"Not-so-Good" Friday.

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My whole Easter break has been unusual to say the least.

"Not-so-Good" Friday saw a Windows update, crash my PC.

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It went 'belly up' and I had nothing working except,

the internet phone.

The gremlins were at work.

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Have you ever tried getting help on a Bank holiday?

I found myself going round in circles.

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I was advised that I would have to reload the operating system,

that came with the machine in November 2007!

It had been lurking there on the Hard Drive all this time,

waiting for this opportunity.

"You will lose all your data in this operation,

so try to back it all up" the help-desk person said.

Luckily, I back-up at least once a month,

but decided to try a complete back-up using the Recovery Manager.

"It would require 18 DVD's" it informed me!

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I stumbled on all day Saturday.

Seven hours to prepare the back-up files,

and three hours to write them to disc.

I had a break on Sunday and Monday,

and did a successful System Restore on Tuesday.

My hard drive now had no programs

and no data.

Downloaded and installed a few important programs on Wednesday.

Thursday, this morning,

I attempted to restore the data from those 18 DVD's.

I got to disc number 15 and it failed!

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It turned out that it failed because some of those files

were from the BBC iPlayer and were write-protected!

(no one told me until afterwards)

So, as the last three discs only contained rubbish programme data,

it was no big loss.

All my organ music and pictures are restored.

I need a rest.

I just don't know what to do first?

I will try and catch up with you all,

as soon as possible.

I had a couple of blogs planned - a Easter one,

and

most important of all,

Hazel was 102 on Wednesday!

(Nineteen, in our years)

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Packing my Trunk.

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A week or so back Kath uncovered a load of 'goodies',

including:-

"My most recent find was in the garage, this lovely old wooden trunk....."

This reminded me that I also had a similar item in my garage.

Hard to find sheet music about wooden trunks!

Will this do instead?

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I know, it's a bit way off, but I remember these songs

from years ago, with Nellie packing her trunk.

Actually, my 'trunk' is really a chest, a large tool chest.

It belonged to my Great Grandfather from Lincolnshire,

was passed down to Grand-dad, then my Father

and now ended up in my workshop.

It took a bit of 'digging to uncover it.

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It's the large one at the bottom.

The one on top of it, is the one I made at school in carpentry lessons,

way back around 1957.

Needless to say, there was much dust and several spiders

lurking behind these two.

Which immediately brings another song to mind

from those early recordings.

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I did a blog some while back on all these

'Children's Favourites'.

Every Saturday morning with Uncle Mac.

Angus is always talking of "Things with Eight hairy legs".

Perhaps he'll like this?

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I think I prefer something more feminine!

But, I digress. Back to tool-chests,

So here's what's inside.

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Two very old saws in the lid,

and in the bottom with the spiders.....

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Lots of lovely old tools.

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Now, to be honest, some of these are mine,

and some are my father's,

but that is as far as it goes.

If there are any from grand-dad or great grand-dad,

I wouldn't know.

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What I do know, is that I shall not be throwing

anything away.

Perhaps if none of our family wants them,

they could end up in a museum?

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A Mixed Bag.

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"Eileen, achara, I hear someone tapping."

"Tis the ivy, dear mother, against the glass flapping."

"Eily, I surely hear somebody sighing,"

"Tis the sound, mother dear, of the summer wind dying."

These are some words from a lovely Irish song called

the Spinning Wheel.

Eileen's mother was blind therefore not knowing that her

daughter's lover was outside tapping on the window.

I had a tapping on the window yesterday!

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It is usually Wesley,

squeaking his wet paws up and down the glass.

Five o'clock - "Where's my breakfast?"

So fed the cats.

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Made myself a coffee,

Checked that the garden was still there.

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And thought. hey ho!

What shall I blog about today?

I've loads of bits about 'this and that' ,

but not enough 'meat' to justify a post all to itself.

So today is a mixed bag, until I get myself sorted.

I've been busy building these new pipes for the organ.

Here they are in situ, ready to be voiced and tuned.

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I did a write up on the construction,

over on Tracker-bar.blogspot.

It has kept me busy, but I still just about

found time to get up to Cliveden to see how the Tulips are coming on.

Last year they planted up the Long Garden with thousands.

It took me three visits to to catch them in flower.

But this year, a change.

Still thousands, but now blue Hyacinths.

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The perfume as you walked down

that centre aisle was amazing.

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Fancy planting all those!

I bet someone had backache.

I also found out that the new maze was now open,

although I didn't have time to give it a go.

They were still laying it out the last time I went.

On this visit I tried taking short clips using my camera

in 'movie' mode. I was going to post some up,

but found I wasn't very good at holding the camera steady.

They also needed a bit of sound or background music.

I shall work on it.

Here's a sample - just testing.

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The trouble with blogger is that these clips are a bit on the small side.

Still what do you expect for free?

I may have to upload something larger to YouTube I think,

and add some nice Irish tunes.

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Having a Moan with the Lads.

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On Saturday I 'crossed the water' into Berkshire.

To Cookham to be precise, to meet up with a couple of

Vintage car owning mates.

There was a local get-together at the local cricket field.

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This red one is a Sunbeam, belonging to Howard,

and the one to the right is

Chris's Wolseley 18.

As we stood reminiscing and generally moaning

about the eu and all the regulations that make life hard,

look what glided passed and parked up in that space.

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An Armstrong Siddeley.

Absolutely immaculate.

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Memories flooded back.

Dad's first car was an Armstrong, and

on returning home I dug out a few of the old photos I had.

I was hoping to find the one of Dad and I at Welshpool.

We (the Armstrong actually) were towing the caravan

to Towyn in Merionethshire, mid-Wales.

I couldn't find a print, so I guess it's

still in the box of negatives.

So here is a couple of prints of our old motor.

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We used to get the back seat out and put it on the ground

to sit on.

L to R. - Pop, me, Colin, Mom, Adrian & Nan.

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This must have been one of my very first

attempts at photography.

I was only seven then, and somehow managed to

not cut anyones 'head orf'.

What a lovely shiny car. Dad loved tinkering with it.

and polishing the sphinx!

All Armstrongs had a sphinx mascot out on the front.

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This is the one on the car at Cookham.

"Armstrong Siddeley’s famous Sphinx mascot: John Davenport Siddeley first used the upright Sphinx mascot in advertisements for the Siddeley Deasy car made before the First World War. Armstrong Siddeley adopted the Sphinx when they started production in 1919 and continued until they made their last car in 1960. The Sphinx changed over the years – lay down in the 1930s and was streamlined in the 1950s."

Now when our faithful Armstrong was exchanged for a Daimler,

we kept the mascot.

I had it on the front of my Tandem for many years.

Where it is now, I know not.

It is one of many things I failed to keep when I left home.

Ian may know?

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A wee picture. It is on a bracket on the front forks.

Not only Dad had a liking for Armstrong's,

but also dear Aunty Gladys (dad's sister).

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This looks like a 1947 Armstrong 'Hurricane',

but I'm not sure.

So, on Saturday, I had a good day out with the lads.

As I said earlier, lots of moans about all this 'Elf 'n Safety rubbish

and Public Liability Insurance.

It does you good to get it 'off your chest'.

I see David the Cameroon has finally noticed how

people are getting pissed off with all these restrictions

on proposed Street Parties.

"David Cameron will today criticise councils for using red tape to prevent residents from holding street parties to celebrate the royal wedding.

Some local authorities have demanded that events have insurance cover and have charged for road closures, or demanded hosts adhere to strict health and safety rules. Mr Cameron is expected to “debunk” the myths surrounding street party rules.

A party in Rochester was cancelled after organisers were told they would have to take out £5million worth of public liability"

What is all the fuss about?

I have had to insure my "extremely dangerous" organ

before I can play at public events.

I mean - the bellows may explode and kill dozens of bystanders.

(it works on "high pressure air" at 4" water gauge)

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My £5,000,000 cover certificate for this year.

And the annual premium?

Wait for it!

£1.50

Because there is absolutely no risk,

the insurance company simply charge for admin & postage.

I had to write a cheque for £1.50.

Regulations (eu) make you want to weep.

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Getting a bit behind.

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"You've gone quiet" a friend remarked.

Well, I've been busy doing other things,

like making new organ pipes ready for this years shows.

The garden is growing like crazy

and there is loads of dead bits from last years plants to cut back.

I always leave these dead seed heads,

as they provide food for the birds during the Winter.

So today, a quick and easy post for me.

Lots of pictures and not much to research and type.

Sunday, found me, yet again in Great Missenden.

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Up Church Lane to....

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.......that lovely churchyard.

Now, in February this area is a mass of Snowdrops.

I blogged about them here last year.

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But now, in April, a totally different scene.

Primroses and Celandines

Before the hawthorn leaves unfold,

Or buttercups put forth their gold,

By every sunny footpath shine

The stars of Lesser Celandine.

and here below, Wood Anemonies.

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The Winter's long sleeping,

Like night-time, is done;

But day-stars are leaping

To welcome the sun.

Star-like they sprinkle

The wildwood with light;

Countless, they twinkle -

The Windflowers white!

("Windflower" is another name for Wood Anemone)

All up the side of the path

were these tiny Violets

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Sorry, not a very good pic!

And here a plant that I had to look up.

I think it is Spring Squill.

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I must admit, I not a 'flora' person

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Am I right?

A lovely afternoon, but had to get back to feed the cats.

Stopped in Missenden High St. for petrol.

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What's this "Out of Fuel"

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Needs a closer look.

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"Sorry.....

OUT

of FUEL.

.....ever since

8 gallons

cost over a £1.

"Pump attendant went to lunch.

Mechanic got too old to repair.

Neither left a mobile number"

I remember those days.

Half a Crown a gallon - Two shillings & six pence!

(in horrid new money - 12.5p a gallon)

And what is it now?

New pence and bloody Litres!

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More Slo' Cooking.

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To be honest, I couldn’t decide whether or not to do this post today after all those shocking revelations here on Wednesday.

You see I’ve always wanted visitors to think that this is a blog of “Good Taste”.

Yes, today, it’s a question of ‘Taste‘.

A question of “I wonder what that tastes like”?

A couple of weeks ago I tried my first duck egg. I enjoyed it.

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But I wonder how many of you have tried Frog's legs or hedgehog?

No, neither have I, but people have been known to resort to making pies from them, and I believe Angus is quite partial to a fricassee of grey squirrel.

Now where is all this leading?

Well, yesterday my friends tortoise died.

It had got through the winter hibernation alright,

but was wandering about not eating or drinking.

We looked on the web here, and read:-

“Certain complex chemical and biological processes are initiated as the animal prepares to emerge into the spring sunshine. At this point unfortunately, it often runs into its first problem. In this country springs are cold, wet and miserable.

For us, this sort of weather may be merely unpleasant. For tortoises it can present rather more serious problems. Upon first emerging from hibernation a tortoise is depleted in strength, and is very vulnerable to infection. Unless it receives adequate quantities of heat and light it will simply 'not get going properly', and instead of starting to regain weight and strength lost during hibernation, may well refuse to eat and begin to decline.”

Well it did.

It declined to eat, and died.

My friend was of course very upset, and asked me,

as she lives in a flat, would I mind burying the poor tortoise in my garden.

So I brought it home and ……..

I can hear you all saying “Oh no! You didn’t eat it, did you?”

Well, I though long and hard about this, and then remembered things like Turtle soup, and I remember reading that tortoises on the Galápagos have been hunted for their meat by sailors and fishermen for years. The great Charles Darwin, when he arrived in the Galápagos in 1835, described how he and the crew of the Beagle lived entirely on tortoise meat.

And, even if I didn’t fancy it, Hazel might - and Wesley eats anything!

Firstly, I googled the web for the ‘internal layout’ of a tortoise.

I found this.

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So I now knew where to find the various bits .

Actually it scooped out fairly easily,

but it was a bit ‘rubbery’ in texture‘ and would require long slow cooking;

I know, I’ll make a soup.

(To avoid upsetting anyone, I have thrown away all the bits with pipes and suchlike).

My “Mrs Beeton” didn’t really help; she only mentions ‘Mock Turtle’ soup.

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However, the rest was easy, fry an onion,

chop a tomato, brown the meat and add some stock.

I couldn’t decide if beef stock or chicken stock was best,

so in the end I settled for vegetable stock, as tortoise are totally vegetarian.

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And the result after a few hours gentle simmering -

a quick zap with a blender -

a delicious tortoise soup.

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Now, what more could one want,

apart from crusty bread,

on April Fool‘s Day?

So friends and followers, sing along with me…..

“He’s a faithful friend, the tortoise;

And he’ll love you till the end.”

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Enjoy. He,he,he,he, he!

I wonder why so many folk singers have beards?

(and, 'a little bird tells me', some of their wives too.)

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