Wild Life!!

A couple of baby rabbits have a little home under the deck, maybe more?
Oscar (dog) really wants them, he spends a lot of time lying in wait for his free meal but they are a very fast and don't venture very far from home.

While we are talking about the dog, today he decided to dig up the entire garlic bed in search of something really important.
The new beds are constructed of wooden surrounds that lift the level up by 350mm, this is so I don't have to bend to far, (is this a sign of old age?) he succeeded in half emptying the one that was intended to be our years supply of Garlic, what a mess.
 

I was very angry, a total waste of time, he doesn't seem to understand the Anglo Saxon words I was using, but I think the delivery tone may have had some effect.
So now the bed has had anti-dog protection installed. I hope it works...

I'm Being Framed!

 

 

  

The framing of the 'artworks' has started, the mouldings have arrive from the wholesaler and now I'm a picture framer, this is a sample of the first batch - only 25 more frames to go.

It's a lot easier putting the sections together on the kitchen bench rather that struggling in the sea container that I use for a workshop.

I didn't ask permission from Mrs DIY but I promise to clean up after...

The art-works framed have now been hung, and they (modestly) look quite good.
Some days when I look at them my feelings range from what a load of rubbish to other days when I think they look OK.
The frames seem to put a full stop to the work and focus the mind on the art, maybe my next worry will be is I might sell (heaven forbid) some of them, then I will have to start again, filling the empty spaces in the gallery and house, on the other hand I will at last earn some $$$$'s
The last painting I sold, I calculated that it earned me $2.50 an hour so I'm not going to become wealthy.

Here's hoping, it looks as if the opening will be around Aug - Sept 2012.

Sunset

I had just finished walking Oscar (dog) and couldn't resist taking this picture of the sunset over the vineyard, it's getting dark early now with the sun going down around 1750hrs so the dog is getting an earlier walk, it's one of the problems having a black dog, you tend to loose sight of him in the dark.
I'm thinking of getting him one of those flashing red LED's for his collar.

Congratulations to Kobo

I take back it all back, the nasty things I have been thinking about Kobo.
We did it, I really mean they, the clever people who man, or women the help desks at Kobo, fixed the problem.
Thank you, to the help desk names of Maina S and Carmelia A, they were able to navigate me through the fix, via email.
Cheers, now I can get back to the books that I never read when I was younger, eg Sherlock Holmes ( a good read) and free...
Still like the real thing, they look nice on the shelf.

Kobo Continues

We are now up to 8 emails from Kobo who are endeavouring to resolve my problems with my Kobo Touch, the last was to enquire where it was purchased.
I hope they don't want me to go to Whitcoulls for a replacement unit, the very company that reneged on their gift vouchers by refusing to honour them.

Kobo eReader - AGAIN!! [Incident: 120423-000048]

Sorry to be such a grump about the Kobo eReader but the saga continues(seeThursday, 5 April 2012), since the forced Kobo upgrade, the website now hangs and comes up with error messages, and the computer refuses to talk to the reader.
I have un-installed the website and reinstalled 4 times, deleted all the program bits I can find, plus resetting the reader back to the factory settings, 4 times! - still not working!!!
They, Kobo have told me that they have escalated the problem to level 2 whatever that means.
Does this mean the Russia's are about to launch missiles?
Or in computer help desk speak does it mean? "this person is being a pain in the....". "maybe the escalate phrase may get him off our case".

The Power Plant

The final investment in the boat the D1 - 30 Volvo engine (A Perkins diesel that has been badge engineered by Volvo) this is the last spend, promise.
The installation cost - eye watering! 
The only good bit is that it (the motor) has a 2 year warranty.

Gallery Entrance - at Last

 The old steps were getting a little dangerous, the lumps of wood that we had used as a temporary measure 'three years ago' were rotting rather badly.
This was a little project that I had been putting off, so as we had already purchased  the flagstones...
Mrs DIY decided that the time had arrived.
Didn't take to long to lay, like a lot of stuff that's waiting for our attention, you wonder why you didn't do this before. Another tick on the 'list'!
Boat tomorrow...

Boat Dog Training 101

The first step in getting Oscar to be a boat dog, a still a very nervous nelly, he at least will now walk down the marina to the finger that we are moored.
The journey is negotiated very carefully down the middle of the pontoon, legs apart for balance and carefully not going anywhere near the edge and the 'nasty' black swans that patrol the marina like B&W police cars..

Our Easter...

The Easter project - Mrs DIY and I spent the weekend building a wall to create a small study or new nursery... for the daughter and son-in-law's Wellington cottage, this was done while they were away on holiday.
It all went well and was completed on Monday.  Finished on schedule!

The plasterer (Mrs DIY) and painter (Mrs DIY) did a great job, 'following' the written instructions by our daughter. ( see following email instructions from the the owners, which cracked us up...)

"The door is double-white pointer. There's some under the house too. Please remember to sand the grooves before and after priming carefully, so you can't see the paint lines or drips, if you are going to do that too. XXXX is happy to do that when we get home.
Can you use the the small fine rollers for the oil based paint.
Also with the rollers, can you use the synthetic ones, called Hayden Genius microfiber, they come in a box. I think you can get them from M10.
With the bed, I am sure it will be wrapped but will you make sure the mattress doesn't get dusty in the van.
Maybe we could Skype to discuss if you want....."

I wonder what the weather was like in London!

To celebrate the holiday, we ate a dark chocolate Easter Bunny that I 'found' in the pantry. I wonder who it belonged to...?

Yes, we did get a ''few hours of sailing around the harbour, the weather was just perfect, hope it will be just as good next weekend.