In my dreams

Just look how beautiful these tanks are.. I took these pictures from a Youtube video about the worlds top fish tank layout designers.

 Absolutely amazing

Never could i make my tank look this good.

 A world champion tank

Eleven months work to get a tank this good

A good curry Oh dear

There is nothing like a good curry and for me having about 100 Herbs and Spices making a good curry should not be a problem.
I like to make different curries so i use a recipe from the BBC website. I just type in curry BBC and find the type i want that's how i would normally find a curry recipe until now.

Normal ingredients for most people to have is stock to make a good curry.













Now look at the picture below and read the first line of the instruction on what to do with the recipe. Come along to the word Tandoori Ooooop BBC where in the recipe does it say to use Tandoori paste.
So readers if you follow like i do to find a curry recipe  then make a good check of what the BBC list.

I have spoken about the rain but Now

After enduring constant rain for week It has finally come to a stop but for how long nobody knows.

I go back to the UK to help my son on a project that needs my help. I leave on Monday and look at the weather from today till after i go clear skies how good does that forecast look.

It's that time of year again

All year at one of the markets i go to i help someone who struggles to even unload there car. I unload and then reload there car every market time. For me the worse time is Christmas when i am given a gift for all i have done all year. It does embarrasses me but i don't do it for recolonisation of a good thing done for someone else.

I am going back to the UK again to help one of my children who need me to help with some construction work he is unable to do. I have told all of my children while i can help i will but the time will come when i can't help.

I am nothing unique everybody can think of things they have done and often more than i do.

I have just had another great Christmas and i have been reading a sad story of children who because of abuse they are in a refuge. I will certainly be thinking of others this coming New Year.

It's not about what others can do for you but you can do so much more for others.

OK Merry Christmas from me

This is a difficult year i have two Greeting for you to have a laugh at i couldn't decide the best so i have picked two for this year.

Another tank update

Recently i have finished putting the stones from a dried up stream into my tank. The window is now fitted and ready for water.
The picture below is when i had to stop filling the tank due to the storm outside and i had to go out in it to get the hose and bring it inside but it will be filled soon.

In front of these stones will be a layer of sand for plants to grow. In the stones are caves for the fish to go in and with some of them they will go in to breed.

In the picture about will with luck a number of Bonsai trees all dead but they will give the look i want

Wet Christmas is coming

Well we are well on the way to Christmas 2019. This is the second out of 8 years that i have enjoyed Christmas here in Portugal. But this is the second year that it's rained and rained and rained.  Here at the side of the roads are gullies to take the water away. Unlike in the UK where the drains where main so long ago and not maintained that you get floods.

Here in Portugal we don't get floods because the Portuguese people have learnt from years and years of dealing with the rain in the winters and now there is little problems.

Small dried up streams that had been dry most of the years suddenly become a flowing torrent and after a while it all goes back to normal. The main problem is the Clouds they drop there rain and when they are empty more take there place and the empty clouds just go off and refill.

The last week when the rain started it didn't stop for about four days and when it stopped it was only for a few hours when it soon started agin.

Oh well the summer is coming

Thanks UPS

A long long time ago a parcel was sent to me one Christmas that never turned up at my address. On various Forums it seems it's common for parcel companies to not to bother to deliver to addresses up in little villages.However i used a company for my Spices deliveries who allowed me to send in a Courier of my choice. I tried UPS and now four years later they are the only company i use.

This week i have had % parcels delivered to me by UPS and having the same driver deliver to me for a long time he calls me on the phone. A local Cafe in town takes parcels in for lots of the local Expats me included. 

I had about 2 years ago a company who after telling me they would use UPS sent a parcel via DHL. Where the drive would have stopped in my village i was working with 4 other people at the time the driver claimed that my house was empty and no body was home. The truth was he couldn't be bothered to drive just of the main road to my address.

I called DHL only to be told the driver found nobody was home and that they would re book  the delivery. Well 4 people where working next to where the driver would have stopped to come to my house. Again i called to complain but i was told that i should have been at home for the delivery but they had now sent the parcel back to the sender.

I have needed a Gazebo no for a long time after i had one of the cheap gazebos that are just tubes of thin steel up put together. I got rid of this cheap piece of junk a while ago until now. I had a new gazebo delivered to my daughter who checked it was the type i wanted and needed and it was.

Today despite the rain coming i was able to attend a market that i would have had to miss all down to UPS and my favourite driver. When i was ready i was able to load up the van and nothing got wet  Thank you UPS see you again soon.

What a table top

While going for a walk last week i saw a picnic area close by a river. As you can see the table top has been made from a solid piece of stone spoilt only by the wooden table/ bench next to the stone table.

Over the top use by date

Seeing dates on food is something i am interested in  and i found a Jem today. It's almost Christmas and while i was in Coimbra i went to Makro. I had decided a long time ago to Have Lamb this year for my Christmas dinner. Makro have New Zealand lamb from whole lambs to all the parts all cut and prepared. On the label it only has one ingredients LAMB but then i noticed the label.

The label says to use by 16.04.2022 so much for what the NHS recommends but this Lamb was killed on the 17.04.2019. Seems an over the top Use by date,

Date and label meat in the freezer and eat it within 24 hours of defrosting. You can freeze meat for a long time and it will still be safe to eat, but the quality will deteriorate so it's best to eat it within 3 to 6 months.

National Health Service › uk › live-well › eat-well › how-to-store-food-a...

 

 

 

Window fitted

It's now about two years that i have been building my fish tank but with the work inside my house it is taking some time to finish and get running.

Here is a shot from the front where you can now see the glass window is now in place.

Also i have a couple of dead Bonsai trees it is now close to how i wanted the tank to be.

 Every stone was acid tested and individually scrubbed clean.

 Here in this corner i have a few little caves for the fish.

OK Christmas is coming

OK Christmas is coming but Christmas is for the young and Children. But what about us Grandparents?

Here is my fairy out for another Christmas along with her Christmas lights in the shape of Skulls.
My new granddaughter has her second Christmas but still she is to young to understand but i know she will have an amazing time.

Some months ago

Some months ago a customer was looking at some of my cutting boards i had on display. She asked if i could make one in the shape of the state of Wisconsin in the USA because that is where she comes from. I straight away said yes but it would take me some time now i had to find out how i would . Happily i said yes  it would be ready for Christmas the lady said that would be fine.

Due to Mum's poor health i went back to Liverpool and while there i used to go to a wood turners club to help me with lathe skills. One day i was there i found that a machine was for sale and straight away knew it would be ideal because it was a fretsaw machine and for £20 it was a bargain at that price.

I have used UPS now for over 4 years and just got UPS to deliver my new toy in time for my next trip back to my home in Portugal. Last months was the first time that i was able to show to the lady what it would look like.

This is the lady with me showing of here new Cheese board. Wisconsin is the cheese state in the USA and for mu customer she was so happy.
I now have to make a board in the shape of Yorkshire in the UK.
Another in the shape of Australia. One also in the shape of Portugal but bigger that the one i had on show at the market.

This photo is the happy end to this story but the start of something else i can now take pleasure in doing and making people anything they can dream of.