Only 68 Days To Christmas!

All we seem to be doing lately is going shopping and doing jobs around the house, it's like being stuck on Groundhog Day! We've not been to Knowsley since April and we want to go off exploring at Robin Hoods Bay soon before it gets too cold to be staggering about across slippery rocks in the search of the perfect picture.

The jobs are finally dwindling though, the rubbish in the garden still needs sorting out but now it's all been chopped up, it's not so pressing. One thing that does need to be done this weekend is the building of a new fire surround to compliment the box Dad helped us build the other week.

Halloween is just around the corner now and the clocks will be going back soon, it's frightening just how quickly Christmas is approaching this year! At least the shops aren't full off Christmas merchandise so early these days with all the space taken up with Halloween and Trick or Treat gear. We've daren't think about buying Christmas presents yet, not while we're still unpacking stuff from the move! We have been to a local wholesaler and got our Christmas lights though, earlier than we would have liked but if we'd have left it until November, let alone December, we wouldn't have been able to get what we wanted. We're so looking forward to our first Wedding Anniversary and Christmas together in our new home and want the festive period for 2005 to be really special!

Paul

Blue John

Here are a few pictures we’ve taken during our impromptu hiatus…..

The flowers are still going strong in the garden.

Here’s Toddy walking home after a hard day’s adventuring.

Starlings taking advantage of the goodies we’ve been putting out now the nights are drawing in.

Not the pace for anyone who gets claustrophobic, Speedwell Cavern in Castleton.

Deep inside one very big hill!

We love this stone, Blue John and Castleton is the only place it’s ever been found.

Quite a bit here for a bracelet or too. This is inside Treak Cliff Cavern.

It’s just a shame we left the pick axe in the boot!

Stalactites everywhere, looks like a scene out of Alien!

Close up of these weird looking things. We can’t wait to go back and see one of the other four caverns, Blue John Cavern but we need to give the legs a rest first!

Paul

A Long Time!!

Hello everyone!

Now lets see whats been happening in our ickle world......

Since the tree, which is still bloody standing...lol...Paulie has been off work just for a week while we had new gas central heating fitted, it all went pete tong as per usual and where we would have a nice new gas fire all sparkling and waiting for winter we have a nice box ready for me to put some flowers or logs or something that looks attrative!!!

It happens that when you rip an old fire out you have to have a new flue put in its place and this one would cost us close to £300 something that we aint got going spare as we had just folked out £300 for a new fire, hence a trip back to B & Q for a full refund.....

Paul was busy keeping Lucy and Lollypop entertained while the workmen were here and also did some work in the garden as well as assemble the new wardrobes and draws that have been sitting under the stairs for the last six weeks.

Weekend we went to Castleton for the day its been the only day we have had out since moving to our new home, it was fantastic and we would recomend it to all, we first went down Speedwell Cavern it was 105 steps down and boy they were tricky, very steep and full of water, hence slipping on your arse jobby...lol... we got into the boat and off we went, the ceiling was inches off the top of your head!! Coming back was a nitemare 105 steep steep steps, bloody hell im knackered thinking of it...lol...

Next was lunch time, with a nice coffee, boy we needed this.....

Next came the Teak Cliffe Cavern and this was even worse, 200 steps up to the bloody thing and then another 50 inside, but it was worth it just to see the Blue John in the rock before it had been made into jewerly etc....

After an exhausting day it was time for home and of course a few well deserved drinks....ie....VODKKKKA...lol...

Sunday was the usual get up breakfast nip to Paulies dads and just chill with a nice sunday roast beef dinner.....yummy yummy in me tummy...lol...

Now its back to work with a bang and looking forward to the next fun packed weekend

Debbie

Stubborn Tree

We got all the branches off the tree on Sunday afternoon, what made it harder was the fact that the trunk has split into three quite low down and getting just one of those down was a task in itself. It must have been funny to watch us pulling the rope tied to the top, then me climbing up the other trunk and trying to kick the other one down. We got there in the end and we've just got the biggest trunk left to tackle another day.

Last week after we had the fruity cloud all day, Debbie took some more photos at dusk....

With all the commotion going on outside on Sunday, Eric retired to his favourite spot for forty winks.

Toddy was just too nosey to hide inside so watched on from the relative safety of the flower bed.

Lucy managed to avoid all the falling branches and even found time for a spot of posing.

Lollypop thought all his birthdays had come at once, a lifetime supply of sticks!

It's going to be a mission to get all the branches chopped and bagged ready for the tip in the next couple of weeks but we'll get there, we really want everything nice and tidy before the snow comes!

Paul

Week Goes By In A Flash

I can't believe it's Friday again, not that I'm complaining! With the move to our new offices this week and Debbie not feeling so well, we've not really had chance to post anything here for a while. Things went well over the weekend though, the new bed was delivered on Saturday and they lads had the stair banister off, bed assembled and banister back on again inside half an hour.

The new heating system we had ordered and cancelled due to the surveyor not turning up is now back on again, he came on Saturday to do the survey and we are green for go for the first week in October and it should only take two days.

The gazebo came down in the week, well crumpled and crashed into the wall more like, with the strong wind that cam during the night. At least it only cot a tenner so we'll just get a new one for next year.

Here's a picture of the sky taken outside work the other day, the cloud formations were weird all day long and Debbie got some cracking shots at dusk, we'll get some of those posted soon.

Paul

The Onset Of Autumn

I think we've had just about enough of all the hot sticky weather now, we're looking forward to some refreshingly cooler days ahead accompanied with the golden brown colours of Autumn.

Since posting a picture of the snow falling in Austria back on 15 August, it seemed to warm up again around Europe but the colder air is building again to the North and if proof were needed, the green hills of Alesund, Norway turned white yesterday and snow is falling again today.

Picture Source: www.nilu.no

Debbie remarked this morning how beautiful a spiders cobweb looked on our iron gate through the morning mist and rain, but it will look even better sparkling in early morning sunshine covered in frost.

Paul

On The Move Again

We're barely settled into our new home and I'm in the midst of another move, this time at work. We're moving to a new site over the weekend, bigger, better and best of all, only a stones throw from our new home.

The big question is, will I be getting on my bike, it's certainly close enough to pedal into work and I've no doubt the exercise would do me good. However, I'm a long time sufferer of the condition 'cantbearsed' and I'll probably put this off until next summer.

For now, we might as well take advantage of the fact that Debbie drives past the new place on her way to work and I'll be able to jump out when we get to the roundabout. This might be a problem if there's not much traffic and we don't have to stop, it will still be busy and it's one of those roundabouts where you just shut your eyes and go! I'll just have to make sure I wear extra thick trousers so I don't suffer friction burns as I'm ejected from the car half way round.

We've been issued with new toys to play with at work, IBM Think Centre, I've had mine up and running for a few days for setting up purposes (firefox, google talk etc) and it's proved to be pretty darn quick despite being ultra compact. The screens are great too, I've got the size set to 1280 x 1024 and it's still easily readable. We've had to hand them back today though for transportation to the new site and it doesn't half make these old Pentium 3 machines seem very slooooooow.

Paul

Underwater Hockey

I've been for a walk today to get yet more plants for the aquarium, I think it's about the sixth time I've been in three weeks and next time I'm going to ask about share options in the place!

The reason for the extra plants is that it looks like we'll be hearing the splash of tiny fins any day now and the little tykes will need somewhere to hide out.

We got a sunken ship last weekend, together with an albino pleco and since putting them in the aquarium the pleco has gone inside the ship and hasn't been seen since. The upside down catfish we also got, who resides in the top left window of the ship, did pop out yesterday but was swimming upside down, or is that the right way up mmmmm.

Anyway, our existing pleco and the catfish got stuck into pleco veggie tablets as did every other fish apart from the neons and it was quite funny watching these two green tablets being chased about in the sand.

So tonight I've got some aquatic planting to do followed by a partial water change then we can sit down and watch a game of twenty-five aside veggie tablet hockey.

Paul

Still Under The Weather!!

Work again on Friday but leaving early to go to the Doctors, he says its STRESS but will not confirm till he has received my records from me other Doctors, not sure what the hell it is but the symptoms are:-

Palpitations
Tiredness
Achey Limbs
Sore Skin
Shakes (sometimes very violent)
Not surprised it has knocked me for six!!

Lollypop went to the vets for his stitches out yesterday and was not impressed one little bit, all the other patients were 10 week old puppies and were are sat on their owners kness being very good and patient, were as Lollypop was having a right fruity, when the nurse called us, we more or less has to drag him into the examination room, within two mins the stitches were out and he was looking a lot happier.

Next came the order for worming tablets and also frontline flea spray, although they have not got any fleas and with the cats now going out we just like to keep on top of it.

Lucy, Lollypop, Misty and Todd were fine all taken their tablets between two peices of ham, but when it came to Eric he was not having any of it and the tablet rolled away and now we can not find it, mind you 4 out of 5 aint that bad!!

We went to Paul's brothers for a BBQ last nite and it was lovely, its nice to have a gossip and relax, Paul as usual decided to drive, think its cause he loves the new car.

Today is wardrode day and as Im typing this Paul is busy scratching his head and looking at the plans for building the buggers....lol...

If anyone knows what the hell is wrong with me, please leave a message!!

Cheers
Debbie

Bang!

Debbie has gone back to work today, we think it might have been flu but we're not sure, whatever it was, it knocked her for six over the last week or so and she's still far from one hundred percent.

Lolly's doing well since being neutered and has for the most part left the stitches alone so hopefully they'll be able to come out this weekend. Also this weekend, I've got to get those pesky wardrobes built because our new pine bed is coming the week after, thankfully that will be built for us!

We had someone round last night to give us quote for new central heating, the current system is a very old back boiler system and is about as controllable as Lollypop! We've gone ahead and ordered a new system which should be fitted in October. We'll have a new open gas fire, some lovely new radiators, a smart little combi and best of all, a thermostat that looks more like a hand held computer, works from anywhere in the house and in the future we'll be able to call it on the mobile to get the house toasty warm before we arrive back home on cold winters day!

While the chap was measuring up last night, the heavens opened and we had the brightest strike of lightning I've ever seen followed by an almighty clap of thunder which made us all jump out of our skins, especially Misty who shot upstairs faster than the speed of light!

Paul