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.

KoBo eReader - Review

If anyone is thinking of purchasing a KoBo eReader, my advice is don't, for the following reasons:

• Their books are more expensive than Kindle (Amazon)
• Their website is slow and clunky
• Site is not user friendly
• No magazines
• Will only accept PayPal
• You can only purchase their eBooks (KoBo)
• Don't have full range, e.g. only 2 of the Millennium Trilogy (at time of writing)
• Only have about 50  'free' books but millions of them!

Sorry to be so negative but the eReader unit is a big bag manure.
The user experience maybe different in other parts of the world but in New Zealand we are forced to go through Whitcoulls (NZ Bookstore chain) that is hanging on by its fingernails.(financial probs)
The question is, why should a local retailer control what I can read or purchase?.

Sailing...

At last Duamara has 'hit' the water, and it sails well, we hadn't forgotten how to sail, what a relief.
The main pushes the boat along very nicely, the sail-maker said it had good 'bones' and with the new flexi battens it has a good wing shape.
The only thing that needs to completing, is the dodger and sail cover, the man has promised me that it will be done by next Wednesday.
The motor has done it's sea trials, we can get, just on 7 knots out of her into a headwind, the new three blade folding prop works well.
Our only challenge is Oscar (dog) he is absolutely petrified of just walking down the marina, we finally, after two visits, got him to venture down the finger that our boat is moored.
He was visited by 3 black swans that hang around the marina, normally they would be fair game but he just sat still and growled.
It's going to take a bit of patience to get him on board and be a 'boat dog' so it's slowly slowly.