After my longed for day off tomorrow was reduced to a half day, before being completely overtaken by the stuff I get paid to do, I took the opportunity to take this afternoon off.
After four hours working on the shed, though, I swear it doesn’t look any different.
However, at least I’ve now reduced the risk of imminent collapse.
After last weekend’s pretence that the shed no longer existed, I’ve spent most of this morning working on the second wall. Most of the lower, inner wall is now in the garden.
And, in common with my experience of the first wall, last year, I’ve exposed a neighbour’s garden.
Time for some gardening before we take my mother to lunch.
Sunny Bank Holidays are rare in the UK, so we should make the most of them and do stuff outdoors. Beer gardens. Yes, beer gardens are great on a sunny day.
So that’s what we decided to do today. So I decided to work in the shed again. I was perhaps a little overly optimistic yesterday when I said that the wall I’m now working on isn’t as bad as the last.
It’s not seriously damp, which is of course a good thing. But there were a couple of cave-ins today.
However, after several hours’ work the wall is now safe.
Looking pretty much as it did yesterday.
And, also as yesterday, I’m sitting in the garden with a couple of woodpigeons (one’s in the tree).
Since the weather’s changed for the better, I couldn’t put off resuming work on the shed.
This wall is a lot more solid than the first one I tackled, so it wasn’t so easy to remove the inside layer of stone.
Doing a spot of gardening now.
While sitting here, a magpie arrived.
My second encounter with such a creature today. The first was this morning, when, on arriving at the tip, we saw a magpie attacking a young parrot.
An old lady and I scared off the magpie, but the parrot was unaccessible, behind a high fence. Also in the queue was a parrot breeder (there had to be), who said he’d drive back around to capture the bird.
So, the old lady and I stood guard until he returned.
Unfortunately, a girl with a stick arrived before he did. I’d acquired a towel from one of the site workers, but hadn’t used it because I didn’t want to harm the bird. The girl, however, pointed the stick in the parrot’s direction. Apparently, the bird was supposed to walk onto the stick.
It flew off. Just before the parrot professional arrived.
As I was writing this, a pair of pigeons landed on the fence. This will be their second year of nesting in our tree.
I do appreciate advertising which acknowledges the local area. I’d imagine it’s not particularly costly, so it’s important to get it right.
For example, I’ve learned that it’s only 17 minutes from Durham Road to Newcastle.
As I say, accuracy is important. Durham Road’s quite long so I’m wondering if the timing of 17 minutes is an average.
It can’t be a reference to the time taken from the location of the poster. Because this bus shelter’s actually on Old Durham Road.
I fear it may be time to retire from my post as webmaster (you don’t hear that term a lot nowadays, do you?) For my local.
After partaking a little too much of their wares yesterday, I neglected to update the band details for tonight. So, on remembering while on a bus early this evening, I hastily added a post.
And later, when arriving for a nightcap, realised I’d written about the wrong band.
Rather than delete it, I probably should have copied it for re-use when this band actually plays.
I’ve realised that, to run a pub website, one needs to be on the ball. And I seem not to be.
ADDENDUM: It transpires that I made no error. The gig list does indeed say that this band would be playing. I need to establish a method for having late changes to me.
I’m pretty happy with the layout of my local’s updated web page. There’s still work to be done, but thanks to Kev, who designs and prints the publicity material, the content’s looking better.
Had some pretty good feedback on my prototype web page for my local. Maybe a little over the top, but I’m pleased I’m heading in the right direction.
More work on the live music and charities page next.
Thought I’d do some work to benefit my local community.
It’s a little more phone friendly than the existing site.
I’ve not spent long on it, so it’s mostly placeholder pages while I get the structure right. So it’s nowhere near ready to be published.
Screws too small for the job and high winds, something one needs to accept when living on a hill, recently led to the external camera parting company with the wall.
All fixed now though (top right). Despite my fear of heights.
There isn’t a problem with the no video camera; I’ve not gotten around to connecting it.