Not the best of days and I had little sleep last night after receiving some bad news. My sister phoned yesterday afternoon to say our mum has been admitted into hospital for emergency surgery. I spoke with her on Friday evening and she hadn't mentioned she was in a lot of pain and discomfort but that is not unusual for her as she doesn't want to worry us. She was admitted Sunday morning and had surgery yesterday evening and is currently in ICU on a ventilator plus all the rest of the gubbins. She has sepsis and is on antibiotics;  no visitors allowed for 48 hours following surgery but my sister will be visiting tomorrow and she is keeping me informed as to Mum's progress. All in all shocking news and unsettling as I want to go down to see her but my sister is on hand and will call if I have to head down to Colchester. It's been an eventful fifteen months for her and I haven't seen my Mum because of covid restrictions and this is her third hospital admission. With kidney problems, then a broken leg and the nonsense around that, a move to new sheltered accommodation and now this. I will be heading down there in two weeks time as I have a few days off but suddenly I feel have I left it too late? I am angry because of the lockdown, because I stupidly put work first these last few weeks and I'm worried that I have left it too late. I am telling myself it's ok and yes I will see her again, that we will talk and have a laugh which we did on Friday. As always I am doing what I can to keep my mind occupied and fussing the cats but half expecting a phone call I don't really want to receive. We shall see what happens...

Scott asked what the unknown plant is and there it is. It looks familiar but I don't know what it is amongst the Marigolds which I plan to plant out. Not a single tomato plant which surprised me but I do intend to buy some more compost and clean up a lot of old pots for these including the unknown plant as well as some colourful flowers. 

The cats are staying in the garden or indoors and we think it is a combination of the arrival of the feral bruiser but also human activity as people are having barbecues or sitting out. The neighbours at the back have had several confrontations requiring the police attend as tempers have grown heated and come close to violence. This has driven our poor little beasties to staying close to home and avoiding trouble. The boys are now seven tears old so they are now chaps of a certain age and like their comforts. Even the youngster Mindy will be five this year although she has never wandered too far.  I've said enough for today so take care folks.

TTFN.

It's a beautiful day with bright sunshine and blue skies yet strangely it is cooler than yesterday. A perfect day to tackle the garden and the grass has been mown, some weeds removed, a lot of garden rubbish deposited in the green recycling bin for whenever the council decide to collect it and I am now sitting down with a much needed cup of tea and awaiting the effect of a piriton tablet. A combination of hay fever, an achey back and after yesterdays lengthy walk a painful right knee and ankle. But if I did not tackle the garden today it would not get done. A day off tomorrow to recover and I am a satisfied bunny. I did get some work in on the model build despite being supervised by three of the cats and a brief scuffle between the boys as to who could be nearer me. Sherlock won that tussle and poor Watson was relegated to sitting by my feet.

The wings needed some filler which is a combination of plastic filler and sprue goo plus some gentle sanding down. I have been attaching the various parts to the fuselage and wings and getting it ready for painting but, I am in two minds whether to airbrush or continue brush painting. I might try a combination of the two as there are two shades of grey required to the upper and lower parts plus a shade of dark green. I'm aiming for a newish plane that requires repairs after encountering some sort of trouble such as flak  or pilot error, hence the tarpaulin draped over to cover my repairs from when I damaged it!

It will be in the colours a Canadian aircraft circa April 1945 somewhere in Europe. What I will likely do is research the actual aircraft and squadron so as to identify a pilot and get some background history to it.

On days off I am partial to a mug of good strong real coffee and I enjoy trying out various brands and types. Today I made up a cafetière of the Taylors Latte which I hadn't drank before and it was gorgeous. Creamy with a smooth and rich mouth feel and not overpowering. The other three coffees shown are amongst old favourites for me and the Sumatra and the Indian Malabar are strong and have a spicy taste.   I drink instant coffee at work, usually black and unfortunately I do drink a lot of it but I stop drinking coffee at 4 pm and I might have a cup of tea of an evening. Sue drinks Sainsbury's own brand instant coffee which I dislike but she bought it at a time when we had little money. I drank tea and  she acquired a taste for their instant coffee and she enjoys it. She won't drink real coffee unless we go out to a cafe and I plan to visit a local independent coffee house when the restrictions are properly removed. 

The boys do generally get on well with each other as this photo shows as they sleep by my feet. I am a fidget so they have learned to curl up around my feet rather than on me but they will curl up in my arms for a sleep and fuss. This photo was from a few nights ago when it was still cold and wet outside. With the arrival of good weather they are usually outside and roaming their domain as they believe all of the local gardens belong to them. But with the local bruiser, a large 'feral' cat that has moved in they are keeping close to home. The bugger has been in our kitchen to pinch food and spray everywhere which certainly isn't welcomed! I shall now adopt a similar position and doze off in my chair and listen to podcasts as the piriton and pain killers kick in. I hope it's sunny and warm where you are and all is well.

TTFN.

Update: Spot the garden pest!

Yes, Maisie has found a warm, safe and comfortable spot where she will not be disturbed. I will do the second watering of the plants in the raised bed later.

The pile of cut wood and branches greatly reduced but still some way to go.

Just a quick update as it's now the Bank Holiday weekend and three days off and I can chill out.

I need to after Sue texted me to say a council employee dropped off a letter at our house regarding the vaccine for me. Thus far I have received umpteen texts, emails, phone calls and a couple of letters and now this. Even Sue agrees this has become harassment because I have stated no yet despite it not being mandatory and I have full capacity regarding this decision, unwise or not, they continue to pursue me. I will consider calling them on Tuesday and explaining in simple terms where the needles can go. I have had many other vaccines and in recent years I had flu jabs but Nein Danke to this one. It does look like I am on a list somewhere. Here's a pleasant photo...

A photo borrowed from a fb historical group for educational purposes of my locality and the opening of the Corporation Road bridge which was recently repaired for a couple of million quid. 

Yes, I have bought another kit, well two model tanks in one box and at a small scale so that space is not an issue. The Spitfire build is a slow work in progress but I did manage to damage it when I put it away somewhere safe from feline paws so a major repair required and it will be on the table this weekend. Fingers crossed we will have dry weather so I can tackle the garden albeit at a slow pace with breaks. My back and right knee are suffering from a lot of driving this past week and some gentle exercise and avoiding any driving will help. What hasn't helped is that some scumbag stole my drivers side wing mirror. The mirror itself was detached and removed leaving the wiring touching and a car that was difficult to start Monday morning as the battery had lost power. A new mirror ordered and now installed but I do now think this area is rapidly becoming unpleasant to live in. Drugs, drunks, assaults, burglaries and car thefts / damage is rife and the police no longer respond to what they see as 'minor crimes'. I don't blame the plod on the ground, I blame inept leadership and poor management whilst they pursue a 'progressive' agenda that seems to benefit the criminals. As a vaccine heretical wrong thinker and enemy of the state I can expect the knock on the door for crimes against the state. Note I am one partially joking...

TTFN.

 Another cool day with clouds coming over following some rain overnight. I checked on the chilli plants and all look healthy and untouched by any slimey creatures looking for a quick meal. My right ankle has seized up and Sue is feeling the effects of the second vaccine so no walks out today. Modelling time...

More progress this morning as wings cleaned up, cemented together and fuselage attached to the wings. I ensured a good seal all round and the session finished early when I tipped over my bottle of Extra thin cement onto the table and my apron, soaking through to my t shirt. Getting high momentarily on the fumes I cleaned up and opened the door for some fresh air. Time to order some more extra thin glue!

There is a scratch built tarpaulin made from paper, white glue and painted khaki added to the kit to cover up the damage to the engine bay from me dropping the model. As a diorama of a damaged craft it adds to the realistic presentation.

I stayed up late to watch the Eurovision song contest last night, a rather camp charade of usually awful cheesy music where politics and geography dictate the voting and eventual winner. The UK scored a magnificent 'Nul point' and happily the Italian pseudo-metal band won, slightly better than the rubbish from other countries that had led until the winners declaration. For some reason I woke up at 05.30 and despite trying to return to bed I was wide awake. An early start which is no bad thing although I suspect I will be in bed for 9 tonight as I'm back at work tomorrow. A feet up and listen to cryptic podcasts day and try to get my left ankle loosened up for tomorrow.

TTFN.

 Another wet, cold and windy Saturday and if I didn't know the date I would assume it was autumn! We went for a walk this morning around town whilst it was dry and also to attend for Sue's second vaccine. Some shopping done and home in time just as it started to rain. I took one photo whilst we were out for our morning constitutional and it was this...

A front view of Grimsby Town Hall which was completed in 1863. I took a quick snap on my mobile before a group of teenagers lurched into view and whilst the traffic was absent. I might put up a few pictures of local landmarks as and when I go out walking weather permitting.

This afternoon was a lazy one with books and videos as I am exhausted after the past week at work. I did however get round to transplanting my chilli plants out into the raised bed and individual pots.

I haven't many old plastic bottles so I might have to raid the recycling bin as I do worry these will be decimated by the slugs and snails. 

A lot of space in there for the several chillies to grow into and the lettuces are thriving at the far end. I am watering only around the immediate areas surrounding the plants as the above mentioned pests dislike the dry soil so some protection from them, I hope. I guess any gardening will be an as and when the good weather coincides with my days off. But it is a month until the longest day and the height of summer and so far wet, wind and cold has been our lot so far. 

Town was very busy this morning and apart from the ubiquitous masks it was almost a normal Saturday. Busy traffic, lots of shoppers and it was nice to see it so busy. There are the usual rumours flying around about the health passports, further possible lockdowns, new variants including a 'Yorkshire-Humberside triple variant' we have named Ee By Gum.  But to be honest I ignore the mainstream media news and the constant fear mongering government sponsored adverts as they peddle unscientific tripe and nonsense. With a denial of the past one hundred plus years of science around viruses being ignored or flatly denied it is no longer worth listening to. I'll be keeping an eye on Sue as she was ill after her first vaccine and the nurse who administered the covid vaccine today suggested she complete a Yellow Card report for it.

 Unsurprisingly the media, both social and mainstream are blaming those who have not had the vaccine for the new variants and are calling for us to be ostracised. Some have asked that we be refused any type of medical treatment, lose our jobs or wear a mark of identification. I believe there was a system in Germany where enemies of the state, politically unreliable  or so called racially impure people had to wear a badge. Given the rapid rise in anti-semitic attacks they might try to lump us all together and send us to re-education camps which was also suggested by many twitter accounts. 

Strange times we live in...be safe folks.

TTFN.

Early start today so that I could get some modelling in before the cats realised and think 'Let's join Dad and get some attention'. I managed to get an hour or so in before Sherlock landed in the middle of it all!

The fuselage has been glued together and the engine now glued in place with a scratch built pipe added. The cockpit assembled and painted and an awful decal in place for the instrument panel and I will address that once the clear coat is fully dry.

The cockpit assembly dry fitted into place as I scratch built some seat belts from paper using white glue and when dried, painted khaki and some spare photo etch brass attached as buckles using super glue. It looks good and I am very pleased with that. I prefer to use whatever is available to make the extras rather than buy after market kits so as to improve my modelling skills and save money. Now set aside to fully dry and set and so far a great build and very enjoyable.

I can do with the down time and relaxation as my right knee has gone again and I have no idea how it happened. I have requested a couple of days off in June so that will help and from July i move to working thirty hours a week over four days. We will be busy next week as staff are on leave and we have a third student nurse joining us and I will be mentoring them. A Masters student and I don't know whether it is a compliment or because my colleagues were frightened off by "Masters student' but I was volunteered to take her on! Someone told our manager "delcatto is well educated and has a grounding in other disciplines so he's best for her'.  Cheeky sods didn't want the challenge but the student might have a first degree in theology or golf studies although I suspect it will be psychology. This could be an interesting experience as it is their first placement and the other first placement mature nursing student we have is excellent. I shall put my usual questions to them such as 'Is psychiatry modern scientific claptrap?' 'Are we merely policing the madness of society's margins?' and, 'Wouldn't we be better off focusing more on education, housing, social issues and adopting more coherent social and psychological approaches to mental health?' I do like my students to think, to question and to not accept things at face value.

For the rest of today though I shall listen to paranormal podcasts and I did plant out the lettuces yesterday. I intend to thin out and plant some of the chillies and the one tomato plant coming through does not look anything like a tomato plant. I have no idea what it is.

TTFN.

 No new model build updates as this week has been a busier one than usual work wise and I seem to be either working, slumped in a chair with a good book or sleeping. I have now received the things I need for continuing with the build of the Spitfire...

I am amused by the leaflet which came with the RAF crew figures although no cats featured. Cats simply 'borrow' an important part and hide it away for another day! There is also some lead wiring in different gauges for the engine which I intend to detail further just to the left of the box.

We went out for a short walk in between the heavy showers of rain and yes, it's Swan watch! They have hatched and there are seven little cygnets.

Despite the on-going building work which was suspended around their nesting site, they built a large mound and et voila! 

Hopefully they will all survive but it's not unusual to lose one or two of them to either predators or accidents. I include the feral human twats who cause problems for local wildlife amongst the worse predators.

You can just see the refurbished smaller bridge in the distance and the new bigger bridge is also in place but not yet open. This is what is planned for the old buildings and I am pleased to see redevelopment at last but we'll see how it pans out.

Meanwhile, the media making lots of noise about another variant of Covid and potential further lockdowns...I shall hauld my whisht as my father would have said and comment no further on that. Rain has stopped play in the garden and I have several chilli plants (Birds eye, Habanero and Naga), one tomato plant, some lettuce and Marigolds to plant out. I shall dodge the showers tomorrow but I hope this not an indication of a wet, cool summer ahead of us.

TTFN.

 A very welcome day off and it is raining. Although welcome for the garden it has rained on and off for the past week and very heavily at times plus hailstones yesterday that I thought would crack the windscreen! The plan for today was a bit of work in the garden, a clean up of the kitchen of which more later and moving cupboard contents around. The latter has also been postponed because Sue isn't very well and she received some unwelcome news from the consultant.

The seedlings are coming along and ready for thinning out and moving outside to harden off except for the unseasonal weather. Cold, wind and rain and certainly no sign of sun today. Fingers crossed for an improvement next week and I can crack on with these. Lots of chilli plants but only one tomato plant from the several seeds I planted. I might have to try again with the latter as I do want some home grown tomatoes this year but I might stop and buy a couple of plants from the roadside sellers, amateur gardeners who sell off extra stock.

Sue had a bone density scan some weeks back and the news is that she has severe weakening of her bone density and will need to take medications and calcium supplements from now on. She has a review with the oncologist next week and she will discuss these results with him and whether the treatment for this counteracts her current medications. I agreed with her statement "It's no fun growing old" when these problems follow one another. She continues to experience side effects from her meds and will also discuss this next week. We have both noticed a general slowing down for both of us although I think mine is weight and work related hence my plan to reduce my hours from July. A colleague in another team who retires in July and is on the waiting list for a lung transplant (Yes, he was still working albeit part time!!) told us this week that his useless excuse for a boss left a note on his desk with a long list of pointless and unnecessary  jobs to complete. He verbally replied that the note was soft and absorbent and is ignoring any further missives from this Peter Principle poltroon. It is interesting that all these wonderful plans for a bright shiny future are being cascaded down to us from senior management yet we have too few staff and there are very very few new people coming to fill any current vacancies. 

The kitchen needs a clean up but Sue is convinced that the  black and white bruiser of a cat that she discovered in our kitchen yesterday hoovering up the contents of the bowls as our four cowered in the back room has sprayed over the cupboards. I can't smell any male cat scents but I agreed we will clean up. We aren't sure if it is a stray or from some of the new neighbours at the back but it is a big beastie. Even Maisie, our own stocky little black and white puss who chases off all other feline intruders won't go near this one! 

As per usual when the weather isn't too good I resort to plan A to Z...

Slow progress as I can scratch build some missing hoses and cables to the engine which will be on show however, I need to order some appropriately sized wires from evil bay and attach them after they have been primed and painted. Researching this mark of Spitfire and the engines threw up a lot of anomalies and confusion as it is a USA built Rolls Royce engine from Packard but only for this mark of aircraft. Yet the aircraft itself is little different from the Mark IX which appeals to the historian and the curious in me. What that means is that I am enjoying the research and learning as I have further Spitfire Marks lined up for future builds. I also now have all the necessary materials to make home brewed thinners and airbrush cleaner.

The engine should approximate this example but I will fit what I can after all, if it is open to the elements with the covers removed, surely it is in a state of repair? Apparently thin lead pieces also make good hoses as they are malleable and easily painted but I will wear gloves for that sort of work.

I hope all is well with you folks and...

TTFN.

Not the greatest of Bank Holiday Mondays as typically it poured with rain, Sue has been sick and I had a dreadful earache. For me it is likely to be the shower I had but an ache, tinnitus and deafness in my right ear plus my balance being impaired is unpleasant. The hearing in my right ear isn't that good at the best of times. Sue has been suffering side effects either from her medication or a reaction to the vaccine over the past few weeks but she was up early hours with a high temperature and vomiting. She's better now but not a good night for either of us. The rain is welcome as it had been a dry April.

I had started on a new build and you wouldn't it know it from the small size of the completed engine above but there are about thirty five parts used so far! I stopped as the ear ache had started and I felt somewhat dizzy and I want to do this build proud and get it correct. As I have an enforced stay at home today I can do some research on this particular Spitfire mark and they were used by different countries. Sue is also happy to have me at home as she still feels unwell. I will stop now as I have corrected mistakes several times in just this small entry.

TTFN.

 A couple of pictures from yesterday as I forgot to take them whilst gardening but during more cat time later in the day with Watson I took some then.

That plastic frame will go over the raised bed with some new netting over it after the seedlings have been transplanted. It is too cold currently to move them and I need some more compost for the pots. The fence panels at the back have come loose in places so I need to attend to that. The alley is a favourite spot for ne'erdowells and druggies. The panels wouldn't stop a squirrel but they do keep the various assorted lower primates out. The drugs house down the road has seen police and paramedics attend several times over the last two weeks with yet another overdose victim removed on a gurney. The police have arrested a couple of the more aggressive tosspots who had kicked off and created a disturbance. Such is the local drama...

Watson looking cute and wanting attention. He is the neediest of our four cats and we think he might have been the runt of the litter as he is much smaller than his brother Sherlock. He often jumps up on to the kitchen sides and frequently misses! He has a sixth sense for when we are about to cook a meal as he can be missing, fast asleep somewhere in the house and then he suddenly appears in his usual spot beside the microwave. The two boys are now seven years old and in cat terms have apparently become oldies but there is no evidence of Sherlock slowing down. Time for breakfast...

TTFN

Part two...

The two completed builds of the Fiat BR 20 bomber and the Fiat CR 42 fighter with the two Italian aircraft awaiting their turn for building.

The little CR 42 only required four lines for rigging and I used a combination of Acrylic paints and to enhance the yellow acrylic I added some yellow oil paint. All of it brush painted as it is a tiny build and the amount of time it takes to strip and clean the airbrush before, during and after spray painting is very irritating. The Neo Iwata airbrush I use is a very cheap entry level brush and it does the job but I think at a future date I will buy a better one plus a compressor.

For Blue Witch, I found the recipe for home made paint thinners for acrylic paints. To make 500 ml of home made acrylic paint thinner you require:

67% of distilled water.

33% of Isopropyl Alcohol.

10 ml of Acrylic flow improver.

10 ml of Acrylic flow retarder.

This is for modelling but I guess Mr BW could look at how this can be applied at larger volumes for acrylic paints.  What is flow retarder and flow improver I hear you ask? Water is a flow improver although it also thins or 'waters down' the paint.

I looked it up and found this helpful video but he doesn't say what they actually are apart from water being one flow improver. I also found this helpful page but I just realised one trick where when I apply a wash of oils or enamel to a model, having first clear coated and sealed the paints underneath, I add a drop or two of washing up liquid which breaks the surface tension for an enamel thinner and allows the enamel or oil paint to flow more easily. Digging further for the actual chemicals involved and I found this which provides some of the answers and perhaps Mr BW with his scientific background might be interested but glycerol has been identified as one ingredient. For a modeller this is fascinating as well as getting it right and saving money. I can buy distilled water fairly easily but I will order the other ingredients off the bay of evil. The one video that I first looked at a year or two back is what set me off in considering making my own thinners and airbrush cleaner. Hopefully that is useful and this time it really is...

TTFN.

Today is turning out to be my current Saturday routine where I cook breakfast with the Cats supervising, get some modelling in (Cats time) and then we go for a walk followed by a trip to the local market or the shops. Home again (Cats time), some coffee and gardening (Cats time...whatcha doing human dad?)  which today saw me pruning more off the tree overhanging my neighbours shed. I also put some grass seed down on the bare earth patch (Cats time) and I had intended to repair the rear fence but the last couple of weeks gardening necessitated a place for the garden detritus. Yep...in front of the fence, so that will need to be removed. More Cats time as I finally slumped in front of a DVD to enjoy my coffee and then catch up on the internet.

I also took out some of my DVD's to dust them off and there is a theme here with either old British comedies, Sherlock Holmes or the paranormal. These are the to hand DVD's which I can pop in and catch up on an episode I fancy watching.There are a few piles of DVD's scattered around the shelves and I could do with tidying them up and shelving them properly. That includes the entire DVD collection of Midsomer Murders I received for my sixtieth which is still in a large box downstairs. I plan to have a general clear out this year of junk and inundate charity shops with 'quality' unwanted goods. I suspect I will need more shelves for this and the models and the spare room is currently used as an 'out of sight, out of mind ' dumping ground for a lot of stuff. It will be the ideal room for those extra shelves and set up for a reading / study /  display room. I tend to buy DVD's that I instinctively know I will watch time and again and any that don't make the grade will be donated to charity shops. 

As per usual, the bank holiday starts off cold and rainy but with brief interludes which allowed me to get some work completed but being cool and wet, my hay fever wasn't too bad today. Unusually, as we went shopping it was nice to see people out and about and we stopped to chat with some of the stall holders. The flowers and plants stall was absent from the market as I had considered buying a strawberry plant and one cucumber plant. Good excuse to wander to a garden centre, perhaps a stroll to B & Q although I do not usually buy plants from there. It is within walking distance and it is nice to walk and not be stuck in the car which I generally am when doing work visits.  All in all it is lovely to have three days off away from the nonsense and just potter about. I have been watching  this you tube chap about living off grid and it might be of interest to you all. Certainly food for thought about simpler living although not necessarily doing what he is doing but perhaps scale down and living a happier lifestyle. After the stress of the past year it is certainly appealing.

TTFN.