Harley Momma

Mom always has had a fascination with all forms of transport. Her father's enthusiasm instigated it. He was employed in motor transport in its early years, in the 1920's. He built more than one motorcycle,

and fitted a side-car for my Gran, Gladys....

He also built his own car,

and then replicated it, about 12 years later, for his young son ! (Who, incidentaly, also worked in transport all his working life.)

The Lanchester that he bought in the early '20's ....

.....took the family all over the country on holidays. Many times all the way from home in Sheffield to Devon to stay with Gladys's parents.....on this occasion, in 1928 or 29, with my Mom ....just a little girl of 2 or 3.

So I'm certain that last weekend he looked down on this scene with pride. His little girl, at 83, sitting comfortably on a Harley.

Isn't she the best Harley Momma?!

Childsplay

Family Sundays could grow on me.

My childhood memories are of regimented days and restricted behaviour. We had to be well mannered, obedient, quiet and clean .... all things that didn't come naturally to me as a kid!

Today Mom's Wonderful Hubby's son and his wife, their daughter and her two little ones, a very tall 3 year-old and a 12 year-old, all came to visit. We had lunch at a local garden centre. It was a joy to watch the children respond to the new environment, investigating, making new friends, gently testing some boundaries. And I was right ... taking My Olds out is just like taking kids out. The only difference I noticed was when the kids go wandering off they'll at least make an attempt at getting reunited with the group!!!

When we returned to Crumbly Towers Great Grandpa and ma, Grandma and Mum watched the Mens Finals whilst Grandpa supervised the little ones buggy driving initiation. I don't remember my reactions and coordination being that good when I was twelve! I remember being rather clumsy. Lauren really was most impressive.

I wonder what she'll find to approximate Moms buggy to plague her Mum and Dad for !!

I've taken very few photos of people, (some candids, but thats not the same) I've certainly never taken one I liked.....till today :o) Don't know what was different, but I liked these...so much that they'll go off with emails, SOOC.

My list.

Just a quickie...still living up to me blog title and dashing around like a mad woman. As you see, only a marginal (lol) improvement to the layout.

Took the truck in to have a new tyre fitted on the offside rear. The boys doubted my feminine word, probably justified in most cases, but not this one ;o). The offside was more worn than the nearside. Hmmm. Perhaps I corner harder to the right than the left. They did end up replacing the nearside. Well, they are men, they WOULD be right, somehow!! They found a socking gert screw in the nearside, so I had to agree. This of course necessitated ordering yet another tyre for the offside ! LOL I could have saved myself all that diesel by simply ordering four at the start instead of being a cheapskate and making the barely legal ones keep going till they were well and truly illegal.

On another subject, nearly. When the farrier came out to see to Thor I asked his opinion, again, on Thors lump that appeared about six months ago, just above his pastern. I'd hoped rest, and the soft winter ground would put it right, but no. Its still there and even tho there's no lameness, heat, swelling, other than the fibrous lump, or discomfort when pushed prodded, poked and pummelled, we agreed now is the time to get the vet to look at it .... before I bring him back into work ...... or even take him out on one of our lazy hacks!
The vet did all the 'P' tests and got no results. She said she could do a little investigating with a sample for tests and an xray to see what's going on inside. But she said its quite likely that its a calcification and will do no harm. I took the cheaper option and said I'd ride him out and monitor the situation, contacting her again if there was any sign of trouble.
There's a chance that it might be stress related, but that usually happens on both legs, and this is just the offside fore. Hmmmm I wonder if I corner harder to the right than I do to the left!! LOL

I think the next appointment should be with my chiropractor to see if I have a list to the right!! LOL

Yup ..... look at that .... I do have an expensive list to the right !!


Pic by Rik

" I may be gone some time."

Just a quickie to say ...
I'm working really hard on learning how to do this blogging thing. There's so much fun to be had ...if you understand how! I've started making another blog for my piccies and I'm going to try to get the size right from the start this time, cos I just CAN'T get it right here!

Here's one from the achives. A feezing cold and fiercly windy but incredibly beautiful November afternoon at Boscombe.

Well I've had a most productive and pleasant day. The kennel routine went well, plus a nice new bed for Hugo and three dogs groomed before it got too hot to be pleasant for them. If left to my own devices, I manage perfectly fine without getting wound up. I should have been a hermit! LOL

Then I got on with the rest of my life........

First things first .... Kudos to Kev, who came up with the answer for removing the filter from my lens. What a guy !!

Virgin Mobiles haven't faired quite so well in my estimation. I did receive a call from a techie manager, before I called them and gave them a piece of my mind! He did make me go thru some diagnostics before finally agreeing that it ( or I ) was a lost cause and he did arrange the courier to pick up and replace the offending BlackBerry phone. So, with luck and a following wind, on Thursday I should be in possession af a receptacle for my calls.

Thor is my Icelandic horse. Not sure I've introduced him before. He's a sweetie and will feature here largely, regardless of his diminutive size. Today was the day of the farrier. I will post a pic, but it is a very old one. I have lots of pics of the farrier at work. This one is not a great pic, but it makes me smile every time I look at it. My farrier has been my farrier for er.... 17 years, he's a hunk, funny and very very good at his job. His heart and soul and a very large part of his wealth, are in my horse's feet. His company name is "Hoof Hearted" ..... and so that is the title of this particular pic. ;o)

With the farriery completed I shot off to the shops and was a very bad person. I treated myself to a new bag. I'm sure I'll live to rue the day ... but hey!

I nipped home to see to the doggies and heaved dear Minty into the car and off to the vets. Minty is a 13 year old puppy of mine who comes to stay here at Muttlins, with her friend Nonny (an eight year old puppy of mine), usually a couple of times a year. This year she's having nursing care. She ruptured a cruciate ligament a while ago and had to have it replaced. She was eight weeks into her recovery when she ruptured the repair! So only a week before her holiday she had to have a second operation. Today was the due date for her post-op re-examination. My wonderful vet rubbed his chin and frowned. Not a good sign in such a cheerful chap. Well ... Minty is quite an age for such an injury, and it seems there's a chance she may not get perfect movement back in the limb. The vet gave me instructions for the next two weeks exercise and physio regime and wrote up his notes to Minty's own vet , many miles away. We're up to three ten minute walks a day, stretching exercises and two swimming sessions a week. We HAVE to get some muscle back onto her wasted little leg.

I don't know what the temperatures were today, but it was very very hot and by the time I got home at about half sixish, I was drenched and drained if that makes sense, and was so grateful to sit down with me lappy and me blog. I figured out how to become a Follower. Now I'm off to try to understand how to do the links thing so I can join in some of the fun here. The next job has to be making my page fit .... I really must do it!! LOL

Oh ... BTW .... Mom phoned me twice today, but not much sense could be made of either. I don't mind a bit, cos she was back to her bright and chirpy self again. She can talk nonsense as much as she likes, as long as she's smiling!

My watery grave

I'm shattered.
The past few days have been much too awful to blog. I'm being used, abused and taken advantage of and they ain't gonna be satisfied till I've accomplished the impossible.
Had to escape to Poole again this week.   It has the most wonderful relaxing effect on me. Even playing in Photoshop with the pics I take there engrosses me enough to forget the grief I'm getting from the family, and the demands of chums.  I'm thinking it might become appropriate to change me will and have my ashes scattered in the harbour. Living here's way too expensive to contemplate, but I could definitely be dead here ;o)

I took snaps of kids playing in the water while the almost full moon rose. As I left the waterfront and headed up the hill for home, the moonshine caught my eye and I stopped, got the gear back out and set up the tripod again!!  Grinning.

An unexpectedly nice day.

Another glorious morning. So nice to get out early with the doggies in shorts and a T .... that's me in the shorts and T, not the doggies.
Had a little problem with my connection last night. Technology and I do not sit well together, you may have gathered. As a result last nights blog didn't get posted. So here it is ;o)

Well aren't I the brave bunny then!!
Three whopping gert fillings and no valium!
I just couldn't cope with the prospect of such a lovely day being ruined by the recovery! Didn't get anywhere near panic either. I was in the chair for nearly an hour and the only discomfort I felt was an ache in my jaw from having me mouth open for so long. LOL It was so nice to be able to go shopping afterwards and drive straight home.
I treated myself. Called in at the charity shop and bought two tops with sparkly bits .... now there's a rarity. I don't do bling! They are my colours tho...kind of muddy brown and green. And I don't do pink either, but I did today. Must be your influence Willie!! Way too big it is, and just a little bit fluffy. So right for being snuggly in when the temp drops a little bit on these gorgeous summer evenings. PINK !! Me in pink! I can't believe it. Bought a sweet little bracelet too. What ever's the matter with me. I don't wear adornments! They just don't look right with Riggers.

So that all went well.

The saga of the BlackBerry continues. Even tho yesterdays techie promised it'd be able to receive incoming calls after what he'd done .... it didn't. I phoned today to say I didn't want it and was gonna take advantage of my right to return it within 28 days. What a lovely lady. She went thru the procedure one more time and agreed ... there's something wrong with the phone. So they'll send a courier to collect it and deliver a replacement for me. How good is that.

No joy yet with releasing the filter off my lens .... but it'll have to let go eventually! Me being a bit of a Pollyanna I thought this is an ideal time to try to get along a bit better with my prime lens. So I took some snaps of my garden and some of the doggies. Got a lovely one of Gracie. Haven't got the one of the garden I've been trying for. I'll give it a go in the morning light tomorrow.

Mom and Her Wonderful Hubby had a lovely day. WH's nephew picked them up this morning, went on down to Poole and picked up another uncle and his lovely wife, and took them all back up to West Wellow for lunch and the afternoon. They had a great time. Uncle did really well, considering he had a pacemaker fitted only a couple of weeks ago. Bless him, he's a trouper.

Right....I'm off to bed with a bit of supper.. a bowl of strawberries and blueberries... how decadent is that!! LOL

Found a little visitor in the garden when I went out with the doggies for a last wander around. Judging by his smile, he was happy to be here ;o)

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