What are you all up to

Our cold weather has gone for the time being, the last 2 days we have had grey skies and mizzle but it is warmer. I prefer the blue skies even if it is colder.

Not up to much as still can't work outside due to the damp and wet ground.

Was going to go to Dunfermline today for a day out, got as far as just beyond the Broxden roundabout when the car started to make a funny noise. OH slowed down until we identified where it was coming from. Front left wheel it sounded like. We had it in the garage the other day for work on that wheel, a new ABS ring was required. No choice but to get to the next turn off point and back to Perth. Back at the garage they could not find anything wrong with the car, took it for a test drive and the noise has stopped. Will have to monitor it over the next few days but as we both heard it we know it definitely had a noise.  

Looks as if you had a super day out yesterday, tda, and some great photos. We will have to try and get on one of the tours next time we are are over that way. When are you heading down to Oxfordshire, hopefully after the very cold spell has passed, and are you staying at Newton Grove, as that is a site we have talked about visiting?

I wouldn't be making a specific journey to my last main centre of education as it is now a housing estate!

It was a shame that you had to abort your trip, TG, but better safe than sorry. Hope that the noise is not being  caused by anything resulting in major damage.

Brue, we have taken part in the energy saving experiment for a few months, being with Octopus Energy, but the savings have only resulted in a miniscule cash discount. Perhaps that's because we are never at home!!😄

We have had a couple of damp days now so not much of interest happening. Both OH and I have just about got over our colds and OH managed a walk of about 1.5 mls today without too much pain, so a  steady progress. F!year had an upset stomach since Friday, not being able to hold any food down, but seem to be over the worst of it, so it is small light feeds for him until we as sure that he is back to feeding normally.

Yet another grey and miserable day here.  Not too cold, but cold enough to need the heating on in the lounge when sitting, so gas bill this month is going to be ridiculously high.  No sun to generate electricity from the roof, so electricity bill is mounting too.

Our "in home device" which was supplied with our smart meters refused to show the gas use until it suddenly started doing so a few days back, over 2 months since installation.  Now we can watch both bills mounting, it is all rather depressing!    Our use is well down, but total costs have more than doubled.

OH is threatening to hide the thing!!

Off to the garage to work on the 3 small Iroko countertops for the new bathroom, OH is agitating for it to be finished.

Apologies DK for another "elongated post". Figured out what is happening with my new Android tablet. 

Cold, overcast day but not much wind so we headed out to Burton Mere RSPB reserve to do a spot of birdwatching and have a pleasant flat walk. Extremely pleased with the walk and my arm/hand experience. Nothing unusual to see at the reserve but it was my first trip out in 3 months so I wasn't too worried about the birds.Still enough variety to make it worthwhile. 

Something positive to report to the Head Honcho when I see him on Thursday for a 3 monthly check up.

Grey start to the day here but it did get a bit brighter before lunch for a couple of hours. Not as cold as it has been.

Our CH is set to 18c during the day then 20c when we sit down for the night. Comes on at 8am goes off at 21.00 no heating overnight required. Just checked our usage over Dec/Jan readings is down by half what last year was but its still going to cost us more. 

I see that those of us that are not on mains gas for heating and hot water are to get a further £200 towards winter fuel costs. Should be paid into our electricity accounts in the coming weeks. This payment is for anyone who is on Oil, LPG, Biomass or coal. Shame its not been paid into our banks rather than our electricity supplier. We are so much in credit now I will have to give them a call and ask them to pay some of it back into our bank, we will be needing an LPG deliver soon.

I've been checking the holiday insurance we have against lots of others, what a mine field it is. Bottom line is we are still better VFM using our bank account than buying stand alone policies even when we add on age supplement, long stay supplement and pre existing medicals. 

collected the new tow car this morning 66 plate Volvo XC60 but only 30k on the clock. So far so good it feels a lot more modern and upmarket than our V70 although the cream leather seats will need to be kept clean. Lots of new gadgets to get used to including the in built sat nav. Looking forward to getting away in the van now hopefully get away near the end of next week for a couple of nights weather permitting. 

Bright sunny day with some clouds around, mild though so I managed a couple of hours in the front garden. Only the bits I can reach from the grass and path. The garden is very wet with bulbs popping up so don't want to step on it. Nice to be working outside. 

OH is busy in the MH, our shower room sink tap needs changing, apart from being stuck solid the chrome over brass finish is wearing off. It's a fold away sink so the tap needs to swivel sideways to close the sink up.

To buy a new tap for it costs £70+ however you can buy a similar one for £20 but it's a bit to long for the shower room sink, the kitchen sink is the same size of tap so I suggested that OH remove it and fit it in the shower room and put the new tap on the kitchen sink.

He's done the kitchen one, now working on the shower room sink. Not an easy job as everything has to be dismantled. Pipes come through from the toilet cassette then up behind a cupboard which then feeds into the back of the sink. I have a feeling it's going to be a long job. 

Brue, our £66/67 payment from the government goes direct to our electricity supplier, who hold onto it. If our electric bill for the month is less than the payment no direct debit is taken, if higher just the balance is taken. The extra £200 will also be paid into the electricity account, not sure yet if they will hold onto that or pay it back into our bank. We are in good credit so no real reason for them to hold onto it. 

Best go out and see how OH is doing, he may need refreshments 😅

There does seem to be several different ways that the various suppliers are handling the £66/67.  Our lot take the usual DD, then send us back the £66/67.

As we have cut down our use of electricity, and the new gas boiler is more efficient, we built up a lot of credit over 2022, so OH rang and asked for most of it back, better in our bank than theirs!  They kept 1 months DD,  and we got about £940 back.

I think this months bill will be high, but having paid another DD last week, there is still plenty credit to cover it.

Minus 6C here this morning everything outside looking pretty with the frost on it but cold out side and we had fog first thing and it looks like it is coming back so nothing done outside, just a few inside chores, hopefully will be warmer in the next few days still minus 0.8 C outside.

Glad you are improving WN and hope your meeting with the medic goes well and that you had a good trip to RSPB reserve, wish me luck I am going to a local LPO meeting re biodiversity for the Commune of Lalbenque on Sunday as it looks interesting so OH will be coming his French better than mine, as I do not belong to the RSPB anymore OH gave a birthday treat  for membership of the LPO which is turning out to be quite interesting they do not have the clout like RSPB have but are doing more protection for wildlife.

brue can you tell where your latest photo is many thanks.

Glad you are getting things done Bakers2 and it will look good when finished.