Nature showing itself as the natural woods person.

On our walk the other weekend to Norbury we went off the canal path just before it enters Grub Street cutting and walked through the woods above the Rolls Royce mooring (The fella who has the old Rolls Royce under a cover by the offside  - bizarre).

What was apparent up on the bank above the canal was how nature was clearing the old and weak trees to make way for the saplings. Ivy was doing the job of overloading the trees and the weaker damaged ones were being brought down by the winds (and soft soil with all the recent rain) I guess the extra weight and wind resistance of the Ivy destabilises the weaker trees and they come down.

It was certainly very different up there from the last time I walked the path. Much more growth but a couple of trees down also.

Nature does not need us but we need nature.

A day a long time coming

Life is short, memories make it so. I can remember clearly a lot of things done over 40 years ago now that seem like they happened just yesterday.

We (well I have) been planners in all aspects of this life so far. So today just a few days after Rachels 55th birthday we got the confirmations through of her retirement from the NHS. That is a long and dedicated shift, not quite finished with them as she is now a bank worker - and lecturer.

But today on the longest day in 2019 we get to celebrate her retirement from a career in the NHS. I am immensely proud of her and her commitment to all of the patients and their families she has helped over her career. Anyone who has experienced the NHS knows of the skill and dedication of the nursing staff. With pride and a bit of emotion I know Rachel is one the the best of the best in all ways  - a real credit to the ethos of the NHS and the Nursing profession.

I wanted this up there as it is something to reflect back on in years - hopefully many to come.

What better way than to celebrate with the bottle of Champagne that was given to me on my retirement by the Vice Chancellor of the University where Rachel now works.

A fitting time to open it!

Boat time on fathers day

It's a sad fact that both myself and Rachel have lost our respective dads, so no visiting or presents just some reflection and the odd whisky raised to them both.

So I demanded ( a bit dramatic) an overnight on the boat. Part of the reason was our front room - or rather left hand room as we have three front rooms, was used by the cat as her toilet while we were away (we do pay for the local cattery lady to come across to feed and change the litter tray, only the flippin cat pood and wee'd in the house so its in the process of being de stinked so the boat was a good option.

We did have to give it a clean  - hoover and bathroom plus fresh bedding etc. The little Honda genny and the new wiring worked a treat. Food, scrabble and bed....

... Fathers day we took a lovely longish walk to Norbury via the back route for a beer and ploughmans plus cake and coffee - we did walk it off going back via the canal - about 7 miles I think all in so not too shabby.

All over far too soon as Rachel was doing an overnight with her mum. So we loaded up and went back to the cottage, me spending the rest of the evening on my own while Rachel traveled on to Derby for some time with her  mum. 

Not the best time ...

.... to be having foundations dug out  !

Hopefully it'll be good to look back in a year or two at this most un-flaming June month, the June month when our porch and garage build started and instead of a garage we got close to a swimming pool, or to maintain the waterways link, a small canal.

When I was a young lad we lived in a terraced house that had a cellar. We had a cellar grate for coal and in times of heavy rain - not sure if it was water table or water in via the grate but the cellar flooded. Not for us all the distractions of modern day living then (we had a black and white telly and three channels IIRC) so on with my much trusted and loved wellies and into the cellar for it was now a cave when I could make and float all manner of boats  - I fondly remember spending many hours down there in that damp play centre, simple things as they say !

Its keeping me off the boat once again- making tea for the builders. We spend a half day buying hand made bricks the other day to pass some rain time. Did make me wonder what level of inflation the bricks had seen from when they were made well over a hundred years ago to me buying them for a quid each to try and match the 200 year old face of our cottage.

I spent a happy hour lifting floorboards last night to get a power feed out to the new porch, can you tell I'm bored being stuck in the house !! I've two ledge and braced doors to build for the kitchen and a cupboard but can't get outside to make them up and trim them down !!

Fathers day on Sunday .... I'd have liked to have been on the boat somewhere but maybe next year !

A trip to Donald's country

Rachel had reason to visit Donalds country again late May. Last two times we have been over the water Mr Obama was in residence, in fact the first time we were in New York was the night he got elected and we were in Times Square to witness it - magical.

Anyhow not much to say about Mr Trump, other than a very apt name and he's very orange and a twat.

It was a three stop over holiday with a long first hop to visit Rachel’s Aunt Alison in Kansas who hit a milestone birthday so we went to celebrate it with her. Then three days in New York to strip my wallet of its dollars then a great relaxing and resetting of my senses stay with friends who live is a lovely part of New Jersey about an hour out of New York.

Pictures are the best way to remember so here is a pictorial record of our trip.