beans I planted in the pots user the gazebo ready to germinate sometime whilst we aren’t here have made an appearance. Luckily we are now last the time for frosts here. Today's task is planting my potatoes and garlic followed by a little light hoeing. Though nothing is light in this soil

Yesterday was a busy day. I washed the towels and it was so windy I could have done with superglue to keep them on the line. I finished getting the ivy and pine needles from the lawn under the tree. I now need to add a couple of barrow loads of soil from the orchard, and rake it smooth before seeding it.

in the evening I did a two hour exercise class, must be mad. I did an hour of pilates followed by hour of intensive yoga exercises. Tiara mutes the microphone during the exercises, and takes advantage of the fact we can’t moan at her when she does intensive stuff. They were both hard classes and I feel it this morning even after days of gardening.

Afterwards we face timed my cousin Herb and wife Sherri in California. They are fine. (Herb is the contact I made when I wrote my genealogy book on the Maylards)

I cut out my self drafted wrapover skirt. Fingers crossed that it works.

Today is shopping day, Bob will do as last week and go at 2.00 this afternoon when it's quiet.

Think positive stay cheerful, keep busy, and stay safe. Have as good a day as you can

[Wendyf]

I had to venture out to the chemist in Earby yesterday as I had a prescription from my ophthalmologist for some different (preservative free) eýe drops. Like you Maz it was only one person in at a time and you are restrained by a barrier just inside the door. They didn't have the drops so I have to go back today. It was actually a much pleasanter experience than normal.
Col went to Lidl in Colne mid afternoon and reported it to be quiet and well stocked, with broccoli being the only item on his usual shopping list that wasn't available. Once I have my drops we can stay put for another week or two at least.

[plaques]

On hair cuts. I had what I may call a super economy cut , down to the wood, about november, then when down with flu (my version) then Mrs P went down (her version). Girding my loins for another super shave then the lockdown. Now I'm struggling to get my cap on. Looks like Mrs P will have to cut it. Thank god nobody will see it.

[Stanley]

Remember P bald is beautiful. Sinéad O'Connor got away with it!

[PanBiker]

Yes she did, your picture is of Sigourney Weaver though in her role as Helen Ripley a part she played in the Alien franchise of films

As an aside when Sally lost all her hair with chemo I used to affectionately call her my Ripley. That of an extremely brave woman who triumphs over adversity

I find it quite attractive.

I have no choice with my hair, Sally does mine 6mm on the sides and 0mm on the top with what little remains there

[Stanley]

You know Ian I thought something was wrong, it was Sigourney I was thinking of, God knows how Sinead got in on the act! Shows how out of touch with celebs I am!

[Sue]

Morning all, another day commences. Today will be warmer but cloudier. Most of my big gardening jobs are coming to an end. I shall prune the last few trees today and if it is not too windy gave a bit of a fire in the metal incinerator, which we are allowed.

As we may be here sometime we topped up on wine yesterday a 10 litre box of merlot. My sister may be doing her online wine tasting tonight. We couldn’t get Rioja but managed to buy Valpollicello? ( is that how it is spelt) instead

The garden railway is coming along very well and hence the pile of soil where the melons were going to be grown is shrinking as it is is used to level the track. Some of the soil has been spread under the tree where I removed the ivy, ready to be seeded with lawn seed on Sunday. A damp week is forecast next week . Not bad, we arrived three weeks ago today and its been dry and mainly sunny since we came

Bob managed a hearty shop yesterday. The freezer is now very healthy indeed, so our shopping needs will now be just basics and replacements of cleaning stuff , milk, tonic (for the gin and tonic!) and beer . A beer sat in the sun mid afternoon has gone down well as a welcome break from all the energetic gardening,

Think positive, stay cheerful, keep busy and stay safe. Have as good a day as you can

[Marilyn]

Cheers Sue. You are making the most of the cards dealt.
David and I are thinking of everyone. ( our wine stocks are healthy, though I get the third degree every time I suggest a drink....yet he always has one of course! He just wants to make running out “my fault” not his!)
I’ve done a lot of gardening. Wish we could risk a trip to the gardening centre but not possible.

[Marilyn]

I am hoping I can get a new kitchen sponge tomorrow. I’m down to my last one....

[Sue]

I am hoping I can get a new kitchen sponge tomorrow. I’m down to my last one....

We haven’t looked at cleaning stuff for a bit, I presume its available still. It was only mushrooms we couldn’t get yesterday for a stir fry last night. We managed without, but its goodbye to the mushroom omelette this week

[Sue]

Cheers Sue. You are making the most of the cards dealt.
David and I are thinking of everyone. ( our wine stocks are healthy, though I get the third degree every time I suggest a drink....yet he always has one of course! He just wants to make running out “my fault” not his!)
I’ve done a lot of gardening. Wish we could risk a trip to the gardening centre but not possible.

We topped up yesterday, the lower box

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[Tripps]

I've never seen a 10 litre wine box. Ours used to be 3 litres (4x 75cl bottles), then changed to 2.25 l (3 bottles). Not really such good value now, but handy for the occasional glass when you don't want to open a full bottle. Can you give us an idea how much a 10 l box would be?

[Sue]

The 10 box was 23 euros. We wouldn’t normally get one that big but as you say good fpr a casual glass for drinking and even cooking and there could be a lot of drinking the casual glass and cooking over the next month or so

[Tripps]

That's about £20 and our 2.25 l ones are about £14. Remind me why we're leaving the EU again

[Stanley]

I think that's the funniest exchange on OG I have seen for a while! Wine at £2 a litre and ours is nearer £7.... (Have I got that right?) Never mind, the way things are going Brexit will never happen. Someone is going to have to broach the matter soon as the clock is still ticking.....
Today I shall not be going to the butcher's, Kathy is home delivering telephoned orders. I am thinking of calling the chemist's early next week to find out about home delivery of my prescription. It just makes sense to avoid the shops as much as possible.
Ian, remind me of the name of your milk chap, that's beginning to look attractive as well!



Some things carry on as usual. There will be more quiet progress on the beam engine today!

[Sue]

Morning all.

I am glad you said that about the shops Stanley. I know I had a moan last week about not getting out but if I am honest I don’t want to go shopping and check and double check that Bob has taken all the right precautions. Luckily round here things are not too bad. In the local paper yesterday the local prefecture announced that Brittany had missed the worse of the virus and numbers were not increasing as rapidly.

Talking of numbers I monitor the situation world wide on https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/. I follow France and the UK as it will help us make. Decision about when we go home. I notice the UK does not publish recovery rates and other countries do. I know this is can only be recovery of those tested but most countries are in the same position as us with limited testing. Anyway our recovery is stated as 135 and has been the same for three weeks. Why is this. I even wrote to the BBC news-desk hoping they would ask the question in the evening meetings. Is it because

No one is recovering
OR. It is not being measured
OR they don’t want us to know incase we get complacent and stop following the guidelines.

In my letter to the BBC I implied it was the first one and asked why so few were recovering.

I think in this pessimistic time it would be nice and reassuring to be told how many ill patients seriously otherwise recovered.

Yesterday I pruned the last of the trees , and came inside early. I then spent an hour hand sewing the hemmed edge of my wrap overskirt which is nearly a full circle. During the day I dd another pilates class and instigated my own online clapping session on the pilates website for the three tutors who are running the classes for a very small monthly fee. They have brought a lot of normality back for a large number if people

In the evening we were on ZOOM again. This time for a wine tasting session with my sister Jane and her friends. It was fun. Jane outlined the different types of Rioja and those that had the wine discussed the finer details of the taste. What a shame we couldn’t find any Rioja at our local supermarket. We may have found some at the one in Redon 10 km away but we have to shop local( and Redon has cases of the virus be we don’t round here) . We will have great choice however for next weeks BRING YOUR OWN.

Today I shall be trying to reduce the piles of waste wood we have produced by shredding it or having a fire in the metal incinerator we are allowed to use. The best has been chopped up for firewood or kept as kindling for the wood burning stove or Bobs home constructed pizza oven. There will still be huge piles looking like bonfires in three places in the orchard. In one of them we can hear animals inside so Bob is going to put the wild life camera down there one night.

Other than that I shall wash towels and do a bit of cleaning.

Think positive, stay cheerful, keep busy and stay safe, and have as good a day as you can.

[Marilyn]

Gardens around us are looking well tended just now. So it is quite pleasant out walking.

My problem is...where do you go...what do you do...if you have had “words” with your partner? It happens, and it is harder when you are both stuck. We are lucky. We have a big house and garden and plenty of space. But it must be hard for those in tight confines.

[plaques]

Everything prepared for the pensioners shopping hour. Out to the car and guess what? battery (2 off) down on on juice. Car failed to start. Charger coupled up and waiting to see what happens. Probably down to minimal running, 5 mins and less per start over three weeks is the most likely cause. But, the batteries have been on for over 10 years. We'll see how it goes on.