Les Lobbs Diary
October 2014
Three old guys are out walking.
First one says, 'Windy, isn't it?'
Second one says, 'No, it's Thursday!'
Third one says, 'So am I. Let's go get a
beer..'
04/10/2014
Silverton
Slow start this month!!
G&T - are you here yet? Julie - did the link work OK?
We've more or less finished the back yard and our head landscape gardener is now attacking the front garden -
Charlie Dimmock, eat yer heart out! My part in the plot is to make octagonal multi level raised beds out of decking
timber; just think wedding cakes and you're not far off.
The boat survey went OK and we're now waiting for the buyer to transfer funds and arrange a suitable date for
completion.
Here are a few pics of the back garden. We are still
waiting for the lawn to recover, after killing all the
clover with "weed and feed".
Husband takes his wife to a disco.
There's a guy on the dance floor giving it large - break dancing, moon-walking, back flips, the works.
The wife turns to her husband and says: "See that guy? 25 years ago he proposed to me and I turned him down."
Husband says: “Looks like he's still ****ing celebrating!!!”.......
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08/10/2014
Silverton
A very enjoyable start to the week! Trevor and Glenda arrived
Monday afternoon, with a poorly motor. We met them near
their B&B at Bickleigh and had an evening meal at the
recently re-furbished "Trout Inn"; good food and lots of
catching up to do! On Tuesday they dropped the car off at a
local garage and we all crammed into Dawn's truck for a trip
to Exmouth, where we ate fish and chips on the front and
followed that with a coffee in the old railway carriage café.
The car was ready for collection in the evening, but it was a
bit late to set off on the journey oop norf, so the "Fisherman's
Cot" had the pleasure of their company last night. We met in
the F. Cot car park this morning to say our goodbyes and
have just heard they got home OK.
Head of landscaping has been beavering away on the front
garden, while I've been making more octagonal decking
beds.
09/10/2014
Silverton
Funny sort of day; sunny one minute, pouring down the
next!
Capability Dawn has done most of the planting in the
borders and wedding cakes; I've still got three more of the
small single level beds to put together, they're cut drilled
and treated, just waiting for them to dry. I've been told by
head of land clearance that the hedge is coming out next
and, after discussion, we've decided on four planters with
rails between them on the boundary twixt the garden and
footpath. We've enough timber, so looks as though I'll be
making planters next! The pics were taken as the sun was
setting, so don't really do it justice, but it gives an idea of
what we're up to.
If all goes to plan, we should hand over the boat on
Sunday afternoon, so I think we'll drive up to Stafford on
Saturday and back on Monday.
11/10/2014
Silverton
Sunday is a no-no for the boat handover, so the brokers are trying to arrange another date. I've just fitted an automatic
opener on the greenhouse vent so that when we go away it can look after itself. From next week, I'm doing two gym
sessions a week, Tuesday and Friday, both early morning starts.
Dawn has membraned and gravelled the rest of the garden, up to the drive edge and is now going to start on hedge
removal.
12/10/2014
Silverton
Brrrrrrr, getting cooler!
Update for the boat handover is now Tuesday at 13.00;
we may be able to get there, do the biz and get back in
the same day, but we'll take it as it comes.
Head of hedge razing is storming along and has taken
one load to the tip and filled our wheely bin already;
when the neighbours saw what was happening, they
offered their partly filled bins, so the bin boys will
wonder what's happened when they collect them all in
the morning.
I've broken 2 router cutters (1/4") making the planters, so
I've taken the plunge and ordered a more robust 1/2"
one, as an early Xmas present for Dawn.
14/10/2014
Silverton
Another chapter over today, we're off to Stafford to handover our boat to the new owner. We shouldn't be sad really,
cos we had some good times with her, visited lots of places and met some interesting folk. The timing has fallen well,
because the ground is too wet to work on after yesterdays soaking and I can't get on with the planters until the new
router arrives. I've booked a room at Rugeley for the night, so someone can have a look round the shops - didn't fancy
driving there and back in one day and we want to say bye to friends at the marina.
15/10/2014
Silverton
Bliddy motorways - an accident near Bristol on the way up held us up for ages while they cleared the debris and the
police measured and fingerprinted the road. The heavens then decided to open, to coincide with the miles of speed
restrictions while they planted matrix signs etc..
We got there on time though and signed the boat away; the buyer was in a bit of a hurry, so after a quick
walk-through of the boat, we said our goodbyes and hit the shops. The Travelodge at Rugeley was clean and
comfortable and not too noisy. At 3.00 this morning we started off homeward and reached the land of cream teas just
after 6.00; mainly just wagons on the road and the rain held off, so a better journey.

16/10/2014
Silverton
The router arrived and is mounted in the table, so I've
been able to complete the planters - just need sanding
and colouring when the glue's dry. The tip has received
another donation of hedge cuttings this afternoon; the
fluffy stuff is all cut off now, leaving the stumps, which our
extraction engineer is working on.
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21/10/2014
Silverton
Windy night or wot!! Still blowing, but easing off now (17.30).
G&T - Did you have a good crossing?
Our hedge stumps are all out, thanks to "Desperate Dawn"; she'll be eating cow pies soon! If the weather is dry
tomorrow, we're going to start placing the planters next to the pavement and then make the low fence to go between
them; not as easy as it sounds because of the slope on the pavement.
I saw the physio after my gym session this morning and all seems well with my knee, but it's still going to take some
work to get more bend.
22/10/2014
Silverton
Today we had a trip van hunting; although we didn't buy one, we have more or less decided the layout of the
Autosleeper Duetto would fit the bill. There's no rush, so we'll wait until we find one we like. Management informs me
we are definitely setting the planters and fencing in place tomorrow, when tis finished I'll post a few pics.
24/10/2014
Silverton
Planters are in position, with fence slats between
them, and planted out. Head of dibbing and planting
finished moving the spare soil from the front onto the
back garden beds today and popped in a few odd
plants to fill up the holes. We're finding the extra
drive width useful already, as we can fully open the
doors on both sides of the car.
The greenhouse is filling up with fuschias and
geraniums for over-wintering, and carnation and pinks
growing on for next year; the automatic vent opener
is working well, which will be handy when we get a
camper and start travelling again.
I started my second 6wk physio session at the gym this
morning - it's getting like a club, with the same faces
each time.
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26/10/2014
Silverton
We'em dun it!! Put a deposit down on an Autosleeper
Duetto this afternoon, collecting it at the end of the
week. It seems to have everything except the catway.
Got a busy week coming up, with dentist tomorrow, 2
gym sessions and a pre-op for my hernia op on Nov 8th,
if it's not cancelled yet again. The big day is Tuesday -
it's Mum's 99th birthday with lots of folk visiting.
29/10/2014
Silverton
More or less back to normal after all the birthday visitors. It
went off very well and Mum has enough chocolates to last for
months!