Tuesday 29th May 2018 to Sunday 3rd June 2018

Monday 28th May 2018 
Did a bit down the lotty after work then walked back with the dog. Found out it was a mile and half back - who knew??

Dwarf French Beans, Butternut Squash and Courgettes all in. 

Walking back from Lotty - a mile and half it turns out

Tuesday 29th May 2018
Up a bit late and slow to get going.  Dog walked, papers fetched, into office for 7.45am   Stressful day, never mind. Missus rings up at lunchtime to say Phil is putting new roof on shed.  So got home and sort of helped.  Mowed outside and then front lawn. Still got to do back but Green bin is absolutely rammed.  Painted three sides of shed.  Wanted to get down to lotty to water but it was too dark so took el pooch a walk and that was that.

Wednesday 30th May 2018
Up early - 4.30.  Went to lotty at just gone 5am, someone there already and when I went at 5.45 there were another two there!    Watered everything but looks like rain is coming anyway!  Dog walked.   Papers fetched - into office for 7.20am  - no bacon butty as Bella's Baps van was shut this morning - going to the dogs this country is!  Another stressful day in the office but hey ho such is life.  Got home had tea.   Took Dog to lotty and did a bit of planting - all good stuff - too wet to do anything else really.

Thursday 31st May 2018
Up at the usual 5am.  No lotty after all the rain yesterday.  Up town with the dawg early doors, back to the car for 6am and waiting at car park at 7am, gave it 10 minutes then parked at work in the morning for first time in months.   Did a bit more down the lotty.

Friday 1st June 2018
No idea what I did.   Bella's baps was shut so no bacon bap.  Rubbish.   Got home and did a bit of work on the Village Newsletter which I've now taken on!  Not sure what else.

Saturday 2nd June 2018
Papers, dog walks, golf at Ashbourne. Steady.  Absolutely cream crackered and had kip on sofa when got back.  All good.

Sunday 3rd June 2018
Up early dog walked and all the usual.  Did some stuff up at Pads I think.  Played at Manor Golf Club in the afternoon - all good stuff.

We let these guys through - check out the heron 

Monday 21st May 2018 to Monday 28th May 2018

Monday 21st May 2018
Up early.  Down lotty watering.  Papers fetched, dog walked into work a bit 7.30 after having to play car shuffle on the drive to let Phil get out to go to work.  Rushed into Derby to get Lucy's birth certificate sorted out - dead easy to do just went on to derby.go.uk website and clicked on book-it to get the option to get a birth certificate done same day for £20.  Thought it was worth it to de-stress the child!    Got home, had tea, went down lotty - got some cabbages in the ground on number 13 and watered everything thoroughly .

Tuesday 22nd May 2018 
Up a bit late.  Didn't do lotty as had watered Monday night. Dog walked, papers fetched into the office for 7.30am all good apart from forgetting to bring me lanyard to get past the security.   Never mind, went through main reception and came back.  Such is ruddy life.     Nipped into Derby on way home to pick a drum up - took an age to get out of Derby.  Hey ho.   Had tea, nipped down to lotty to quickly water and bring home overalls.  Then up to Pad's to paint his shed.  All done by 9pm.   Still not had a look at the new drum yet!

Wednesday 23rd May 2018
Up at 5am so thought I'd water the lotty another time!  Papers fetched, dog walked. Did some measuring up for new shed roof.  Sausage and bacon cob day on walk in to work - marvellous.  Up to Pad's after to bang some plants into pots and what have you.  Then down to lotty to do some more late brassicas (such is life!!).

Cabbages, caulis and broccoli(calabrese)

Thursday  24th May 2018
Up a bit late and lots to do so didn't get into office until just before 8am!  Never mind.  busy day in the office. Back home, tea and then did a bit of Parish Council work then about 8pm went down lotty and mowed all round and then watered everything again! All good stuff

Friday 25th May 2018 
Up just after 5am.  Raining!!! Dog walked, papers fetched, wet. Got to work early but got wet walking in?   Such is life.

Saturday 26th May 2018
Lotty watering.  Papers. Dog walking.  Then work party on the playing field putting gravel down and stuff.

Then up the hill to do paddy's shed - putting new panels on the back and then painting the bugger. 

 All good stuff.

Sunday 27th May 2018
Did a bit of lotty watering in the morning.  Did a bit of work making picnic tables on playing field a bit more secure.

Then up to Alstonefield Car boot sale - bought all sorts for a change including a £70 windbreak for £4! 

Then not sure but I never stop so was doing something. Over to me mum and dad's in the afternoon.

Bank Holiday Monday 28th May 2018
Up early and off to Lotty to get bean row up. Then fetched papers with dog.

Runner beans in

Butternut squash, courgettes, dwarf french beans, random broad beans

Took a birthday present over to golfing buddy along with a load of tomato plants.

Did a load of planting and got some chairs out of the greenhouse to make space for potted up tomatos and stuff.   Got loads of flowers pricked out into seperate pots.   All good stuff.

Got Phil to drop me off at the lotty in evening to water everything then walked back (1.5miles I found out) with the hound as the sun went down. 

Monday 14th May 2018 to Sunday 20th May 2018

Monday 14th May 2018
Up early (before 5am), showered, shaved off to lotty to water by 5.30am.  Did a bit of weeding.

Sun not up yet.

Then into Ashbourne to get papers.  Beautiful morning.

6am, Ashbourne - The Black Cat and the River

Was into work for just gone 7.30.  Steady all things considered.   Did a bit in the greenhouse after work potting up tomato plants and what have you, then watched Derby succumb to Fulham's greater firepower with a couple of typical mistakes - such is life - we'd have been cannon fodder in the Premier League anyway. 

Tuesday 15th May 2018 
Up early (5.05) , dog walked, down lotty to water, fetched papers into office in good time.   Got to do a big presentation today it went really well perhaps I am better at it than I think I am!   Typed up all the notes following it.  Did a load of emails, left about 4.20 after a debriefing from the boss.   Back home tea and then down lotty to weed one of the big beds on number 7 - new neighbour appeared who has taken on Munch's old plot - polish chap seems nice enough. Main job though was to net the gooseberries so the pesky pigeons can't get at them - so first got rid of wandering raspberries and poxy nettles then constructed an ace frame to put netting on then used some old netting and a poundshop netting to cover a few holes to do the job.  Used bits of pallets and other weights to hold the net close to the ground hopefully no wildlife will get trapped in it - pigeons are very thick though so can't guarantee that!

Gooseberries appearing 

Bush netted and Owl Protection implemented - judicious use of baling twine as appropriate

Number 7 is coming on nicely now.   Need to get some stuff in the ground though! 

Watched a bit more of The Bridge S4 Ep1 am gradually getting towards the end of it but so tired so in bed for 10.20pm

Wednesday 16th May 2018
After the Lord Mayor's show I'm a bit knackered it would appear - didn't wake until 5:30 but the good news was that it's rained in the night so not going to bother watering lotty.   Took el pooch up town and got papers then into work for 7.40am after getting a bacon and saus cob from Bella's Baps on the walk in.  All good stuff.

Thursday 17th May 2018
Not a clue what I did. Would have been more of the same though - went up and mowed all the lotty and did a bit of weeding I do recall that and then watched Billions.

Friday 18th May2018
The usual, up early dog walk, into office nice and early - bacon and saus cob purchased on the way in - only one more week of these I'm afraid.  Such is life.  After work got the lawns mowed at home and the grass down the sides, had a tinker with the petrol strimmer - all good stuff.  Watched The Bridge S4E2 on the telly.  Cracking.

Saturday 19th May 2018
Up early then down the lotty.  Crop scarer somewhere near so couldn't stop with dog for too long.  more tidying up then went to fetch papers and have a nice cup of coffee.  Did a load in greenhouse got all tomato plants pretty much into bigger pots.  Also got lots of flowers pricked out and into their own little capsule things. Noon took Lucy for her job interview as a sales assistant which she got (of course).  Then off to Derby for a rehearsal.   Then BBQ at Phil's Boss' new old farm (built in 1445!) which was cracking.

Sunday 20th May 2018
Up early.  Dog walked and lotty watered.   Back home for some breakfast and what have you.  Down lotty for a thorough strimming session.

Our hunting hound managed to walk right by this fella hiding behind 5 blades of grass.  

  Up to Pads' to strim, mow and weed under his bridge thing - all done jolly dee.

 Golf at 4pm at The Manor again with Andy and Julian.  I blobbed on loads of holes but hit some cracking drives - 238 yards one of em was.

218 metres  = 238 yards.  Next shot went into
River Blythe

208 metres = 227 yards.  solid stuff!

Big swan sitting in sun while the eejits play golf!!

Monday 7th May 2018 to Sunday 13th May 2018

Monday 7th May 2018 
Down lotty early doors to water and do a bit.  Then back home to do loads of jobs including mowing the meadow at Paddy's.  Did  a bit in greenhouse too.  All good stuff.  Went bed 10pm.

Tuesday 8th May 2018 
Woke up dead early.   Lotty first for watering then papers then work.  Got in for 7.40 so a little bit later than would have liked - have got to get watering at night I think.    Got ticket bought for Friday night's play-off semi at Pride Park.   All good.   After tea went down lotty, it was a bit damp but never mind got a bit of weeding done and also got pea row sorted out which was nice.

Pea Row done - Early Onward to the left Hurst Longshaft to the right

First lot of tomatos ready to go to their forever home!

Wednesday 9th May 2018 
Up really, just before 5am.  Got things ready, took dog out, saw a pheasant, a white-throated dipper (never seen one of those before) and a moorhen all between St Oswalds Church and the Leisure Centre, Ace!   In fifty years I've never seen a white-throated dipper before so I had a look into it and that's because there distribution is described as "The dipper can be found along fast-flowing rivers, mainly in upland areas but also on lowland rivers in SW England. Look for tell-tale droppings on stones in the river."    

More info at:-
https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/wildlife-guides/bird-a-z/dipper

Vapour Trails

Pheasant

White throated dipper - not seen one of these before

Better picture of one here:- http://peter-ertl.com/birds/images/wasseramsel-1.jpg

Moorhen trying to hide

Into the office for 7.30, bacon cob from Bella's Baps on the way in as a reward for being dead early!!  After work quick tea then went with missus to take the poor baby dog to the vets for her annual jab, she was very brave and didn't quite manage to take the vets hand off or mine for that matter - result!!  Back home - mower out and mowed our lawns, in front of the house and down the drive all nice and tidy and a job ticked off before the weekend.   Even better almost as soon as I'd put everything away it started to rain - get in!  Watched episode two of Westworld series 2 - absolutely excellent!

Thursday 10th May 2018
Up late at 5:35!    Dog walked papers fetched into work a bit late at 7.40 but can't complain.  Back home about 5pm, tea then up to Pads to do some weeding - going to take a few trips to the tip I reckon 6 big piles worth.  Then went down lotty to mow all round, also covered peas and beans with fleece at Missus Siddall's request because of frost!  There weren't no frost.  Such is life - covered spuds that are showing with grass cuttings as well - all good stuff.  Watched another episode of billions which is getting wierder and wierder (in my opinion more unbelievable unfortunately).  Never mind - bed at 10.40 a bit late.

Friday 11th May 2018
Up at 5am.  Showered, shaved, took some seed potatos bosskat got me down to lotty - took all the fleecing off after the frost that never was.  Went and got papers - got off to work and in office for 7.25.  On fire!   DCFC tonight so have asked if I can leave a little bit early.

As usual everything went like clockwork - waiting for the bus 10 minutes early, in Derby for about 6.15, a pint in the Alex, walk to Pride Park, a dirty burger for tea, pint before kick off - Derby defend well, great goal and take a marginal lead to Fulham for Monday's game.   All good stuff.  A pint of Orange Stout (!) on the way back, at bus station for just gone 11pm, bus arrived 11.30, got off at Nestles a bit after midnight and walked back.  All good stuff.

Saturday 12th May 2018
No golf, not a problem, papers and dog walk.   Coffee and a quick read then down the lotty, got some work done.  Then went up Pads' to bag a load of weeds and empty his shed so we can get mower and strimmer in it.  Did a bit at home potting up some tomatos - plenty still to do though.   Went to Uttoxeter in the afternoon with the missus - got three onion sets for 60p in Home Bargains - ace. 

Sunday 13th May 2018
Up early.    Dog walked.  Went and did a bit more down the lotty.   Back home for a bite to eat.  Went and put a bolt on Pad's shed door, then took petrol lawn mower up so it can go in his shed (after mowing front and back lawn).   Rocking.  Pub quiz at the Shoulder of Mutton - we came second.   Can't complain at that, bed for 10:52pm!  Very late.   Never Mind.

Monday 30th April 2018 to Sunday 6th May 2018

Monday 30th April 2018
Up early, dog walked.  Woke Lucy up at 6am (don't think she got up until 6:30 though).   Went and got papers so pooch got second walk.  Got into office for 7:30am  so all good.  Did a ton of unexpected work nothing I was supposed to be doing.  Such is life.  Got home, had tea, got missus to drop me off at lotty.  Put some fleece over me peas and beans to protect them from the predicted frost,  Mowed the estate after spending twenty minutes trying to get the ruddy mower to start!  Such is life.

Walked back from lottie so got another mile done all good stuff.  Started watching Keeping Faith.  Am not sure what to make of it so far but watched two episodes worth and quite like it.   Bed at almost 11pm.  Way too late.

Tuesday 1st May 2018
May already and I forgot to take meter reading for Solar like an eejit.  Will have to do it tonight.  Head to wake Lucy up at 6am so morning gets a bit mucked up, got into office for 7.40 so not too bad all things considered.    Busy but good day at work - whizzed over to Darley Dale after work to clean solar panels and conservatory roof - made a good job of the solar panels but not so good with the conservatory roof - need to think up a different approach to that beggar.    Back home for about 8pm.  Watched an episode of Keeping Faith (it's gone after Friday you see) then took dog out, made a coffee, watched another episode, bed at 10.45.

Wednesday 2nd May 2018
Up early about 5.15,  got things ready for work then took el poocher out to get papers in pooring rain.  No fun there.   Got into work for 7.30 after employing big golfing brolly picked up a cob on the way in from Bella's baps - bloody marvellous!!


Thursday 3rd May 2018
Lotty, walking and all sorts no doubt.

Friday 4th May 2018 
Busy as owt at work then went and did a bit at the lotty.  All good.

Saturday 5th May 2018 
Lotty first thing, regripped driver, golf at lunch time.   Played steady new 'old' driver working a right treat!   Got home had a tipple or two fell asleep on sofa!

Sunday 6th May 2018 
Derby County last league game of season day.  Started off getting things watered down at the lotty.  Got bus at about 9.19am into Derby an hour later and parked up at the Alex.  Jason arrived, final pint and then off to Pride Park for a 4-1 victory to book Derby's place in the play-offs.   Not sure whether to go to Friday nights play off semi against Fulham or not - they are a good side are Fulham.