Today I shall be Mainly...

[Big Kev]

Arrived in France, all good apart from dead flies and spiders webs

A quick whizz round with the vacuum cleaner will soon sort those.

[Big Kev]

I spent a couple of hours fitting front and rear dashcams to the Yeti. I also replaced the touchscreen on the radio/satnav, a surprisingly straightforward task. Take the unit out, strip it down, fit the new digitiser screen over the top of the original, connect the new ribbon to the board and put it all back together. I have a working touchscreen which has now let me connect my phone to the car, there's no other way to do it without a working screen. I ordered it from eBay Thursday teatime and it was delivered this morning, a YouTube tutorial made it an easy job

[Stanley]

Two positive reports there! Glad all is well Sue, I'll bet you slept well!
Sorry you had to start your new car experience with a repair Kev but glad it went well. I wish you better luck than the last one.
Today I will be in the shed as usual. First job is to clean up and then fit the 4Jaw SC chuck and start finish polishing the shafts. I want them to sparkle as they sit on the kitchen table as eye candy!
A walk later I think, the forecast is good.

[Stanley]

This morning I started by cleaning Mrs Harrison and sweeping the floor. Once I had a clean shed I took the big 3 jaw SC chuck off and replaced it with the smaller 4 Jaw SC chuck, installed a rough turned shaft and very carefully adjusted it for final size, polish and last of all, removing the button that has protected the webs from distortion throughout the heavy turning. It's on the table in the kitchen now, a lovely sight.... Now for breakfast!

[Sue]

Morning

We spent a couple of hours in the garden uncovering the plant pots and sweeping up leaves, then it was a quiet evening on line and watching TV before we were off to bed early. Having slept 9 hours we feel refreshed. Todays forecast is rain though not heavy so those spiders webs will get sorted plus any other inside jobs, not that there are many. If the rain is only light I will don my gardening gear and do a bit of light weeding. Otherwise no plans other than going to see Laetitia and family . Have a good day all. I gather the weather was good at home yesterday, not so here but it was warm

[Stanley]

Morning Sue! I thought you might sleep well after a busy couple of days. Not as bright here today but it promises to be as warm as yesterday. No complaints!
I hope you have a nice quiet day but with not too much gardening!

[Big Kev]

Sorry you had to start your new car experience with a repair Kev but glad it went well. I wish you better luck than the last one.

It was an expected repair and quicker for me to do it, rather than return the car to Dewsbury for the garage to fix it.

[Stanley]

That's good to hear....

[Big Kev]

I gather the weather was good at home yesterday, not so here but it was warm

It was a lovely day here yesterday, today is forecast clear skies but it's a bit cloudy at the moment. It's definitely warmer although that won't last into next week.

[Stanley]

I've just got back from a walk and a sit on traffic duty in really warm sun. Then I popped into the Co-op for a couple of shelf fillers. Back home I went out into the front garden and sprayed the gaps between the flags and the edges of the path outside the gate with some enviro friendly weedkiller that I Have. The weeds are just beginning to show signs of springing into full growth so now is a good time to hit them.

[Wendyf]

My little car was looking more green than silver so it has had its annual clean!

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[Big Kev]

Looks very smart

[Wendyf]

I've done Col's Skoda as well now, i must be poorly. My Dad would be proud of me!

[Big Kev]

I'll bring mine up

[Wendyf]

I'm aiming the power washer at my patio next, that's enough cars!

[Stanley]

I started today an hour in front of myself because I woke up thinking about a problem I am having communicating with Uncle Bob. In the end I decided to get up and do something about it so I am an hour early.....
I shall be in the shed first thing working on finish turning and polishing my shafts to make them look nice..... At some point in the day I shall deal with my pork belly and get it into the slow cooker with the usual suspects. (The main one of which is unfiltered and unpasteurised Apple Cyder Vinegar, it goes well with pork....)
After that it depends how I feel. The forecast is bright but colder, I could well be tempted out for a walk.

[Cathy]

Wendy, all that work is what I call ‘Being Industrious’,

[Stanley]

I've been industrious as well Cathy. I have just sat down and my pork belly is cut into small chunks and is in the slow cooker with the usual suspects where it will argue with itself all day...... Then I shall separate the fat from the gravy using the freezer and I shall end up with some lovely, well cooked and easily digestible low fat food.

[Stanley]

This pic tells you all you need to know about this morning's progress in the shed. I have my eye candy on the table! Three crankshafts for the next three Stuart No 9 engines chopped out of solid steel. Casting my eye over these three little Beauties does my ego a power of good. Not many people could do these, let alone in their 90th year! Now for breakfast. Tomorrow I can open my box of castings and start the next engine....

[Sue]

Morning

It was a pretty miserable day yesterday, heavy drizzle turned to rain, and by 4.00 pm the mist had descended and obliterated what little view we had left . I shortened some curtains that have been annoying me for some time, and some jeans that I bought on the way here last visit. In the afternoon we popped round to see Laetitia and family before they took their son , Evan, up to St Malo for his week in college there. He is doing a farm mechanics apprenticeship with a monthly rota of 3 weeks working here and one week in college in St Malo. Today is due to be cloudy with a little light rain only. We will have some shopping to do but hopefully I will get some weeding of the flower beds .

Its all change here, both the houses attached to us are up for sale. They were both bought a year ago, one as a renovation the other as renovation and a weekend home . They have both completed the renovations and decided to sell. Laetitia and family, who rent, have also decided to move as the old farmhouse has developed a number of problems and the landlord ( the old farmers son) will not respond. Also the fuel bills etc are getting too expensive. They will have moved by the summer but Yves says he will still look after our place in our absence which is very good of him. Summer will be strange and not the same with only two families left in the hamlet and both keep to themselves. With our friends gone and Roland having died it seems like it really is the time to sell. We expect to see the estate agent sometime this week to assess what is happening.

Our weather forecast improves from Wednesday. Have a good day all

[Stanley]

Morning Sue.... That really is a picture of change and yes, I can see why it makes sense to you to sell. I hope you get good reports from your agent. It sounds like, in terms of the market and the economics also, it's a good time to sell.
My pork belly is cooking down nicely in the slow cooker, it's had four hours already and by this afternoon will be good for fat harvesting!
My three shafts are looking good!

[Big Kev]

I've done Col's Skoda as well now, i must be poorly. My Dad would be proud of me!

I washed mine

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[Stanley]

Looks like a smart little car and I like the registration!
I shall be in the shed first thing getting my ducks in a row for a start on building the next Stuart No. 9 engine. I unpacked the castings yesterday after finishing the crankshafts. (Which are grinning at me on the table to my right. They do me so much good sitting there.... )

[Stanley]

This morning was preparation work for engine building. The bench was already clean and the tablecloth isn't bad so I didn't change it. Then I sorted all the components I unpacked yesterday and stowed them away in their proper places. Next I turned my attention to Mrs Harrison. I cleaned up all the swarf and chips and then oiled it thoroughly, I haven't done this for a while.... As you can see I ended up with a clean lathe and I have wiped up my oil spills and excessive oil. Everything works a lot easier now! I considered starting on fettling castings but decided I wanted my breakfast.

[Sue]

Morning

Well at least it was drier yesterday, though very very wet underfoot. We did garden, hopefully getting things tidy before an influx of house viewers . Everything is behind here, no blossom appearing on the trees, no rhubarb shoots which are both usually well established by now. All in it looks and feels more like November. I weeded the small rockeries round various trees and tree stumps and tried to tackle the rhubarb patch which was like digging in a mud bath. I gave up in the end. I have weeds where I have never had weeds, different and well established ones too. And there is so much moss everywhere.

The sun did manage to come out at about 4.00 pm and we had a lovely sunset, giving rise to a clear cold night. This morning it’s 3 degrees and we have a thick mist again more like November than March. Its the same cold spell as at home but without the respite of a few spring like days beforehand. The locals must be getting really depressed with this weather. Laetitia was saying that many shops are still closed after the major floods including one of the biggest supermarkets. Today promises to be dryish until late afternoon then the rain returns.

As the Spring tidy up is always a priority this visit, it looks like its going to be a slow process. We will start our day with a little more gardening but may pop out somewhere. We have things to take over to Joanne and Paul, but we have no need to shop at the moment. I am slowly working down the freezer and will not top it up again whilst we do not know what is happening. Have a good day all