I hate wasting money! + Happy Birthday Fred

Yesterday was not one of my best days. I was really annoyed because I got a parking ticket even though when I left my car it was legally parked and I returned well within the two hour limit. Let me explain:

I sit on an advisory board for a local Children's Centre and we meet every three months. When I arrived yesterday there were no other cars parked in the road outside so I parked about a foot within the white lines, and there was plenty of space for more cars behind me. So far so good, I went over the road to the meeting and when I returned about an hour and a half later the front of my car was several feet outside the box and onto the double yellow lines. I saw it immediately and rushed across but it was too late there was a parking ticket on the windscreen.

I really couldn't understand how the car had moved. It was particularly annoying because two of the community support Officers (attached to the police) were at the meeting and it is my guess they were the ones who issued the notice. When I got into the car it was in gear but the hand break was not that tight so I can only guess it rolled forward those few feet or someone shunted it. There was a car parked very close to the rear of my car so to an observer it looked like I had stopped in front of that car.

I wondered whether to challenge it but decided that I couldn't prove I had parked correctly so I paid up at a 50% reduction for paying within 14 days. I hate wasting money like this and that made it a very expensive cup of coffee and a biscuit.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY
Now onto a happier note......
today is Fred's birthday (my daughter Sam's partner), it is also Bastille day and a French national holiday. So Happy Birthday from all of us Fred and I hope all the other French people who might be celebrating have a wonderful day.

Archives:
2008: Fun Monday-74 Birthday Celebrations
2007: Show us your Apron +Happy Birthday Fred

Fun Monday # 124 In the summertime....

Janis has found the perfect summer topic and she says:

Since the Lazy Hazy Days of summer are upon us now, tell us what activities you enjoy doing outside and how do you stay cool.

I don't think it will come as any surprise to those who know me that the best summer activities for me are those which involve my family. In a month's time Sam and Beccy will be coming to stay. Beccy will be bringing my two youngest grandchildren and we have lots of outdoor fun planned. For example: bike ride, a visit to Alton Towers (am I getting too old for this I ask myself...I can always look after the bags!!!! LOL), and a balloon ride.

As we will not be going on any exotic trips abroad this summer, one thing I enjoy is looking back on past summer holidays and all this water certainly makes me feel cool!

I think Ben (my youngest grandson) was too young to remember his first trip to Portugal.
I'm not even sure he remembers much about going to Florida!He certainly remembers his second trip to Portugal last year.
Much as I love the coast of Britain and we've spent many happy holidays in Cornwall over the years-you cannot guarantee good weather. However, despite the cold, I did manage to paddle last time we had a holiday there back in 2005 (if I'm wrong on the date I'm sure Beccy will put me right). Much of the summer when I'm home alone you will find me pottering about in my own back yard and if there is a good sunset I'm happy.

I'm looking forward to seeing how everyone else spends their summer

Archives:
2008: Blurberries-Home grown fruit is best
2007: Views of Niagara Falls

Coincidence or telepathy!

Yesterday I agreed to take my friend Tina to the cash and carry and as I got into her car she was laughing. I didn't immediately realise why until she pointed out that we were wearing the same colours, albeit the other way round thank goodness! I haven't worn these turquiose trousers or the black shirt for ages so goodness knows what made me opt for them today.

Neither of us like having our photos taken but I caught her when I settled her down for a cup of tea. I even practised using the timer on the camera for the first time ever. Not the most flattering picture so lucky not many people will see it.

Archives:
2008: Friday 40 Photo Challenge-10 Bicycles
2007: The Historic Town of Unionville

Caught in the act

Yesterday as I arrived home from a trip to the dentist with my mother (she now has teeth that actually fit so she has no excuse for not wearing them!) I got out of the car and immediately noticed Tog nibbling away at the overhanging sprouting plants.

Naturally as a dedicated blogger I whipped out my camera, thinking the perfect shot for a short Saturday post.Oh and in case you think she's very clever, the holey pattern in the leaf is the artwork of the Cabbage White caterpillars!
Have a great weekend. Embee is out for the day and I've agreed to take my friend to the cash and carry I must be mad on a Saturday when it will be busy.

Archives:
2008: Slives Portugal-3
2007: Witty Wednesday-12

China # 11 Yangtze River Cruise part 1

The four nights (but really three days) that we spent on the Yangtze River was another memorable part of my trip to China. The river originates from a trickling spring on the Quighai Plateau in Tibet and it then travels over 6,300km where it runs into the ocean at Shanghai. It is estimated that more than 10% of the world population live alongside its banks. This is really amazing when you think about it. Many people are living by clearing and cultivating the land, and fishing in the same way they have done for generations.

We flew from Shanghai to Yichang and then transferred to our cruise ship by coach where we spent four nights cruising down the Yangtze. Before we set sail we visited the dam project site and this was the only wet day that we experienced. We then sailed through Xiling Gorge, the site for the Three Gorges Dam Project (I'll cover that on a different post). The pictures below are just a selection taken as we sailed through the various gorges enjoying the beautiful scenery.This is a couple of photos of our cruise ship, 'The Blue Whale'. It was actually very comfortable, the cabins were not as small as we were led to believe and they were serviced twice a day. However they managed that much laundry twice a day is a mystery to me, but I'm not complaining.As well as lots of cruise boats you also see boats of all shapes and sizes as a lot of cargo is moved on the river including coal for the industries that border the river.
We passed many villages along the river. We passed under quite a few different styles of bridges as you can see below.
This hotel could be reached by cable car or by climbing masses of steps. I know which method I would use!Above is an unfinished 5 star hotel overlooking Fengdu. Apparently they ran out of money but personally I think it looks hideous. Just found another view and it still doesn't look right.

If anyone has managed to plough through all these photos, I hope I have managed to give you a taste of the scenery we saw as we sailed along the Yangtze. You might have noticed in a couple of the shots how the sides of the mountains have been terraced and cultivated. We saw pagodas that looked as though they were perched high in the trees (paths not visible from the river). We saw monkeys feeding on rocks, we heard rather than saw the parrots that frequent one area. We also saw the industrial areas where factories belched out fumes and other places coal was being loaded down shoots into barges.
In some areas the cloud descended but for most parts of the day it was really sunny and warm so it was an enjoyable cruise.

Are you fed up with yet there's a lot more to come!

Archives:
2008: Award
2007: Arriving in Toronto

It never rains but it pours! Episode # 3 and French Beans

Today was going to be another China post but I have quite finished uploading pictures, so instead it's a bit of an update

Have you been wondering if I'm sitting on the new decking yet, well the answer is no although there has been a little progress. Some of the gaps in the underneath areas have been filled, the walls have been cleaned and painted and the support beams have been fitted. Yesterday evening EmBee was cutting the timber to the correct lengths and pondering on the width of the gaps. He has now decided, that he will need two more boards which he can't get until tomorrow. He is out all day Saturday, so realistically I can't see this being finished in time for me to treat the finished deck before I go to Dublin to visit Beccy next Wednesday.

N.B. That means it will need to be covered to keep it dry until I return...wonder if EmBee has considered this!

Oh and by the way.... we are going to have a fun trip while I'm in Ireland so hopefully there will be photos!

Also thought I would share the first picking of our French beans.
I'm looking forward to these and I won't need to share them because EmBee is going out for dinner straight from work.

Archives:
2008: Special Greetings to Nikki + Witty Wednesday-55
2007: Fun Monday-24

Witty Wednesday # 103 Who's naughty!!!!

Thanks for the laughs Daffy how clever am I, that I blame others for the risqué jokes.











It's all downhill to the weekend have a fun day.

Archives:
2008: Storks of Silves-Portugal-2
2007: The Weary Wanderer Returns