I'll consider that for the gaps between the flags in my front garden.....
I shall be in the shed first thing this morning doing useful things to my eccentric. After second sleep I will have a veggie cooking session. By the time I have finished that I shall have had quite enough honest endeavour and will sit down for a read of Private Eye.... I have been lax of late.
Later.... After setting out my meals for the day I realised I had more veggies left than I thought so I have postponed veggie cooking to tomorrow..... The better the day, the better the deed!
Stanley Challenger Graham
Stanley's View
scg1936 at talktalk.net
"Beware of certitude" (Jimmy Reid)
The floggings will continue until morale improves!
Old age isn't for cissies!
Small but accurate steps..... This morning I finished the eccentric. First I marked the PCD of the offset of the bore that fits on the shaft to give the eccentric its throw. Then a transfer to the pillar drill and I bored the eccentric out to 3/8". Next I set the eccentric up to drill for tapping for the 1/4" grub screw that will fasten the eccentric on the shaft. I hit a problem here in that I had to use a succession of taps before I got a good fit for the screw. My taps suffer from the same problem that I have, they are all getting worn and cutting undersize.... I persevered and in the end I got a fit. Now I am after my breakfast!
Stanley Challenger Graham
Stanley's View
scg1936 at talktalk.net
"Beware of certitude" (Jimmy Reid)
The floggings will continue until morale improves!
Old age isn't for cissies!
What a busy day rolling from one thing to another yesterday. Wendy was also at the hairdressers and she told me the sad news that a mutual friends husband had died. He had serious dementia and had been in hospital for a couple of weeks in a declining condition. We continued chatting on a lighter note when we met for lunch later
Our trip to the Mini dealer took much longer than expected and we need to go back today to complete the transaction for a new car, the electric Aceman. My choice was limited due to the increased size and price of the Countryman, the car I already have, however I am happy. Thus I will be trading in my hybrid for an all electric. My car is the one we use on a daily basis and short trips and there is no doubt that the hybrid has proved very economical when comparing fuel prices, plus we have rarely bought petrol in the 3,5 years I have had it. Sadly it will be next July before I get my car as it is made to specifications.
This morning is also a trip to the butchers at Haslingden market and we are looking forward to buying a chicken to roast plus English sausages and bacon. We can get the former but not the latter in France, though the chickens are very expensive . Toulouse sausages from Lidl there are a good substitute for English sausage. Bob also has a parcel to pick up at the main post office, and if we have time we need to buy two 50 th birthday cards and a condolences card. As it promises to be an ok day I may get some more dead heading done too. Have a good day all.
Hello Sue from a fellow mini owner. Mine is a distinctive yellow/orange colour so I've taken to parking next to similarly coloured minis and taking photographs. Small things amuse me.
Steve insisted on being the person in charge of weedkiller yesterday, so we will wait and see. I'm going to attack strong looking weeds with the boiling water so we can attack them on two fronts.
I have a metric tonne of apples to sweep up and get rid of, Buster enjoys them but not as much as the wasps. Still a load on the tree to harvest properly rather than windfalls.
Measure with a micrometer, mark with a pencil, cut with an axe.
Samuel the Spanuel died and the house seemed a little empty. The best I should have done would be to get another Spaniel, but I got Buster instead. He's a Munsterlander.
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Measure with a micrometer, mark with a pencil, cut with an axe.
Julie in Norfolk wrote: ↑06 Sep 2025, 07:06
Hello Sue from a fellow mini owner. Mine is a distinctive yellow/orange colour so I've taken to parking next to similarly coloured minis and taking photographs. Small things amuse me.
Steve insisted on being the person in charge of weedkiller yesterday, so we will wait and see. I'm going to attack strong looking weeds with the boiling water so we can attack them on two fronts.
I have a metric tonne of apples to sweep up and get rid of, Buster enjoys them but not as much as the wasps. Still a load on the tree to harvest properly rather than windfalls.
I love my mini. I once took a photo of an original mini next to my Countryman . Now that was a laugh it could have fitted in the back of mine
I shall be in the shed early doors most likely doing a bit of light turning making steam and exhaust pipes for my engine....
After second sleep I shall be cooking veggies.... Anything after that depends on how I feel.
Stanley Challenger Graham
Stanley's View
scg1936 at talktalk.net
"Beware of certitude" (Jimmy Reid)
The floggings will continue until morale improves!
Old age isn't for cissies!
Another small but accurate step.... I made and fitted the steam and exhaust pipes to the engine. Now for breakfast which is more complicated this morning as I have no microwave. I am back to an old fashioned CI pan on the hob.....
Stanley Challenger Graham
Stanley's View
scg1936 at talktalk.net
"Beware of certitude" (Jimmy Reid)
The floggings will continue until morale improves!
Old age isn't for cissies!
It was a very pleasant day yesterday and Bob and I managed a lot of garden tidying. Its on hold now as the brown bin is full but things certainly look a lot better after dead heading and a bit of sweeping.
Today Bob will be at the park, sadly a wet afternoon is forecast. I shall do some sewing, however about 1.00 pm Claire is calling round on her way to see the Rugby at Spotland. We have a few bits from France for her but I also want her to try on the top I am making for her. She will have left by 2.00 pm leaving me with a quiet afternoon. Have a good day all.
Today we shall mostly be filling out another form. This time it is for the pack for selling our old house. There is a viewing on Monday and I'm hoping for feedback from that. It is an awkward house to sell so we will see what happens. There is nothing really we can do, we had a team of cleaners in to top and bottom it and they did a good job, good value for money.
Measure with a micrometer, mark with a pencil, cut with an axe.
I'm so glad I don't have to face that Julie.... I wish you the best of luck with it! Sue and Bob are facing the same problem with their house in France....
Stanley Challenger Graham
Stanley's View
scg1936 at talktalk.net
"Beware of certitude" (Jimmy Reid)
The floggings will continue until morale improves!
Old age isn't for cissies!
I've finished veggie cooking and am having my dinner. This happy meal for one is in a cast iron pan Wendy gave me a long time ago. It's coming in very handy as my work around for not having a microwave... Thanks Wendy!
Stanley Challenger Graham
Stanley's View
scg1936 at talktalk.net
"Beware of certitude" (Jimmy Reid)
The floggings will continue until morale improves!
Old age isn't for cissies!
I shall be in the shed early doors as usual for Occupational Therapy. I might cook some savoury cabbage later to warm the kitchen up as we are promised a cool day. It will not be long now until the heating cracks on starting the 2025/26 heating season!
Stanley Challenger Graham
Stanley's View
scg1936 at talktalk.net
"Beware of certitude" (Jimmy Reid)
The floggings will continue until morale improves!
Old age isn't for cissies!
This morning I made the flat link which connects the eccentric to the valve rod. The first move was to reduce the thickness of the stock provided by Stuarts until it fitted the gap in the valve rod clevis. Then drill the valve end 7BA clearance for the pin in the clevis. Then measure the position of the 5BA clear countersunk hole in the eccentric end. Both ends of the link had to be rounded off. All very tricky work holding especially for the milling to thickness. Now I am after my breakfast.
Stanley Challenger Graham
Stanley's View
scg1936 at talktalk.net
"Beware of certitude" (Jimmy Reid)
The floggings will continue until morale improves!
Old age isn't for cissies!
I spent most of the day yesterday doing a bit of research and writing a handout for a demo I am doing in my Thursday art class in a few weeks. Claire and Erin came and Claire tried her top on. It fits ok so now I can progress to finishing it. Bob was back from the park early because it was so wet, Claire had a wet rugby match and I made another apple cake for after our roast chicken. That sums up our day yesterday.
Today its back to French conversation class at Haslingden this morning, and yoga at the studio this evening. It should be a drier but cooler day than yesterday . Have a good day all
Yesterday we all but completed the umpteen page form except for a couple of bits which we need to go through with the solicitors so that we make sure it is correct, one of them being the plan from the land registry which does not include all of our garden. Ah well, onward and upwards as they say.
Measure with a micrometer, mark with a pencil, cut with an axe.
Morning Sue... we have a bit of pale sun here in Barlick but as you say, it's going to be a cool day.
Commiserations Julie, I'm so glad I don't have to do those forms I am completely intolerant of anything like that now.
I am back up after second sleep and improving the shining hour by cooking savoury cabbage and onion cooked in butter.
Stanley Challenger Graham
Stanley's View
scg1936 at talktalk.net
"Beware of certitude" (Jimmy Reid)
The floggings will continue until morale improves!
Old age isn't for cissies!
I shall be in the shed first thing and I think the target will be the eccentric strap.... A walk could be on the cards later on what looks like being a slightly better day....
Stanley Challenger Graham
Stanley's View
scg1936 at talktalk.net
"Beware of certitude" (Jimmy Reid)
The floggings will continue until morale improves!
Old age isn't for cissies!
Today's task was taking the raw eccentric casting and refining it until it is ready for boring. I have reached that stage but that's for tomorrow..... Right now I have one thing in mind and you all know what that is.....
Stanley Challenger Graham
Stanley's View
scg1936 at talktalk.net
"Beware of certitude" (Jimmy Reid)
The floggings will continue until morale improves!
Old age isn't for cissies!
It was a nice sunny day yesterday and certainly felt warm in our back garden though in reality it was only about 14 degrees. The same is forecast for today. I have little planned, just an appointment this morning and pilates and yoga this evening. I will continue with my sewing, but I also have to make up the twin beds in the spare room as Julia and family are staying on Saturday evening. Its a close friends 50 th birthday, in Rochdale. Julia and Claire used to swim with Simon from when he was 6 till they all parted ways after A levels. Ed went to school with him and thus knew him before he knew the girls, so its a bit of a close knit group going back many years.
It is going to be quite a quiet day, nothing really planned for it so I shall have some time to continue with documenting my genealogy research. I will also have to pluck up courage to ring the grooming parlour for Buster a hairdo. He only has a wash and blow dry but last time, whilst waiting for me to pick him up, he did the most enormous t*rd on the carpeted floor and then danced up and down in it with excitement when I arrived to collect him. He spread it everywhere on the floor and covered his feet in it also, and I have to drive him home as it 12 miles away.
Heather helped my clean him up sufficiently to get in the car, and I did apologise for the floor, but I am still sooooo embarrassed. Time to bite the bullet. Heather is a lovely person and I know she has forgiven Buster, she said he wasn't the first and won't be the last, but there was so much of it!
Measure with a micrometer, mark with a pencil, cut with an axe.
Oh Julie! I have been there with a German Shepherd, Savanah Cameron Zoltan to give him his Sunday name. I had him on a short leash and he started by shoving his nose up the skirt of a twin set Tweed suited woman in front of us in a queue for the chippy in Carleton, he took my hand with his foraging. He followed that by immediately emptying his bowels on the chippy floor. At the time I was wishing that a big hole would open up and swallow us.
At the time I was wishing that a big hole would open up and swallow us. 
