Loaded up! & A stroll on Mount Snowdon

There are always plenty pics around of overloaded vehicles

but this one takes the first prize in my books.  You cant imagine how the thing was loaded to such an extent




Meanwhile here's an amusing story

Its called the Easy rider suitcase  and its the invention of Mr He of China
It looks much like an ordinary suitcase but has wheels powered by an electric motor.  Mr He reckons it will solve China's growing pollution problem for commuters - - -



Closer to home
Some time ago I had decided to walk the Snowdon Horseshoe, or part of it on Saturday June the 7th.  Ginny one of our original 3 Peaks and 15 Peaks team agreed to come along.
The weather forecast was to say the least dismal for the Saturday so there was much packing of waterproofs etc on the Friday before i set off for Wales

A little bit of excitement from a small factory down the road just before I left when they decided to set fire to the place.  Just one appliance attended so it was judged not to be too serious

Meeting up with Ginny we drove up to the Pen-y-Pas car park and had a look at the situation

at least it wasn't raining but the clouds looked at little threatening

An 0530 start in almost perfect conditions with our route to Snowdon in the distance clearly outlined using the ridge on the left

Our decision not to ascend by the more traditional Crib Goch knife edge route would prove to be correct

because less than an hour later we were right in the middle of a thunderstorm

3 hours after starting out we stood soaking wet on the summit

The views around us were however, absolutely stunning

With one last look at our route up we beat a hasty retreat to the car park cafe and only just avoided being engulfed in a downpour!
More pics on this link

Enjoy the day
Follow this link to see  our weather website

Or this one just to see  the streaming birdfeeder cam

On your bike! & Its Sunny day but beware!

A politician of old in the UK coined the phrase "On yer bike" to get the unemployed back to work

This individual  could have been given the same advice by the guy taking the pic.  A bloke out riding his bike in South Africa, fortunately with a helmet webcam device running.  is stopped at gunpoint and robbed of his bike and other valuables.  The 3 robbers neglect to take his helmet and the camera and are arrested later when officiers review the video ! - - -

The American forces are "up in arms" ok ok lousy pun!

This article  has already got a lot of people hot under the collar because it refers to how only "African American" woman soldiers hair should look like.  Terms like "racially biased" are being bandied about and it looks like it might "run" for a while - - -



Make the most of todays sunshine

says the article in the Daily Mail and the pic above from an hour ago shows its looking good for today although the temperature then was only 3.6c.  The article refers to the predicted "deluge" of rain forecast fpr the weekend!

Closer to home
A walk around the Magpie Mine area the other day

gave us the usual spectacular pics

This roadside bush/tree was sporting its looks.  We have planted some of the trees seeds harvested on a winter visit but as yet the results are not producing anything like this.

The lambs near to the mine look younger than their lower down valley cousins.  Not surprising really as the area is quite high and exposed so spring comes a little later up here

Final prep today for the Snowdon Horseshoe walk today before setting off for the area later today.  The weather gods do not look to be with us!
Enjoy the day
Follow this link to see  our weather website

Or this one just to see  the streaming birdfeeder cam

Have you been mis-sold PPI? & Tornado!

Being heartily sick of the numerous phone calls and TV adverts asking "Have you been mis-sold PPI"

this article made me groan in disbelief.  It now looks like a whole crowd of people didn't get the full amount they should have.

Stand by for the next wave of phone calls and TV adverts, "PPI payout, did you really get what you deserved!?"  etc etc etc - - - - - -

At last here's something that seems to make a little sense Want to ward off allergies?

asks the article.  It then proceeds to tell you to eat food which may have fallen on the floor!
The whole point of course that in our pre-packed, shrink-wrapped super clean world people are growing up without a robust immune system.
Some interesting data is included to back up the idea - - -


The Android technology

takes a bit of a hit here  There have been lots of stories about the cryptolocker  virus attacking P.C's which should be sending everyone scurrying to back up their family photo's at the very least!
Now its the turn of the Android machines.  This nasty little virus name simplelocker locks up the SD card  by scrambling certain files and then a ransom needs to be paid to get your "data" back - - - take head, back up your bits offline now! - - -

Closer to home
Its time to prepare for Saturdays go at the Snowdon Horseshoe although the Met Office dont hold much hope for it being a fine weather walk! - - -

Yesterday's weather was rather dull so outside activities were restricted to driving our for lunch at The Grouse Inn at Froggatt.  looking South after lunch

Rain was falling and the clouds looked rather low and were swirling around even though the wind was not evident at ground level

Looking over to the west

This highly suspicious funnel was marching toward us, we watched it for a short while then beat a hasty retreat down into the valley to beat the Tornado!

Back home safe and sound we were settling down to watch the French Open on the TV when we heard a strange fluttering sound above the fireplace?  Wondering if one of the jackdaws from a nest in next doors chimney had fallen down ours we decided to investigate.

After laying out sheets to cover the furniture and floor nearest the chimney i removed the register plate cover.  This is normally an annual summer event to get rid of soot etc which falls down the 14 inch square chimney each winter.  I had neglected to do it last summer, being busy with unexpected projects, so expected quite a lot of soot/debris as well as a jackdaw!

luckily for the jackdaw it must have only been in the very top of the chimney and its flapping around caused the debris to fall making us think the bird had joined us. The register plate cover above shows some of the debris.  I manage to get covered in the rest - - -  lol .    Ah well one more job completed for this year! - - -
Enjoy the day
Follow this link to see  our weather website

Or this one just to see  the streaming birdfeeder cam

Queens speech day & birdfeeder swap around

Its the day of the Queens speech to parliament

although because the media already published the details what really is the point of it?
Its the last year of the present government so they will be wanting to make it a good one and profess that the years programme will be "unashamedly, pro-work, pro-business and pro aspiration"  - - - only time will tell - - -

The daily mail seems ecstatic that the supermarket plastic bag will be banished.  Its an old "campaign" of theirs so they are "cock a hoop"
Mind you they arn't being banished we will just be invited to pay 5p for the privilege of using one - - -

While the Daily Express has yet another cure for Arthritis! - - -











Closer to home
I replaced the old peanut feeder a few days ago but the full length of it didn't appear on the webcam so yesterday I re-positioned the 2 larger feeders to give s better view

the new position hides the feeder tray a little so that might have to be moved over at some time
Enjoy the day
Follow this link to see  our weather website

Or this one just to see  the streaming birdfeeder cam

Fish from the sky & Frustrated Squirrel !

Fish from the sky

Interesting video of villagers in the Chilaw coastal district in Sri Lanka picking up fish which have rained down from the sky.  The usual explanation of "tornado" seems to be the culprit but it must be quite unusual to see

If you google "fish from the sky" and look at the "images" tucked away amongst the pics is this one where the fish look rather large as people dash for cover - - - no idea where it was though - - -







A heat wave in China

with temperatures exceeding 40c has caused at least a couple of deaths and some devastating forest fires.

This pic shows a large fire in Weihei forest park a coastal area in Shandong province.  - - -



Another weather related item here a Solar Aircraft

Solar Impulse2 has the wingspan of a Jumbo Jet but weighs just as much as a car.
The idea is to fly it around the world in 2015.  Great idea but the question has to be asked, Why?  We know the technology works the only thing that's going to make it fail is the weather.  When its been around the world what would be the next step in the design trail? - - - One of the boffins says. Its "showing the incredible potential of clean technologies", but don't we know that already? - - -

Closer to home.
The raids on our peanut bird feeder by the jackdaws and local squirrels meant we were filling it up everyday!  So yesterday i bought a new one with slightly tighter mesh. The jackdaws gave up quite early because they couldn't get the nuts out through the smaller holes

The Squirrel 

looks 

a little 

more determined to get at the nuts! 

Enjoy the day
Follow this link to see  our weather website

Or this one just to see  the streaming birdfeeder cam

Don't feed the pigeons John! & Trouble at t'mill!

I was told the other day that "it's 30 years since Eric Morecambe died", that bespectacled half of the  double comedy act, Morecambe and Wise who were a bit of an institution!
But here's a story from Morecambe that would have old Eric turning in his grave!

This old guy, John Wilkinson, has been feeding the pigeons in Morecambe for years.  He took over the task after a dying wish from his mother asked him to do so.  He's now in jail for 6 weeks for breaching an order forbidding him to feed the pigeons.  Ok the birds might be a nuisance but this is going a little too far!  - - -


Great video to watch here

Its of a bloke launching a paper aeroplane at England's football game with Peru at Wembley.
I wont spoil the fun by saying what happened just watch it. - - - probably one of the highlights of the match actually! - - -



The technology of 3D printing is rather fascinating

but this story attempts to let people know that printing 3D guns "are of no use to anyone".  The video showing the guns exploding when being fired by the "National Ballistics Intelligence Service" in Birmingham will no doubt fuel the imagination of 3D printer owners the length and breadth of the UK.  Determined to prove them wrong! - - -

Closer to home
There appears to be a little trouble at t'mill where I work.  That well known palace of bargains called Matlock Sainsbury's!  For a number of weeks now we have had a slow exodus of people disgruntled with the idea of "labour matching"
The idea is to have the maximum number of staff in the shop at the busiest times.  Sounds ok except switching their hours of work was not what some people signed up for and they refused to change.  After due process where management boxes have been ticked they have "left"
This has left the once merry band of colleagues with even more work to cover for the "fallen comrades".  I received the rough end of a customers tongue for not having the shelves full, a legacy of not enough colleagues on the night shift to work the delivery.  My answer to her "why" question was succinct and to the point.
We have however had "warm strokes" from the upper management thanking us for our "devotion to duty" in "these difficult times" with promises that a new intake of colleagues in June will resolve the "difficulties" we face - - - time to consider my options methinks - - -

The garden however is adopting its summer mantle a little early this year

with our foxgloves already beginning to flower.  Lupins which we never seem to have much success with but have tried again this year also have flower spikes appearing.

the view off to our North West has changed a little.  The flat topped tree in the pic used to be a magnificent towering Lombardy poplar, which appears to have had its top 40ft removed.

But wait a minute its the first of June and the cloud cover of recent weeks is gone could it be that we might see the sun today?

Our East facing yard cam gets the sun

while the West facing weathercam has a blue sky view ! - - -
Enjoy the day
Follow this link to see  our weather website

Or this one just to see  the streaming birdfeeder cam

A Saharan Ski shop & even more rain

A Saharan ski shop?

It probably sounded like a good idea all those years ago when the excitement of skiing on sand in Niger was a tourist thing.
The owner of the shop had the idea after seeing Europeans skiing on the TV but after some initial interest and what with the current political climate in Niger its a no no - - -



House prices are rising again  its "official" this time not some Daily Express headline.

 well thats what this article will have us believe.
It does have the title of "House prices: the biggest bubble since the last one" The articles idea about generating tax revenue sounds quite reasonable though - - -




Meanwhile the real Daily Express headlines have yet once more caught my eye.

This one a "New way to fight dementia" you would hope to be credible

While this one is linked to a story published in January and repeated by the Daily Mail Yesterday shows the stupid situation we have been forced to accept!  No wonder UKIP scored heavily on the recent EU elections - - -








There's an interesting video of a balloon flight  to the stratosphere

The contraption looks a little "Heath Robinson" but the results are very good - - - worth a look - - -





Closer to home 
The weather - - - what else in the UK, dominates conversation with all the rain we are having.  There have been however a few bright patches where

The squirrel who last year had the almost hairless tail for a while raids the peanut feeder.

Sainsbury the Tabby cat watches us while catching a few early morning rays on top of the porch roof.  This used to be a favourite spot for old Tom when he was around

A brief sunny spell and this years trees are starting to be felled

and the last of the wood for next winter is stored safely away.  This is the front portion of Boris's car port.  with the real wood store just on the left of the pic.

While the curret pic on the "weather cam" makes me think it might be a "make and mend" day.
Back to the Fun Factory tomorrow (Matlock Sainsbugs) where there's a rumour about not getting colleague discount nor nectar points on alcohol - - - investigation needed! - - -

Enjoy the day
Follow this link to see  our weather website

Or this one just to see  the streaming birdfeeder cam