Alt.Mustardland

Iechydd Da! 1st March. Here we go again!

THe 1th,
Ah Its spring ....
Trees still . l,ooking fefless, Snow on the Ground
Thermometer showing 46 (indoors, Stairwell).
Perhaps spring is not yet Sprung?

I have daffodils in bud, snowdrops in flower and in the snow my witch hazel flowers on their tiny branches are at last obvious. The leaves come after the flowers as is frequent on winter flowering shrubs. It's snowing again now though. About 5" on the top of the Volvo, but the shape is rounded.

Nothing growing here... But I'd guess Bluebell Woods is up in Billericay - But there are No Busses.

Hi each - I'm off for the night, BUT.... I did read on another thread that 3W had a stay in Hospital - Hope to hear soon that she is OK..
See Yer Tomorrow.

She was posting yesterday, so maybe she's home again.

The thaw has set in now. It doesn't show much, but the cover is reducing, and it's melted off the feeders.

Less Visible smow: More liquid water - Anothe freeze starting: That's why I fell Yesterday?

Now, folks, please stop falling about! I've not been posting a lot lately, so just a quick update - 3Wells isn't in hospital, this time they decided they didn't need to keep her but are arranging a neuro consultation to try to get to the bottom of her 'edake. Possible "sinister" causes were ruled out (yes, they did various scans and things), otherwise she wouldn't have been sent home.

Lots of snow hereabouts, some photos:

http://zenphoto.intricatewebs.com/Spring-2018

We did lose our water for a couple of days, but had anticipated this and were well prepared. We're still pretty much snow-bound - we could get out in an emergency but again, we prepared pretty well for a few days! And a neighbour called by on his tractor to see if we needed anything.

Keep warm, dry, and fall-free, folks

Thanks An Tarbh Dubh. Obviously good that Hospital satisfied that there is no needs for worry, and good that the Boss Man Doc is involved - But.. must be difficult having to wait for the appoint.

I didn't seen to have the snow problems that many have reportted - but ... I did have a fall on Friday - when rain and thaw had started to make it slippery when it started to re-freeze. - Unfortunately I spilled the contents of pocket and I now realize that I didn't pick everything up (Bank card, and the Docket that gets recompence when Credit Union got Dissolved) so. I Needs money Me and Ginger George needs human and cat food.. And that reminds me .. Got a Day in Hospital on Wed so I will be AWOL here., .... that is, If I can get some Monies for a cab for Pre-Oldgeezer's Bus pass time for an 09:00 attendance - assuming Busses (and Taxis) can get up the Hill to the Hospital, and indeed the hill to my house which for some unexplained version the busdrivers were affeared of..

Gotta go - I'll send Ginger Georrge to catch us some dinner.

Glad you're all as well as can be expected. Nice pics. Did I see the snow covered cap on one of the wells? I do like your contorted hazel. does it bear nice nuts? I'm trying to decide whether to have one or just to fill in the dead hedge with ordinary slips of hazel. Blunders' Hymer was shading all the light for a couple of years and it hasn't recovered. I'm still confined to barracks because there's still snow on the ground. I hope your appointment goes OK on Wednesday Glo. Transport should be back to normal by then. I also hope you got your bank card and docket back OK.

Found Money Docket from Belly-up Bank. .. so Solvent for a few days -
...but, I'll be Awol for a few days - Got to get The illegal changing of my Home address. I Must sort out othermatters (Not just Doc mis-directing my Meds, I also needs my Voting address corrected - MP wasn't very Helpful (I suspect that he sent response to my "Fake" address). Also needs House insurer do some work in a "street" that is not on my policy...
This retirement Lark is harder work than working .
Oh, and I've got to get this Estate Manager Sorted - One item is that My "Carers" demanded that the paving outside my House is "made Safe" - that request was just before the Council Changed Addresses.
.. and .....
...and.......

Yes, I know. I'm sure you're equal to it, and it will be lovely when it's finished.

I've been toying with a website called Cult pens Penorama. I am addicted very mildly to stationery. Beautiful notebooks with securing bands, fountain pens, ink, rolling blotters. If I hadn't already spent a lot on pens and ink, I'd be seriously tempted. I have little bottles of forest green, sepia and deep dark blue inks and a rolling blotter with extra sheets.

Most of the snow has gone, but there are little whiskers of it round field boundaries. On the North Hill at Minehead there was a stretch between Cattle grids on the Military Road where only one car width was free of it, The far end had a misty blue view of the sea around Porlock. Perhaps the prettiest I've seen it.

Back after a day at Hospital - I 'feel incredibly tired - I think it might be due to The night previous to yesterday Hosp. Alarm clock gone NBG and a nearly (i.e., pre-bus pas time) for the hospital, and pondering If I had enough cash (Still lacking bank card) so something of a sleepless night. .

Cult Pens ? I would like to find the old type of Parker 51. My old one went AWOL years ago, and I've never really taken to the Stainless Steel version that I have now. The device for drawing up ink is not as effective as the older very crude type - and neither is the flow to the nib as reliable as I'd hoped. I believe there is an "improved" type of reservoir ... But Parker is a yankee firm, and they don't have much of a record for after sales reliability. - If I ever get my Plastic Bank card back, I'll try one on the interweb. WHS advertiser replacements, but do not the one of the Choiced that I want.
With my usual nack of outliving my use-by date, I have now found that the Watch my ol' Mum got me on my 50th Birthday is now irrepairable (other than to scrap the mechanism and having a new engine installed.
And my eighth Birthday alarm clock (a "C" frame birdcage hanging from it, with a model bird swivelling in time to the "Tick" . a stationery Fingerpoint with rotating drums giving hours and minutes, and The Alarm dial on the Cage floor)Still have the guarantee, but Mt Tiggs Shop closed tens of years ago. (but Chatsworth Roads Hackney still exists - I think some TV programme started a Soap Oprey at Amhurst Square.. all based around a Pub called "Queen
Vic" Hackneyites never have money to squander in Pubs ("five bells"), and The Real Pub became Shirt Factory.

Oh dear, I'm rambling again... Better do a walkabout...

There are many fine writing instruments, Lamy and Cross for instance . I had my Sheaffer repaired at Mallin the Pen man in Martineau Square Birmingham, but they were overtaken by The Pen shop which has a branch in Leadenhall Market Leadenhall@penshop.co.uk.

I have a Giza, a Diplomat and a Sheaffer. The first two use injectors where you wind the ink up, and the older one where you squeeze the barrel. They all take cartridges, but i find I have to sluice all the business ends through under running warm water to make them write fluently. Dried ink spoils the flow.

Not Hignoring you - I got engrossed in Looking at Area History (My Grandad lived here before they Built the "New" Town).

I think I Encountered the Pen Shop In The Last Rebuild (i.e, before the current extention of the Mainline into "Cross London" Underground) of Liverpool Street Station. (Near that Wonderful Cheese shop), But I think I know the fixing I need. It seems to me that The drying out is partly because the pocket-clip leaves the Nib ubwards and the ink drains back (one of the reasons I'd like a better ink supply), but also because I think the cap allows too much ventilation. I'd be happier to get a 1950's/60's Parker 51. I don't much enjoy going into London (apart from The Mustard Meets of course), But I did find The Parker own Postal Mail webbery.
Hope all going well with you. I think Hospital were trying to contact me today - I was too late to get back to them toonight. I know they try to fill in any unused or cancelled appoints, and I know the Doc Lady wants my Weekly treatments to be on a Saturday a.m.

I hope your hospital appointment caught up with you and the treatments went well.

I've had another fairly effective fast day, melon and ginger with additional plums at stages throughout the day. Tuna and salad for supper, then sleep. Cleaners came and did their usual good job. Gardener was rained off, thank goodness. His lack of common sense is getting wearing.

Something VERY important to do this a.m. My Coffee machine isn't working - might need a de-coke - No certain whether it's Goffeegrounds, or Hardwater blockage ...

Or plugging it in or switching it on at the wall. I expect you keep kettle and iron descaler in stock all the time where you are. OTOH, you could always buy a new one. https://www.which.co.uk/reviews/filter- ... ee-machine
Things have clearly moved on since I last bought one, but it still seems to matter how fresh you can keep the beans/grounds before you use them.
My Iron had a broken switch on the steam flow, so was broken. I went to Tesco on Saturday to buy another for £14. Tsk, the broken one only cost £12 4 years ago. I only iron things I want ironed, so a cheap item is fine. It still ironed, but not well, and I get twitchy if switches are broken, especially where water and electricity are combined.

Ironing... Now you are really touching on a nerve...

I do own an iron ... Somewhere

I iron handkerchieves and pillow cases mostly. The odd tablecloth and napkins when people come to tea and don't know the squalour I usually inhabit.
I'm really not convinced that tissues are any more hygienic than hankies. If you sneeze in the supermarket you still put the tissue in your pocket.