I'm on the road again (well soonish).

My old bike


My new bike (in my dreams at the mo)

.
Now that things are a bit calmer here, I have decided to dedicate some time to finishing a few projects I have put on the back burner over the years. One of them is to work towards getting my old bike back. Not literally my old bike, as it was a beautiful custom one off and I cried when they took it away (in pieces I might add), but the modern equivalent. The nearest to the Yamaha 750 SE special nowadays would be a dragstar. However I would rather have the larger 1100 but with a few modifications like on my old bike. For starters I would have it dropped with an extension to the front forks, easy rider stylee!! Anyway, I first need to get a licence and do it all legal this time so the first step will be to get on two wheels again. To do this I am going to buy a scooter and move upwards, at a rate of knots, to the superbike level. I have found a nice little scoot with sit up and beg bars and, trust me, there aren't many about like that. I also want a bike on the heavier side. This means you don't have that annoying weight to centre of gravity difference throwing you about on the road. The only problem is that there is only one person who sells them over here in the UK and they are brought in by order if you want a particular set up.Parts are easy to get though so there is a silver lining I guess. I just need to flick a coin over which colour I want and go for it. White, Green, White, Green .......... Oh it looks like it's gonna be white with black and chrome trim. Keep you posted!
P.S Someone mentioned about a mid-life crisis when buying a custom bike when you are over 40. I agree, but that is for saddo's who buy Harleys and can't ride properly. In my case, I was riding my SE special back in 1980 when most people hadn't even seen a custom bike outside of a show. Now it seems everyone has a Harley so I will be getting a big barge pole and steering clear of that crowd. Besides, I did my hedonistic bit back in the good old, breaking my leg twice, elbow once, hand three times, days. Sod speed, I want comfort now!!!

Time flies like the wind (fruit flies like a banana).

I must admit that I find it harder and harder to find time to blog these days. Don't get me wrong, it's a good thing as it means I've got a life outside of being a techy nerd stuck on a computer. It's just I do like to have the time to blog every now and then.
Anyway, Not a lot happening at Camp Sandys other than I have been working myself stupid getting loads done to the house. To do this I have been going to work at about 6am so I finish with a good chunk of the day left to work at home. This has been good, now I look back on what I've achieved, but knackering. Now I know you might say "I bet Tree hasn't been happy with you starting this early," but you would be soooo wrong. Tree has been getting up at 5.30 every day and going swimming after dropping me off to work. She has averaged at least half a mile each day. In fact I have to catch up with her in the mornings!! The only set back to this has been her recent surgery which has meant she can't go in water with stitches but I am sure she will be back on it again in no time. All this has spurred me on to think about getting down to the gym more but as Oscar Wild said "every time I think about exercise I have to lie down until it passes"

The Spring clean blog.

Well it has to be done at this time of year. Tree and I have taken time to get the old house in order and clear out all of the clutter that seems to have built up over the last year. Trust me though, when I say, that nothing has been put to waste. If it can't be handed on or car booted then it has been donated to a good cause like P.U.P.S (Protection of Unwanted Pets Society).
Otherwise, I have been really busy working on the house. I finally completed the conservatory floor and it now has a rich, deep shine that should last a few years at least. The cellar workshop has been refitted to make working down there easier for me as well.
As I said in an earlier blog, Tree and I have decided not to work any festies this year, however, we have bought tickets for WOMAD and will definitely be doing Nozstock!!! Can't wait.
On a sad note, Joy popped in today and told us that Dave Halligan committed suicide yesterday. He always said he would be dead by 40 and it seems he made his phophecy true. Ironically, I was only looking at some old photos of WOMAD, with Dave in them, this morning. His famous blogs Worcesterfari & Poons will live on in cyberspace forever. Rest In Peace mate.

Happy Birthday Pip!!

I couldn't resist the opportunity of Pip's birthday to print up and frame an old photo of her when she was a nipper. I think she liked it, although we did give it to her at the pub after a few beers!!

Eostre blessings.

Tree's mum invited all the family over for a Sunday lunch to celebrate Eostre. Tree and I sorted out an egg hunt in the garden for Jamie and a quizz, for the adults, after. It was good for everyone to get together as we hadn't since Yuletime. David suggested a game of swingball and between David, Nathan and Myself we managed to destroy the bats with our overkeen playing. Luckily, Tree and I have a spare set in our shed that we have never used!!

No more waiting.

Tree and I have just come back from Brighton after spending my birthday "bit of culture" weekend away. The highlight of the trip was seeing Ian McKellern and Patrick Stewart in Waiting for Godot at the Theatre Royal. We would have seen them at Malvern but they sold out in minutes and the only place left was Brighton. We also took time out to go to the Brighton Pavilion, which blew Tree away when she saw the opulent interior and the dragon chandeliers. I took Tree round the Laines to see the plethora of small art and design shops. Sadly, I had an upset stomach otherwise we would have enjoyed the mass of veggie cafes and restaurants in the area as well.

Back to work for the rest.

Tree and I have just finished a week off work together and I need a rest quite frankly. The week previous to this one and I was off work anyway with an upper respiratory infection, which doesn't go down well in a hospital, so was tired before I started.

Anyway, we went down to Cornwall at the start of the weekend to see Joy and Nige, stopping at Glastonbury on the way for lunch. We picked the best time to go as the weather was gorgeous and hot. We spent a lot of time scouting out the beaches and found some more wicked caves in Constantine and the Lizard Point. One of them was lined with this amazing red Algae and the photo doesn't show how red it actually was by a long shot. We also got to see Joy's new shop in Perranporth as the signs were put on this week. She should do well with the location and the summer crowds. We sold loads of the shop stock as well, so one less thing to worry about.

On that note, Tree and I are thinking about going to 3 or 4 festivals this year as punters rather than traders. We both have enough on with work that we would rather enjoy the festies like we used to rather than work them. We have had positive feedback from loads of organisers who have said they would love us to come anyway, trading or not, so why work if you don't have to. We will still keep the marquee for future events but just take a year out maybe. Besides, Noz loves me (why I don't know) so there is always an open invitation there!!

We came back to Worcester on Wednesday and have filled our days with relaxing, eating out and a bit of gardening. Just my trip to Brighton to look forward to now...it's a hard life innit!!

Red Nose Day

Tree raised £60 for Comic Relief this year through her colleagues at work and Slimming World. I, on the other hand, didn't do anything. However, I did wear a stupid red wig round to get the Chinese takeway which raised a laugh or two on the way. Making people laugh should be an all year round occupation , not just one day. Keep smiling!!

Happy Birthday to me.

What an excellent day. Tree got me lots of presents, including a trip to Brighton to see Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellern in Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett and a stay in a top hotel with dinner in a posh vegetarian restaurant. Sorted!! We met up with Pip on the weekend for lunch and she gave me an Xbox game and a BIG mug from her and Murali. To be honest, I have liked the mug best of all but that's me being soppy. Besides, I haven't been on my trip yet!!!

It's snow joke!

Blimey is that the time! Yep, that's January for you, gone in the blink of an eye. Its a sort of non-month, if there is such a thing. You get past Yuletime and its back to work and the daily routine and then, vroom, the end of January comes whizzing up.

Anyway, not a lot to report, apart from some festie news for the new year in the shape of invites to Blissfields, Nozstock and Tiddesley Wood. All with FREE pitches, which shows we must be doing something right. After last years wet, but not wonderful, series of disasters it can only get better....we hope.

Tree and I have not been up to much otherwise. I am settling into the new job and looking to doing a coders course, which takes about 2 years, and gets way better pay.

The weekends have been spent going out and entertaining ourselves. Clayton and Lorraine stopped over a couple of weekends ago and we had a good laugh, including trying Clayt's homemade Ferrero Roche which are supposed to be fat free. They DID actually taste a bit like the real thing!!

We have also managed to see a lot more of Pip & Murali. We met up in town the other day and had a good lunch but sadly I gave in to chocolate cake with cream for afters. Enjoyed every mouthful an all!!! Can't complain though as I am only 7 pounds off my target weight now. On Tues night they came over and we cooked up Tacos with a veggie filling...Yum, Yum. Murali liked it a lot. He has promised a masterclass in Sri Lankan cooking next time. Can't wait.

Otherwise, I am hopeful of a little more snow, now its the weekend, because I don't have to worry about driving in it or getting to work. Instead I can enjoy Mother Nature when she wraps the Earth up in a white blanket and that beautiful silence that comes with it. See Y'all!!

Herbie makes a full recovery.

It has only been 2 months since I had to report about Herbie being unwell and yet I have excellent news. Herbie has been for his quarterly heart scan and has actually improved!! The thickening of his heart wall has lessened and his overall cardio-vascular system is better. Don't get me wrong, this does not mean that he is back to normal but that he is responding to his medication very well. His abscess has cleared up and he is back to his handsome self as well !!

David, his vet, has said that lots of people have given up on their pets for lesser illnesses than this so a big pat on the back to us I say.

Dave.

Ian Haines and his wife, Sally, were down from Nottingham for the weekend and came out for a meal at Chesters on Saturday night. Dan and Sez came as well and we had a good laugh. The food was a bit crap though and waiting 50 minutes from main course to dessert was a drag. The crowning glory was when Tree ordered an Irish coffee. When it arrived it was a complete mess and spilt over the sides. Tree was very good in asking for a replacement without losing her cool. However, the replacement was worse than the first!!!! An explanation was proffered of, "The cream was heavy". This caused an outbreak of laughter as you can imagine. For the benefit of Chesters, I have posted two photos of an Irish coffee. You can guess which is Chesters. The moral of this tale being..... If you can't make it, don't sell it.

What a jolly, holly day!!

Tree and I are now recovering from our colds and the food onslaught that is the Yuletime meal. Pip and Murali came over for the day and Murali had his first "proper" Xmas dinner, even though it was veggie! He now understands the whole concept of eating till you feel you could burst. It was lovely to have them enjoying themselves with us at this special time of year.

We now have a week off work to relax and recharge the old batteries. We might just have enough energy to see in the New Year yet!!

Happy Solstice!!

Tree and I were unable to face climbing up onto the Malvern Hills for the Solstice sunrise as we are still recovering from the viral infection we have had for the last two weeks. In a way we have not missed anything as the sky is overcast and the horizon obscured.
However, we have just finished watching the live webcast from Newgrange in Ireland where the sun enters into the opening chamber and casts a ray of light up to the back wall 19 metres away. Even this was affected by the cloud cover and a simulation was shown in a real-time sync at the critical moment.
The important thing though is that we observe ritual and celebrate the coming back of the sun. We are arranging a special lunch at 12:04 to mark the solstice proper.
So Happy Solstice to everyone and may the sun warm your face and the cold stay at your back.

A merry Yule to one and all !!

Blimey ! Is it time of year again, already?? Tree and I have been so busy of late we haven't had time to notice that December has creapt upon us.
I started my new job on the 1st and within a couple of days came down with a horrible viral infection that had already put Tree out of action for a week. Not good when you are working in a high dependency unit! I am happy to say that, a week later, I am on the mend with just a nasty cough to shift.
Herbie is on the mend too and just looks a bit odd with a shaved face. Quite comical really.
We have also been working hard on the house and getting carpet put down in the bedroom so we can move back in to it.
Otherwise, not a lot has been happening apart from lots of wrapping up on the sofa with hot drinks and medicine. Exciting life!
Tomorrow we dress the tree which will put me in the Yule frame of mind. But in the meantime, I wish everyone a very merry Yule. May your wishes be fulfilled and your bellies too!

Two steps forward, one back.

Following on from the progress of Herbie and his heart condition, I have to report that he has managed to get into a scrap and come off the worse for wear. The first we noticed was when his face swelled up with a lump the size of an egg and he became quite subdued. We took him to the vets and he confirmed that it was an abscess as we suspected. Herbie had to be sedated under general anaesthetic to have it lanced and we feared he would not survive this procedure. But this is Herbie we are talking about and he bounced back from the operation. The only problem we had was that the site of injury had to be kept open to drain and this meant covering all of the carpets and furniture to protect it against the blood that was continually oozing out. The photo says it all I think. Anyway, he is back to normal now, the cut has healed nicely and the covers are off. I thought pets were supposed to be relaxing for their owners!!

Shop till you drop.

Tree's mum very kindly offered for us to host a small house party to sell off the stock from the shop. I spent most of the day setting it all out, having forgotten what a jumble it was in from closing the shop. It went surprisingly well and we made enough to pay for all of Herbie's vets bills, so the pressure is off a bit now. I can see now why party plan businesses are so popular, but then again, it is xmas so people will buy more.

On the festie side of things, Tree and I have booked up a few of the smaller ones for next year and will no doubt enjoy them more now they are not our main income.

On the work front, I start in my new job on Monday and I have already spent some time at the hospital getting to know my colleagues. They all seem a very friendly bunch and I know I will fit right in. A lot of them I already know from outside of work, which is great!

Herbie rides again!!

The title of this blog will be lost on a lot of readers but I'm just showing my age! Anyway, Herbie is doing okay on his medicine, which I have to dose twice a day no less, and now spends his time either eating or sleeping. He is very comfortable and knows his limitations, regarding going out and defending his territory, so his world now revolves around the confines of the garden. The computer chair by the pot belly stove has been taken over and a lot of time is spent standing at the computer so as not to disturb him.

Understandably, his lifespan is considerably shorter but its more about the quality of his life and he is definitely enjoying the fuss being made at the moment!!

Herbie update.

Well the weekend has come and gone and Herbie, I am glad to say, has managed to make it through. We are still a long way from being, relatively, in the clear and careful monitoring of his condition will become a part of our daily routine. Bearing in mind that he could suffer a heart attack at any time, I have learnt to perform feline CPR, something I would never have imagined in my lifetime. He is back to his grumpy self and is desperate to go outdoors. We go to the vets tonight and should find out the prognosis for his condition. Fingers crossed he can go outside!!!

A bit of a scare.

Tree and I were only saying on Thursday night how we were coping quite well with the credit crunch and that as long as the cats, or the car, stayed okay we would be alright. We then heard a chilling sound as Herbie lay on the floor, eyes glazed and made a low wailing sound. This sound was one of the most distressing things I have ever heard and we were both sure that he was dying right in front of us. His tongue lolled out and he was panting for breath. I fetched the cat box and he was as limp as a ragdoll when I scooped him up.However, on arrival at the vets, he soon seemed to recover enough to be examined. The vet checked him all over and couldn't find any immediate damage. He instructed us to take him home and monitor his condition. As soon as we got him home, Herbie had another episode as bad as the first. The following day we returned to the vets and this time we saw a different vet called Isobelle. She said they would take him in for observation. By the afternoon we had a call to say to come and collect him as he showed no ill effects. This was followed by another call to say he had had an episode and they would like to speak to us. I feared the worst and was relieved to see him alive on the night-time visit. She recommended blood tests and a heart scan thinking that poisoning could be a factor. The next day we got the bad news. Herbie has a serious heart condition called Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy. This is a thickening of the heart walls that constricts the amount of blood going through the heart (detailed information can be found here). This is known as the silent killer and we accepted the worst. We were also told he had fluid on the lungs. We were given tablets and told he would be lucky to live the weekend. The next few days and nights I stayed with him and comforted him as he had several episodes, or mini heart attacks, each time thinking this would be it. All he could manage to do was lay still and labour his breathing. Our main concern was that he was not eating and this would be the death of him. By Saturday night he was responding to the tablets and the episodes stopped, however, he still had no energy. Our spirits raised though when he ate for the first time later on Saturday night. It is now Sunday and he has perked up no end. His breathing is normal and he even jumped up on the bed for a cuddle this morning. I managed the first few hours of sleep in days and feel better to cope with it all as well. We are not out of the woods though and he could still go at any time. The main thing is to accept that every day is now a bonus for Herbie and to keep his quality of life at the forefront of our minds. He has eaten several times and even got grumpy with me when he had to have his morning tablets! A good sign!!

Special thanks go out to Isobelle the vet who has asked for daily updates on his health and to Tree's mum who lent us the small mortgage to pay for his treatment, running at about £400 so far.

Isobelle now says that he could live two days or two years, no-one knows. Some even live for five or more.I will keep you updated!!

Samhain Blessings.

Tree and I have just come back from a lovely weekend in Wales spent with our friends Shaun, Jane, Katie, Phil and Laura. We stopped at Jane's Aunties bungalow, just outside of Tawyn in North Wales.

Friday night was spent overeating and playing Halloween games, quizzes and telling the inevitable lame ghost stories. We all dressed up in Halloween costume with the cliche witches, vampires and ghouls making an appearance. Pumpkin carving was attacked with gusto and I was pleased to win "Best Pumpkin award" with my flying bats and signature paw prints. Other designs included Pumpkin Jack, A vomiting head, a cat and ghouls flying.

On Saturday we went into Aberdovey for a walk around the town, harbour and beach. The weather was cool and crisp and the colours in the hills were gentle pastels of heather and dried grass. In the evening we went to a bistro and had a pleasant time before retiring back to the cottage for more chocolate consumption. On the way back we stopped at the beach and let off fireworks.

On Sunday we rose later and had a lazy breakfast followed by a board game and then decided we should go out for a walk. Tree was not feeling too well and so we left her to sleep while we went out. The time seem to whizz by and, before we knew it, the time to leave came along.

All in all a lovely weekend and we have decided to do it all again next year.

Into the Dragon's mouth.

I recently heard this time of year being described as "entering into the dragon's mouth" which I thought was quite a good description for the darkening months until we come out again in the spring. It was also a coincidence that, while we were staying at Perranporth this week, we decided to venture onto the beach and explore a side that is only exposed when the tide goes out fully. We found loads of caves and cut away old tin mine shafts. One cave even resembled a dragons mouth !! Some caves had little pools of water in them and you expected Gollum to be sitting beside one. The largest cave had amazing acoustics but we couldn't stay long as the tide comes in quite quickly and we couldn't risk getting trapped.

We spent time exploring North Cornwall and have ruled out moving there as it is too exposed and barren. On the way home we went via Totnes and stopped for the afternoon. There is still a possibility that we move to Devon instead and it would be better for me with regards to the workshop and sourcing timber.

Stuff the recession !!

While everyone else is worrying about the recession (you know, the one were not supposed to be in, but are), Tree and I are feeling quite relaxed. After an interview or two I have got a job working at the Worcester Royal Hospital as a Ward clerk/Hospital auditor. Okay, put the cross down, auditors aren't that bad (unless you have something to hide). There is shed loads of training I can do as well, at the training centre on campus, thereby furthering my job prospects. It has been hard finding a job that wasn't going to give any money to "The Man" and we are both relieved how it has worked out. This of course means that we have a reasonable increase to our income so they can stick their credit crunch for all I care.

Job hunting has meant I haven't had much time to do anything else, including blogging, and any spare time has been eaten up by all the jobs I have neglected on the house. Frantic amounts of decorating, wallpapering and plastering have been a daily event, these past few weeks. Along with this, I have also managed to fit in converting a horrible old wall mounted gas fire into an open hearth with a beam for my mate Sarah. Nice !

Surprisingly, we have also found time to go and stay with Joy and Nige and are off again soon for another week before I start work. The advantage of my new job is that I will be able to transfer to Truro Hospital quite easily when we move to Cornwall, giving me and Tree some flexibility before we set up a business there. However, we won't be moving until the housing market has settled a bit.

As for the festivals, we are still going to work a select few like Nozstock, Bliss, Beautiful Days and Rock N Roots (if they honour their agreement re this years fiasco) and we will be able to enjoy them more knowing that we aren't depending on the income.

And now all that remains is to look ahead to the end of the month and Sahmain. Tree and I are off to stay in a cottage in Aberdovey to celebrate with a few friends. My mind is already turned to thinking about what we can get up to like Pumpkin carving, story telling in the dark and a big Sahmain fire to celebrate! Can't wait.

Sun, glorious Sun.

Well how lucky can you get? Tree and I just had a weekend in Cornwall, catching up with Joy and Nige, and what glorious weather. We went down on Friday and arrived late after traffic was bad, as usual, through Avonmouth and the weather did not look promising, but Saturday morning and the sun was shining and couldn't have been better. We spent the day in St Ives and had a beautiful lunch at a new veggie restaurant we found on the harbour front. The best bit was that all the other eateries were packed but this one was empty. One up for the veggies I say!

When we got back to Perrancombe, Joy roped me into acting as a marshall for the Perranporth Surf Challenge Junior Biathlon which Asher had entered. The entrants were split into two age groups with differing lengths to the course. They had to run into the sea, swim out and around two buoys, run across the beach and then around the town before coming to the finish line. I was stationed half way round the course and pointed them in the right direction. Near the end of the challenge the stragglers got slower and slower and Tree and I gave loads of encouragement. It is surprising how they pick up with a bit of cheering on. The last runner had a stitch and the other marshalls were closing up the course behind her so Tree and I ran the course with her, pushing her on to the finish. Asher came 10th and was well chuffed.

Sunday was so sunny we decided to go to Trevone with Joy, Marley and Asher and take the boards. The sea was flat as a pancake when we got there but we still went in and had a laugh. Surprisingly, the sea was warmer than when we came down in August!

We set off on early on Monday and took a detour through Bude and stopped at Clovelly. I have been there before but Tree hadn't and, like me, thought it was too commercial and the idea of living there, "romantic but impractical". It is one of those places that is nice to visit once but doesn't merit a return. We stopped at Barnstaple for lunch and then headed back to, by now, rainy Worcester. All in all a good break.

Mabon greetings !!

Today is the Autumn Equinox or Mabon. Mabon is the second festival of the season of harvest - at the beginning of the harvest, at Lammas, winter retreated to his underworld, now at the Autumn equinox he comes back to earth. This is a time to reflect on the past season and celebrate nature's bounty and accept that summer is now over. Harvest Home marks a time of rest after hard work, and a ritual of thanksgiving for the fruits of nature.This is the time to look back on the past year and what you have achieved and learnt, and to plan for the future.

Tree and I celebrated with the first harvest of apples from our own trees, planted a couple of years ago. What better example of the relationship between us and Mother Earth can be found. Slice an apple width ways and see the pentacle, symbolising the elements Earth, Air, Fire, Water and Spirit. Eat one half and share the other with your partner, joining in a blessed union of old.