Today I shall be Mainly...

[Stanley]

That sounds like very clement weather.... Enjoy!



Drilling and tapping and then fitting the studs to the bed casting. Then fitting the top caps to the bearings. I am ready to bore for the crankshaft tomorrow and once that's done I shall paint the castings....

[Stanley]

I shall be boring in the shed. A walk and veggie shopping on the Square looks to be on the cards (no snooker to distract during the morning!) as the weather will be dry. Apart from that, simply looking after myself.

[Sue]

Morning.

It was not a nice day yesterday, cloudy, cool and intermittent rain. The house needs to warm up, and for that we need sun. Only two sunny days are forecast in the next week, although temperatures are up to about 16-18 degrees. ( about 5 degrees cooler than normal) That makes it warmer out of the house than in. We have even had to light a fire each evening and the central heating is on low permanently. We weren’t even doing that at home . I did a small load of washing but it got rained on just before it was dry.

In the morning we went and bought a new washer, which Bob connected. Its very fancy, and at nearly 400 euros it was the cheapest we could find, but needs must. The other one wouldn’t have lasted much longer. In between showers i did some light hand weeding of weeds in the gravel drive. In getting the washer in the house we had to move it along the tiled floor. This meant moving the kitchen table and the rug it sits on. The latter had stuck to the floor. We took it up and put it in the art section of the new room. Once we had cleaned the gunge off the tiles we replaced the rug with one Audrey gave us when she moved back to the UK.

In the afternoon we went to La Gacilly to book lunch for Monday, our 52nd wedding anniversary then In the evening we popped round for a chat with Laetitia. She was telling us that the daughter who left home on her 18 th birthday, 18 months ago, has split from her boyfriend but is pregnant. Laetitia is devastated. Elaura was a quiet girl, had achieved a good vocational baccalaureate and obtained an apprenticeship at a boulangerie. She gave it all up after two months so she could go and live with her boyfriend some 20 km away. Laetitia never heard from her again till this. What a mess

Today rain is forecast all morning so the lawn can still not be cut, it must be about 20-30 cm high. This intermittent rain and warmth but not many sunny days has been the norm for weeks. I think todays jobs will be inside.

Have a good day all

[Stanley]

Commiserations on the washer Sue! I hate spending money.... The tale of Laetitia's daughter is sad. Bad enough when we cock up but far worse when it is a daughter.... I hope they find a resolution. (I had the same thing happen to both a daughter and a grand daughter so I know the feeling.)



A good careful hour and a quarter spent on my crankshaft and bearings. First I adjusted the width of the crank webs until they were a comfortable fit in the bed. Then I made final adjustments to the fit of the bottom bearing shells. Finally I adjusted the length of thread on the 4BA studs and refitted them. Now I am ready to bore for the shaft.

[Stanley]

I've been for my walk, shopped for veggies in the Square and sat on traffic duty for almost half an hour. Like yesterday, no sun and the wind, even though it is from the South, was cutting, you had to be wrapped up properly.
Back in the warm now.

[Stanley]

I shall be in the shed for an hour with me engine, early doors weekly shop in the Cathedral of Choice at 07:00 and who knows, a short walk at midday? We will decide on that later on.

[Sue]

Morning

Well it was another miserable wet day yesterday. I did manage to get outside for an hour in the afternoon but there was a continuous drizzle which later turned to full rain. In the morning Bob prepared the final bit of stone wall for its PVA treatment whilst I put my art stuff to rights, and then cut out some upholstery fabric to recover the chair in there. The latter we both finished off after lunch and are very pleased with the effect. In the afternoon we had an unexpected visit from Joanne and Paul. They stayed an hour or so for a chat with a cuppa.

Today is forecast 21 degrees and cloud all day. At last I may feel warm. We have some shopping to do and I shall use my new washer to catch up on the washing whilst there is a chance it may dry. Later I will try and weed the veggie patch and plant some seeds. I weeded the asparagus patch yesterday, it looks like the plants survived after I split the crowns last October.

Have a good day all

IMG_0425.jpeg

[Big Kev]

Looking good

[Stanley]

The chair is well up to your usual standards....



The job this morning was to bore the bearings for the crankshaft. I made sure the brasses were correct and re-installed them using the studs I adjusted yesterday. All went OK and it's worth looking carefully how I set the castings up under the drill in such a way that it made being perpendicular automatic..... I had to slightly modify the journals on the crankshaft by polishing them as they were a couple of thou strong, That's done and the shaft will be a good fit. I shall of course fit it and check tomorrow....
I went for early doors shopping and it's all put away ready for veggie cooking later today.

[Stanley]

I have given cooking my veggies priority over a walk. Surely it counts as light exercise?

[Sue]

Looking good

Good old You tube. Told me how to do it all. I bought the fabric from ebay I think, may be Amazon. Fabric for caravan furniture. I bought enough to do the matching chair that is in the study here

[Big Kev]

[Stanley]

I have cooked more than half of next week's veggies and that is enough honest endeavour for one day. I shall go and watch snooker now....

[Stanley]

I shall put my chicken in to roast when I have finished the site and then will have an hour in the shed and second sleep. Then deal with the chicken and cook the rest of my veggies. It's all go!

[Sue]

Morning

At last a half decent day yesterday, at one fleeting point we saw some blue sky but it did not last. I got the veggie patch looking tidy, dug over a bit more and planted a packet of wild flower seeds. At the moment I recovered the patch to try and stop the birds getting at them. I shall give them a week or so and uncover them . Today is the market at La Gacilly. We don’t need much as we did a big shop yesterday at Lidl and Super U, but I am hoping for geraniums and tomato plants. If we get them I know what I will be doing this afternoon . We shall also drop some bits and pieces off at the charity warehouse Emaus . I have had a clear out of surplus pots and crockery.

Its proving to be a week of breakages and replacements. The downstairs loo brush broke, the washer and toaster needed replacement ( Yves is having the old washer to strip it down for parts), I tried to make some yoghurt and the thermostat has gone on the Lakeland yogurt maker ( I have one at home that I hardly ever use so I shall bring it over next trip if we don’t see a cheap one here). Finally yesterday Bob managed to get half the lawn cut with the big hand petrol mower ( it being too wet for the ride on which blocks up if the grass is wet ) when the front guiding wheel fell off. Bob has no idea how it fixes together but eventually a repair will be made. Its a dry day today so perhaps the other mower will work to finish it off. More rain tomorrow.

Have a good day all.

[Stanley]

Bob will solve the guide wheel problem no doubt. A lot of maintenance going on Sue!



As promised I fitted the crankshaft and checked the fit. I ran it in using the drill, it is as usual with my fitting, tight, but a good fit and you can turn it over with your fingers. Than I stripped the castings down for painting. I did the bed and the base with spray paint but the other parts will be brush painted tomorrow....
(I noticed the smear on the lens and have cleaned it!)

[Sue]

Bob will solve the guide wheel problem no doubt. A lot of maintenance going on Sue!

He needs a washer of a particular size. He hasn’t got one so we will have to trawl the DIY shops next week. I have managed to get the veggie plants and geranium plants I wanted.

[Stanley]

I have just finished veggie cooking and I have vacuumed as well. The latter is because I am expecting a visit from Yiota my grand daughter and her squeeze, Ash. It will be lovely to see them.....

[Big Kev]

Off to Carlos, in Colne, for bit o' tea then down to the Muni to see Limehouse Lizzy (Thin Lizzy tribute band). It's £2 each to get there on the bus and £1 each for the journey home

[Wendyf]

Sounds like a good night out. Please explain why it's cheaper going home.

[Big Kev]

Sounds like a good night out. Please explain why it's cheaper going home.

All journeys are £1 after 7pm

[Big Kev]

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They're very good, tea was good too

[Stanley]

I had a lovely visit from Yiota and Ash, today I have no social engagements and so can do exactly as I please! .
I shall be in the shed for an hour painting engine components by hand with a small brush. Not sure about a walk as we have rain promised later, we shall see at midday.

[Sue]

Morning

An unexpectedly warm sunny afternoon. The lawn was cut, the veggie plot laid out for planting and tomatoes planted. Laetitia, Yves and their younger daughter Leanna came round for a drink and a chat. On leaving Yves took the old washer away. The laundry room is looking tidier again. Next week we must take our recycling to the tip ie ‘déchèterie’.

This morning is misty and damp with rain forecast all afternoon. I have some ironing to do, Bob will probably continue withe glue on the wall. Other than that I have no plans. A little crocheting perhaps

Have a good day all

[Stanley]

Not a lot happening here either Sue. Only one image needed. The smaller items have been brush painted and I brushed over the base and bed that I sprayed yesterday. Not my favourite pastime!