Mikes weather bits & Photo Blog: Give us a lift? & Pergola land opens!

You see someone on a motorway slip road holding a fuel can and stop because its obvious whats going on. Opening your car door he says Give us a lift? He explains he's run out of fuel and asks if you can take him to the nearest petrol station.
He then takes a call on his mobile from the Police saying his vehicle needs to be moved and it will cost him £800. He then asks you to help out with the payment?

The pic above is of Leigh Delamere services on the M4 where this conman operates. Drivers beware! I remember some years ago being approached by a bloke as I walked from my car into into Strensham Services on the M5. He came out with some sob story about wanting to get down south but not having enough money for fuel he asked for £10.

I politely declined and walked into the services, he approached me again as I left and when I reminded him he had already spoken to me he just walked off and talked to another person.

I sat in my car and watched him for a few minutes and 3 of the people he approached gave him money! - - - nice work if you can get it!

I mentioned a few days ago a story about bird flu in Hong Kong and a new story today raises its ugly head.

The pic means nothing to the casual observer but the new strain titled H10N8 say experts, "the potential for it to become a pandemic should not be underestimated!

In the UK the weather, as ever, is on the front pages of most newspapers.

"worst storm of the year" shrieks the headline in the Express and the headline text to the story offers little comfort to anyone who has suffered from flooding. Its quite an in depth story with lots of facts about the wind strength and how much rain is going to fall.
This Earth Wind Map which updates itself regularly gives you some idea of where the storm is!
It looks like it could be a stormy weekend!

Closer to home
I helped out on the Organic Garden project in the morning yesterday and it was "all hands on deck" The guy who cut all the trees down and makes Log stores was working away in the old stables, Vanessa and Jenny the girls who run Peak Organics were in evidence clucking around the workers, Jenny's husband Dave and myself!
I bagged up some earth to be used later which I had removed from and old concrete building base in the summer. Dave made a start on clearing the ground for the area of the poly-tunnel and I helped him finish it off before I set my sights on finishing the second decking/pergola in the afternoon

The weather forecast looked a little on the "could rain" side but it held off apart from around 25 minutes of very light and intermittent stuff. Sally was off visiting her sister for the day so I set to intending to finish the job.

So here we are "Pergola land opens" in all its glory one pergola photographed from the other.

The view from the bottom of the garden is returning to its former glory and we are looking forward to developing it in spring, whenever it might arrive!

On the near horizon though is our Maldivian holiday! and a friend sent me the latest weather report in an e mail yesterday

Thank goodness it was only a joke!

I downloaded a live webcam pic a few minutes ago from a resort not far from the one we are going to and it looks just fine today!