Mikes weather bits & Photo Blog: Diabetes can be stopped & Cats like cardboard

Great news on the front of the Express this morning for Diabetes sufferers although it has to be said that it looks like a significant step forward a quote at the end of the story says, "IF this research can be translated into humans it would represent a significant breakthrough" - - -

the Independent has a pic of Henry Worsley who has died attempting to emulate Ernest Shackleton's unfinished journey to the South Pole. He was only 30 miles short of having completed the journey, unaided! He had been battling the elements for 71 days but finally succumbed to an infection which caused him so many problems that he had to call for rescue. He was recovered and had surgery but died on Sunday. - - -

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Here's a fantastic Sky News pic of the storm named Jonas just hitting the UK after it dumped all the snow on the USA a couple of days ago

the 06:00 netweather radar pic is even more dramatic and with the storm moving at 70mph it wont be long before we are all getting the rain and strong winds

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I snapped this pic early yesterday and muttered "red sky in the morning shepherds warning" and it looks like its "coming home to roost" today - - -

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i had really only intended to have a go at the chunky remains of the stump yesterday but in trying to smash the final pieces i had to resort to the chainsaw because it was just too difficult. The way the grain of the wood was twisting and turning meant the maul, good as it is just wasnt working

after stacking the lumps i determined that it would be wiser to just saw up the remaining limbs ready to be reduced to firewood and then call it a day

so there we are just a few straggly bits to finish off, my next move will be to remove the hawthorn bushes on the right of the fallen wall and then use the space i create to start a new stack. I'm going to try and build a long wall type stack and just cover the top of it Norwegian style

the main aim this year is to clear this copse on top of the mound and there are a couple of large trees off to the left that i might fell to keep me working into next winter - - -

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I decided a needed a wardrobe as most of my clothes are stuffed into drawers, IKEA was the answer but as in past times it normally turns out to be not much of a cost effective trip. A discussion then took place about getting Sally a new chair to "replace" her ageing leather lounger. I emphasise replace because i never actually said replace to her. explanation to follow!

The trip to IKEA was uneventful and the wardrobe and new sofa! paid for we spent a couple of minutes folding forward Cyril the vans passenger seat to load up the items. The wardrobe is in a small but heavy long box but the sofa which thankfully was in bits was in a rather large box.

With Sally in the back of the van, she did remark that it was comfortable in the back, could this be a new trend in seating? I drove back very carefully trying not to "upset the load"

Following the pages of instructions we soon had the settee up an running

so there it is then, "Striking Colour" we had looked at a more "conservative" pattern and colour but decided to be "bold" this time

"I'll put the old leather lounger outside then" i said thinking about making some space. The quizzical look from Sally troubled me, but not for long! "Oh no i don't want to get rid of it - - - not just yet! - - - Will i ever learn!!!!!

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having said how big the box was that the sofa came in we had to dismantle it to get the sofa out so then we had these huge bits of cardboard in the kitchen leaning up against the door and on the ground - - - Enter LM!

anyone with Cats knows you only have to put an empty cardboard box down and your cat will either play with it or jump into it. Putting the sofa together we heard strange noises in the kitchen and sure enough LM was racing around clawing at the cardboard. Here he is in resting mode!

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its warmed up a couple of degrees from an hour ago but i think the wind is an indication that the rain wont be more than an hour or so away

no light out yet for the weathercam we might get some good storm pics later

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quite a disappointment the storm sp far i was watching the rain radar and at first it looked like we would get the full force of it but then the storm split into 2 and there's a huge blob to the south and the worst of it appears to have passed north of Manchester some time ago