What have you been doing today?

[securespark]

Sorry to hear that, freddie.

Breaking anything is a real burger.
Hope it won't be long till you're back to full throttle.

 

[Mottie]

Early morning walk and called into the allotment on my way home to do a bit of work. Had to give in early though - too damn hot! Managed a bit of harvesting - courgettes, radish, runner beans and beetroot. Used the radish, beans, beetroot and some potatoes from the plot to make a salad for lunch. The courgettes grow like the clappers so I put them on my front wall and invited people to help themselves on my local Facebook page. Half of them were gone straight away to a woman walking past.

While I was posting that, I noticed someone in the next street was giving away 3 trellis's so I went round and took those. They be just the job to grow my cucumber plants up over the allotment.

 

[Mottie]

Had a walk with friend and her dogs today and she had two of her ex partners dogs as well as her own two. They only have pedigree working cockers - we got Susie from her. Funny setup, they split up years ago, neither has bothered to find another partner, they get on fine now and live about 6 houses apart! I digress. I asked her why she had two of Rays (3) dogs with her this morning. "Oh, Dee Dee (his other dog) has started giving birth to pups this morning”! I told her I didn’t even know she was having pups. She told me she deliberately didn’t tell me as we had just lost our Susie. When I told Mrs Mottie the news, the first thing she said was "No, it’s too soon”. I think I’ll have to work on her over the next couple of months.

The courgettes grow like the clappers so I put them on my front wall and invited people to help themselves on my local Facebook page. Half of them were gone straight away to a woman walking past.

Just about to start prepping tonight’s dinner and guess what I was short? Yep, fugging courgettes! Had to dash over the allotment and pick a few more. These were the size of my little finger yesterday, too small to pick. They are now between 6”-8”. They don’t half grow fast.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

She told me she deliberately didn’t tell me as we had just lost our Susie. When I told Mrs Mottie the news, the first thing she said was "No, it’s too soon”. I think I’ll have to work on her over the next couple of months.

We've been giving the car a thorough clean out, trying to get the fur out of the carpets, etc.. We found the old quilt cover, we used to lift the dog into the car on, for that last journey, and a portable step, I'd put in the boot, to make it easier for her to climb out of the car, when we arrived there. In fact, she couldn't manage it, and they brought a stretcher out, to slide her off the seat, onto.

 

[Mottie]

Went over the allotment this morning as they have a trading shed where they sell all manner of stuff and they had a couple of pallets of various sacks of soil, manure, grow bags, compost etc and needed my help. Well, more the help of me and my Golf as the storage containers are right up the other end of the allotment near my plot which the delivery truck can’t get to so to save everyone carrying the sacks down there, I let them load the Golf up and I drive them down. Made three trips with the Golf stacked to the roof. Anyway, after that was done, I carried on with making some netted cages to put over my crops to keep the butterflies away. Big mistake, it was so hot that I think I was getting the start of heatstroke or something. I was stumbling all over the place, couldn’t concentrate on what I was supposed to be doing and generally feeling a bit woozy. I cut my losses, chucked all my tools in the shed, locked it and sat in the car for a bit with the a/c on before feeling up to driving. Came home, had plenty of water, had a cool shower and I’m feeling a lot better now. I might go back over tonight if it gets a bit cooler and I feel up to it. Mrs Mottie has given me a bòllocking for not drinking enough water while over there.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

We've been turning surplus board, and timber, into some better storage in the enclosed part of the summerhouse. There is a totally enclosed rear part, which is only really used for storage, and a sheltered front half, where we have the BBQ's. The rear is filled with bits for the caravan, salvaged timber, sun loungers, a spare large square table, a block and pulley system, and boxes + boxes of miscellaneous stuff. The front half, has the much used massive gas lava BBQ, then a sort of semi-permanent set of loungers on it, and a smaller fold-up table, borrowed from the caravan, which I set up for when we cook a meal out there, as I will be doing again, this evening. That is at the far end of the garden, which is quite a walk.

For meals cooked indoors, we have a table/picnic bench thingummy, which first built 40 years ago, which is now on it's second rebuild, since I built it originally (Triggers broom style). I've been wondering whether to buy one of those big brollies or one of those pop-up type gazebos, just to provide some shelter from the sun, when using that table.

 

[Mottie]

salvaged timber

Watch ScreenRecording_06-18-2025 6-45-34 pm_1 | Streamable

Watch "ScreenRecording_06-18-2025 6-45-34 pm_1" on Streamable.

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[Mottie]

Finally received my A/C top up kit that I ordered from eBay. The kit is a mixture of a/c gas, lubricant and leak sealer. Gassed up the Golf, took all of 30 seconds, A/C nice and chilly again.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

Finally received my A/C top up kit that I ordered from eBay. The kit is a mixture of a/c gas, lubricant and leak sealer. Gassed up the Golf, took all of 30 seconds, A/C nice and chilly again.

You've persuaded me to do mine now. I've just ordered a kit from ebay. Last time it was touched, it had suddenly failed, due to the radiator (name??) at the front disintegrating. Cost me £400 for a new one fitted, and a regas, then it only worked for 12 months, so this time, a cheap recharge kit, including sealer. Due to deliver on Saturday. My cars spec. says it needs 450g +/- 50, the largest kit I could find, was 400g, so just big enough, hopefully.

 

[MNW67]

You've persuaded me to do mine now. I've just ordered a kit from ebay. Last time it was touched, it had suddenly failed, due to the radiator (name??) at the front disintegrating. Cost me £400 for a new one fitted, and a regas, then it only worked for 12 months, so this time, a cheap recharge kit, including sealer. Due to deliver on Saturday.

The condenser?

 

[Stivino]

(name??)

Condenser

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

The condenser?

Yep!

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

Two trips to Lidl today, first time to give SWMBO a hand to bring home what she had remembered we needed, then a second trip there, to collect everything she had failed to remember on the first trip. Not entirely wasted, I scored a pair of 'cargo shorts' whilst in Lidl - loads of pockets, and a good fit.

 

[Mottie]

You've persuaded me to do mine now. I've just ordered a kit from ebay. Last time it was touched, it had suddenly failed, due to the radiator (name??) at the front disintegrating. Cost me £400 for a new one fitted, and a regas, then it only worked for 12 months, so this time, a cheap recharge kit, including sealer. Due to deliver on Saturday. My cars spec. says it needs 450g +/- 50, the largest kit I could find, was 400g, so just big enough, hopefully.

Unless it’s completely empty in which case you have other problems, it’ll just need a top up so should be more than enough. Go by the pressure gauge. Engine running, A/c on lowest temperature, highest fan speed, give the can a good shake and most important, hold it upside down. The last R134 kit I bought, I topped up my car and two others. My R1234 kit for the A3 got me two top ups. Both of those kits came with the connecting hose and gauge. If I ever need any more gas, I’ll just need to buy just the gas in future

 

[pete01]

Sweating my nuts off changing outside lights