Today I shall be Mainly...

[Stanley]

Change of plan..... Due to a change in domestic circumstances.... I am not going in the shed. No big problem, just an annoyance!

[Sue]

Morning

Back to Brittany today. It has rained here overnight and thunderstorms forecast over the next 4 days but not further north. It should be an ok drive therefore without rain affecting us. Yesterday was a great morning in St Emilion with a very nice lunch indeed at a local chateau and vineyard. We have loved our three days here and had quite forgotten how much we love this part of France. I was great meeting up with Catherine again and hope to be able to do so next year on their return trip to France. Have a good day all

[Stanley]

Morning Sue, glad you had a good day yesterday and I hope you have a good trip home today. I have had my sleep and have just put the Pork Bel;ly in the slow cooker with two onions and five small whole oranges with the usual spices. we have a dry morning but heavy overcast....

[Stanley]

I shall be in the shed this morning first thing for OT and after that will decide when I see what the weather is like.

[Sue]

Morning

It was a good drive back, quiet roads, not too hot and only a little rain. We were back before 4.00 pm, time to do a load of washing and a bit of watering. Today is due to be about 22 degrees with cloud and sun, though its a very misty start. We have shopping to do but otherwise its a bit of garden titivating. The lawn needs cutting , roses need deadheading and the gravel needs weed killing. Nothing too strenuous though . Have a good day all

[Stanley]

Even so Sue it's another day of maintenance work.... I hope you remember to take a break every now and again...



You'll be pleased to see I didn't let the world get in the way this morning and finished making the eccentric for the valve train. I have fitted it with a 1/4"Whitworth grub screw to lock it on to the shaft when the time comes.

[Stanley]

I have been for a walk, a sit on the bench supervising traffic and a quick shop in the C-op for milk, raw apple cyder vinegar and dark soy sauce.
When I got home UPS had delivered my new slow cooker and that is a great improvement. It's ready for use now and looks really clean and tidy. The old one, apart from having a dicky switch, was getting very shabby.....

[Sue]

Even so Sue it's another day of maintenance work.... I hope you remember to take a break .

Only the same as we do at home. It's when it is left the problems start. I love pottering in the garden

[Stanley]

[Stanley]

I shall be in the shed first thing doing useful things. After Second Sleep I shall very likely have a walk because that twill be perhaps my last chance for a day or two..... (Rain is forecast!)

[Sue]

Morning

With the lawn and garden all ship shape again it was an opportunity to sit with a glass of wine after my pilates last night and enjoy the evening for a bit.

IMG_3705.jpeg

We did a massive shop in the morning which should get us almost to the end of our trip late next week.

Today is due to be cloudy and much cooler, around 17 degrees. Rain, probably showers are forecast most of the afternoon. I shall vacuum downstairs and clean the bathrooms. This afternoon I shall be cooking as Joanne and Paul are coming for a meal tonight. Have a good day all

[Stanley]

This morning I set to to get the eccentric strap to the right shape and size so that it can be prepared for boring and fitting. Here's the result of 30 minutes work. Now I deserve my breakfast!
I was just going to post and up you popped! Morning Sue. That looks sufficiently relaxing. I shall stop nagging..... Have a good day.

[Sue]

That looks sufficiently relaxing. I shall stop nagging..... Have a good day.

[Stanley]

I shall be in the shed as usual working on my eccentric strap. Beyond that I do not see any demands from my social calendar that will cause me any problems. (I have already read my 'smart' meters and submitted the readings.... )

[Stanley]

I started the morning by cleaning Mrs Harrison, you can ignore mess for only so long and then something has to be done about it. Once it was clean I turned my attention back to the eccentric strap. I did some more refining of the shape and the fini9sh, then milled a flat on the periphery to act as a starter for the oil hole. I drilled the mouth of the hole with a centre drill and finished it with a 1'8" drill. Next I got set up and drilled the lugs of the strap 3.3mm clearance for the 5BA bolts that will hold both halves together. Now I am ready for boring the strap to fit the eccentric but that's enough for this morning, I fancy my breakfast.

[Sue]

Morning

It was a chilly damp day here yesterday, but it only rained properly for about 10 minutes. This morning is wall to wall sun, this afternoon cloudy. We are off to the market at Malestroit. We don’t need anything but want to take two bags of nooks to the English second hand book shop that is only open on market days. Joanne and Paul took a big bag full of paperbacks home with them last night.

Otherwise I have no plans but I think Bob is trying to make use of rolls of insulation left over from our room conversion a couple of years ago . He is putting some in the roof space and some is being used to insulate under the floor of the same room, which is above a large storeroom that we are trying to empty. Yves took all the paint and decorating stuff whilst we we were back in Rochdale plus some tools we said he could have .

Have a good day all

[Stanley]

Morning Sue, You're doing better than we are, no sign of the sun yet and none expected until midday. The bookshop at Malestroit will be glad to see you. I hope they sell well....
I often used to think that garage sales were a good thing in the States. I used to enjoy poking round them and they must have been useful for de-cluttering.
I always think of Maladroit when you go to market.....

[Stanley]

Shed first thing and more honest endeavour on the eccentric strap. I do enjoy my hour in there working with my hands. I'm positive it's good for me.
Not sure about later.... we are promised a sunny day but we shall see....

[Sue]

Morning

Yesterdays misty start turned into a lovely warm sunny day with a gentle breeze. We took our books, walked round the market and had a stroll by the canal followed by lunch at a local creperie. On the way there we dropped by to see Paul and Joannes new house which they are building. Its coming along nicely as they have reached the decorating and fitting out stage. They have still had no interest in their present house, I think like ours it may be the higher price and bigger size that is putting people off looking.

In the afternoon i pottered in the garden and washed and dried our quilted summer throw for the bed. It only just fits in the washer but was well worth it as it looks considerably brighter. We will leave this covering the bed when we leave as it will look better than the thick winter one ( should we get any viewings) . In the evening Laetitia and family came for a drink and a chat.

Today I am making strawberry and rhubarb jam using strawberries from the market and the last of the rhubarb in the freezer. I am also going to sort out some things to take home or give away here. Ed and Julia are having some of the kilner jars, Joanne is having the rest plus jam jars and storage jars and some plates and bowls . A friend at home is having the juicer and some wine glasses, but it all needs sorting. I have a few things to photograph to send to the rest of the family to see if anyone wants anything. I think that is as much as we can really do for a bit.

Todays forecast is similar to yesterday with a little more cloudy. Have a good day all

[Stanley]

" I think that is as much as we can really do for a bit."
So do I Sue! I think you've had another full day and made progress. I hope you can have a nice enjoyable day today with perhaps not so much driving you on.



This morning I measured and marked the strap for centre line and then mounted a 1/32" slitting saw in the VM and cut the strap into two halves. Next I marked the strap so that the halves are always oriented correctly and then reinstalled the bolts. The next job was to rough the everyday milling cutter up in the T&C grinder before taking the collet chuck out and installing the boring head. I then centred the cutter in the strap and now I am ready for measuring the eccentric and boring the strap but that can wait until tomorrow because now I deserve my breakfast.

[Stanley]

My task is clear in the shed first thing this morning. I have to bore the eccentric strap and fit it to the eccentric on my engine. Than I can start considering completing the valve train.. From the look of the weather forecast I shall not be going out on traffic duty today....

[Stanley]

Just one simple task this morning, measure the eccentric then bore the strap out and fit it. Clean the chips up and take the boring head off the El Cheapo mill and replace the normal end mill. Now for my breakfast.

[Sue]

Morning

We had a short trip out to La Gacilly yesterday morning to have a stroll round and to book Sunday lunch. Its Mothers day here on Sunday and places will book up quickly. In the afternoon I did my sorting having found a home for some of our belongings here, I boxed up two boxes of wine glasses ( 5 in a set, always one gets broken) and a few other bits and pieces. This morning we shall take a bag of clothes and unused table cloths to Émeus, the charity warehouse.

At the moment we have no plans for the day, its due to be 18 to 20 degrees, with sun this morning, then a cloudy afternoon. Have a good day all

[Stanley]

We are looking at a wet overcast day here Sue. I'm glad your downsizing went well. You're temperatures are better than ours as well....

[Sue]

Yes we are back to normal here, still a little cooler but by the end of this week, our last before we go home it will reach 27. I see we have rain nearly all week in Rochdale. Thats good news really