Cutting wood with Tom
We’re going to have to come back and finish cutting up the log we’re sitting on
03 December 2011 | 365:337 | 365 Days blog | Copyright © 2011 Gary Allman
Logging
I spent the day in the woods pretending to be a lumberjack
It was too early to stop so we went on a quick hike around the property, discovering an illicit deer stand while were at it. All in all it was a good, but cold day.
Postscript: Unfortunately the radiator was beyond repair which meant that our day’s work probably just about paid for the tractor to be fixed.
28 November 2011 | 365:332 | 365 Days blog | Copyright © 2011 Gary Allman
An afternoon with Carol and Jim
Today we collected Lanie from her Grandparents
I took a set of pictures of Jim’s latest creation – a table, and very good it is too. It looked just right in the house, which is a shame as it’s going to its new owner next week.
Table - Jim's latest piece
Table detail
27 November 2011 | 365:331 | 365 Days blog | Copyright © 2011 Gary Allman
Today we drove down to see Carol & Jim
After dinner we sat around chatting.
Ginger 'points' the finger
Here we see Ginger apparently giving her mother the finger - in fact the target was the camera.
Axes
Axe head details
Axe head details
19 November 2011 | 365:323 | 365 Days blog | Copyright © 2011 Gary Allman
Gary with our Mutha Hubba tent, Bucksaw, Harry S Truman Lake.
I thought I’d get my daily picture out of the way early in the day
We beat the kids back from Kansas City with just enough time to enjoy an all day breakfast at Ziggies on South Campbell.
06 November 2011 | 365:310 | 365 Days blog | Copyright © 2011 Gary Allman
Sitting round the campfire on Guy Fawkes Night 2011
It’s November 5th and this year we left the Guy at home.
Guy Fawkes Night 2010 at Berry Bend
We took the Kayaks out on the lake today, but it was too windy to go far. We saw a flock, or whatever the collective noun is, of white pelicans. After being driven off the the lake by the wind I went on a walk around the closed off areas of the campsite, and ended up walking back along the lakeside. When I got back to our campsite Ginger fancied a walk, so we re-traced part or my walk, which was very fortuitous as we were able to see a fantastic sunset over the lake.
The wind continued to blow hard and unpredictably most of the evening, making sitting round the campfire hazardous at times, but the sparks made up for the absence of fireworks.
White Pelicans on Harry S Truman Lake at Bucksaw
Camping at Bucksaw Campground, Harry S Truman Lake, Missouri
Harry S Truman Lake at Bucksaw
Dead tree, Bucksaw, Harry S Truman Lake, Missouri
Sunset at Bucksaw, Harry S Truman Lake, Missouri
Campfire sparks on Guy Fawkes night
Bucksaw campsite in the moonlight
05 November 2011 | 365:309 | 365 Days blog | Copyright © 2011 Gary Allman
Breakfast at Aunt Martha’s Pancake House
Today we did a lot of running around
Lanie's Halloween Pumpkin
25 October 2011 | 365:298 | 365 Days blog | Copyright © 2011 Gary Allman
Gary and Lanie down by the creek
Today we relaxed at Ginger’s parents
This morning Lanie decided she wanted to go fishing in the creek. That would have been fine if I’d known the day before and had packed our fishing gear. Jim rummaged around and found a small portable rod we couldn’t get to work, and then turned up with a proper fishing rod and some bobbers. No hooks though. So he made one from a sewing needle. Lanie packed some of this mornings wonderful breakfast sausage for bait and we headed down to the creek to fish.
At the creek we saw a beaver swim under the bridge, and we found a small lure and a large fish hook – tripling our fishing gear. The fish loved the sausage but the needle hook wasn’t very effective at catching them. Lanie caught one fish on the huge hook we’d found up in a tree over the creek.
22 October 2011 | 365:295 | 365 Days blog | Copyright © 2011 Gary Allman
Family cookout
Tonight we’re camping at Ginger’s parents
The main purpose of our visit was to meet Ginger’s aunt, who’d been staying with her parents this past week. Jim had cut wood and we had a great time roasting hot dogs and marshmallows. We took our dutch oven and cooked up some very tasty veggies too.
Ginger and I took the tent and spent the night camped out near the house.
21 October 2011 | 365:294 | 365 Days blog | Copyright © 2011 Gary Allman
Waiting for the trash man
Things didn’t go quite as planned
It all slowly fell apart as the day moved on. The builders arrived, did their stuff and the inspector approved the work. The recycling guy turned up by 10 am, and then nothing happened. Tom tried (and failed) to get rid of the TVs and I sat and waited for the trash man to come. It started raining. The drive from Chicago to Springfield takes 8-9 hours so we were keen to get moving. Finally sometime after two pm the trash man arrived, took everything and we were free to go.
Then we discovered that there was a fault with the pick-up’s electrics which meant that U-Haul couldn’t let us have a trailer for safety reasons (no right indicators on the trailer). We decided to rent a truck and I’d drive the pick-up back to Springfield. Of course the U-Haul branch we were at didn’t have a truck available. Off we went to another branch which did have a truck available. By the time we’d got the truck, loaded it up (in the rain), given the house a final check over it was around four-thirty. We’d not be getting back to Springfield until after one am.
And so it was. The trip was almost without incident. Almost that is apart from while driving out of Chicago the Pick-ups speedometer went on the blink. At first I didn’t notice, but when a truck overtook me when I was apparently doing over 90 miles an hour my suspicions were confirmed. I called Tom and jokingly suggested we slow down, as the best I could tell we were travelling at over 140 mph – the speedo needle had by now gone right off the scale.
Coming up on 110mph - not quite what it appears
Apparently this is a known GMC fault, and at our first rest stop Tom managed to reset the speedo to 0mph and it worked perfectly for the rest of the trip.
I arrived home around one-thirty, but couldn’t settle down to sleep until around three am.
19 October 2011 | 365:292 | 365 Days blog | Copyright © 2011 Gary Allman
In the backyard – Berwyn, Illinois
Today we made major progress
The local vultures removed the defunct appliances we had left out for collecting tomorrow. The only items we couldn’t donate, and can’t be left for trash are a couple of TVs.
In the front yard - I think I look a little more chipper in the backyard picture.
18 October 2011 | 365:291 | 365 Days blog | Copyright © 2011 Gary Allman
Making Notes
We had a good first day clearing the house
We took a pick-up load of stuff to Goodwill and started the process of moving and clearing – especially in the basement which was very messy.
At the end of the day I had an opportunity to catch up on some reading (I should have brought my coursework with me) and make some notes in my Journal. I’m not very good at keeping my journal. Erratic would be a good word to describe it. I normally only write when I have issues to resolve, which results in a record of my angst and frustrations rather than a glowing record of all that’s well in my world. Today I was able to redress the balance a bit.
As all the beds have been broken down, I’m sleeping in my sleeping bag on a mattress on the floor. In a day or so the mattress will have to go too. I have my sleeping pad with me so that shouldn’t be a problem.
17 October 2011 | 365:290 | 365 Days blog | Copyright © 2011 Gary Allman
The quiet before the storm
Tomorrow the work begins
Ginger and Rebbie were up here a couple of weeks ago, and they sorted through all the papers and cleared out all the cupboards, drawers and stuff. We’re here to move everything out. Some things are to go back to Springfield, the remainder is to be donated to charity or trashed. We’ve four days to get it all done, as I’m due back in Springfield Friday pm.
Tomorrow we’re expecting people from Brown Elephant to come and take away some of the furniture, and a City inspector to come and check that the house is up to code before it is put on the market.
16 October 2011 | 365:289 | 365 Days blog | Copyright © 2011 Gary Allman
Gary’s a lumberjack for the day
I spent most of the day logging
I was too busy working to take a picture – so here I am at home with a spare chainsaw Ginger’s dad left with me, initially so I could help out in Joplin, and latterly in the vain hope that one day I’ll cut up the limb that’s been sitting in our front yard for the past few months.
Had I not been tired I might have worked a little harder on the lighting. Had I arrived home before dark I might also have cut up that limb – honest.
23 September 2011 | 365:266 | 365 Days blog | Copyright © 2011 Gary Allman
Gary, Lanie and Ginger (hiding at the back) too
For what seems like the first time in over three months the temperature dropped below 90°F,
We should have tried for a better shot in which all of Ginger’s face was visible, but we wanted to get on our way as we had an appointment with some burgers at Tom and Rebbie’s to keep. Very nice they were too.
Tonight we’ve had to close up the house. Not because it’s too hot – but because it is too cold!
05 September 2011 | 365:248 | 365 Days blog | Copyright © 2011 Gary Allman
© 2011 Gary Allman
McDonald’s, I’m good ‘n cold and I have two egg McMuffins!
I love Egg McMuffins.
Sorry, but it is true. However, that’s jumping ahead a little bit. I was the first to arrive for Biometrics scanning – which was great because it was all over in ten to fifteen minutes. There is probably a joke to be made about an Englishman, a Jamaican and a Russian waiting in line for Biometrics, but it will have to wait for another day.
i guess I made somebody’s day, as the lady taking my fingerprints said “it is great to start the week with a laugh” this was after busting out laughing because I was nonplussed as to why my thumb print still matched, when it shouldn’t. Then it dawned on me… I’d injured the other hand.
You are not supposed to take cameras along for the biometrics appointment so I saw lots of pictures I couldn’t take while walking to my appointment, and by the time I walked back to the hotel the light had changed and the pictures weren’t there any more.
It was hot and rapidly getting hotter in St Louis so I decided to head on home. On the way back I stopped at Pacific, Missouri for an egg McMuffin, and I couldn’t believe my luck when I was told there was a two for one offer! My attempts to take this picture of one of my McMuffins attracted the attention of the staff, but fortunately I wasn’t asked to stop – probably because I’d deliberately hid myself away from everyone else which I guess was also rather suspicious!
29 August 2011 | 365:241 | 365 Days blog | Copyright © 2011 Gary Allman
Chatting with Ginger
We had a plan, but it didn’t work out.
Originally Ginger and I had planned to spend the night in St. Louis and leave the grandparents in charge of the kids. It all unraveled starting with Ginger’s mother being ill. That was okay (well not, but you know what I mean), her dad could still come down. Then our friend’s aunt died, and she needed cat tending duties while they were away. So we re-planned, I’d spend the night at St Louis, and Ginger would stay behind to look after cats and kids.
So there I was in the hotel in St Louis and suddenly I found myself transported back 3 years, using Chat to keep in touch with Ginger. It wasn’t good to be apart, but it was very good to find out we could switch back to our old modes of communication.
28 August 2011 | 365:240 | 365 Days blog | Copyright © 2011 Gary Allman
Today the temperature in Joplin Missouri was 111°F
And I thought 105°F was hot.
A translated version for my British chums.
02 August 2011 | 365:214 | 365 Days blog | Copyright © 2011 Gary Allman
Gary and Ginger at Emily and Larry’s Wedding reception
Which explains the somewhat curious and questionable lighting.
30 July 2011 | 365:211 | 365 Days blog | Copyright © 2011 Gary Allman
Phew! What a scorcher
And other tabloid headlines.
By the way, little did I know how much hotter it was going to get over the next few days…
27 July 2011 | 365:208 | 365 Days blog | Copyright © 2011 Gary Allman
A full day’s driving, a walk on the beach, beer and fish and chips take their toll
UK June 2011 – Day 24. Destination – the chalk cliffs of Hunstanton
We arrived late in the afternoon, visited the local tourist information office, and with their help found a bed and Breakfast. “I think he’s Spanish” to quote the Tourist Information woman, referring to our host for the night – more on that tomorrow. It didn’t take long to get got settled in.
It was very chilly in Hunstanton; in fact the heating was on in the B&B. Despite the cold we decided that there was just time for a quick walk along the beach to look at the cliffs – and take some pictures in case the weather didn’t cooperate the following day. The light was fairly good, though as I pointed out at the time we’d need to wait on the beach for the setting sun to catch the cliffs. However, we got bored moved on and sure enough later on the sun poked through the clouds and I missed a couple of good pictures.
We then discovered that sleepy seaside towns in Norfolk go to bed early; even on a Friday night. By eight O’clock most of the fish and chip shops were closed, not that we wanted fish and chips. There wasn’t an open restaurant to be found. We went into a pub which advertised ‘Food served all day’ ordered a couple of pints only to be told that they’d stopped serving food. Oh well. According to Inspector Morse, beer is food, so we had a couple of courses (or was it three?) after which we didn’t really care what the food was and fish and chips seemed just dandy.
Today’s picture depicts me slumped on the bed, tired after lots of driving, walking on the beach, drinking beer and replete with fish and chips.
Tomorrow we head back to Portsmouth.
Today’s extras
Multicoloured chalk and sandstone cliffs at Hunstanton, Norfolk, UK
Sun burst over the Wash
Multicoloured chalk and sandstone layered cliffs at Hunstanton, Norfolk, UK
Sea and Sky
08 July 2011 | 365:189 | 365 Days blog | Copyright © 2011 Gary Allman
The Royal Garden Chinese Restaurant – Berwick-Upon-Tweed
UK June 2011 – Day 22. Today we said goodbye to Scotland and headed South.
The day started with rain, so we had to take down the tent with the fly set and pack it away wet. Our plan was to get to take it easy and get to Darlington to meet up with Flickr friends Cath and Jon on July 7. With no real plan in mind we drove down to Edinburgh (Once more across the country) drove through Edinburgh, deciding not to take in the sights and headed South on the A1.
We finally came to a halt in the Borders at Berwick-Upon-Tweed. Driving around we found the Harrow Bank Bed and Breakfast run by an ex Gordie fisherman (ex fisherman not Gordie). Ginger couldn’t understand a word he said. He had sold his fishing boat and bought the B&B three months previously. The place was very nice despite my misgivings about it being near the docks.
We wandered around Berwick, found a nice Chinese restaurant, The Royal Garden – where I took today’s picture, just outside the door. Forgetting about the length of my chop sticks I managed to knock a glass of wine over myself and my camera bag (no damage I’m glad to say).
We ended our evening out drinking pints in a fine old fashioned pub with a snug, no TV and no loud music. The way pubs should be.
Today’s extras
Rainy day at Loch Rannoch
View from the tent across Loch Rannoch
Our last campsite in Scotland
The old road bridge at Berwick-upon-Tweed
06 July 2011 | 365:187 | 365 Days blog | Copyright © 2011 Gary Allman
Watching Coldplay live at Glastonbury in 3D
UK June 2011 – Day 11. Today we met Dandy
Tonight we get to sleep in his huge family tent in the back yard – it’s so big we could easily set up ours inside and still have lots of room to spare. Tomorrow we’ll be setting off for Scotland via Birmingham. It’s going to be nice to get out on the road for a while.
Now we’re moving on it’s time to assess the trip so far. Our visit has been a lot easier for me than I expected. I thought I’d find it emotionally draining, but it’s not turned out that way. The strangest thing I’ve encountered is how odd all the accents sound, it’s almost like everyone has developed a Dick Van Dyke (Marry Poppins) cockney accent. My ear must have become tuned to the American accent which I don’t notice anymore. Driving has been quite easy (so far), though I live in fear of grabbing the hire car’s right steering column control stalk and breaking it off, mistaking it for the gear change, which on our van is mounted on the steering column.
Another strange thing has been seeing bits of furniture and some of my personal items. They’ve been turning up without warning in all sorts of places. They take me aback for a moment while I assimilate where I’ve seen them before. I found my old bathroom scales; when I checked them they still held my data, so I updated my age. I had to add five years – gosh. I also realised the bed we were sleeping on at Robert’s was probably the bed I used to sleep on in the garden all those years ago.
Today’s extras
My niece and her pony Dandy
Ginger meets Dandy
After dinner antics - Funny face
After dinner antics - Handstand
Oh how I would have laughed if he'd fallen in
25 June 2011 | 365:176 | 365 Days blog | Copyright © 2011 Gary Allman
Layover at Chicago
UK Vacation – Day 1. The day was going well until I checked on my camera
Our friend Tim arrived promptly to take us to the airport, we’d already run the gauntlet of the American Airlines online check-in system so all we had to do was hand over our bags. I had managed to squeeze all my clothes into my carry on bag, and fitted our tent and my backpacking stuff into my hold luggage. The only thing we didn’t bother to pack was a stove; we decided to buy a small gas stove once we got to the UK.
The only other bag I had was my messenger bag, which I use to carry my cameras around, and for the trip it was also carrying my netbook. I like the messenger bag for carrying my camera stuff, it doesn’t shout ‘expensive camera gear’ to any nearby opportunists the way a camera bag might. It’s also very practical as you can get at the contents very easily.
We got through security with no problems, I had to run my netbook through the machine separately, as I returned the netbook to the messenger bag with my camera I noticed with a sick feeling in my stomach that the Nikon’s body and lens were no longer a single item; the lens mount on my brand new camera/lens had broken. That’s two broken lens mounts on two cameras in as many months. What a great thing to discover on the first day of a month long vacation. To say I was now in a foul mood would be an understatement.
I hadn’t packed a lens end cover or camera body blank, so we scrounged a couple of plastic bags from one of the airport shops, and wrapped the lens in one and bandaged up the body with a bag and bandana to try and keep the dust and dirt out.
There was nothing else to be done except enjoy the flight, if you can ever enjoy a long international flight. We had a seven hour layover at Chicago before flying to London. I really don’t like Chicago airport, there’s little to no seating except at the gates, which is not very helpful for anyone on a long layover. While we were wandering around passing the time I took a quick safety shot on my compact camera. This was just as well as it was the only picture I took.
I’m glad to say the flight to the UK was uneventful – which was just how I like them!
15 June 2011 | 365:166 | 365 Days blog | Copyright © 2011 Gary Allman
