I’ve just gone to see the sunset over Loch Venechar. Lush. 😎

We had a positive chat re adopting a rescue dug.

northshoreniall – thumbs up to you!
In the UK good people still outnumber the bigots, chavs, racists and sexists.
The arses always get the (undeserved) publicity but the silent majority will always win – in the long term.
Tune out the chav noise and listen to nature.

I thought this thread was dead, again!
Helped a mate lift a ridiculously heavy part of our history made by William Morris and Edward Carpenter to save it from destruction by the English Church. They know nowt about history, humanity or the creativity of normal working people.
Part positive part true?
Have a good weekend whether you’re working (as a lot of people have to do) or relaxing.

Up to date with all my exam classes teaching and assessment. Predicted grafes are looking very good indeed, despite the covid damage.

Son #1 is getting married soon, we are all meeting up for a meal in Cardiff to have a big old chat.

https://shaamnights.com/

And then off to Don Skenes for a mooch about- it’s pay day after all innit!?!

Everything round here smells of wood smoke tonight, I think absolutely everyone’s had a barbeque and every woodburner is lit. It is absolutely lovely, and always makes me feel really peaceful and de-stressed, though it does also make me want bacon.

Lovely communte home last night on the cross bike on my longer bridleway route. Park run this morning looks like it will be stunning weather here.

Nice walk along the river Ara with Mrs Spekkie yesterday morning followed by a fast and furious couple of hrs on the MTB on my own in the evening.

Every little Spanish village I rode through seemed to be setting up for a Fiesta this weekend. People give you an “Hola” and a wave as you pass, it was a lovely warm evening, I was feeling strong on the bike and halfway through my ride I stopped in to pick up some money from a Dutch woman I did some work for earlier this week!

Life has it’s ups and downs, but after a day like that you go to bed very content with the world.

🙂

We’re riding (the tandoom) to a local village hall to buy plants, mostly tomato, salads and veg. These are grown from seed by an elderly lady who runs the local RHS group. I think most of the money goes to charity.
Everyone wins: reasonably prices plants for me and a charity benefits.
The challenge is to carry them in the panniers and get in a decent ride over the hills after visiting the village hall.

Rode at Wharncliffe earlier and slayed a few demons.

I rode there (for the first time in a long time) between Xmas and New Year and had a total shit fit. It was my first away trip since doing my collarbone at the start of October and the combination of steep, rocky twistiness just messed with my head so much I had a full-on bike-throwing tantrum. Luckily my riding buddies were there to witness my descent into ranting absurdity, so I’m reminded of it at least once a week.

Anyhow – I wouldn’t say I ripped Wharncliffe a new one or anything vaguely close, buy I did grow to appreciate it, regain a fair bit of confidence on it and really enjoy many of the runs we did.

👍

Started work again on building some very small garden walls. I’d started after I’d had covid and a big black cloud descended on me so I’d abandoned.
A bit warm for it today but almost done!

Despite being away at work on the ship, and there not being much going on that adds to this thread:

1 – Currently have the much better of the head chefs onboard, so food is good.
2 – Found some bars of Rittersport choccie buried in the back of my locker that I’d forgotten about.
3 – Took some weights outside onto the deck and exercised in tropical warmth and pleasant breezes.

Free anal porn isn’t it.

Next door neighbours have had what I think must be their neice round this afternoon, who sounds about 3-4 years old and has spent the afternoon in the garden playing with their incredibly well behaved and tolerant labrador.

Just an afternoon of happy child’s laughter coming over fence, it’s been lovely.

Listening to a Bach stream and I read the Wiki entry on Pablo Casals, what a geezer! Joie de vivre or what? The old dog. Mind you, I prefer Yo-Yo Ma.

Spent today helping my bruv rip out a shed he’s had for 25 years in the corner of the garden ready for the new one next weekend.
Digging out the soil from around the old paving slabs and found a baby robin standing two foot from my feet waiting for any ants worms or whatever.
First of the year for me and such a perky little bugger. Still smiling about it.
He hung around for an hour or so with the occasional parent stood on the fence watching.

@gardentiger

I think I saw you there, you had an issue with your grips so glad to hear it didn’t hold you up. I was the lost random with a t-shirt on back to front who followed you down. It was my first time there and hopefully going back tomorrow. Thanks to you your pal for showing me a way in.

May Day celebrations in Chesterfield tomorrow! My daughters have many memories of this walking with the FBU and Fire Service contingent, at the back so if we got a shout we could respond.
It was one of the largest in the country and hopefully it’ll build back up, if not it’ll be like minded people being friendly.
And.. it is a positive experience!

Ha, yes, glad you enjoyed yourself. My mate who knows the trails pretty well also managed to find a bolt on his garmin mount that fitted. It knackered the collar of my grip, but I had spares at home anyway.

Wharncliffe is a real change of mindset for me. Just so much steeper than what I am used to. So it was good to start to feel a bit more comfortable with it.

👍

Yes, May Day in Chesterfield was good, followed by a walk up The Brampton Mile.. opposite way to the traditional route but ok. I’m home safe now so nobody needs to worry!

Was doing some gardening with the missus earlier and looked at the state of the bird bath and decided to give it a clean up. I then remembered that it came from her late grandmother’s house when she died, so I got the wire wool attachments and the drill out and buffed it up to a spanking finish with a bit of patina. Jay Blades eat your heart out. 😂

One year and about 5 hours ago I was sat crying in a wrecked garden shed, wrapped in a duvet with my wrists slashed.
Today I am in a good place. A lot of the bad stuff has been cleared out and new positive foundations have been laid.
Weirdly I have spent the weekend helping my brother literally rip down old stuff and start building new foundations.
Thanks for the support folks. You know who you all are.

We spent the weekend on a family holiday – 15 of us!
It was the first time in >5 years that all the kids and grandkids were with my parents. It was great and my parents were really happy.

eddiebaby – I remember that awful time, what a relief you have turned a corner and are feeling so much better.
bunnyhop x

@Bunnyhop thanks. It has been a year of deciding what is important. We kept the newspapers running and I got a second job with an Covid group plus sorted out things like claiming my pension that I’d never got round to…
A new job is just around the corner, i’m working with a local canal group on maintenance and tidying plus a lot of walking and riding around the heathlands of Surrey.
Oh and bikes and guitars too.
Just tried wingfoiling for the first time and loved it, so I’m probably going to vanish to Western Sahara for a month to practise.
Yep, life is good. And better than the alternative.

Saw my first cygnets of the year this morning.

Got a nice bunch of wild garlic on my dog walk at lunch, used some in my omelette.

Lovely big crop locally this year.

Back to back with an evening and a day ride at the weekend. Pretty much brain fog free since January and a general upward path out of long Covid. Fancy a new bike which probably a good sign.

I gave my saw bench away yesterday to my best mates neighbour. He’s a builder but a builder who doesn’t overcharge so not flush. He was so chuffed. My new saw bench folds and has wheels so easier to store and move about – my Megasack winnings paid for it, I was hoping for enough for a new bike but hey, I’ve been spreading the STW love!

The cherry blossom was falling like snowflakes yesterday. Beautiful.

While ago to be fair, but it pleased me.

One sunny day out with the mrs walking round the quieter town footpaths, tearing towards us a couple of nippers on bikes, so we moved to the grass verge to let them pass, huge smiles and thanks shouts as they tore past on a mission, then just a few minutes later as we came round the bottom of the hill path, rolling down from the top was a topless teenagerish, tattoos everywhere, shirt tied round waist, fag on bottom lip, shades on, we moved over and as he swept down the hill past us, up the thumb came up, the head nodded, cheers was the shout. If only all cyclists could say thanks when you work with them.

Having a rest from gardening this afternoon so walked up to the woodland at the top. Bluebells in full flower mixed with the pink of the first campion. Down at ground level vivid purple violets and pink herb robert, birds singing very loudly, including a warbler I’m still trying to identify. I’m going to record it to play for my Dad in the care home – he’ll know what it is.

Been idly looking at a new bike for LittleMissMC as she is not so Little anymore and has outgrown the Commencal that the classifieds built a few years ago.

Lady in the cycle club posted up a Boardman HT this morning, just been round to have a look, bank transfer done and she has an immaculate £700 bike for £300, and is planning on Tuesday nights being bike night.

Winning!

I had a bike fit yesterday and I’m not as twisted and broken as I thought I was. I’m just a bit crap and getting old.

I went for a nice walk and lunch with a good mate today and it was sunny

😎

Got sunburnt though 🤦

I spent most of the day helping my mate with his old landrover. He thought it funny when I got sprayed with brake fluid, I thought it funny when I sprayed brake cleaner down the back of his jeans, a good shriek and lots of laughter!

@the-muffin-man has it for me for today or in fact, a few days!
A good feeling.

I’ve noticed how nice the air is this week – between smell of bluebells and blossom, and just nice clean air off North Atlantic.
Take a deep breath folks.

Full year now since I finished chemo. Had to wait a wee while before surgery as it had filled my lungs with blood clots, but I’m 6 months after the final surgery now and Trevor the bowel tumour is starting to become a fading bad memory.

Heading down to the Lakes next weekend with my biking buddies. I’m stupidly, stupidly excited!

👍👍👍

@Beagleboy  Great news…. have a great time.