Today I shall be Mainly...

[Stanley]

My response to the news we are about to have the coldest weather of winter so far....

[PanBiker]

He He, Sally is cutting mine today Stanley, not quite as radical but it needs a 3mm tidy

[Stanley]

Good Lad Ian! I can't stand it when mine gets long, my head itches! I was sat watching TV last might when I realised I had missed a clump behind my right ear so I had to attend to it immediately!
I shall be in the shed this morning working on my castings. Later I shall be considering changing the bed and washing the duvet covers. Not my favourite job!
A walk and a sit should be on, but well wrapped up. I think I ought to mention that my weapon of choice for keeping warm is still my Tweed Crombie overcoat. The new coat isn't as warm as the old one..... The Crombie is a very heavy Harris Tweed they tell me they don't make them as heavy these days. It certainly keeps you warm!

[Stanley]

More work on the base castings including some very risky work holding! But all is well, I shall continue with them tomorrow. An hour and a quarter of solid progress.

[Sue]

Morning

A good day yesterday. We managed a walk in the afternoon, just a 3 mile circuit through the Dell but at a good pace. Afterwards I continued with my sewing project, and we did get most of the presents wrapped until we ran out of wrapping paper. We seem to have a glut of children’s paper, no longer appropriate .

Its going to be another cold dryish day today. I have to have a blood test this morning at the Surgery, then a trip to Matalan for some new tracksuit bottoms and wrapping paper. My monthly lunch with my sewing friends is cancelled as many have colds or other commitments. It pilates and yoga this evening, otherwise sewing and wrapping.

Have a good day all

[Stanley]

Morning Sue, just as you are getting going I am shutting down by going back to bed..... I love my second sleep. I hope everything goes well. Wrap up warm.....
Margaret is teasing Susan this morning by pointing out it's 27C in Perth. Susan is off back to work......

[PanBiker]

Reported elsewhere, been visiting relatives over at Riddlesden. Then an early tea so that we can open up for the Bosom Friends cancer support meeting tonight.

[Stanley]

More foundation work on the castings and a walk and sit in the sunshine later. (But in Arctic Air straight form Iceland.....)

[Sue]

Morning

-3 this morning and a beautiful sunrise forming on the hills of Saddleworth Moor, visible from our bedroom window. This morning we are off to Burnley so shall certainly wrap up warm. We intend visiting Jon and Maryse on the market at Patisserie Chanel , then over to Tesco. We want a few bits and pieces and think this bigger Tesco may be a better bet than the small one in Rochdale.

Then its back home for some more Christmas sewing. I am quite hooked on these delightful objects that nicely use up my drawer of scraps.

Have a good day, stay warm. I so feel for the Ukranians with little electricity and shelled homes, its so much colder than here.

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I have another tree to make by special request and I have done 11 baubles/coasters in all. Great gun

[Stanley]

It was just 54F in the shed this morning Sue but that's OK , the house is on 20C which is about right for me. I'd like to run the house cooler but then I would feel the cold. I'm not as tough as I used to be! You are right, we are lucky....



More work on the base castings. The main elements were the beds for the crankshaft bearings and milling the face of the target end. I have a bit more to do to size the hole in the target face for the cylinder lid and two mounting bosses to finish. I shall decide on that tomorrow but we are getting very close to castings ready for fitting.

[Sue]

We have ours set on 20 too, but resist heating during the day. My sewing room is toasty as i is small and I always have the iron on. We use a small fan heater in the lounge when we sit in there for a cuppa.. Bob has a fan heater in his workshop but layers up with extra clothes when he is out there

[Stanley]

The shed is in an outshut and has a small radiator, if there was nothing it would be literally freezing. On a cold day like today it is about 13C but I have no problem with that if I am working, It's when I am sitting that I get cold....
I shall be addressing the problem of boring the target face of the base casting today. I shall have to look back and remind myself how I did it last time.....
Weather looks good for a well wrapped up walk and sit at midday.
One point I forgot to mention Sue. My thermostat is set on about 22C but the core temperature it is monitoring is 20C according to the thermometers. The thermostat is not necessarily dead accurate. The thermometers can be trusted.

[Stanley]

Later, I have had a look back and reminded myself that my answer to the problem of boring the hole in the target end was solved by doing it by hand with an air-driven grinder and the file....

[Stanley]

Only one pic needed. I looked back in shed matters and found I had finished the hole in the target end to the size of the register on the front lid by hand so I did the same today and did a bit of work refining the casting further. I can call it ready for further fitting. I'll decide what that is tomorrow..... A nice productive hour....

[Sue]

Morning

Yesterday was certainly cold and today looks the same. We have snow forecast this afternoon by virtue of the height we live at, being just on the snow line. Only 2 cm is forecast but if it gets slushy and then freezes access up the hill can be difficult. Not as bad as Wendy gets though .

So yesterday we did our shopping in Tesco at Burnley and having parked there we did a walk over to the market. On the way back we were just approaching Tesco by a slightly different route when who should I see but my cousin Trish. Now perhaps this does not seem strange to people born and bred in the area but to me it was a major coincidence. The chances of meeting anyone in Burnley that I know is slight but to meet a relative is very rare indeed as I have no other relatives nearer than Sheffield or Liverpool( well that I know of ) . Trish lives in Oswaldtwisle and also has no other local relatives, we live in Rochdale so what are the chances we both decided to shop in Burnley on the same day. Although Trish is a born and bred Burnley girl she rarely goes there.

We were both shopping for sewing bits. It is Trish that has introduced me to these embroidered Christmas decorations. I embroidered another little Christmas tree yesterday afternoon, a request from a friend. Today I may start a Father Christmas to hang in the window to balance up the embroidered Christmas tree already there . I like this technique, although quite complicated and time consuming th results are very satisfying.

This morning I have pilates , this afternoon I shall pay a random call to see Wendy and Barry and check they are both ok.

Have a good day all

[Stanley]

Morning Sue. no snow in our forecast but with wind chill we have -5C at the moment. No sign of the frost letting up and this morning their was an announcement that it seemed certain a cold weather payment would be triggered for many of us.
I'm back after a walk and a ten minute sit. I was warm enough but my hands were cold and my nose running, I can believe it is -5C out there. I shall cook a few veggies to tide me over today and tomorrow and I'm definitely not going out again today! Not pensioner friendly out there.... First I get warm again!

[Stanley]

I got warm cooking veggies.... Lightens the load for tomorrow which is always a busy day.

[Sue]

Morning Sue. no snow in our forecast but with wind chill we have -5C at the moment. No sign of the frost letting up and this morning their was an announcement that it seemed certain a cold weather payment would be triggered for many of us.
I'm back after a walk and a ten minute sit. I was warm enough but my hands were cold and my nose running, I can believe it is -5C out there. I shall cook a few veggies to tide me over today and tomorrow and I'm definitely not going out again today! Not pensioner friendly out there.... First I get warm again!

Our snow forecast has shifted to 8.00 pm. It was certainly very cold indeed.

[Stanley]

Still no snow forecast but I see there is a chance the SE and London might get a clap of snow. That's refreshingly rare! (PS. Why a clap of snow?)
I shall have an hour in the shed before Early Doors shopping at 07:00. We have a rerun of yesterday's weather so nothing as yet to militate against a midday walk and a sit unless I have got trapped in veggie cooking....

[Sue]

Morning

Apparently it snowed in Manchester last night at about 8.00 pm but did not make it to Rochdale and hasn’t overnight. Thats good news, we did not fancy our trip to Todmorden if it had snowed of any note. The forecast for today is cold and dry with snow showers late tonight. Its -6 at the moment reaching 1 degree later and evening fog.This morning is u3a art with a demo on acrylic pouring techniques, followed by a Jacob Joins lunch. There will be no visit to the Shepherds Rest today. This afternoon I shall continue with my embroidered Santa decoration.

Yesterday we found Wendy and Barry in good health. They had actually been shopping, as their cleaner who normally shops for them was away. They have sold their car and now rely on taxis , but it seems to be working out ok. They have invited us to join them for a pub lunch on the 19 th which is Barrys birthday. I think he is 86, but will have to check with their daughter Nic. It looks like the health criss is over, lets hope it stays over.

Have a good day all.

[Stanley]

No snow here either Sue, just an iron -6C frost. I've been in the shed for an hour and then did the shopping. It's all put away and I shall make my breakfast shortly. Here's what I did....



Today I made a piston. I started by getting some stock out of the treasure chest but then used a piece of scrap. I have the piston and tomorrow I will make the rod and clevis.....

[Sue]

Looking good Stanley. I like your ‘stock out of the treasure chest’ . I get fabric from my ‘stash in the drawers and bedding box’

[Stanley]

And, like me, you'll always be glad there is just you want in there! I#ve just got up after two hours of second sleep and it's bright and sunny out there. But it's also very cold! I shall stay indoors and cook veggies....

[Stanley]

And, like me, you'll always be glad there is just you want in there! I#ve just got up after two hours of second sleep and it's bright and sunny out there. But it's also very cold! I shall stay indoors and cook veggies....

[Sue]

Its gone foggy here. It was clear Bacup to Todmorden but we could see it dropping into the valley when we are on the tops