Yep I’m a couple of days late with a ‘tales’ post for March, but c’est la vie. March has been a busy month for us with Phil doing a make-over of our dining room.
We had a new floor done too, I can’t remember why but I like it so not to worry.
New music equipment was purchased at the beginning of the month, well not new, Phil rarely buys new as it’s mega bucks for what he wants, he waits until new stuff comes in and then buys stock that’s getting sold at a bargain price in order to make room for the next things. We went off to Stockton on the River Tees for his latest aquisitions, a phono cartridge pre-amp and a regulated power supply. He tries to explain to me what these things do but I just can’t. Anyways we got lost getting there or rather we didn’t but just couldn’t see it, as the building entrance faced the river and the car park didn’t. We spent some time ogling the amazing music systems they had in their upstairrs showroom
and I took a couple of pictures out of the window,
The cats have been their usual selves, Lord Vincent has been loving the sunshine we had last week
and Winnie has been bonkers
WInnie has learned how to get up on top of our conservatory roof, and the other morning I woke up at 7.30am to her meowing. Couldn’t see her in the room but when I opened my curtains
there she was shouting to come in. Not best pleased as I wasn’t going to work that day so getting up at 7.30 hadn’t been the plan. Sigh.
Talking of sunshine, it’s been a mad month for the weather. Last week was like summer, and then this week we got snow and sleet in between some sunny bits. I’ve been out walking a few times with the Contax Aria, with Sophie away a lot more than she used to be there are now several weeks in between our outings, so walking out into the nature bits around where I live is a substitute. Not a great one, but better than nothing.
Phil’s sister Annette had her 70th Birthday last weekend and 13 of us went out to a local restaurant, The Lakeside (there’s no lake anywhere near it) where she had booked us in for a celebratory meal. When we arrived they had no record of the booking. That was a shock and Annette told them she’d spoken to a chap but didn’t know his name. The place was really busy too. Have to applaud the manager and her staff though, they apologised profusely and went straight into action, managed to find enough tables to cobble together for us to sit at and we were sorted and our orders taken within 15 minutes. Not a bad meal either which Annette’s husband Brian paid for which was lovely of him. Afterwards we went to their house for cups of tea and some birthday cake.
Annette rang us the next day to tell us that she’s booked another local restaurant, The Green, for Brian’s birthday meal in a couple of weeks time. They asked her why we hadn’t shown up for the booking she made for the day before. 🤣🤣
My Happy Eater tree is in full bloom now, it’s strange to see the bees buzzing about on it in the middle of a snow shower.
Unfortunately we seem to have aquired a herd of Magpies who are going through the bird food at a fast pace. I’ve counted 7 of them, ‘seven for a secret never to be told’, which I won’t because I don’t know what it is. Anyway I’m not keen on them but everything needs to eat so I keep topping it up. Sadly the cats are no deterent as Winnie barks at them from the windowsill and Vinnie sits under the tree but they know he’s there and wait until he goes indoors.
I drove over to the coast at South Shields the other day, managed to photograph the sea with a weather front coming in.
My boss was off sick with Covid last week, the guy who works for her the 2 days I don’t had picked it up and then, as he stays over at Brendas when he works for us (he lives in Scotland) she was the next in line. So far I haven’t had it, nor our office manager, we dodged a bullet there as they say.
Well that’s about it for March, I’m glad we’re into April now and looking forward to Spring springing and getting out more.
Fraggle's Otherverse 
Great photo of the sea and weather arriving! Congratulations to Phil’s sister, 1952 was a vintage year!
(I hope she managed to renew her driving licence…)
Well done to Phil on the decorating. I like your floor too. We have something simiar in our dining area, but it is a ‘fake’, just vinyl made to look like wood. (Still expensive enough though!)
Best wishes, Pete.
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Ours is fake too, but it came in pieces with 2 fitters, took them 2 hours to lay it Phil said. I think fake wood is best, you don’t get splinters in your feet with it 😃.
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Same idea with us. One guy did it (less area) than yours) in two days. He had to level the floor on day one, then laid the ‘planks’ the next day. 🙂
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well, if Phil is a stripper, he’s obviously not charging enough if he can’t afford new music equipment. Tell him the women like a little wiggle when he shimmies out of his smock 😉
Anything you can do about the magpies? Slingshots and paintballs if you’re not terminally minded, perhaps?
and that “Incoming” picture was fantastic looking. Looks like something from a fantasy book cover 🙂
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Haha Booky, I think Phil’s wiggle days are over. Though in truth I don’t think he ever had one, more of a Dad-Dancer 🤣. I won’t slingshot/paintball the magpies, I’m likely to miss and take a passer-by out!
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A straight arrow eh? Well, everyone can’t be perfect 🙂
Good point. Plus, slingshots might be illegal. Silly as that sounds….
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They are legal here unless you use them as an offensive weapon 😀
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A busy month. Your cats keep you busy! I absolutely love the black and white shot of the cloud formation coming in. Outstanding.
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Thanks Cindy!
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Too funny about the mix up with the dinner reservations. 😆
Love the remodeled dining room, especially that gorgeous floor.
Photos of Lord Vincent and Winnie always make me smile and the ending shot of weather over the sea is amazing.
Great catch-up post, Fraggle!
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Thanks Mae!
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Better hang on to Phil, Fraggle, even if he has a taste for expensive sound equipment. What a handyman!
And that photo of the sea and the weather…That belongs in an art gallery…or on Phil’s redone wall.
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Now there’s an idea! Thanks Don!
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I really liked the “incoming” photo. Also with you on the “looking forward to Spring springing and getting out more!” Glad you “dodged the bullet!”
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Cheers Marland!
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Good times with the cats! And that picture of the clouds is quite dramatic. All that, and parties, and a new dining room, and new musical equipment . . . the fun never stops at FT.
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Don’t think Phil thought the decorating was fun.
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A lovely newsy month… love the incoming image I agree it should go on a wall…the restaurant mix up made me smile but kudos to the manager who went the extra mile…:)
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Cheers Carol!
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Snap. I have exactly the same dining table and chairs. Mine are looking a lot worse for wear.
Well done for dodging the covid bullet. I suspect it’s only a matter of time for all of us.
As everyone else has said, Incoming is an extraordinary photo.
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Thanks April.
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Incoming award for that photo, outstanding 🙂 I laughed out load about the restaurant 🙂
And I take my hat off to anyone who can wallpaper, nice one Phil.
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Thanks Eddy, he did a good job, you can’t see the joins (mostly 😉).
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An excellent month! The dining room looks great! The cats are adorable as always and that “incoming” photo is amazing! Well done! 😊
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Cheers Connie 😘
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A month full of adventures and lovely cats. Thank you, fragglerocking. Hopefully weather will stabilize : )
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Haha, that will be the day! Cheers Francis!
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How did I miss this? Vintage Lord Vincent and Winnie!
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Haha cheers Eddie.
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Such a lovely collage of images. And can we all agree that cats are simply the best!!!!
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Indeed we can! Cheers Keith.
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