And another fest bites the dust

It's been all systems go for Swanage Folk Festival for the last month or two. It has been in the planning stage for around 15 months with monthly committee meetings, not always as friendly as they ought to be.
However all differences were overcome and it all happened 6th-8th September.

Isle of Wight across Swanage Bay - View from Festival base camp

The weekend turned out mostly sunny with just a brief light shower passing through now and then. The crowds were brilliant. Concerts were busy. Hoping it was a financial success.

Kimber's Men

Jez Lowe & Bad Pennies

Little Johnny England

Karl cycled from Nottingham on his recumbent bike

Sunshine on the field

Bounty Hounds rocking to the end
with Wendy & Paul Arrowsmith

A fitting end to the festival

My personal festival was totally different from 2012. Last year I really struggled to do anything and could not stand or walk for long without a lot of pain. This year I could stand and sit with ease, and walk all over the place. That's the difference a new knee makes.

My camera decided it had had enough of life and chose to run all batteries flat in minutes, even when switched off. The video's I recorded also had very distorted and varying sound so I have treated myself to a decent compact - Nikon Coolpix S6400 - in purple with a bright pink leather case :) very girly!

So it's goodnight from me...

A Drain on Resources

I have been having a few problems with slow drainage from the house, bath slow to drain, shower, kitchen sink blocking up every five mins. I went outside and found a load of flies on a trace of water by a manhole cover - uh-oh! It's been something like 18-20 years since we last had any drain trouble and back then the council ran a service at a modest charge compared to the likes of Dyno-Rod. I searched the council website only to find that, like so many services, they no longer do drains. The main sewers and drains in the roads are all the responsibility of Wessex Water. Personal drains and sewerage are the householders responsibility and you have to employ a drain clearing company to do the job. So I searched on Checkatrade for someone with high ratings and good feedback from customers. Found a local company and called them out. The man came when he said he would and raised the inspection covers. EWWWWW! Full to the brim with s.... sludge.
He checked the direction of flow of the pipes and had a good poke around with rods. There was some movement but no great whoosh of a blockage being shifted. He 'retrieved' a few bits that were snagged up down the pipe but it was still slow moving. He got out the power jet hose and got to work. It wasn't long before a lot of gurgling ensued and it all started moving. Yayy!. It looked like it had been blocked for quite some time and there was a lot of... erm.. solid waste build up so he spent a while hosing out the pipes and washing away the nasty stuff. He then flushed back up the pipes under the house to make sure all were clear and free of gunk. The kitchen outlet was a bit manky with fatty/greasy deposits but he got it all clean. 
It did cost a bit but I watched him the whole time and he worked like mad the whole time, in that heat too! He finally put a camera down the drain and found a tree root had penetrated a joint in the sewer. He cleaned away the finer bits off it as best he could with his rods but the main root was too big and needs dealing with properly, then the pipe lined to seal the joint again and stop the pipe collapsing. The tree root is just about bang on where the garden fence is and I have a big buddleia bush/tree there - the probable culprit. Just digging out the tree would not solve the long term problem because the sewer joint has been opened and is no longer sealed. Other roots might get in too.
He gave me a quote for doing the job which is well over £1000 excluding VAT! ! Blimming heck!
I will be getting other quotes!
In the mean time I now have clear pipes and all is flowing well. I will be getting my sons to have a look every few months to make sure it's not backing up again.

Hot Stuff

It is hot. It has been hot. It will be hot a bit longer.
Instant room cooling trick with a fan - soak a towel/cloth/tea towel and wring out so wet but not dripping and hang over the back of the fan.
My tea towel was bone dry in half an hour but it did cool the room down a bit.
Personal cool down trick, go and stand by open chiller units in a supermarket :)
Anther tip? Don't move! Just sit/lie there in front of fan.

In the summertime....finally!

We finally got some summer weather - drought orders should be issued soon!

I am amazed but we actually seem to have a settled spell of warm sunny weather - for how long? who cares! Slap on the SPF 30 and get out there. I might even have a trace of tan!

The big plus for me is the grass dries out and virtually stops growing for a while. I am now putting out shallow dishes of water in my garden for the birds and wild animals to enjoy, and my dog when she gets too hot sunbathing!

Because of past levels of obesity I have never been happy in hot weather, but the tide is turning as the weight comes down. I now feel the cold in winter and can tolerate heat better in summer. 

Bourne River Morris Men dancing on Poole Quay

The start of this particular warm spell was a weekend of Folk on the Quay, when Poole Quay hummed, buzzed and jingled in the second warm sunny weekend of the year.

A few stage areas along the quay for music plus gaps for dancing by assorted traditional dance sides, kept interest going most of the day and into the evening.

Saturday was jam packed and the whole quay was heaving. Sunday was a bit quieter and we were able to move around a bit more easily.

As you can see from this pic, it wasn't just Morris dancers and Clog dancers performing! There were belly dancers and Irish dancing too.

I enjoyed the relative coolness of a pub where the folk club was being run - a sort of open mic session with local performers doing 4 songs at a time. We are very lucky to have so many talented performers in the region. I renewed acquaintances with a few friends I had not seen for a few years too. 

Did I take Honey with me? Oh no! She would have hated the crowds and noise. She is much happier being left at home to sleep in peace and comfort.

One of the big firms based in Poole is Sunseekers, luxury boat builders. I could not afford even one of their tiny boats they use as tenders on their big multi-million pound jobs.

Finding a good parking place is always a problem in Poole, and mooring up your gin palace is no different. This is Sunseeker's maintenance depot where the billionaires drop their boats in for servicing. The ones in the pic are not even the big ones! 

The far side of this channel is the working part of Poole port, with docks and the ferry terminal to the left of this pic.

These ladies are called Southern Lights and danced beautifully, just one of the many dance sides performing over the weekend. Everything looks better in bright sunshine, and it makes people feel better too. Lots of smiley faces around that weekend.

I bought myself a brand new garden hose on a little wheeled cart so I can trundle it around and store it safely inside. I had to assemble the bit that connects it to the mains, so I sat down on the step of the patio doors while I did it. It was no problem sitting down low and my knees felt fine. However... getting back up was another matter! I still have no spring in my knees and I did struggle. I managed to twist sideways and grab the handles on the patio doors which gave me enough strength to actually stand up again. I will have to be careful of situations like that because I can't kneel on my new knee. Before I would go on to hands and knees, then feet to get up off the floor unaided, but I can't kneel now. I am getting stronger with exercise but not strong enough yet.

The scar from the op is slowly fading and should be quite faint by next summer. I may be working on new knee number 2 by then!

The new hose is extra long so it reaches from the tap in the back garden round the house to the front garden. I gave the flower bed and plant pots a good soaking to help them survive the heat. My hanging baskets look good, filled with Surfinia trailing Petunias. A lovely mass of deep pink blooms slowly growing downwards.

The back garden is full of... birds, bees, butterflies, and weeds! I cut what's left of the grass when I can - it's patchy thanks to years of dog ownership. The more I prune the shrubs around the garden the more they grow up and out! HELP!

I hope you can make good use of the summer weather while it's here. Just don't get sunburned!

xx

I can walk!

Last weekend was the first Wimborne Minster Folk Festival under new management. It was also my first festival since my knee op. It was also the first warm sunny weekend of the year. I hope that wasn't Summer been and gone.

Hobos

Last year I barely coped attending, staying mostly in one venue.
This year I was all over the town like a rash. LOL


Even the Town Mayor had a go

Eileen, Linda, Ann (Eileen's sister)

I walked round to various venues for 2 hours Saturday morning, guiding my blind friend Linda around. Her first time at the festival and she loved it.
I came back later for concerts - just brilliant !
Sunday I did a repeat walkabout to different places! I even managed it upstairs to the folk club in the Olive Branch. Coming down was a trifle more tricky but I made it.
More concerts, ending with an amazing final concert Sunday evening.


Me, Roz and Matty

Well done to the new organising committee.
I enjoyed tasty take aways over the weekend and dinner out Monday night yet still managed 1/2 lb off at Slimming World today. Maybe all that walking helped?
I forgot to say I also took Linda clothes shopping at Castle Point Friday morning. Two hours in M&S looking for tops for Linda then trying them on *sigh*. She bought one.
I do enjoy taking Linda out but it is tiring sometimes.
6 months ago I'd never have managed a trip like that.
My knee has  given me a new lease of life YAYYY
I am really looking forward to more festivals in coming weeks now I am mobile.

Summer's here ! Well almost !

I have normally sorted out my winter woollies by now and cleared the way for the summer tops, but I am still wearing a cardigan. We are 2 weeks away from Midsummer's Day and the longest day - when is Summer going to get a grip?

Honey is doing well and the shaved area of her last 'lumpectomy' is growing back nicely. She has been going through a HUGE moult shedding mountains of fur despite being a short smooth-coated dog. The Dyson collects it but it fills the 'bucket' quickly.

 

 

I finally got round to getting Honey a new up-to-date tag for her collar and decided to treat her to a new collar to celebrate the anniversary of her arrival (her Gotcha Day).  Her old one was a grubby pink and lilac one and has actually washed quite well but I do like this bright pink spotty one on her. This is her 'house' collar she wears 24/7 and it's a loose fit for comfort. I use a proper shaped broad greyhound collar for the lead when we go walkies as that is designed to NOT pull off over her head.

 



Hmm I just compared this older pic of Honey when she was about 5 yr old to the first pic at 9+. She has a very white face now, even dogs go grey with age.

My hair is going whiter and whiter. I have stopped colouring it now and all the old colours have washed out or grown out *sigh*. Keeping up with dying it is just too much hassle now and I've decided to look my age, but I do not have to behave like a 64 yr old tho.



Wimborne

The joy of advancing Summer is it is now well and truly folk festival season. It was Wessex Folk Festival in Weymouth last weekend and this weekend is Wimborne Minster Folk Festival. It's their first year under new management following the retirement of the previous organisers who have done such a brilliant job for so many years. Fingers crossed it all goes to plan and the town is packed with happy families.



Cropredy

I am now making plans for Fairport's Cropredy Convention in August - it's all outside in the open air so I am considering taking Honey with us if the weather is going to be dry. It's my first camping trip post new knee so I'll have to see how I manage with improved walking, but getting in and out of bed could be fun.

Two weeks after Cropredy it is Shrewsbury Folk Festival and an even longer weekend away. It is a welcome break before our own Swanage Folk Festival in September.

It's all go !

Stuffed up weekend

I have spent the weekend with tissues stuffed up my nose to absorb the never ending stream of liquid from my nose :( I have a cold! Sinuses blocked and giving me a headache, dripping nose driving me crazy. Temp has been up and down all weekend and just felt BLEUGH!

Honey is making good progress and the wound is  looking good.


Day after op
 

Looking a bit bruised and battered on her shoulder. They removed the tumour and a fair bit of surrounding skin and tissue.



Sunday 4 days on

Bruising has diminished and wound looking good. She's leaving it alone - so far! She is fed up with walkies on the lead though. There was a frisky young pointer type hound at the park today she wanted to run and play with, but I dare not let her loose because she would run at full speed, even if it hurt, and inflame the wound again.The stitches come out next Saturday.