Welcome to my new Blog



Welcome to my Blog.
My Blog is mostly about my hobbies, ie Model boats, Cross Stitch, Gardening, Days out and about, Lego Technics and Photography you might recognize the hat rather than me. My models and other hobbies can be found in the Tabs at the top below the header picture.
There will also be entries of days out with my camera, weather permitting of course.

Wednesday 24 April 2024

Monday, 22nd.

 Monday I set off from home in sunshine to go to Reddish Vale Park, but by the time I got there it was raining again, so being well wrapped up I set off to walk round the two mill ponds.

Birds were glad of the seed as there were no one else about to feed them, spot the Mandarin.



Nice new bench on the lower mill pond.


Spring flowers.

Female swan on her nest.

While the male stood guard.

Though did get out to do a bit of preening, you can see his leg tag as well.

It didn't stop raining, so it was back to the car, opened the hatchback and sat under that.

Got this Coal Tit, only a few feet away.


Also a nice Nuthatch.
  A collared Dove.
A bedraggled Blue Tit. 

Squirrel with a monkey nut.

Then it was off to Morrison's from a hot drink and dry out, sat with 7 ladies as they said it was their table, but I said I was here first and no other tables available, so they would have to suffer me, but I will turn off my hearing aids if it their chat get's too raunchy!. We finished having quite a nice chat in the end, it's true strangers are friends we haven't met yet.

On the way out of the supermarket, whilst at the traffic lights took this picture of the Heart_murals I spoke of in the last post of the old toilets at Reddish near Houldsworth Square.

Back home, goldfinches in the rain.

..........................


They broke the mould when they made Michael Jackson-each time apparently!.

  How did Michael Jackson pick his nose?, from a Catalogue!.

 .........................................................

Sunday 21 April 2024

Friday/Saturday, 20th-21st.

Friday I went over to the Gorton lower ressers to see if any more done on the Heart-mural, but due to the weather no doubt, nothing changed yet.

Then it was round to the nest site of the Great Crested Grebe's, where the female is still sat on the nest with her mate being very attentive.


He kept circling round and round, tidying the nest and bringing new material for it.


Tried to get round the back but nearly fell in!.


Male off to get wifey some dinner.

What you looking at?.

Get that camera out of my face, unless you've got some bread!.

Amazes me that there is litter on the bench there and a bin a few feet away.
Still it's smokers stuff and if they are burning money away, can't have much sense in the first place can they!.

Speed boat on the water.

Then the rain came again, so it was off to The Windmill, it was very nice as usual and all the better because with my appt having the right number of stamps on this time it was FREE!, so only had to pay for the drink.
 We all complain about the price of petrol but have you thought, bottled water and beer are a lot dearer, when you consider the quantity!. 

Saturday, met my friend Jean at The Bridge Café and we had a nice chat and lunch in there.
Not many in on the day as people were enjoying the sunshine no doubt, still we enjoyed it.
Local painters pictures on sale.



Party area.

Outside there were cyclists, mother and boys!.

Yes and it's dog friendly too, inside and out.



So a good weekend with a day in doing jobs on Sunday.
 .................................................................



..............................................

Wednesday 17 April 2024

Weekend, 12th- 15th.4.2024.

 Must tell you that I started this post on Monday evening (12th), just got the title in and there was a flash of lightening and thunder and my Modem was fried!. After an hour on to the engineer at TalkTalk they decided what I had thought and sent me a new modem which arrived this morning Wednesday about 10- 30 which isn't bad is it!.

All setup again now with all the other items setup, ie Printer.

So on to the post, had a nice visit to Reddish Vale on Friday, first time for a while as the road had been close while they added lighting down to the farm, houses and info centre.

For those of you that were interested in the Heart-murals I've been on about at Debdale Park, this is another one of his!. 


The Terrapins were out on the lower mill pond.

These on the top mill pond.

Yet another on the Sunnyside pond, even though it was the other side of the pond you can still see it's eyes with my Nikon P950.

This is a lot bigger than My Alfie.


Plenty of  Mandarin ducks about doing their mating game.


Male changing into his breeding colours

On the overflow to the river.
 The river looks awfully rough Fred, don't worry Gladys I'll look after you. 

Squirrel getting into his Peanut.

Blue Tit.

Great Tits.



Chaffinches, Male.

Females
It's a shame that most Chaffinches seem to suffer with bumblefoot, That Scaly  stuff on their feet.


Coots seem to be nesting everywhere.

Our national bird and rightly so!.

Saturday it was the Bridge View Café , always a nice welcome there.

Sunday went to Son's for dinner, whilst there walked round to my youngest granddaughters new house to have a first look, and surprised it needs so much DIY doing, there again they have done it all before on the house they sold.
When I got home it was out with the Picture light I'd bought in the week from Amazon and mentioned in the previous post.

What's in the box!, the light, two brackets and all the screws and raw plugs plus two sticky pads and a controller.

Fitted in my work room, has you can see the light tilts so it doesn't shine in your eyes


So after fitting it in my work room, and finding there was two brackets, decided to put the second bracket over the picture in my bedroom that my good friend Bob the Painter gave me a while back.
So at night it looks like this, and as it has a timer on the controller, I can light it up and set the tim
er!.
So it's there until I need it for Jig sawing in the evening.
Monday I went to The Windmill for lunch, 
 Looks nice, but still raining but at least the rain is getting a bit warmer!

 So after a bit of a worrying time reconnecting all the items to the new Modem now back to normal thank goodness!, wasn't sure they had it right about being the modem at fault, all's well that ends well hey.
.......................................

The best way to loose weight is to stuff your face while standing naked in front of a mirror - the restaurant will sling you out before you can swallow too much.

An English teacher spots a boy staring out of the window and calls out a question, "you boy! Give me two Pronouns" 
The boy looks round and say's "Who? Me"

I drink to steady my nerves,
Last night I got so steady I couldn't move!.
.........................................................................................