6th December 2024 - Storm Darragh on the way

Thought for the day :"Raining cats and dogs, out there... Have to be careful not to step in a poodle."

Wet - Storm winds up to 95mph forecast tonight 
Red Weather warnings on the mobile phones 

Weather prevention in the Tavern 

And lower quarter - Giraffe protection and woodpile closed 

All the paint is now gone from the main buttress

And Cheque for £200 for Shaun and his fund raising for Velindre Cancer Centre

Proceeds with Gift Aid amount to £250 

Cheers !

5th December 2024 - Rain stops Play - again !

Thought for the day :"Anyone wanting to join my Christmas Choir is welcome. So far, it’s just Dean, Don, Mary, Lee and I......."

Wet - Biblical

Sadly all the paint is now off the main buttress

That was a waste of time ...

Nothing happening outside - not even a dog walk today

Waiting to find the details for a valet for the Volvo

Meanwhile mysterious parcels are arriving

Cheers !

4th December 2024 - Volvo Back and Idris back on guard

Thought for the :"I tried to catch some fog earlier. Mist."

Wet again

Sad to say that the overnight rain completely spoiled the work from yesterday and the pristine white buttresses are now all streaky. Looks as though we will have little chance this side of Christmas

But in other news Idris the Dragon has been replaced into his new position and concreted in .

More leaf gathering and putting into the chicken areaas

And best news of all - the Volvo is back on the road with Lee managing to drain the engine and refix, for the reasonable cost of £250. Seemed a lot with the £150 that was already given for the recovery and check over - but better than the probable £1,000 that a new engine and fitting would have cost ...

We will have to think about getting Sarah's friend who has set up the new valeting business to dry the car out and do the business on it.

No photos tonight - it was too wet and we came in hurriedly.

Nancy and Wren called around this evening for tea and a chat.

Bought a new range for cooking - firstly for them to cook Christmas Dinner and later for us to put on the barbecue terrace.

Things moving forward slowly 

Cheers !

3rd December 2024 - Painting Work as the weather holds

Thought for the day :"I bought a car made entirely of wood—wooden engine, wooden wheels, wooden doors, and even a wooden key. Guess what? It woodent start!"

Dry during the day - got some work done 
But deluged in the night so all in all classes as a wet day

Bitterly cold at the start of day but for a change it was dry and the forecast was dry for the day.

Dave and Rhys turned up just after 9 and managed to get some painting and clearance work done.

Having to accept that the rendering of the other Pine End is unlikely to be finished by Christmas as the cold and wet are not likely to hold back for long enough.

Walked the dogs and 'Thena went for a stroll up towards Carrie and Trefor so Toby and I did our normal walk and 'Thena was home before us. May have to start putting her on the extending lead until we get to the kissing gate.

Took the opportunity of clearing the leaves under the Magnolia Trees.

Found that the crocuses are already peeing out of the ground. Decided to put some leaves over them to protect them from frost 

Difficult to see, but shoots of spring bulbs peeping through 

Clearing the leaves - and putting them into the chicken coop

Ffynnon Wen in the Sun 

Cuthbert checks though the window

Where are my Peanuts?

And some progress on the building work 

Pine end we will have to wait 

And in other news

I suppose I resemble this 

Cheers !

  

2nd December 2024 - Wet! Wet! Wet! and I don't mean the band

Thought for the day :"If you could only see me through my eyes - you would see how blurry I am"

Still wet ... Didn't stop

Move along - nothing to see

Went to the Volvo today and took most of the water out from the back seat area - the water in the front had mainly drifted to the back which is lower down.

Still on the back of the recovery truck and apparently when it was towed onto the truck the water was pouring out of the exhaust.

Don't know if that is a good thing or a bad thing.

In other news, was talking with a friend at lodge the other day and he raised an interesting issue about EV's and Multi storey Car Parks,.

We were talking about Llanelli Tesco Multi-storey which used to be the Tesco car park and is now part of Tinopolis the TV company, and how the car park is hardy used and is mainly empty. Apparently it is built with Rack the crumbling concrete that is condemned.

But following that conversation, he pointed out that most Multi Storey Car Parks will be obsolete soon anyway as they were designed to hold a specific number of vehicles, and therefore have a limit to the weight that they can contain within the structure. But of course they were not designed for EV electric cars which on average weigh up to a ton more than other vehicles. Therefore they are unlikely to be within their  structural limits. Not fact checked or verified, so subject for though only at this stage.

Cuthbert

  

Cheers !

1st December 2024 - Lower Quarter flooding

Thought for the day :"Germany is advising people to stock up on sausage and cheese, it is a Wurst Käse scenario"

Wet - too wet to walk 

Went down the lower quarter to rebuild the gazebo - totalled now but still standing.

Rescued the bridge across the River Why which had been swept away by the high water 

Susie says that the fields were covered this morning. May have slept on a bit 

 

Finished the kitchen and most of it is back in place - the Pigs are flying again 

And the eaters are growing so fast - 6 scoops a day at the moment.

 

And in other news - found this explanation about how an engine is put together 

For information only. far too late for me to start that sort of thing!! 

Engine stuff

Every Car Engine Component Explained

A car engine is a complex system of parts working together to convert fuel into mechanical energy, which powers the vehicle. Most cars use internal combustion engines, although electric and hybrid engines are becoming more common. Here’s a brief overview of the key components in a typical car engine and their functions:

1. Rocker Arm Cover: Protects the engine's moving parts and prevents oil leaks.

2. Rocker Cover Gasket: Seals the rocker cover to the engine, preventing oil from leaking.

3. Rocker Arm: Transfers motion from the camshaft to the valves, opening and closing them.

4. Valve Spring: Keeps the valves closed and ensures contact between the camshaft and the tappet.

5. Cylinder Head: Forms the top of the combustion chamber and seals the cylinders.

6. Head Gasket: Provides a seal between the engine block and cylinder head, preventing fluid leaks.

7. Cylinder: The chamber where fuel is burned to create power.

8. Valves: Control airflow and fuel entry into the engine, as well as exhaust gas release.

9. Spark Plug: Ignites the air-fuel mixture inside the combustion chamber.

10. Cylinder Block: Houses the engine's cylinders, pistons, and crankshaft.

11. Ignition Distributor: Sends electricity from the ignition coil to the spark plugs in the correct sequence.

12. Fuel Pump: Transfers fuel from the tank to the engine.

13. Piston: Converts the energy from burning fuel into mechanical motion.

14. Timing Cover: Protects the timing belt or chain from dirt and debris.

15. Connecting Rod: Connects the piston to the crankshaft, transmitting motion.

16. Ring Gear: Helps in various engine operations, including starting the engine.

17. Camshaft: Opens and closes the valves by converting rotational motion into reciprocating motion.

18. Flywheel: Stores rotational energy and ensures smooth engine operation.

19. Crankshaft: Converts the up-and-down motion of the pistons into rotational motion.

Cheers !

Maybe should be Halloween but what the heck!

30th November 2024 - Drizzle

Thought for the day :"Everyone told Sam not to sing - but Samsung anyway"

Wet 

Kitchen being put back in place

Saturday, Susie started painting the furniture in the Kitchen and we put most of the "stuff" back in place.

Started the day wiring up the chicken poo compost bins to try to stop 'Thena gorging in the muck. She still wanders off  still and I am sure that she is beginning to go deaf.

Warm enough to work on the building today - in fact the weather forecasters say that the temperatures are nearer to April than November, but there was a steady drizzle so no show.

Spent the afternoon on the computer instead - haven't done that for a long time and watched Spiderman and Spiderman 2 - the ones I have seen before but needing to get through them in order so I get to understand the Marvel Universe version later.

Susie still having stomach problems and not having a good day today. 

As they say in Downton Abbey - What is a Weekend?  Seems pretty similar to every other day at the moment. 

 

Cheers !