Hi Brian,

A very Happy (if unusual) Easter to you, Mrs B and the family. We are lucky to have some outside space to enjoy the good weather.  I have done my workout for today and looking forward to a chocolate treat later ha ha.

I have really got into a new routine of early walking plus on line gym sessions and think this will become the new normal especially as I will be retiring earlier than planned.....7th May now instead of July.

You have really got the bit between your teeth as far as your technology goes.  Where would we all be without it just now.  Afraid to say I never update anything but then only really use it to store pictures and e mail and staying connected.  Still love to hear a person's voice at the other end of the phone and am having face time with family so that is definitely a help.

Garden has become dry  but then been a while since the last rain.  Hasn't stopped the grass growing and have mowed twice in the last ten days.  Sad news on my nesting robins.  Local cat got in the garage and it is now an abandoned site.  Better luck next year though I am sure they will brood again; just somewhere else.  One of the pair is still coming down to feed but the mate has not yet returned although I saw them both after the cat's visit so that was a relief.

Am definitely enjoying the garden whilst the weather allows.  Indoor jobs are on hold ha ha.

Take care and stay safe.  Jules 

Hi Jules,

Hope you and your family are keeping okay. 

I have not been able to post anything on my three main threads for the past couple of days as the reply button is missing. Have reported it to the moderaters and they have passed it on to their technical people. 

Our kind neighbour has once again mowed our front lawn for us. This prompted Mrs B to get me to do our back lawn ha ha. We had a free Azelea plant given to us when we bought other items online a couple of years ago. Last year it came into bud but never flowered or opened any leaves. This year it has made up for it ;It is a yellow one. Rather dissapointed with Mrs B's bluebells. Plenty of leaves but not many flowers. Must be haveing a rest year. 

I have been busy on my laptop, and still finding plenty to do. Have downloaded a lot of documetaries from U tube and than trasfered them to a flash drive. I only have to plug this into our television set so we can watch them on the telly at our convenience. A lot of them are historical type as Mrs B like this sort

Did you get any of that rain they forecast the other day?. A few miles  away my sister said it really fell down but we only had a very small shower. Garden is so dry it really needs a good rain.

Take care and stay safe, Brian

Hi Brian,

I am sure the moderators/tech staff will sort things out for you.  Not had any problems so far and now that broadband provider has replaced all outside cabling so far so good with internet access.  No cracking on landline either (though I rarely use it for outgoing calls now).

My son popped over and we had an 'at distance' chat.  He parked over the road and had left a little goodie bag for me on the doorstep. Lifted the spirits no end.  

My new normal these days is early morning walk locally (anywhere from 2-7 miles depending on my route) and then as the weather has been so lovely most of my time spent in the garden.  Lots of messaging/WhatsApp calls and looking out for elderly neighbours who I also run errands for if required.

So far so good with family remaining safe and well and getting use to home education slots too.  All the schools have been very supportive and even the nursery is setting little projects on line to keep the children busy (last picture of my son he was dressed as batman and had just been given a talking to by my nearly four year old grand-daughter (dressed as a police officer).  Even though they are working from home (they take it in turns shift style) they are certainly getting the most out of a very strange time.  I am sure they will have good memories made to look back on.

I have joined the social bird isolation club and seeing lots of wonderful photos/drawings and artwork created by so many members and do seem to be spending a lot of time gazing into the garden just being entertained by the birds and occasional squirrel visit.  I am making sure no two days are the same by changing my exercise (indoor routines from You Tube and live links from our gym which I save) around and keeping tv viewing to a minimum whilst the weather holds.  As to the rain, have had one tiny shower in the past week and made the most of that by doing the weeding afterwards. Lawn has been mowed and I have re-arranged a few pots/bird feeding stations and put in a new water (ground level) bowl which has been my only non essential spend so far since lockdown.  Our local garden centre has just begun home delivery service but have not used it yet.  Lets hope they can re-open properly in the coming months.  Thankfully most of my garden is shrubs and I do not really go for annuals/bedding plants though do usually have a container or two (photo was taken this week).

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Hope you and Mrs B stay safe and well and the help from neighbours I know will  be greatly appreciated. We all tend to check up on each other either by phone or via doorstep conversations(safely keeping our distance) on Thursday evenings when we are out clapping for NHS/keyworkers.  Take good care.  Jules

Good morning Jules, 

I hope you and all your family are safe and well. I take it you are still doing your daily walk for which you have had some lovely weather until yesterday that is. 

We have been and done our weekly shop this morning.  Glad thats over and done with ha ha. We were the first ones in the shop as Mrs B like to get things done early.

I have not been able to post any pictures my other three threads. Sarah has contacted me to tell me the site is so much busier at the moment as people have additional worries. I have been asked to not put any pictures on the site until things quiten down. 

Take care and will post again soon, Brian

Hi Brian,

Thank you we are all doing fine at the moment  and all seem to have worked out new routines to manage the lockdown situation.  I am indeed still walking every day though was a wet one yesterday so kept it to a mile of street walking as wanted to post some cards en route.  Managed 3 miles this morning as was dry and sunny first thing and has been showery since.  I have walking indoors routines on YouTube so tend to do those after lunch to break up the day.

Busy day on the phone today and two of my friends decided on long chats rather than messaging which was lovely. I will return the favour next week.  Only going to the supermarket fortnightly now and just top up on bread at local shops if I run out.

I can truly understand the site being busy as I am sure there are so many questions and worries for those going through treatment on top of everything else that is going on.  I will see if I can attach a photo of my now regular visitor through into the kitchen.  Am sitting with my jacket on indoors with the patio doors open so he can come and go at will.  He is completely ignoring the feeders/ground feeder at the back door so  at least he has the choice ha ha.

Stay safe and all the best to you, Mrs B and the family.  Jules

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Hu Jules,

Hope you are keeping well and the family are keeping well too.

I have finnally got my writing mojo back and have finished two short stories in the past few days, I still have 23 other stories started so must crack on and get more of them finnished. 

We have been and done our weekly shop today and got all we wanted except my frozen chestnuts. I have got some peas just poking through the soil in our back garden and my radishes are allready showing leaves. I will have to put some new pop rivets in my garage door as three of them seem to have come undone and I had a job to open it this morning. I also the  other day had to mend the gutter on our small conservatory as the corner of the gutter was leaking a lot of water when it rained the other day.  Need some rain now to test it out. 

They have now started work on altering the road opposite our mini road. They are putting in a new road just opposite our  road and once this is done they will start the first phase of house building which in time will see 3,500 to 4,500 houses built to the north of us. I believe once this road is complete, the nearby road will undoubtably get much busier than it already is at the moment. Not looking forward to so many houses being built so close by. 

The clouds look like it could rain even though they havent forecast any.

Anyway take care Jules and am as usual sending kind thoughts your way, Brian

Hi Brian,

Lovely to see your post and trust you and Mrs B are keeping well as too your extended family.  All good here at the moment.  Still getting out walking nearly every day.  Today was a short 4 mile wander and was back by 9.30 having picked up a loaf on the way back.  I then have a 11 a.m. date with live online gym sessions Monday to Friday.

Of course, a very strange way to begin retirement but fingers crossed in the coming months will be able to get together with family and friends again.  At the moment my photography is keeping me amused as so many fledgling birds in the garden and of course the flowers are coming on too.  Nature definitely not standing still.  The cheeky robin is definitely being kept busy and when I am indoors I leave the door open to the garden and it is feeding from a container on the kitchen unit (he/she obviously not aware of social distancing ha ha).

I only go supermarket shopping once a fortnight now, using the local parade for fresh bits and bobs  so my next foray to the 'big shop' will be next Monday (a quieter day to visit).  So far no problems at all at getting what I need and the staff are being well looked after and also have a lovely smile for their customers. The check outs are well protected with corridor-like screening.  I am  not currently wearing masks when I shop but have a couple at the ready for when I do  have to use the bus/tube as this would appear to be the current guidelines. Our little parade of shops are all stocking anything necessary to get by day to day and their loyalty to the community is so appreciated.

Stay safe and well everyone.  Jules 

Have not yet ventured back on public transport but at some point will have to go to my former workplace to clear my locker and hand back uniform etc.  I am not in any rush as they have not bothered to contact me even though my last day was over a week ago. Strange times indeed.

Hi Jules

I trust you are still keepimg well and walking your usual walks.  

Yesterday we wanted to go to our local co-op but I had problems. First of all I couldnt open my metal up and over garage door. I found a strip of metal had come loose . It took the combined efforts of Mrs B and I to get it open. Then I encounytered another problem; I coulddnt start the car as the battery had gone flat. I ended up pushing the car out of the garage which was difficult as there is very little spare room and as the car was pushed out of the garage, I had to run round the front to stop it running away across the road. . I then had to get my extension leads out and charge the battery up. Eventually I managed to start the engine I them. I then had to pop rivet the strip of metal back onto the garage door.  After this was done I  took Mrs B to get her shopping. Afterwards I took her for about a 1 hour drive and did the same in the afternoon so hopefully the battery should be okay for a while now. The problem is, at the moment I am not using it enough the charge the battery. I can tell you it was lovely to be anble to go for a drive once again, especially as there was so little traffic on the roads. More like when I first started driving many years ago.  We saw lots of young lambs in the fields and Mrs B really enjoyed the drive

This morning it is my avowed intention of clearing up my garage, ready for when I want to start turning again. I now have ten  wooden barometer surrounds to turn and am looking forward to starting turning once again. I have not dome any since I was taken in to hospital in August last year so it has been the longest lay off I have ever done since I started turning roughly about 46 years ago. 

Our rose at the back of my garage is a mass of buds and some are just starting to open up. The plant seems to love that spot. Last year it had grown so tall neither of us could reach the top, so at the end of the year, I cut it down to size . But it has allready made up for lost ground and I will still have problems in reaching the top. It must be one of those  quick growing plants. 

Our strawberry plants are coming along very well and some are forming the fruits allready so will have to dig out my nets to stop the pidgeon eating them.

I have finishes three stories in the past few days but I still have 22 under construction as I call it. 

I hope you enjoy your usual Sunday walk today as it is nice weather for walking.

Sending kind thought to you and your family, Brian.

Hi Brian,

Hope this find you, Mrs B and the family all managing okay and staying safe and well.

Glad you managed to sort out your garage door and then enjoy a drive as well as doing your shop with Mrs B.  Think we are all enjoying some outside time when we are allowed.  My walking has become a very big part of most days now and think this will be how my retirement moves forward ha ha.  The walks are varying lengths but nearly always first thing in the morning as love that time of day.  Last Sunday's was pretty epic even by my standards as in the end completed a 12 mile stroll through local woods (added into the fact that it is a 2 mile walk to get there!!). Still I was home by mid morning and then delighted to have visitors to my front garden for an hour (daughter and family checking up on me..........not that they said so!!).  They bought their camping chairs and refreshments with them and I sat on the doorstep so very socially distanced.

The weather has been an absolute bonus and watching the changing season in the local parks/woods and my garden brings a lot of pleasure as well as plenty of camera work ha ha.

As expected I received news this week that my summer holiday had to be cancelled and had plenty of options to choose from including immediate refund.  They rang me to follow up the e mail within a couple of hours of my response and I have now re-booked for September with the company covering the extra cost as it falls within high season.  Needless to say should this also not be possible options will be the same ongoing so fingers crossed something to look forward to eventually. Very pleased with their customer care and told them so.

Overcast start here this morning so am off into the garden to refill the feeders; the sparrows are getting through 3 fat balls a day and constantly topping up the watering holes as lots of bathing going on.  New book to get into too.

Take care, 
Jules