Category Archives: home

Oh I wish it could be Christmas every day

Blasdale Home Posted on by

Christmas is over, with the real Boxing Day nearing the end. Family has left and Rosemary and I are left alone to eat our turkey and bread sauce sandwiches. This Christmas has been a white one with snow on the fields, and -10C frosts and hot wood burners toasting our toes. Friends in the pub to share a pint or two, Selina and Phil to share a turkey with. Alas did not manage to persuade Selina to run to the village shop. Yes, an evil plan hatched by her parents, the shop does not open on Boxing Day.

Here are a few pictures for you, I have even take a departure from the norm and condescended to include some people in one or two shots.

This balmy night’s too long

Blasdale Home Posted on by

It must be around the longest night, cloudy and quite mild outside. The temperature dropped to -2C last night, somewhat warmer than the two previous nights where it made -12C on both nights.

A pity about the clouds this morning, was hoping to see the eclipse of the moon, the first time the eclipse of the moon has occurred on the same day as the winter solstice and a full moon for 372 years.

Yesterday we went Tesco shopping, first I had to find the shovel and dig a route through the snow to the main road. Then ventured out onto the road with Rosemary’s car. My car has taken exception to the cold weather, joined UNISON and has gone on strike. Don’t people drive so slowly and cautiously in these winter conditions. Parking at Tesco, easy, but leaving was a pain, everyone and their proverbial dog had decided to turn up while we were shopping, now I was stuck in the middle of two converging queues in the car park. Think quiet and placid thoughts.

So now all stocked up for Christmas, wood in the store shed, oil in the tank, turkey in the freezer and brussel sprouts on the stalk. Internet access working, what more could I want for a peaceful and good wishes to all man kind holiday.

Looked outside, and it has just started snowing again, looks like we will get our white Christmas this year. Time for some coffee, checked the store cupboard and we have over a Kilo of beans in stock. Yippeee!!!

There’s a chill in the air, nobody could care.

Blasdale Home Posted on by

It was a tad nippy last night. The mercury fell to -11C or in old money 12.2F. That temperature is also 471.87 Rankine, -8.8 Reaumur and 262.15 Kelvin.

The Plough and Anchor pub almost caught fire last night.  They had installed a wood burner, but placed the flue against the wood lintel. This was smouldering quite fiercely when I entered the pub. The chef was spraying water inbetween the stonework and the wood. Pub talk was all about the Crooked Billet and the planned New Year rave. Let’s hope it goes ahead without any trouble.

Today it has started to snow and has been doing so for the past 3 hours. The traffic on the main road is now quite limited.

Baby it’s cold outside

Blasdale Home Posted on by

I won’t pretend the weather is a tad nippy at the moment. Last night was the coldest this winter. Managed a ball shrivelling -4 and we are not yet in December. Today we are told that this year is either the hottest or second hottest year on record.

You are my Little Bird

Blasdale Home Posted on by
Greenfinch at the feeder

Greenfinch at the feeder

Trying out some action shots with my new Canon EOS 550 on the local bird population.  (Feathered variety alas.)  One wonders with all those extra pixels whether a new pro lens is in order.  Looks like I will have to keep on working a while.

Some more wildlife at the local oasis.

Needless to say, as soon as I went indoors, two pairs of Goldfinches arrived, but not the Greater Spotted Woodpecker who is often to be seen on the peanuts.  We’ve also had Long Tailed Tits who were charming.  The Greenfinches are highly aggressive and bad tempered.

Snow at last

Blasdale Home Posted on by

Yesterday it started to snow at around five in the afternoon.  Today we have six inches of snow, measured with a ruler and measured in several places on flat hard ground away from walls.  This is not a Blasdale exaggeration, so no need to divide by 2.  Nice fluffy snow because the temperature is still below freezing.

I hope the sun will come out so I can get some nice photographs, but for the moment here are some I have taken.

Snow scene taken in Kingswood, Buckinghamshire on the 6th January 2010 after overnight snow fall of 6 inches.

Snow scene taken in Kingswood, Buckinghamshire on the 6th January 2010 after overnight snow fall of 6 inches.

Snow scene taken in Kingswood, Buckinghamshire on the 6th January 2010 after overnight snow fall of 6 inches.

Snow scene taken in Kingswood, Buckinghamshire on the 6th January 2010 after overnight snow fall of 6 inches.

Snow scene taken in Kingswood, Buckinghamshire on the 6th January 2010 after overnight snow fall of 6 inches.

Snow scene taken in Kingswood, Buckinghamshire on the 6th January 2010 after overnight snow fall of 6 inches.

Plough and Anchor, Kingswood, Buckinghamshire on the 6th January 2010 after overnight snow fall of 6 inches.

Plough and Anchor, Kingswood, Buckinghamshire on the 6th January 2010 after overnight snow fall of 6 inches.

Butterfly Days

Blasdale Home Posted on by

Despite the recent bad weather, we seem to have had some lovely butterflies in the last few sunny days, so Steve took their portraits and has posted an album of them –

http://www.blasdale.com/blog/picture-albums/blasdale-picture-gallery-2009/2009butterflies/

We have yet to add their names – Small Tortoiseshell, Peacock, Red Admirals (is one just faded into that “Orange” Admiral?), Comma, Painted Lady.

Waterperry

Blasdale Home Posted on by

No sooner had the deluge of rain occurred, the cold weather returned.  We have had a couple of weeks with snow and ice, shortages of rock salt, and now huge potholes in the road caused by frost damage.

Today it warmer.

Yesterday we went to see some snowdrops at Waterperry.  Waterperry  is near Oxford and is a garden centre and arty farty type place.  It though has some magnificent gardens, well they might be magnificent,  winter is not the best time to see them.  I went to see the snowdrops, and the crocuses.  Must admit, in past years, we’ve seen more snowdrops at other places .

Navigation to the centre was aided and abetted by my new mobile phone. [More like “hindered”.  Ed]

The kitchen fitting – day 4

Blasdale Home Posted on by
A running tap in the kitchen

A running tap in the kitchen

The dresser area and fridge.

The dresser area and fridge.

Thursday has been and gone.  We now have water back in the kitchen, the dishwasher is connected, but still no cooker.  The worktops are all attached and treated.  The dresser area has been constructed.  There was a small design change in the dresser area, some of the filler planks were not inserted because it would have made the top unit too wide and obscured the light switch.  It’s all coming together.  Hopefully today we will have the dresser completed and some of the doors & drawer fronts attached. 

Still to do are the cooker hood and cooker splash back, along with the worktops upstand.  Then I will have to get out the paint brush and paint the walls.

Thursday evening was in the Plough and Anchor.  Splashed out on a steak, which was cooked how I asked it to be cooked – rare.