Signs and portents

The apprentice was a great help today in finding a new set of wheels, he has chosen the colour.

The decision has been made to replace one of our 4x4s

Gerry is staying

and if he breaks again then I have an alternative

but the signs are that

the sun is setting on Miranda's time at Rock HQ. The auction awaits her. Poor Miranda.

Summer nights

 The nights may be drawing in but the sunny days are still long enough to get some after work activity in and so yours truly, the apprentice, he who cannot be named and number one daughter in law set off to break a family record. The apprentice's older sister, Beth, climber Pen-y-Fan a real mountain close to Rock HQ aged four and a bit. Naturally the apprentice had to do it aged 3 years five months and a few days. Despite the picture he did in fact walk nearly all the way up, except for about 250 metres when he helped his big brother with is load carry training.

 We by passed Corn Du, that flat lump behind, saving that for the return leg and we passed time with tales of he who cannot be named childhood for his lovely wife to use as ammunition later. Of particular interest was a tale of how HWCBN threw his toys out of the pram aged 7 and a half on the way up this very mountain shouting "I don't care if there is an ice cream van at the top I want to go back!" and here he is some 20 years later not only doing it for fun but his job also makes him do it quite a lot of the time.

 Close to the summit we let the apprentice savour the moment.

That moment when you realize that you are now, for the briefest of time, higher than anyone else in the whole of south Wales.
 And you're only half way.

Like he said, he wasn't tired!

Life's little decisions....

 Errrm lets see.....

Do you want fries with that?

Test run

 We are facing the inevitable, Miranda needs replacing. Not quite big enough for two prams, shopping and any size K9 as well the apprentice, rug rat mkII she was in the exit lounge anyway but after a new clutch, 3 new tyres, new c v coupling (whatever that is) we had hoped she would last a bit longer but her propensity to make a noise like a distressed cow when reversing or a constipated hyena when cornering means that decisions have to be made.

 So rather than make them yours truly went test driving potential replacements for the "family" car.

This was my favourite especially as I liked its park anywhere ability but as my vote counts for nothing it wont be joining the fun at Rock HQ anytime soon. Apparently we need something sensible and above all free cheap.

I spy!

 Look closer and you will see one of the militia's little flockers keeping an eye on us as we patrol the perimeter.

 Look closer and you can see Chester our poorly old horse showing he can still climb up the Bonsai Mountain. You should just be able to make out his white dot on his forehead.

Even closer and you can see Daffodil in his hoof prints.

Horse fishing

 Shhhh...patience.....one is about to take the bait.....

 ..this one got away.....thankfully....

...catch of the day...Snoopy finding there is no such thing as a free lunch!

Crash bang...what a picture!

 In the famous last words category yours truly came out with a phrase that was a timely reminder not to tempt the small gods of cycling this morning when the Red Kite Riders tipped out for a Sunday morning spin. There being three of us I just could not help myself but say, 3, the magic number, one to crash, one to stay with the injured and one to cycle for help.
A mere 500 metres along the Queens highway as yours truly caned it uphill casting a backward glance seeing how far he was ahead decided to slow right down and stop showing off changed gear and thats when it all went upside down and painful.
Changing gear threw the chain off and yours truly's stumpy little legs suddenly had nothing to push against and span out of control while brain tried to work out why legs were going Mach1 rpm while not making progress uphill. Gravity started to have an effect but brain could not stop legs spinning to release from clipped into pedals mode and inevitably the fall to earth began.
Left knee slowed descent while bionic left elbow made a hole in the tarmac and whole comedy fall was brought to a sudden and climactic halt by head hitting stone wall on the roadside. The whole seeing stars, cartoon birds flying round ensued and after untangling from wreckage I was glad my cycling companions were there to help, or not, they, seeing me hit the deck decided to wait at the top of the hill after spinning past chuckling like gassed Hyenas. Back in the race we did another 12 miles before the feeling a bit giddy and nauseous was called to halt by one of the trio baling out on account her new puppy had kept her up all night so I was allowed to bow out to go home and lie on sofa watching kids TV while the apprentice fussed over Daddy leaking red stuff. The dent in the back of my helmet shows how I could have been leaking a whole lot more.
The bike above is not mine, its the Stable Sprites, he has succumbed to the lure of Lycra and having bought a red one goes faster model is set to join us next time. I am hoping to stay upright.

Talking of having a smashing time, this is the inside of our dishwasher, note one billion pieces of glass. This glass was intact when placed in and intact when wash cycle had finished. My beautiful and oh so patient wife opened dishwasher door, touched glass and it spontaneously exploded with a definite BANG  showering the inside with bits. My people have been burnt for less comment was deemed unhelpful and no logical explanation other than static or suicide remains.
Unless you know different.

Up and running!

 My relationship with technology is fraught at the best of times (ask my mobile phone who was rescued off the bonnet of Miranda on the way to work again this week) but in a household that has two tower PCs, three laptops and an iPad you would think that one would be able to contact the webesphere. But! In the straight out of it only happens to yours truly category, in the same vein as my bank manager being arrested for fraud and my bank account frozen as the bank thought I was one of his made up customers, the second I finish slaving away over my last essay for university I log onto the send it in quick page of the university website and find a message addressed to me asking for 3 new assignments all due by 23.59 the following day. Some mistake surely but as all the uniworkers had gone home for the day there was no one to remonstrate with. By midnight I had managed to access my previous assignments and hurrah had passed all of them so no need for resubmissions. Still the curious message remained. So instead of submitting new essay I decided to wait until the morning and phone, speak to a human and ask the hell was going on. Which I did. And happy happy joy joy the message was an error and all I needed to do was submit this essay and I was half way there. Except as I was about to press send the computer committed suicide. Gone. Kaput. Nothing. Zilch. Unlike previous times and mindful of my capacity to break things I had, thankfully, stored a copy on the drive at work so aside from the references it was all salvageable. To the office (phone on bonnet) After a few deft strokes of the keyboard it was gone, essay not phone. And the good news is the university really liked my research proposal so as long as I get funding and few mentors then I am one step closer to being a Dr.

 Meantime nothing much has happened. Rug rat mkII got chased by a big bear.

 And a giant pot plant tried to eat him.

 The Northern contingent arrived for their holidays and are very well trained so I am in the process of untraining them. Here we see the its ok to sit on the sofa phase of training. This is not Rocky and Reba, but Buddy, Rocky's son and Reuby, Reba and Reuben's daughter.

 Talking of training the apprentice got a new second hand train set which did not keep us both occupied for hours. We particularly did not like the was it made authentic steam engine sounds or puff real steam out of its funnel. Apart from that nothing much has happened.

Except for my beautiful and oh so patient wife had another birthday.