I may have filled the new cabinet...

But I have a cunning plan to find some plexiglass shelves to fit more completed models in there. I have slowed my build rate down as I attempt to squeeze more pleasure out of each build as well as re-engaging with real life as spring does appear to have finally arrived. However, the media are predicting the return of the Beast over Easter. As a sequel 'The Beast: The Long Good Friday' may contain snow and gales or it might be a damp squib. We shall see...

I dragged this off the shelf of shame as struggling to attach the upper wing was taxing my sanity and may well have resulted in me pulling my hair out. It sat gathering dust but I have now expended an excess of glue and bad language resulting in 'attached' wings. I put it away until tomorrow to set and stop me from damaging it further.

I do like biplanes especially the WW1 aircraft as I cannot believe they not only flew these old crates but fought against others in them. Without parachutes! Simply astonishing and quite frankly madness.  I will hopefully be attending a presentation in June on WW1 aircraft and Lincolnshires contribution to it during 1918. I am not sure you could get me up in one of those planes as a large engine attached to doped cotton, wires and wood does not fill me with confidence. Forty years ago perhaps when I was young and stupid but now that I am old and stupid I want to remain that way!
TTFN.

Evenin' all.

A quiet feet up and relax with music and a nice drop of whisky evening. Genesis playing ( The Musical Box) in the background and a quiet time for reflection. The whisky is 'Hogwash' from Aldi, a blend of various malt whiskies and a bargain at £14.99. First time I have had it and it is rather tasty.

The latest completed model, a Crusader Mk ii circa 1941 in the Western Desert  of North Africa. I shan't bore you with details but I am pleased with this model and one of my favourites.

We also seem to have acquired a fifth cat on a part time basis. We call her / him Fluffy but she has matted fur, quite thin and despite enquiries we are no nearer to discovering if she has a home. With the warmer and slightly drier weather of late I model downstairs and I leave the back door open for the cats. Hence fluffy availing herself of the facilities. She is welcome although she has sprayed urine a couple of times which is not so welcome. She / He gets on well with the boys but not so well with the girls but we have seen some mellowing from them towards her.

She is incredibly friendly and quite a gentle cat with a funny trilling noise. Mrs C wants me to work with the local cat group to find her home / re-home her...You can guess what I would like! There's room for a fifth cat...

A reflective mood I hear you ask or not as the case may be? Just a couple of things recently that have given me cause to stop and take stock of life in general. I have applied for a part-time nursing job in a CMHT in a town I used to work in. Fingers crossed that having that background knowledge of the town and previous experience there will help at the interview.  But also a reflection on how good my life is and how lucky I am compared to many people. I admit to having worked hard to attain this luck but a conversation with Mrs C about friends from the past who succumbed to alcohol and drug abuse made me think of this. I'm aware that I am attracted to 'damaged' people and I can immediately think of two friends who died as a consequence of their addiction. Happily, my addiction is food ( and coffee!) and I have an in-built stop button where alcohol is and in the past where drugs was concerned. Sadly, some people can't or won't stop. Hence my contentment with a quiet (lazy?) life where cats, music, books and modelling keep me occupied. Perhaps I am just of an age?!

The Small Faces is now playing and my glass needs a refill. That is Maisie encamped by the radiator and ensuring she is near me.  I wish you all a good weekend, health and happiness.
TTFN.

I realised yesterday that my last post mentioned the various cats coming through a portal opened up by the fallen wall but I hadn't mentioned the fallen wall. 'The Beast from the East' knocked this section of the wall over. The mortar had crumbled and the strong gusts caused the collapse. With Beasts from the east, walls falling over and the appearance of cats, this is how myths are created!

I spent some time on the first day of sunny weather to tidy up and move the bricks, keeping them in some order.

The bricks are laid out as they fell as I plan to discover whether I have any bricklaying skills and re-assemble the wall. I shall look at some informative videos on-line and when we have have a few days of  good weather I will crack on with it. I'm looking forward to trying out some real life 1:1 scale modelling with very different materials!

I have been searching on-line for appropriate jobs but although there are jobs, they are some distance away or involve 24/7 work or a combination of both. So I shall continue to keep an eye on the job market for something appropriate (part-time)  but potter around here at home. I have plans for trips out to Hadrian's Wall at long last and to spend some time with my mum who will be having further surgery later this year. The radiologist told her a year ago she had a kidney stone following scans but finally, after stating various other issues and despite my mum's protestations, the doctors agree it is a large kidney stone. As my mum said, the radiologist had expressed great delight at finding the largest kidney stone he'd scanned all year! She has said some choice words about doctors and very few of them are complimentary.  As a fellow blogger says, avoid doctors and lawyers unless absolutely necessary.
TTFN.

Spring must be here because the caterwauling has begun with three days of various intact non-neutered noisy males taking up residence in our garden. We don't understand why because all of our cats have been neutered and there is nothing to attract the furry buggers. We have had daily visits from 'Fluffy' who is attempting to move in despite already having a home. *

He has been neutered so I doubt if he is the attraction but perhaps he sent word out "Free Food from these suckers!" Our two tabbies, both male, do bring their mates home but these latest noisy buggers aren't known to us and look like they've had steroids in their kittie-kat as well as having lived in the wild over the past year. Including our cats I counted nine cats in the garden this morning. Perhaps the garden wall falling has opened a portal to another world ?

I continue to model but I now post works in progress and completed models to the farce book modelling groups. But now the weather has become positively balmy (9C) I am minded to spend more time outdoors...if only the rain would take a break! Hey ho, spring is almost within touching distance and I can hopefully steer a course around the various felines and tackle the mess that is currently my garden.
TTFN.

* I've been told to stop encouraging him by Mrs C!

The 'Beast from the East' has now met with 'Storm Emma' from the south west. Real feel of -16 C and biting winds with huge gusts. We've made the house as draught proof as possible but it is still cold. Layers on, heating on and hot drinks to hand as we have battened down the hatches. Cats are cosied up to various warm spots and we have no reason to venture out. It's No.1 son's 25th birthday and luckily he'd booked a couple of days off. He will hopefully have missed the worst of this weather when he returns to work next Monday and I am very glad I have no reason to venture out. Reading about the road closures around Lincolnshire and I recall previous winters where driving in the snow and ice made for fun and games. The local press showing the current state of play.

If the pooch was still with us we'd be out there now as she loved the snow and she would chase snowballs all day.
Stay in, keep warm and don't let the snowmen bite!
TTFN.