IKEA way out of this.

As if the week had not contained enough, friends from Brittany are visiting us on Sunday.

Of course this is a "no room at the inn" situation so with nobody yet moved in next door, we had to get some beds organised.

For reasons I am not sure about this meant IKEA which was a 200 mile drive, there and back.

So tonight off we went.

Of course that was after today when I discovered why the other Green Goddess is not running right.

It's because it needs an engine rebuild

Of yes, I was delighted.

Actually if I had started on that GG, I could have called in the pros and the work could have been done early this week and they would both be ready.

But  flicking forwards to tonight it seems everyone and their brother took off for west wales this weekend And I can tell you that they spent a long time sat on the M4...

 When we got to IKEA the student displayed typical cunning.

We had two beds to buy and of course the frames weigh, so she suggested I went and got those. She went and got the mattresses, of course she hadn't factored in that mattresses stood up on a trolley flop about a bit.

So as I trundled briskly towards the checkout, she pursued me trying not to demolish too many displays.

It was quite comic really.

A nice end to a day.         

The student has been hard at it gardening.

The temperature has been just short of melting.

Goodness have I done some drinking today - all water.

Gosh

R

 

We love old trucks.

Actually we do. The Gang of us has split this week, lots of garden has been done by she who likes us to dig a bit. Bethan and I have done green goddess. She spent forever polishing Isabelle and today I moved in properly on Gloria. Gloria is Bethans Green Goddess and I was pretty delighted that it took so little time to get it running. There is some serious technical issues though, feels like it's not getting enough petrol. Tomorrow is another day. Quite a few days have been spent on spanner bent. I am a bit fired up by this. Working on Green Goddesses is actually fun Modern cars - forgeddit.... R

Isabelle the Green Goddess

I don't tend to dwell much on vehicles on here, well not recently.

Setting the scene there is a big tractor rally in the valley next weekend. They have asked us if we can lay on a bit of spectacle based around the old Green Goddess fire engines from 1955 of which of course we have three and two theoretically mobilisable.

So we started off by checking Isabelle who is usually as reliable as a hammer, but for some reason is not keen to start.

Bethan and I went to work, it's not turning over so the favourite reason has to be the battery, being 6 years old it's prime suspect.

So off to the garage and pick up new battery, test it before we leave all looks good.

Drop it on the truck - nothing.

Replace starter switch - no go.

Clean all connections - nothing.

Run a new earth lead directly from battery to starter - nope.

Change starter motor - still not playing.

By now I have pretty much covered all bases.

Call in mate Greasy Steve who is an engineer but currently emptying our oil tank for money.

"Flat battery" said he.

"Not possible" said I "it's brand new"

So anyway to keep him quiet I agreed to let him connect his little Daihatsu 4x4 to the GG via jump leads.

Off whirred the starter.

The  new battery gives very impressive readings on the voltmeter just like it should.

Put any kind of load on there and everything changes.

The new battery is as stuffed as the old one.

2 days under and over and about the truck.

Am I laughing, well actually I will be as soon as the truck is running.

R 

    

     

Post it boat

This morning it was round to the garage and pick up the boat. There has been a lot of tyre kicking but not much of people getting their cheque books out.

So it was load the car up with eager helpers then over to recover the boat.

Naturally this involved a certain amount of heaving lugging and swearing and a little time later we were back at HQ.

Next up a trip to the garden centre, vital as we were short of, well not sure what it was but it cost money.

Next a proper job, start to get Isabelle the green goddess to issue state by next weekend. A project that took the whole afternoon and we still have not got it running - not good then.

The problem is a starter that won't,  so far we have replaced the battery, the starter, the starter switch, cleaned every connection we could find and - nothing.

I am a bit stumped!!

Then, just in case I was bored it was dig a bit of the garden as she who was a student and is now a gardener wants to plant peas tomorrow

I think I preferred it when her nose was buried in books.

R

John Pilger

Sometimes you get total refreshment. John Pilger has suggested that Bradley Manning is the real issue in American politics.

How someone who exposed the truth has become a criminal.

So telling the truth is a crime.

Hmmm

I might add that this is my 1110th post.

Nice to make it one that has an important message 

R
    

Peace

It has been a very diferent sort of day, there was a palpable reduction in stress.

Everything was much more relaxed, calm, chilled.

Got everyone on busses then came home, then fell asleep for 4 hours.

Did a big lump of mowing, went a shopping.

A very calm day no exams or essays.

I found a really interesting academic piece and she declined to read it.

Academe is for October.

Hmmm this probably means that tomorrow is for gardening.

Thank goodness it's raining.
 

R   

 

Phew.....

The student has done it. Exams are all over, though she is convinced a resit is needed for one of them. Tomorrow it all kicks off; wood chopping, lawn mowing, seed planting she has it all planed. I gave the field mowing a good go today - till I ran out of the go go lotion. For now she wants to sleep. I suspect rest might be a good idea for me too. Our boat might well have sold, which means, she tells me, that we can have a break in Brittany. I hope it does sell, I booked the ferry last week - shhh don't tell her. R