aboveboard
http://20six.co.uk/aboveboard
powered by
20six.co.uk
|
|
The battle of the birds
Blasted pigeons. This afternoon I redid the frame for the netting over my green curly kale; I think that kale is now safe from the pigeons. I also redid the frame for the purple kale using 1.2m stakes that I bought yesterday. Longer stakes would have been better because the plants are tall and two I feared might be within reach of pigeons if they landed on the netting which they don't seem to mind doing. When I had finished, and had gone indoors for a cup of tea, I looked out of the window and was dismayed to see a pigeon bouncing up and down on the netting like it was a trampoline. That brought the netting close to the top of one of the plants. I chopped the top off the plant; I shall eat it. Perhaps the plant will produce side shoots.
I saw six foxes on my early morning walk; three of them were dead. Two have been dead for weeks; the other was a fresh corpse. It wasn't there yesterday. No ill effects from my fall yesterday. No bruises, least none that I can see.
Thought for today
As Caesar was at supper the discourse was of death--which sort was the best, 'That,' said he, 'which is unexpected.'
Plutarch
|
1.3.08 20:14
|
|
Another dilemma
For the past eighteen months I have walked more that at any time in my life. As a result I have worn out a pair of walking boots. The leather of my comfortable boots has split and the sole of one of them is flaking; I need a new pair. I had a job to find a shop that stocked them when I bought them two years ago. Now the task is more difficult. My dilemma is whether to continue my search or whether to go for a different make of leather boot. I might have to spend time tramping round shops looking for boots. Sigh. Tramping round shops is tiring; tramping along footpaths is not.
Thought for today
We know of no spectacle so ridiculous as the British public in one of its periodical fits of morality.
Thomas Babington Macaulay, 1831
|
3.3.08 19:55
|
|
Garden update
I think I have defeated the pigeons. My latest set of frames with netting over my kale seem to have done the trick. Fortunately pigeons have small brains and don't as yet work collectively. If they all stood on the netting then they might be able to reach the plants because their combined weight would lower the netting to plant level.
Here are some quotations that caught my eye today.
Blown his brains out you say? He must have been an incredibly good shot. Noel Coward
First left; go down the corridor. You'll see a door marked Gentlemen, but don't let that deter you. F E Smith
The cocktail party--as the name itself indicates--was originally invented by dogs. They are simple bottom-sniffings raised to the rank of formal ceremonies. Lawrence Durrell
Thought for today
Always choose the oldest customs' official. No chance of promotion.
Somerset Maugham
|
4.3.08 19:45
|
|
Behind the times
Went to the library for my weekly dose of podcasts this morning. An old boy, about 80 I reckoned, arrived and sat at the computer next to me. One of the librarians got him logged on and opened IE for him. As it loaded he asked her what all the other little things on the screen were. This was a bad sign; I doubted he'd used a computer before. His car insurance was due for renewal and he wanted to compare prices of different companies, he told the librarian. He had a notebook with him with website addresses; that was a start. The librarian showed him where to type the addresses. He pressed some keys; nothing happened because the cursor was not in the text area. The librarian pointed this out. I have to use this mouse thing then do I? he asked. Pokey, pokey, poke; in went the address; press return, that key; and up came the site. The librarian said that she had to leave him to it, she had work piling up. Off she went.
I looked surreptitiously at his computer screen as my podcasts downloaded. The website required him to fill in a form. First name, last name, email address and something else; the last two were highlighted in red; they had to be filled in. He filled in the first two fields and then was stumped. I asked him if he had an email address. Of course he did not. That put the scuppers on that site.
Do you understand these things? he asked me. I told him that I was ahead of him as I'd been using computers for 20 years. He ended up looking at maps of the town. When his time was up and he stood up to leave, I suggested that he borrowed a book from the library about using computers. It seemed he hadn't thought of that. He said that he had a friend who had a computer; he might help. I felt a bit sorry for him; he had a lot to learn and time was running out.
Thought for today
Children nowadays are tyrants. They contradict their parents, gobble their food, and tyrannise their teachers.
Socrates 425BC
|
6.3.08 19:52
|
|
No pain, no gain
I am in camping mode again. Sigh. The story of my life for almost the past two years. Still, when this lot is finished--the installation of a new kitchen--the renovation of the house is almost finished. All that will remain is the fitting of new carpets upstairs. That will be an effort for me because I'll have to move all the furniture from the study. I have shifted more furniture over the past two years than I have ever done in my life. This afternoon I cleared out the kitchen. The sitting room and hall are full of boxes.
The skip arrived this morning. I feel it is my skip, the first one I've ever had. I hope it doesn't fill with other people's rubbish. The delivery chap fitted two lights to it before he left. He said I need do nothing; the lights had batteries and sensors so turned themselves on automatically. It's dark now and only one is working. Fortunately the skip is near a street light and neighbours' cars parked in the road force traffic to the offside. Anyone who hits the skip shouldn't be driving.
Thought for today
The government solution to any problem is usually as least as bad as the problem.
Milton Friedman
|
7.3.08 20:22
|
|
An empty room
Nothing remains in my kitchen but the boiler. All that used to be in it, apart from the food, crockery and pans that are now scattered about the house, is in the skip outside which is now full. When I saw the skip being filled, I had to resist the urge to scavenge. The plumber arrived and re-routed two pipes ready for the sink to be installed, and attached a new pipe to the gas outlet ready for the hob to be installed. Being a pessimist I worry about leaks. I hope I don't find a pool of water on the floor in the kitchen tomorrow, and I hope I don't blow myself up when I turn on the light in there.
Tomorrow's task is to order a new washing machine. Oh dear, there is so much choice. The electrician is due on Monday to add new sockets and re-route some cables.
Thought for today
He that will not apply new remedies must expect new evils.
Bacon
|
8.3.08 20:50
|
|
Life goes on
Well, I'm still here. The kitchen didn't flood and the house didn't blow up. The skip is still full of my rubbish, of my kitchen, and none of it is littering the road or pavement; the lights are still attached and, now that it is dark, the only one that worked is flashing.
This morning I drove to an industrial estate and ordered a new washing machine. This should be delivered a week tomorrow by which time the kitchen should have a tiled floor. I was surprised at the number of people out shopping. The place was heaving and the car parks were full. By the time I left there were cars queuing to get in and to get out. Gone are the days of Sundays being days of rest.
I decided to try a new route home and, typical for me, I got lost. When I eventually got home and looked at a map to discover my mistake, I found that I had taken the wrong exit from the main road; I had left it too soon.
Thought for today
Teeth placed before the tongue give good advice.
Italian proverb
|
9.3.08 19:58
|
|
[next page]
|