Rain and Cold but nobody is complaining

It was nice today to wake and open the shutters and find a nice clear blue sky. It looked really nice out until i went to feed the chickens only to find that it was very cold outside. When i went back inside i really felt cold so i put my aircon on to warm the place up on the front of the aircon unit it has a display and the inside temperature was 14c inside. It may be me but looking at a display saying 14c now did i feel cold because of the display or was it really cold who knows.

While i was driving into town the temperature on my dashboard was 7.5c. Now before i went out i had Radio Merseyside on and during the morning show someone mentioned that it was just about freezing so who was i to complain. Listening later in the day on the news their where reports of one river being 14ft higher than normal and floods everywhere. Wow things do seem bleak, the river going through Gois may not be as big as the Mersey but it is a big river for here. I stood and watched the speed of the river and with the rains of the last few weeks the rain had turned what was a slow sleepy river into a torrent.

The rain and the rivers will help the environment all along from far up in the hills to were it eventually joins other bigger river. So much of the year their is the danger of forest fires due to the extreme heat from the constant sunshine but for now the rain is badly needed.


 

Donovan and something funny

During a visit to a friends house after repairing his computer we sat talking and to test that the repair was ok we had some music on. As i liked the music of Donovan i put on one of his CD's on to play.

As we were talking i remembered a Donovan track that i found so funny. I found the same track on Youtube and played it as my friend didn't know about the track i was talking about.

But don't let children hear it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iab9YKocUcw

I have just been looking through Youtube for more Donovan tracks and found one i had never seen of him with Bob Dylan. Dylan being another favourite of mine. I hope you take the time to listen to this track as well and for those who know me will know how much i enjoy this music from my late teen days.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&feature=endscreen&v=Lc6HcA6kEJc

He killed Miss Marple and got 4 years 6 months

Today on the Radio from Liverpool the news reported that a local kid who had killed a women by knocking her down with his motorbike had been sent to prison for 4 years 6 months. Doesn't sound to bad typical thing kids do, this was not the typical kid he was 22 years of age and never had a licence for riding a motorbike. He had 18 convictions and was riding doing Wheelies along the road and pavements. Dis reckless action had one day to cause an accident.

The accident had to happen to an old customer of mine. She was affectionately known to me as Miss Marple after the film of the same name. She was one of the nicest customers who came into my shop. The judge says that he got 4 years 6 months because he was genuinely sorry for causing the death of a dear old friend who really was not so old having only just pasted 50 years of age. 

This reminded me of some of the problems with gangs i had in my shop. One gang knew just how to get me wound up they would fill the shop with about 12  15 of there gang.  Below from the pictures you can see just how hard it was for customers to be able to get in and be  served and i can say how glad i got away with ever having one of them get aggressive.

My new life is now stress free and this is one of the reasons i just don't want to go back to the UK. But what does the future hold for all the nice people who knows. How do you counter the effect of the gangs like in the pictures???

The two near the counter were trying to get served but in the end the comments from the gang just made them leave.





 

This is not just a Liverpool problem this goes on all over the UK.

The new owner of the shop employed measures that meant the kids kept away.

There is a sound device that's legal but attacks the hearing of young people of the teen to early 20's and the new owner has no problems.

Clear skies but it's still damp after the morning mist

Although it's really nice outside because of the mist in the mornings it's damp so getting washing dry is difficult. It can normally take a few days to get cloths dry even putting things outside to dry. This is the first time that one lot of washing is still not dry and i now have more just been washed.

I use air conditioning for heating and i have just had to put it on early to try and get my cloths dry. Being vain as i am i don't want people looking at my smalls so they hang over the ends of my bed but i have run out of space for my socks. HELP comes to mind but what the hell it will all be ok in the end.

But you live on your own in a shed in the middle of nowhere!

On one of the Forums i am a member of someone wanted information as to the cost of living. I replied with details as to how much it costs me to live.

Would you believe that someone who claims to be a woman but on a Forum someone who replies could be either male or female.

 Well this person said " I get really annoyed with you Peter.It's people like you that make other people think you can live here on 300 euros a month!!!!..Yes you might,but you live on your own in a shed in the middle of nowhere! "

For those who read my BLOG will understand that i had to reply to such a comment. So i live in a SHED well my cottage fells more like a home to me but what would the nasty Ba****d know about me or my home.

So i can live on 300€ per month. Last month my water bill was 6.07€, Electric was 21.04€ and my phone and internet was 32.08€ and with my house tax or Rates as it is in the UK at 30€ per YEAR. I can't help the fact it's so cheap to live.

As to food i am not a veggie and it's meat for me at every meal and being an EX butcher  i make sure get the best, Why because i know what i am buying and how to cook it.

Do i enjoy cooking you bet i do and i have over 25 jars of spices because i take cooking serious and keep pushing myself to get better and better at cooking. As i have said before i only use fresh ingredients and i now enjoy better health in part to my better diet.

I make my own bacon Why because i can. I make my own wine Why because i can. I grow some of my own food Why because i can.

Sorry for going on

Every star sparkles in the clear night sky

After the last few weeks of relentless rain the last couple of days have been without doubt beautiful with clear blue skies . The only thing that could have been better would have been if it had been warmer. The night skies are now clear and full of stars and with no light or air pollution every star sparkles.

But clear skies bring their own problem with no cloud cover the nights are very cold at this time of year. That's ok when you are inside but the morning brings the cold again until the sun comes up and burns of the morning mist and the day warms up again. As soon as the sun goes down in the late afternoon the temperature drops dramatically and it's time to stay inside and keep warm.

After doing a lot of washing today i had everything hanging out to dry, it seemed an idle day to get some washing done. Nothing dried everything is on hangers inside the house to dry until tomorrow when hopefully it will be warm and the drying will be done till another day.

The jacket now fits

A long time ago my now ex wife brought me a jacket but like many of my cloths she would get the size she wanted me to fit and not the size i was. I could never fit the jacket you see in the picture because i was so over weight. It became a goal of mine to fit into the jacket not because it was a special jacket but because i was the size i would like to be.

Since my move i have lost such a large amount of weight and even have flaps under my arms. Now women had to have flaps of skin under their arms but i don't care it shows just how the move to my new life has had a dramatic effect on me both physical and mental state.

Last night i was invited to go out for a meal along with the local Brits by the new couple who have moved into a house in the village i live in. The picture you can see is me in the restaurant and wearing the jacket i so wanted to fit into. I do look and feel so good now all i need now is to maintain my new look.

Builders rubble someone has to move it

Some time ago i was offered a piece of land across the road from me next to my land and adjacent to the road. Last January the lane outside of my house had the road relaid. At the same time the lane was widened to make it more like a road instead of a dirt track that had been their before. Because the lane was to be widened the people doing the work asked for permission to cut the lane back. At that time i only had a very small piece of the lane that bordered the lane that was. After i came back from visiting my Mum in mid February the lane had been laid while i was away.

The wall that had been built along the lane had a gap between it and the land that it had been cut away from. While i was away a builder renewed some of the broken tiles and the edge tiles on my roof and pressure washed the entire roof. When i got home it looked as if i had a new roof. Outside of the cellar the builder put all of the broken tiles from the roof his excuse was so i could see just what had to be done while i was away. In truth it was to save him taking the broken tiles etc away to a dump or were they take building waste. 

Well it's a long time since last January/ February when i went away and came home to what looked like a new roof. Today i started to remove all the building waste and put it behind the wall across the road from me. A neighbour saw me and although he is Portuguese it was easy to explain that the land was now mine and i was filling in the gap behind with all my rubbish. Their must be more than a ton to move but today i move most of it all nicely behind the wall.

Tomorrow i will get the job completed and then i can make the footings for the base for the verandah. 

It's rained over the last few weeks but no like in the UK, the rain started one day and forgot to stop it just rained and rained and rained without stopping. One day i watched in the distance you could see the the clouds forming and slowly rising.above the valley. What a time to have no batteries in my camera.

What my Dad meant to me

I've never spoken to anybody about my Dad and how felt about and remembered  him.

Today being Remembrance day brings thoughts of Dad closer to me again. Dad was everything that you could ask for in a Dad, wise, funny clever and a friend. Yes i miss him but he is still their when i need him.  Dad was their when i had a son over in Afghanistan in a unit that when a reporter stated that a sister unit suffered 20% causalities and 7 Dead, i really understood the dangers my son was in. It took a brave reporter to be on the front line and record all the horrors of modern warfare for me to understand the dangers my son was in. Thankfully Dad watched over him and he came home safe and sound. Thanks Dad.

When i was in my teens their was a TV program on every Sunday afternoon called World at War. Being a young lad in the 60's who had found music and a life safe from War and starting to make my way in life watching TV about war was not for me. Dad would watch this program that to me glorified War. I was lucky in that conscription had been stopped and life was ahead of me a life to be enjoyed. I didn't want to see or hear about war and killing.  Slowly over the years i have grown to understand just what that TV program meant to my Dad. It was a reminder of what had happened in his life. It also showed that we must never forget the sacrifice that was made to give me the life i had then as a teenager and the effect on me now grown up and now 63 years of age.

During Dad's retirement Dad did so much for the other Old soldiers of the various associations that Dad as a part of. For those who needed help he was their for them, always happier to do for others than have others do for him.   

Today i have so much respect for all that the previous generations had to do to make this a safer place for me to live. They  went to war and so many never came back. As a child my own Granddad one day got out an old handkerchief discoloured over the years and inside their is a penknife smashed. That penknife was in his breast pocket as he made his way over a canal/ river and as he got out he was shot by a sniper in the heart. Lucky for me his penknife was wrapped in his handkerchief, the bullet smashed the knife but didn't kill my Granddad. One day that knife will be passed over to me and i will show and tell my children and grand children the story. A story of how we came so close to not being here.

Remembrance time to remember a spare a moment of your time for the Fallen

Tomorrow is Remembrance Sunday and a time to remember those who gave there life so we could be free.

The soldier stood and faced God,
Which must always come to pass.
He hoped his shoes were shining,
Just as brightly as his brass.

'Step forward now, you soldier,
How shall I deal with you ?
Have you always turned the other cheek ?
To My Church have you been true?'

The soldier squared his shoulders and said,
'No, Lord, I guess I ain't.
Because those of us who carry guns,
Can't always be a saint.

I've had to work most Sundays,
And at times my talk was tough.
And sometimes I've been violent,
Because the world is awfully rough.

But, I never took a penny,
That wasn't mine to keep...
Though I worked a lot of overtime,
When the bills got just too steep.

And I never passed a cry for help,
Though at times I shook with fear.
And sometimes, God, forgive me,
I've wept unmanly tears.

I know I don't deserve a place,
Among the people here.
They never wanted me around,
Except to calm their fears.

If you've a place for me here, Lord,
It needn't be so grand.
I never expected or had too much,
But if you don't, I'll understand.

There was a silence all around the throne,
Where the saints had often trod.
As the soldier waited quietly,
For the judgment of his God.

'Step forward now, you soldier,
You've borne your burdens well.
Walk peacefully on Heaven's streets,
You've done your time in Hell.'

Author Unknown~

My Dad and the Dessert Rats.

When i was on Facebook a little while ago i saw a picture that had been put up by my sister Jackie. The picture is of a plaque with the emblem of the Dessert Rats famous during the WW2.

My Dad who until now for some unknown reason i have neglected to mention  was a proud member of the Dessert Rats and his part in WW2.

The above plaque is on display in a Liverpool Pub. I just hope that they know just what the plaque stands for  and the sacrifice that was made by those who didn't come home. It's there sacrifice that made the world a safer place.

After Dad retire Dad was an active member of the various Veterans associations that exist for the units that Dad was in during WW2. Desert Rats, The Normandy veterans and also the 108. Dad was extremely proud to have been a member of the Kings Regiment that dates back to the 1600's. The Kings Regiment is a local Regiment to Liverpool.

 Seeing this plaque on Facebook has given me a lot to think about Dad may not be here now but he is still such a big part of my life.

More information about the Dessert Rat can be found on Wikipedia and their is a link below.
 
 The link to wiki you will need to Copy and Paste it into your browser

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/7th_Armoured_Division_%28United_Kingdom%29

A sad trip to the station.

Last week i got the job of picking someone up from the station and took him to stay with a local couple. Sadly where he was to stay was a little to far out of town for someone without a car. Other arrangements were made for him to stay in the centre of town at another house.

During Ken's time here he proved popular with all of the local Brits he met, he was even invited to a party in a local village to celebrate someone's 60th birthday party.  All came to a sad end when i got a call to tell me that Ken needed to catch a train to go back to the UK due to family reasons.

When Ken gets to come back he knows of the warm welcome he will be sure to receive.

By for now Ken

Pictures of MUM

I would have like to include the pictures below but it was right to ask permission because i was not the person who took then.

I am amazed as to how Mum has got over all that she has had to endure these last twelve months.

The journey that Mum has been on with Four HIP operations to one leg and to break the other hip is remarkable and one that I could not have undertaken. Mum has shown a strength of character that other and i include me as well i couldn't have put up with what Mum has endured.

I only get to see Mum by using Skype because i live in Portugal and she lives in Liverpool but Mum is very good with her Ipad. Facetime and Skype their is no holding Mum back and i am so proud of her. MY MUM

A tip about Facebook

Here is a handy tip to use with Facebook.

I hate all the adverts on the right hand side of the Facebook page. You can cancel an advert and a box comes up asking for the reason. Click on the one that says " Sexual Explicit Material " Keep doing this every day to every advert and after a little while the adverts end.

Now all you need to do is be patient and the adds will end.

You will still get the " People you may know " But the adds are now gone

Fresh Strawberries Mmmmm

As i have mentioned before it's now November and raining but who cares.

Today i went out today to pick some Strawberries and Peppers in rainy November but also i had my grand daughter Chelsee along with me. We picked some Strawberries but we had to leave some that were not ready to pick yet.

Later we went over to feed the chickens, today they had stewed apple, pear and carrot peelings and cabbage leaves. Chelsee had a good time watching the way the chickens were running around until the rain started again and i had to go in so my laptop kept dry. Oh did i mention that Chelsee was away in Liverpool and i am in Portugal.

Oh for the use of Skype and the taste of fresh Strawberries in November.

My Mum and Skype

I have mentioned before about my Mum and the fact she uses Skype to call me. Tonight was no different that any other time that she called but tonight she couldn't hear me. I don't know what was wrong with her sound and i even tried to get sound going by on my machine i rebooted in case the fault was mine. Sadly this was not the case tonight but instead of just switching of i quickly replied as Mum asked " Can you hear me? " i replied by writing down on a piece of paper " Yes i can hear you ". This went on for a while Mum would say something and i answered by writing the answer down on paper.

Mum mentioned that she had been to the hospital and she had been discharged and didn't need to go back for another two years.The news from Mum was so welcomed when you can consider that she had five hip replacements in twelve months. All this by me writing replies on a piece of paper.

Mum also mentioned that my sister Sue would be down next week and fix the Ipad for her

Lastly the best bit my brother Tim has a Blog all about Mum just for the family and he has put a video that Jackie had taken of Mum walking unaided in her kitchen. What progress Mum has made in the space of a year.

Congratulations Mum.