Monday.

Sunday.

Nearby lanes, taken a week or so ago.  Rather  less bocage now, I'm afraid.

We are a fairly artistic family, and we seem to have a good many draewingss and painting about the house to prove it. Above is a pencil drawing Ruth did of Jonathan, when we lived at Welney. As he is in his late forties now, Ruth must have done this about thirty five or forty years ago.

 The above cartoon was painted a few years ago by our local book dealer and cartoonist , Brian Haylock, and shows local housewives, cats, a fishmonger, and meself. He is in the habit of painting a picture for the local art exhibition every year. He always included a 'local worthy' and included meself that year. 

This is a photo of an 'anniversary clock'  I worked on a couple of  months ago. They are supposed to go for a year on a winding. I didn't wind it fully but it's been going (and keeping decent time) for a couple of months. I don't much like Victoriana, but I have to admire the efficiency of things like this.Sorry I haven't blogged for a while. I've been very busy (I'm glad to say) this last week, and I think this state of affairs may well continue up to Christmas. It's  an  odd thing but every year the 'season of Peace and Goodwill to  all men' seems to bring out the enthusiasm most blokes have for swords, guns, and weapons- 'toys for boys' as my late Mother-in-Law used to call them.

I'll do another blog entry  (D.V.) when I have a few spare minutes.

Warm Regards to All.

Monday.

This morning we motored over to Horningsea  (just North of Cambridge) to meet up with Ann's three brothers and their partners for lunch at the Crown and punchbowl.  Excellent service - food perhaps not  quite so good as last time - in  fact after the meal, when the next get-together was being dicussed,  there seemed to be an inclination  to meet up at the  Fire Engine House at Ely again. I was glad to hear of this as there seems to me to be no possible comparison  between the two hostelries as to the  grub provided. I would be in favour of meeting at the fire Engine House three or four times a year, rather than once a month at  the Crown and Punchbowl. Ann and I were discussing  this on the  way home, and decided to cast our vote for the Fire Engine House, when the inevitable telephonic discussion on the matter takes place.   

With reference to the above three photos, the top  two are of a ford across a short cut near Lavenham, and the third one is just to show late autumn colours in Suffolk now.

Must get on with some work now, so will bid my listeners a very Good  Night.   

Saturday.

This morning  we motored over to Martlesham, where an auction sale was being held. The auctioneer still sends me a 'freeby' catalogue, and I was able to buy a sword and the above 'gun'. I was going to make a mystery object of it, but it really is in rather a mess, so it seems hardly fair. I think what I'll  do is to effect the necessary restoration work , then make a mystery object of it. So - Watch this Space! 

Friday.

Came downstairs this morning and found that Ann had left the above device to the left of the clock in the hall. It's a  very modern vacuum cleaner, and parked next to the grandfather clock, I think it gives a nice 'then and now'  feel  to  the  photo. Earlier this morning we walked into town (via the Market Place) to go to cafe church, both  of  which (Market Place and Church) act as the local gossip and news exchange. Had to be home by eleven as friends Brenda and Judy were calling at that time to take Ann off for a pub lunch, and to swap some more news/gossip.  I always think  of the three of them as a sort of female version of 'Last of  the  Summer Wine'.  I gave vent once to this idea to the three of them, and they all three rather liked it, but disagreed  slightly when they started to discuss which lady was which character!

Oh well, it's twelve-thirty  now, and I've been told to make meself a sandwich lunch from available bread, butter, ham and cheese. Given the availability of the ingredients, this should  be well within even my (fairly basic) culinary skills.

Regards, Mike.

Tuesday (yet again)

Took the above photograph earlier this week. All the above pistols are fitted with a snapping, spark producing lock.  This is not  the usual 'Mystery Object' contest,  but  can you tell me which one is the 'true flintlock' pistol?

P.s. I  should perhaps have  specified that I am using  the Torsten Lenk  definition of  'The Flintlock' (hope this helps).

Tuesday (again)

Pottering round the garden this afternoon, and spotted rather subtly coloured plant in  trough just outside the forge. Its leaf colours are pink, olive green, and cream; giving a very pleasant , mottled sort of  effect. Neither of us  can remember putting it in, or what it  is. If anyone knows what it  is, any information would be  gratefully received. 

Thanks in advance, and regards - Mike and  Ann.

Tuesday.

Still desparately  trying to get this 'new' machine to  work. Above photo  shows a country lane near here a few days ago. The lower one shows Ann trying to take snapshots of our late roses yesterday afternoon.  Will  now  try to publish these.

 Lost two or three branches of rose trees, over the weekend,  so trimmed them and put them in water, which seems to have been successful- These are the ones Ann is arranging in the photograph. We popped round to take a bunch of  daffs to Sue and David. Sue checked my blog on her computer, and found it had published the above entry, so perhaps things are starting to work again. Hope so, anyway. Will  carry on trying.

Friday.

Friday.

Been a busy week. Long Melford Antique Fair on Wednesday. The first two hard, white frosts of the year on Wednesday and Thursday. Still feel that I am fighting my 'new' Windows 10 computer. The only thing it lets me do easily is buying on eBay. Took the above two photos on Wednesday morning about seven a.m. on the way to long Melford. I must say the trees this autumn have shown the best autumn colours I can remember. However, I do have a feeling that I might have said this of other years (?). In fact, to be quite honest, I think I may say this most years - but..... it is always true! It's a lovely time of year. Good night.