Violin; raw novice.

Hi,

Thanks Logan; I slept through the gale force wind which woke Bron up but then I must have got used to the wind having suffered it so much whilst trying to paint outdoors; it's just breezy and everything is dry outside this morning but just as expected; I've run out of paint but our dire climate can resume next Monday if the new paint arrives. You did well to get the wallflowers out and cut them up; I'd like a huge glass dome right over our bungalow and gardens then I could perhaps work in peace; work around here always drags on because of the bad weather.

You'll be pleased to be back to normal now Logan walking your babies each day; good for your babies and good too for you.

I've already visited four stores doing the shopping this morning; last Friday there were no TV times at all on the shelves; this morning I mentioned it to the lovely lady who looks after this section and she said they had run out by the time they reached the store; she laughed when I told her it wasn't a problem because we had a ten year old TV times. I was home by 8:30.

Bron and I buy many things through eBay and Gumtree; I used to sell through eBay but with their fees and PayPal fees I now sell through Gumtree free of fees and on Gumtree I've sold machinery at up to £1,200 without fees or hassle;now and again I do get messed around a bit on Gumtree but it usually works out in the end; we do buy lots through eBay though and it's cheaper than driving to collect a speeding or parking fine and is so easy to order from my computer; if we want to send parcels we use Hermes now called Evri having the parcel collected from our front porch and again it's cheaper and more convenient than wasting time and fuel in the car.

If we didn't use eBay or Gumtree we'd miss so much; the Balalaika was bought through eBay and fingers crossed it will arrive today; I use my computer for so much and would be lost without it; we also save lots of money shopping online because we can browse for best deals. I can place orders with Screwfix or Toolstation and pay online then drive over to collect; in and out of the store in a couple of minutes without fuss.

We've had gale force wind and plenty of rain all the time I've been trying to do the exterior painting which is normal for us; the sun has been shining this morning; I hope we don't suffer a water shortage?

I'm not joking about my bad luck; gale force wind and rain yesterday; here's the forecast for the weekend because I've run out of paint and the new paint is due on Monday;


Time now to get off my backside and stop being lazy; always plenty of jobs to catch up on.

Have a great day Logan; looks like this has turned into our own personal thread.

Kind regards, Colin.

 

Hi,

I'm now the proud owner of a genuine 1960's Russian Balalaika which arrived safely an hour ago on next day delivery which amazed me considering it came from the seller in Scotland. What a wonderful instrument and in lovely condition; all I need to do now is to learn how to play it so I've got both the violins and balalaika to enjoy. Bron spoils me rotten; I couldn't have a better wife and I love her to bits. In spite of the hardships living here like suffering dire weather life is good.

Big smile for a change.

Kind regards, Colin.

 

Hi Colin
Glad that you and Bron are ok after the gales.
Shame that you ran out of paint and the weather is fine.
Here it's sunny but with a cool moderate breeze, so it wasn't that good.
Started to do the weeding around the path before I plant it up with pot marigolds.
Yes I know that Hermes are called Evri I have parcels from Littlewoods catalogue and from jparkers.

Great that your Balalaika has arrived safely, you and Bron are good for each other.

Yes it looks like we have our own thread

Have a good evening
Logan.

 

Hi,

Thanks Logan for your good wishes; I hope you all have a good day at your end in spite of the poor weather; 8C here at the moment and the sun dares to show its face; the high wind has finally dropped but only until I go outside I'm sure it'll be waiting for me. It's the best joke of the year when we alter our clocks and call it British Summer Time.

Hopefully you'll be able to crack on planting your marigolds; these look lovely in bloom and last giving a nice display. There's always work to be done in a garden all year round as there is for home owners.

Marrying Bron was the best thing I ever did; we're a good team and look out for each other; I cringe when I hear guys calling their wife/partner derogative names and if this is all the think of them why are they still with them.

I briefly played around with the balalaika last night; I tuned it very easily using my electronic tuner but it sure hurt my fingers pressing the strings; the gap from the string to the fingerboard is much larger on this balalaika than the gap on my violins; it surprised me but I'll stick with it; Bron also likes the balalaika and had a little play with it but she won't touch my violins saying they are too difficult; the shape of the balalaika is strange it's body being triangular so I'll also need to get used to this; a guy on a YouTube video mentioned it hurt him trying to hold his balalaika because it dug in and hurt him; no pain without gain so I'll put up with whatever is thrown at me; like anything new it's another learning curve.

This guy is absolutely amazing and makes playing a balalaika appear to be so easy;



Have a lovely day Logan.

Kind regards, Colin.

 

Hi Colin
Thanks about everything

I didn't do anything yesterday in the garden, went to see my friend Marion in the afternoon, when I came back it was catch-up on things that we have to do. At her's I planted a hardy geranium for her, but she had a fall tripped on the step coming out of the house to the garden but she was ok just some grazes on her knee and elbow. She was wearing a pair of those flip flop slippers at the time and I said that she should have had shoes on.

Yes couples shouldn't stay together if they don't get on.

Glad that you and Bron like your balaclava it's so different from a violin and the video was great. I'm sure that your fingers will harden up from playing it.
Today the weather is showers, I've got a lot of wallflower seedlings to look after and there's a lot of foxgloves growing in the cracks of the pavement to re home, i'll give some to Marion, she likes lupins I've got one left that she can have don't know what colour it is but it could be blue. Collected seeds from my plants last year and they revert to the original colour which is blue but I did get some pink ones, I'm wondering what colour I would get if I collected seeds from them.
Have a good day
Logan

 

Hi,

A belated thanks Logan; I hope your day is going well; I'm at a loss because I keep thinking it's the weekend today.

I bet the fall shook your friend Marion up Logan; wandering around in flip flops is bad news at any time but fortunately she wasn't more seriously hurt; Marion will have been cheered to see you and it was kind of you to plant the geranium for her; good friends need looking after because these days such friends who can be trusted are extremely rare. We too have foxgloves popping up all over; at first I liked them but now pull them out because otherwise they take over; our lupins are starting to show a bit of interest and these also pop up but lupins are welcome. I'm hopelessly colour blind; I can obviously see colours but I can't name lots of them.

I've been on a huge push trying to get on top of all the jobs and yesterday was so near; I was out very early yesterday morning on top of our garden huts painting the top edges of the fascia boards and touching in where I'd missed; I made both these huts and have been treating them with Barrattine preservative but as usual with such treatments it proves a waste of time and effort.

Both huts needed treating once again but this time Bron and I decided to paint the huts but not with cheap paint which washes off; we've used three US gallons of Benjamin Moore Exterior Aura Satin having painted all the exterior woodwork with this paint in 2016 and it still looks like new; a US gallon is much smaller than a UK gallon and this BM paint costs £102 per US gallon delivered from BM UK; I've been putting the hours in working flat out between rain and usually in wind it driving me mad; three heavy coats of paint on each hut so it's been like painting six huts; I still can't finish the job; all I need is both huts to be dry and an hour's work should see the job done but as usual I could scream because it's raining again as I type; this climate drives me mad.




Here's the bottom hut; when I made this hut a few years ago working during our Yorkshire mid summer it poured with rain and one day it peppered me with hail this in August with a tempersature outside of 10C; I'll never forget working with slimy slugs for company whilst it poured down; the timber I used was the heaviest timber I've ever lifted; it was so wet that whilst driving the stainless screws in water was oozing out; both huts are constructed of 6" x 1" treated boards including roof and floor each hut costing around £400 with my labour free. They are solid huts and I want to fully protect them.
Here's the top hut; as seen the flags are wet as usual; I need to finish the huts off but I don't yet have permission from my personal black cloud which forever torments me; I'm fed up because I want to put this job to bed. The paint is Yellow Green Benjamin Moore code 2033-10; please note the angle of the fence; painting these huts should be easy but not for me woring on the slope.

I'm working as hard and as long each day as I possibly can but the dire weather is slowing progress down; I dream of studio time to play my instruments; I could wander into the studio now but my arms hurt with all the work I keep doing.

Kind regards, Colin.

 

Hi,

I feel giddy with excitement and thought I'd share this with you;


Living here on the steep slope everything quickly drains; it's rained most of the day and as seen in my previous post rain was to stop around 2:01 PM



Here we are at 3:08 so the patio isn't going to be fully dry anytime soon; it's getting dark again and we need the rain because it's not rained for a few minutes.

It drives me mad.

Update 7:03PM. In spite of so many things lately winding me up I've just enjoyed a violin practice for almost an hour; the best practice so far and playing it back it doesn't sound too bad at all; I must be doing something right. Happy.

Kind regards, Colin.

 

Hi Colin
and thanks about my friend Marion, I texted her on Sunday and she felt shakey but ok. She doesn't know much about gardening so I've been trying to teach her about it.
Yes the foxgloves can get everywhere and the poppies that I don't like much but the bees do. I pull them up if I don't want them there.

Your huts look great with the green paint.

Good that you got some violin practice and that it went well.

We've had rain showers all day but managed to miss them when walking the boys, so I haven't done a lot today
but the garden needed it, it's so dry.

Have a good evening
Logan

 

Hi,

Thanks Logan; Marion has a good knowledgeable friend in you. Poppies don't bother me much but they don't flower for long which is a shame; we have lots put on a show in our meadow.

Thanks for your kind comments; at last I've just finished the huts about five minutes ago and cleaned the paint brush for the last time; painting these huts has been a time and energy consuming job but they should now last for many years needing no further maintenance.

Light showers were forecast from this morning but I simply ignored the forecast and it hasn't rained so it was a good decision; I know rain is important but why does it have to torment me every time I work outdoors.


I never bodge or take the easy way out hence it's taken so long to paint both huts; Here's a neat touch; between retaining wall and hut bottom was ideal for collecting debris so I made a wooden cover when I made the hut but I've just protected it further with shed roofing felt; I can easily remove it because it's secured with battens and stainless wood screws to the hut and just weighted with rubble at the base; little things can make a big difference; the cover was fully painted before adding the felt.

Here's the top hut now finished but not showing the side cover seen in the pic above.
Here's the bottom hut; I made both these identical huts a few years ago.

Front view of bottom hut now also finished; I was on their roofs very early this morning adding cartridge sealant between fascia board top edge and roofing felt; after so much effort I think they should now last a while but no doubt I'll have lots more jobs to do which are never ending living here.

All these jobs have prevented me from putting much practice time in with my instruments but I can now back off from maintenance work and spend more time in the studio which I'm very much looking forward to.

Kind regards, Colin.

 

Hi Colin
Thanks about me and my friend Marion.

Those huts look great now and you can put in more practice now.

It's been raining here on and off for 2 days and I'm waiting to put out my pot marigolds in the front garden, might be able to do it tomorrow.

Have a good evening
Logan

 

Hi,

Thanks Logan; I hope you have a great day today.

Bron and I have just returned home from Sheffield; setting off in glorious sunshine in fact I shook the dust off my sunglasses; all the way there and all the way back home brilliant sunshine and we had to have the air conditioning switched on in the car; returning home we got to within two miles at Grange Moor and my personal big black cloud was waiting; it's like the usual black hole again; we've just switched on the central heating. GRRRRRRR.

Good luck with your marigolds; there's always plenty to do in a garden other than when the gardens are covered with snow all looking alike.

I shouldn't constantly moan about our weather after watching a bit of news about a huge area in America which is running out of water the huge reservoir only a third full and looking grim but it's possible to have too much of a good thing too.

I need to do a final push with the last job needing doing; the metal railings mounting bolts to the bottom step at the bungalow front rusted out years ago so the end of the railings is loose but it's going to be yet another of those jobs which look simple but will quickly bite me; the bolts are concrete anchors and because the railings are directly above access to them is very poor; with my bad luck I might end up removing the bottom section of railings to extract the old anchors then weld the section back in; they have a choice; make my life hard or come out easily; I'm not bothered which because they'll come out one way or the other.

Once the railings are sorted then comes grass cutting; hedge and laurel trimming but I think then I can get serious about learning to play my instruments; it's only taken 35 years continous work around home and gardens to reach this happy stage; perhaps we should sell up and start over again.

If it doesn't pour with rain I'll have a wander up the mountain to see how the meadows are progressing and take a few pictures.

Kind regards, Colin.

 

Hi Colin
Thanks I'm having a good day in the garden planting the marigolds but it will take a few days to do them all.

Hope that you had a good time in Sheffield, it's a shame about your weather.

2 days we had rain showers and some heavy but the soil is dry as anything as if it hadn't rained.

There's always something to do in the garden and hope that you can get some practice in soon.

Have a good day
Logan.

 

Hi,

I'm pleased your day is progressing well Logan; you must have quite a few marigolds to plant but hopefully you'll have put a lot more in today.

Thanks yes; Bron and I enjoyed the trip out to Sheffield; actually Catcliffe "Boundary Mills Retail Outlet" arriving just as it opened and apart from staff instore it was deserted so we had the entire store to ourselves; we always visit such places as they open as I do whilst doing the supermarket shopping twice weekly; we like to use our feet and legs not be carried around; we can't stand crowds.

It's surprising how quickly things dry out even after a cloudburst; here on the steep valley side the rain likes to head to the valley bottom at speed.

I can't believe it I've made history this afternoon; after 35 years of continous grafting around the bungalow and gardens I can declare I'm now on top; the last must do job I've just completed.


The railings end post has been floating for years at the bottom of the pile of jobs to do but today it reached the top of the pile; it's been a struggle because there's a peg which slots into the flag as seen; the old set screws rusted away years ago; I knew it wouldn't be easy and I wasn't disappointed.
Two new concrete anchors now secure the railings; I wanted to use stainless steel but I had these two anchors in the workshop so it saved the hassle of driving; these anchors should last many years because I've added lots of cartridge sealant and flooded the set screw heads with gloss paint.
Picture taken about an hour ago of my personal black cloud which is my best chum because it keeps me company most of the time I'm outdoors and likes to keep the dust down for me.

Tomorrow cloud allowing I'll trim the hedges and laurels then time to get into the studio at last which I'm looking forward to and I think I deserve a bit of quiet retirement after the way I've worked for almost 60 years.

Your marigolds will look beautiful Logan when in bloom and they bloom for quite a while.

Kind regards, Colin.

 

Hi Colin
Thanks about my marigolds and yes got a lot to put in, only can do so many at a time with everything else like walking the boys and doing the meals.

That's great that you've got on top of your jobs to do and it looks great about your railings, it should last for a long time.

Those clouds look terrible and hope that tomorrow you can do your hedge trimming.

Have a good evening
Logan

 

Hi,

Thanks Logan I hope you too have a good evening and that your pile of marigolds is decreasing as you keep planting them; I know what you mean regarding other more pressing jobs always needing doing; perhaps you and I should start walking around with closed eyes.

My cloud has been hanging all day but I've just knocked off; the hedges are trimmed; the conifers and bushes are trimmed to the front garden just the debris to collect anytime and I've also washed the handrail down because the birds keep leaving me presents for the food we keep giving them; their way of saying thank you; I think some of the birds must be pteradactyles.

It's been another long day and I'm tired; I'll be out of bed again tomorrow morning at 6 o'clock it's supermarket shopping day again; once the shopping is done I then don't care if it snows; I feel a violin and balalaika coming on.

Kind regards, Colin.