What are you all up to

Sorry to hear about folks and car batteries and can sympathise as we were going shopping yesterday and OH went to start the Landcruiser heyho flat battery and it has two so have the same piece of kit as DK it started and no problems for rest of trip but he will check batteries to see if one of them is failing as they were purchased together and Bosch ones 2nd time this has happened so part of his chores today.

Well we had very strong winds last night so cars were moved out of reach of oak trees all ok this morning and only a small piece of branch down but other areas have had it very bad with flooding and a lot of trees down.

That sound a good idea, David.  I may well look out for one of those!!

David

You may remember that I had to replace the one in our Touareg not so long ago, it is a pain that it is under the seat as it makes it a lengthy process.    

After getting the seat loose, I was able to tip it back far enough to get the battery out and the new one installed, but I needed help as these batteries are very heavy.  I had to get our SIL to do the heavy lifting.

Sunny today, meantime, here in Kendal.  Yesterday was dry but very windy until about midnight, much less windy over in Windermere.   We went over there to Lakeland to stock up on a few things for us and DD, and also had lunch in their restaurant.  Very easy to spend a lot in the store!

Today we need a little food shopping and fuel for the car, looks like Sainsburys and Morrisons just down the road are both the same price for diesel.

Quite a turnover of outfits on the site as there are a lot of MHs, possibly more than usual as the Spital site nearer town is closed at present.

Off to the doctors for us for Covid and Flu jabs. Rain has curtailed our plans so it’s a paperwork day, insurance, tax, tracker subscriptions and booking in of MOTs/services for all vehicles. This happening at the same time for us, I don’t recall planning it this way, it just seemed to happen. Costly month but all over and done with in October and then forgotten for 11 months.

Planning our next visits too, North Yorks coast and then Clumber and Cambridge. Let’s hope all goes well for the MOT’s. I’ll be paying my deposits for sites so fingers crossed. 

"You may remember that I had to replace the one in our Touareg not so long ago, it is a pain that it is under the seat as it makes it a lengthy process."

Not as lengthy as our main dealer made out Kj! I remember when I collected the car, I asked the salesman where the battery was because it wasn't under the bonnet.

"Under the passenger seat", said the salesman "and it's a two day job to change it".

When I mentioned it to our local (small) garage who do all the work on our cars - they fell about laughing and made an inevitable disparaging comment about main dealers.

Never seen them actually pouncing on birds feeding, but they do raid nests. It’s often squirrel v Magpie/Jackdaws here, at certain nesting times of year☹️ Lots of squawking and shrieking. Couple of local cats like to join in the mayhem as well. I water pistol the whole lot at times🤭

Oh has put up lots of nest boxes, different set ups, to attract the smaller song birds, and we still have variegated hedges, so we get a lot of nests. Wrens like to use those little nest pockets, line them with moss and they keep warm all year round. Blue Tits, great tits, Coal Tits, and we did once have a Goldcrest nesting in a small conifer. We have resident Sparrow hawks close by though, so it can get a bit fraught. Buzzards are close by as well. I have seen a pair of Ravens a few times up at Mum’s, goodness knows where they are living, but a great sight to see.

Our big Jeep can be like this occasionally. OH replaced alternator a couple of years ago and this improved things. But it takes a heck of punch to get things rolling, so we try and use it on a decent run most days. We have a spare battery in garage that is kept charged, so if it won’t start, it’s an easy swop over. Meanwhile, MH can go two three months without rolling a wheel and so far has always started. I think it’s all the sophisticated stuff on modern cars that needs the oomph. The Jeep clicks and whirrs to itself long after ignition is turned off. Computers, alarms, switching to German language…..🤣 a mind of its own!

We were supposed to be going to Exeter for a day out today, OH likes to go there now and again, but Ive been feeling under the weather yesterday and today, not ill exactly just not right, I’m wondering if it’s anything to do with the two injections on Saturday but it seems a bit late. I tidied up the garden for a bit but couldn’t keep it up so I’m sat with my feet up. I was looking online and on a whim booked a couple of days away in a Travelodge next month, OH said he hopes I’m back to normal tomorrow or I’ll have time to make more plans and spend more money.

We moved the bird table, so far so good, but we’ll see, the squirrels seem to be looking for a way up. I’ve found there is less spillage of bird food… or birds just chucking it on the floor, since we got the caged bird feeders, they don’t like to sit on them feeding for too long, they seem to grab and go, so hopefully far less wastage.

A fine calm sunny day after the wind and rain of yesterday. OH did another roundabout washing today and it was dry by mid afternoon. Drove through to Hawick for a wander around, filling up with diesel at Morrison's where it was 130.7 per litre, the cheapest we have seen at a supermarket in a long while.