Monday 28th July 2014 to Sunday 3rd August 2014

Monday 28th July 2014

Up at 5:50 (very tired after not much sleep over the weekend), dog walked, papers fetched. Got a doctor's appointment at 9.50 to have ear syringed. So got down the lotty at 7.20 to put in a row of peas and net em up.   Took longer than thought so glad I went early.

At Doctors for 9.40 appointment, actually saw nurse at 10:15, she gave it a good go but couldn't shift the wax build-up so got to do the drops for two more weeks.  She had a look at my other ear while I was there and said I'm surprised you can hear anything at all as your left ear's only slightly better than your right one.  So am banging drops into that one as well, now.  Got to work for 11.20 - what a nightmare.  Put me well behind schedule but such is life!  Did some more drops at lunchtime.  Got one of the weekly reports out before 3pm which was tolerable with all the hassle.  Back home for 6:30.  Tea.  Dog Walked.  Small amount of golf - didn't get on with the 9.5 degree version of the Hi-bore driver so back to the 10.5 degree at least for a while.  Done for 8.40 then down the lotty for 8:53.  Watered everything.  Weeded one lot of brassicas.  Coming back home for 9.55 and it's rotten dark.    

Tuesday 29th July 2014

Up earlyish (am a bit knackered if truth be known).  Dog walked, papers fetched.  Stuff watered.  Into office for a bit after 8.  Good day at work and an early finish because - playing golf with Mike from work at Horsley Lodge.  Very enjoyable - 45 on front nine and about 56(!) on the back nine - Horsley Lodge is a lovely course but if you make bad decisions and start thinking you can channel Seve then you will have a hard time of it - two big scores on the 10th and 17th and a few treble bogies  due to poor putting and a lost ball messed up the card properly. 

Card at Horsley - think I got whooped by a 22 handicapper/bandit

Mike's 22 handicap swing

Me wandering along answering emails like an eejit - must switch the damn thing off next time!

2nd hole I think (or possibly the 11th!)

Can't remember which one this is either!!!

Never mind a very enjoyable round and the only lost ball was when I managed to find a little bit of a stream thing on I think the 14th hole - Mike who generally hits it 20 yards past me with his 22 handicap swing also found the water a couple of yards to the left of me (I think he thought he'd carry it past with his longer drives - that'll teach him).  Couldn't make the 3 wood work at all either that cost me quite a few shots - might have to stick with the 5 wood which went along nicely. 

Got home for a bit after 8pm, dog walked then down the lotty.  Watered everything then weeded the other patch of brassicas. 

Wednesday 30th July 2014

Up at 5.55 - very tired, dog walked, papers fetched, breakfast, off tow work, stopping for petrol, sat down for 8.30 not too bad all things considered. Busy day at work.  Home for 6.30, tea, dog walked, watered the homestead stuff, pulled up the dead sweet peas. Down the lotty, planted a couple of feet of radishes - icycle and french breakfasts.  Weeded.  Watered. Came home. Coffee . Telly, late to bed. 

Thursday 31st July 2014

Final day of July and solar has so far done very well this month - hoping for one last good day of generation. Got up at 6am after hitting snooze for half an hour.  Dog walked,  papers fetched, into the office for 8.22. Cracking day in the office and England won the test match to boot.   Phil's mega busy on t'other side of the pond.  They have 12 combines all working together cutting a 350 foot swathe through the crops!   However, all this production means big queue to unload at the elevator so there's a downside too! 

A few dollars worth there, no doubt.

Anyway, back home about 6.30. Tea, dog walked, took Lucy to 99p shop to get some pens then back home and chillaxed for a change.  Rain predicted so decided not to water lotty.   Didn't really come but it's predicted again for Friday so hopefullly the met office will deliver. 

Friday 1st August 2014

Crikey August already.  Up at 5:30.  Dog walked, paper fetched.  Ready for work but detour to Darley Dale first to drop some stuff off for me mum, still into the office before 8am so all good stuff.  Left work at 4pm back home, quick tea, little dog walk in rain then off to Sunny (not) Cardiff.   Good to see a bit of rain coming!   No need for watering the old lotty today and tomorrow I reckon!

Hell's teeth a four hour drive due to most of M6 and M5 seemingly being worked on.  Never mind such is life.  Stopped in a very comfy Travellodge near Cardiff. 

Saturday 2nd August 2014

Woke up at 5:18 in Cardiff (well closer to Barry than Cardiff but more-or-less).  Chucking it down outside. 

https://goo.gl/maps/a8eUm

Did group visit then a 4.5 hour drive back, got home a bit before 3pm - M4 and M5 are right waste of time. Wished I'd got on A38 earlier.  Didn't do much when got home as knackered, took the wee dog for a walk.

Sunday 3rd August 2014
Got out of bed a bit late.  Janette had taken wee dog for a walk.  Did some little jobs - sorted out the roofbars so the roof box would work.  Put "Please shut the gate" sign back on properly.  Got Lucy's bike out the shed for her.  Moved one of the tomato plants to the back - got a drip drip irrigation system sorted for the two tomato plants at the front (awesomely complex system). 3 mile walk in the afternoon managed to get stung to bits and cut on barbed wire other than that it went like a dream.  Took the pooch for another 1.5 miler at night as well.  Bed early as going to work dead early to come home early for funeral.

Monday 21st July 2014 to Sunday 27th July 2014

Monday 21st July 2014
Up early at 5.30   Dog walked, paper fetched, back for 6.40am, into the office for 8.30.  Phil sent some pictures over night - he was cutting on Sunday afternoon (after a 700 mile, 14 hour trip on Saturday) - some birthday weekend for the wee lad.

Cutting on Sunday 20th July

The view from Phil's cab

Am sure a Fergie 35 would be quite adequate...

This is the damn at Pierre apparently

Combines, tractors and trucks - Phil's in Paradise!

After a funny day at work got home for about 6:30.  Tea then dog walked. Then up the hill and 8 holes of golf - nothing to report in terms of performance - parred three of the holes, hit some nice longish (for me drives) remembered a neat way of pitching - weaken left hand grip and imagine you're hitting the ball wityh the back of your hand sort of thing.  Anyway it was nice to be out and about.

Second tee - low sun just what you need!

After that, got home for 8.45 so did a bit of watering at home and then down to the allotment for even more watering.  Also trained a few of the runner beans as these seem to want to go anywhere but up the poles and banged a load of slug pellets down.

Runner beans runner anywheyer they wanna

Tuesday 22nd July 2014
Dog walked early doors, paper fetched. Into office early as usual.  Back home for a bit after 6pm. Tea. Dog walk. Bit of golf interrupted by a hot air balloon coming down somewhere near our house!

Balloon coming down at a pace over Greenacres!

Down lotty for more watering about 9.10pm and the nights are deffo closing in.

Wednesday 23rd July 2014
Up dead early with the symphony that is Nobby Clarke's lorry revving up at 4:06am.  Never mind, got up proper at 5:30, took lil dog up town, got papers and then got to work before 8am.  All good stuff! Went to group only a pound on after much alcohol and stuff so pleased with that over two weeks - need to get my head right soon though.  Back home for 6:30.  Tea then dog walked then had a practice setting up the new Coleman Instant Dome 3 tent on front lawn - it should go up in a minute so it took me about five minutes on first attempt mainly because the video on youtube of how to do it is a bit deceptive about one point in my view.  Anyway the main thing is that it's dead easy and not too bad to take down either.

After mucking about with tent and what have you it was down to the lotty for the obligatory watering. A few more bevvies then off to bed.

Thursday 24th July 2014
Up at about 5:55.  Dog walked, papers fetched then off to work. In for just after 8.10, not too bad with a stop for petrol on the way.  Good day in the office got loads done. Back home for a bit after 6pm.  Tea. Dog Walked. Allotment.  Got some camping stuff ready.  Game of Thrones - whopper of an episode can't believe who had been killed off in this one.   Not going to spoil it for anyone but then again we're a good series (or season as people say these days) behind so I probably could say who it is but I won't.

Friday 25th July 2014
Up at 5am.  Dog walked, papers fetched, back home for 6:15.  Breakfast ready for work and in the office for 7.30 all steady stuff.  Loads of emails and stuff done and it's not even 9am!  Got away from work a bit after 3pm.  Back home loaded up.  Set off for 4.15, spent an age sitting on the M6 but got to Valley about 8pm - Becks from Valley Baits got us some bait which was great so friday night wasn't wasted. A few drinky poos and a bit of fishing.  Caught a pouting, our Andrew had a couple of dogfish - no gear lost which was goo.

Saturday 26th July 2014
Up at crack of dawn so walked to the point and back. Had a sausage and bacon barm (or cob if you're in the East Midlands) from Vic's son's new venture the sizzlin kitchen butty van. Very nice.

Sea was like a millpond so we first fitted the Lowrance DSI fishfinder before a quite long yak session to do a reconnaisance mission - find the deepest water.  It's a temporary install, the transducer is fitted to a scupper bung under the right foot, the battery is in a little sealed box on a shelf inside the front hatch - have left the wiring in place for when we go back in a couple of weeks Hopefully have the weather with us to do a trip northwards to a spot we found. 

This is the fishfinder  

This was after going east from Church Bay towards Holyhead - on the land there is a big beached boat 

We did about five miles (our Andrew reckons and found a top spot round the point where the water is 40 foot deep just a 100 yards off the rocks!

 
Dug some bait in the afternoon and then a BBQ in the evening but we got downed.  Fortunately a nice couple in the tent up the hill offered us shelter.  They live in Bonsall, how small a world it is!  So couple of burgers and then a night session of fishing on the main beach.   Dogfish after dogfish after dogfish then finished off with an incredibly slimy eel, yuk.   Sea was still like a millpond - apparently this suits the doggies down to the ground - if there's a bit of life in the sea they're nowhere to be seen as apparently they can't deal with the sand in their gills - so that's the sort of conditions we need.

Sunday 27th July 2014
Up at 4:30.  Snoozed a bit then a walk on the beach and back to recover some bits that our Andrew had left behind and ring the missus up.  Another butty from the van.  Stuff put away, set off at about 11.35 and back home for 3pm ish.   Dog walked.  Tea at Stepping Stones - quick service when you go at 4pm  - very nice. Took dog a big walk.  Spoke to Phil.  Down the lotty to dig out a load of spuds - to make some space for another row of peas - apparently July is the last chance to plant peas so I've had some growing in pots for a few weeks.   Brought some harvest back too.

16/3.5

Monday 14th July 2014 to Sunday 20th July 2014

Monday 14th July 2014
Up super early (well 5:30).  Dog walked, papers fetched and washing car at 6.45.

Great big moon in the morning sky!

Stop off at Tesco on way to work and into office for 8.30ish.  All good stuff.  Not a bad day, home for 6:45ish, tea, dog walk round field again, nettle stings, game of thrones, bit of watering. Bed.

Tuesday 15th July 2014
Woke up at 4:30.  Got out of bed an hour later.  Dog walked, papers fetched into office for just after 8am.  All good stuff. Got away from work by 5:30, tea and then walked Lily through big meadow.  She's not sneezing so much - might be related to pollen?    Did 10 holes of golf.  Have got to get some value for money somehow!   Then down lotty to water everything.  All good stuff.  Bed late after watching a thing on Jack Nicklaus on Sky and consuming a small drinkie-poos or two or three.

Wednesday 16th July 2014
Up at 5:40.  Walking the pooch by 6am.  Fetched papers and back home for 6.45am

For the past three days Phil has been driving from Dumas up to South Dakota and back a number of times and I think he's at present carting a combine 800 miles up to Blunt in South Dakota.  He sent some pics.

Off to work for 8:20am.  Not bad day at work, home for about 6.15 as well.  Tea, dog walked, then setting up missus' new Samsung Galaxy Ace phone.  Great fun.  Bit of rain at last too - not much but will have put a wee bit back into the IBC hopefully.

Thursday 17th July 2014
Up at 5.40.  Dog walked, papers fetched.  Ought to have Cycle2Worked twice this week but couldn't be bothered.  Have lost my exercise mojo at the moment and need to get it back really.  In to work for 8.20am

Day went very wrong very quickly.  Taking dog a walk after tea and got told to come home immediately.  In a year that has already seen a lot of heartbreak we heard that cousin Brian had been killed in a lorry accident. Rest in peace mate, you will be so missed.

Friday 18th July 2014
Up at crack of dawn.  Dog walked, papers fetched, off to Hanley to get missus' car serviced.  Must remember for next time - 85p for a black filter coffee in Wetherspoons across the road from MacDonalds on Parliament Row in Hanley.  Four and half hours later on me way back.  More dog walking, half an hour at the lotty, then a lot of drinking.

Saturday 19th July 2014
Phil's birthday - happy birthday wee lad in Texas (although he's moving to South Dakota today).  Dog walked, papers fetched.  Piccy B.  Down lotty for a bit.  No golf - very wet day though so not bothered - only generated 4KWh  on the solar - worst day for absolutely ages.   More drinking - this needs to stop soon.  Funnily enough did a bit of work on linking the two waterbutts down the lotty together - think have done a marvellous job - just need to seal one of the pipes into the waterbutt that's got the fixed down top and then we'll be done!

Sunday 20th July 2014
Different sort of a day.  Dog walked early doors.  Got a load of strawberry runners tagged down for next year's strawberry bed project down the lotty.   BBQ at lunch time with me mum and dad coming over.  All good.  Dog walked from Shenton's garage back to home.  Lots of butterflies about.  Very nice.  Down the lotty we took the nets off the runner beans - should have done this as soon as they were settled in really - learning curve stuff!

Monday 7th July 2014 to Sunday 13th July 2014

Monday 7th July 2014
Up at 5:45, struggled to get out of bed.  Up town and walking dog for 6am, papers fetched.

Back home, showered, shaved and breakfasted then down the lotty to water the beans and leeks that went in over the weekend.   Lotty looking good!

In Alfreton for 8am got a couple of mobile phone handlebar brackets so I can put my phone on the handlebars when am riding about.  Ace.  Back home a bit late after a frustrating day.   Tea. Dog walked . Five holes of golf . Tomatoes and stuff watered.  Car loaded up.  Bed for 10.35

Tuesday 8th July 2014
Up at 5:30.  Dog walked in field, socks wet, such is life.

A bit misty first thing but sun would soon burn it off!

Set off for 7.05.  Rode into office on super bike not too bad pace but sat at lights a bit long at Swanwick - would have nipped over crossing but car in front of me at lights so a smidge under 12mph average.

Logging of journey to work (harder than trip home)
Date	Time	Dist	Avg MPH
17-Jun-2014	60:14:00	9.86	9.82
19-Jun-2014	56:52:00	10.14	10.70
24-Jun-2014	56:29:00	10.23	10.50
1-Jul-2014	53:32:00	9.98	11.19
3-Jul-2014	50:01:00	10.1	12.12
8-Jul-2013	50:39:00	10.12	11.99

Cycled home in the pouring rain thinking at least the allotment is getting some rain on it.  No it wasn't - Ashbourne was bone dry.  Tea then walked the dog.  As the rain hadn't obliged I had to nip down the lotty to water and put up some CD-ROM bird scarers!

Bit of a surprise to see Germany 5-0 after half an hour against Brazil but didn't stay up to watch it til the end.  In bed by 10:30

Wednesday 9th July 2014

Up at 5:30 again, dog walked, papers fetched by 6:30.  On road by 7am as had to go to Mansfield to collect something.  Into the office by 8:30 so all's well!  Went to group after work, have put 3.5lbs on so stuff Dry July!  Had tea, took dog a walk.  Went down lotty weeded the little patch with the beetroot in and tethered some of the runner beans that seem to want to do their own thing.  Watered pretty much everything.  Came home.   Had a whisky or three.  Watched the dullest World Cup Semi ever.  Bed late not bothering to cycle to work tomorrow as officially have a grump on!

Thursday 10th July 2014
Woke up at 5:30, out of bed for 5.40, walking dog by 6am, Papers fetched.  Into work for 8.20. Back home for 6:50.   Tea.  Dog walked.  Aborted tent putting up session.  Putting my tent up tomorrow.  Oh yes.  Watered everything.  Had a little drinkie.  Off to bed.

Friday 11th July 2014
Up at 5:50(!), dog walked papers fetched.  Showered, shaved, breakkied.   Down to lotty to do watering I should have got done last night.  Never mind it got done.  Into the office for 8:30 anyway.

Back home for about 2pm as had afternoon off.  Got tent set up but little dog doing a funny sneeze so took her up to vets.  They said they couldn't find anything so we brought the little baby home.  Took her another walk about 6:30 but she still sneezing - must be pollen or something.   Lucy's mates came for a sleepover so we could hear them talking until 2:30 in the morning so bosskat stook her head out the window and told em to go to sleep.

Saturday 12th July 2014
Think they were awake by 7:30 which was when I came back from fetching papers.  They wanted piccy B's for breakfast so went and fetched them.  Did bits and bobs in garden and down the lotty.  No golf this weekend - don't know why - John must be away. Saturday afternoon I got the tent took down before the rain came.

Sunday 13th July 2014
Up early dog walked.  Lucy's birthday and she set her main present up more or less on her own bless her.  She wanted a graphics tablet so that's what we got her.  She had lots of other good stuff too.  Went down the lotty about 11:30, weeding and general tidying up.  Got a bed set up for two different kinds of Radishes and planted about 18" of em.  Got them netted up which I do with pretty much everything at the moment.  Lunch/Tea at Stepping Stones - all good stuff.  Took mum and dad to see lotty afterwards - think they were impressed!  Took pooch for a walk through the big field where we go sledging when snow comes - cracking walk never been round it before.

Poor tree - St Oswalds Church spire in background

Thorpe Cloud in the distance

Looking up towards Golf Course

Monday 30th June 2014 to Sunday 6th July 2014 - Start again

Monday 30th June 2014
Up early as usual. Dog walked, papers fetched.  In to office in plenty good time.  Sorted buildings and contents insurance out - saved nearly £100 switching to direct-line and that includes travel insurance apparently, all good.   Good day at work.  Home for about 6.30.  Tea. Dog walked to Lotty then loads of work done there.   Another inspection today - will see what the outcome is!  Sorted the IBC water feed out which was good.  Also dug out a load of grassy bit in the middle.

Tuesday 1st July 2014
It's a new month so am drawing a line under May and June and getting back into fitness kick.  No more boozing or junk, just going to go steady with the exercise and drink a lot of squash and diet coke!  Anyway, up very early, dog walked - stubborn little mule she was this morning but she got her business done and stretched her legs.  Then off to Belper for a Cycle2Work on a beautiful day.  I see a load of people in camo gear with long lensed cameras most mornings when I cycle2work so I stopped today and asked them what they were taking pictures of.  Peregrine falcons no less - I said there's a pair of them at Derby Cathedral to which he said these are much better than Derby's - much closer and I suppose you don't put your neck out looking up in the sky.   Anyway, got to work in 53 minutes which included stopping at three sets of light in Belper, Sawmills and Swanwick so I'm not displeased with that.   47m 53s to get back - again got stuck at lights Swanwick buit never mind.  Got home for 6.30ish.  Tea then dog walk, then add extra holes to the bucket bbq to see if I can make it work better - if it  works better it will be my one man camping bbq.   No trip to Lotty tonight - have had an email from the secretary saying the complaint letter was about rubbish at the back of my shed (could have done with saying that in the first place) but generally it was positive about our plot which is looking rather good at the minute if I do say so myself!  Next, removed a ton of malware from Lucy's laptop - thank heavens she can't do financial transaction yet!  Put windows defender on as her Norton had run out (not that she'd said).  Watered everything, watched USA first half and then off to bed at 10.20  - much better.   Zero alcohol!


Wednesday 2nd July 2014
Up at 5.45.  Couldn't stop up to watch USA and sad to hear they'd got knocked out of World Cup by Belgium but to be expected I supposed the 8 teams that finished top of their groups went through to the next round.   The earlier match was Switzerland which I hope Roy Hodgson watched - it showed that if you mark someone like Messi out of the game you've got half a chance - what might have been if we'd done that with Balotelli and Suarez?  We'll never know.  Anyway, took Lily for a walk and fetched papers.  Got ready for work and sorted out stuff for Cycle2Work tomorrow. Nipped down to the Lotty to quickly water stuff.

Phil sent a picture of his latest acquisition (they're certainly something aren't they!):

Went to group after work - 2lbs on but missed two weeks so am happy with that after all the booze.  Dry July continues - no drinkies for two days now.   Got home, tea then mowed all the lawns.  Took dog a walk - the cows have gone out of the meadow which is good.  Then went down lotty to water, did a bit of weeding too.  Back home and bed for about 10pm.

Thursday 3rd July 2014
Got up at 5:30, walking dog by 5.45.  Up fields then down Sprinkshill lane and back home.

Sun rising over the hills

Car loaded up Cycle2Work day.   50m 1s to do the 10 miles this morning - a tad over 12mph average. Best for a while - includes stopping at lights in Belper and Sawmill although when got to Swanwick and the lights just changed on me I went left a bit over the pedestrian crossing and come out at the other side.  All in all pleased to get the ten miles done in a better than usual time - might be getting fitter again!

Logging of journey to work (harder than trip home)
Date	Time	Dist	Avg MPH
17-Jun-2014	60:14:00	9.86	9.82
19-Jun-2014	56:52:00	10.14	10.70
24-Jun-2014	56:29:00	10.23	10.50
1-Jul-2014	53:32:00	9.98	11.19
3-Jul-2014	50:01:00	10.1	12.12

Cycled back and it was about the same sort of time as coming but... was into a strongish wind and had to go a bit longer due to traffic and not being able to get across to my shortcut easily.

Anyway, got home for about 6.45, tea and then mowed the front which couldn't do previous night due to someone parking their van on the grass (pah).  Then took wee dog a walk round the big meadow which was good as saw a view of the little bridge I'd not seen before.  Few jobs in garden when got back and then off an episode of thrones before bed time.

The big meadow - looked like rain on it's way bit it didn't rain her Thursday.

Council have done some work on the little bridge so all the undergrowth has gone and you can see it. 

Looking back form the little bridge - nice little trout stream the Henmore is. 

Friday 4th July 2014
Up early, wonder what Phil will be doing - independance day in that US of A.    Fireworks to the tune of $200 is the answer to that.  Daft bugger.

Walking dog before 6am.  Fetched papers.

Looking like a beautiful day but it's set to change. 

Missus taking Pad to Derby City Hospital so she gone before Lucy up.  Made Lucy's breakfast and made sure she was ready for school before getting off to work.  Left her with a checklist to make sure everything went to plan.   Day changed somewhat by evening and we got first rain for ages.  We needed it though so all good.  Carried on til about 9am on Sunday morning.  Got skype working on JAS' phone and spoke to Phil by accident!  All good stuff.

Saturday 5th July 2014
Up at 6am. Chucking it down first thing but fetched papers the minute there was a gap with the wee pooch. No golf today as women's comp in middle of day.  So did a load of work chasing eBay to get PDFs taking off (barstewards). Then pottered a bit down lotty - got brassicas netted, fixed runner beans that were growing where they wanted,  got grass round the plot all mowed.   Spotted a million other jobs that need doing!  Did five holes of golf in the evening but made the mistake of only taking three balls in the bag and lost two of them on first hole I played - that's how crap Ashbourne is at the minute - three foot high rough.

Look at the beautful rough at the bottom of a slope - f**kin wonderful logic in course condition here! 

Sunday 5th July 2014
Didn't get up until almost 7am, proper lie-in.  Took pooch about halfway up the field of barley before turning back.  She's a tired little baby - ran her round the lawn last night quite a bit.

Odd how some grain is ripe already and rest is very green

Got pooch half way up her before turning back - love this walk.

No golf so plenty of dog walks, quick visit to Uttoxeter, fair bit of stuff down the lotty.  Mowing, leeks in, brassicas netted.

Sunday 8th July 2014
Lie in until 7am!  Dog walked.  More Lotty stuff - got a mini bean row made for the extra french beans and runner beans I planted when the first batch were wiped out in June. Ove me mum and dads for tea.  More dog walks.  Game of Thrones. Bed at 10pm, knackered.