New mug

My sister bought me a new mug for my birthday.  She is fully aware of the battle with the squirrels!

(... which, by the way, I am still not winning).

.

Steve Williams is...

...an "Unexpected Item in the Bagging Area" of life.

Here is an absolute CLASSIC photo

Here is a real 'corker' that has been dug up by Jo, Jane's sister.  It looks like the year was 1993 - but Jane and I have been scratching our heads to think of the occasion as we were living in Aberdeen by that time.

Anyway - here it is in all it's glory.  Enjoy!

Another walk on the beach

A lovely sunny day (at last) so we took a stroll on the beach.

The motorbike is not mine, in case you were wondering.

Further old Aberdeen pictures

Remember I told you I had recently bought a book that had some interesting images from old Aberdeen? 
[ It's called "Wheels around Aberdeen" by Alan Brotchie.  (ISBN 1840332484). ]

Jane and I went along to a local village called Peterculter.  This is on the line of the Old Deeside Railway Line.  These days it's been made into a nice walkway - straight and flat.  But the railway used to be a busy little line and these two photos compare old (1907) and new (2010):

Aberdeen beach front panorama

If you double click on the image you may be able to see it bigger (depending on what browser you are using).

Steve vs the squirrel

There is an ongoing battle between me and the squirrels.  I put the food out for the birds and I really wouldn't mind the squirrel getting some food.  However they are VERY greedy and will polish off all the food in double-quick time.

So - I suspended the fat-ball feeder from a super long wire to stop the squirrel climbing down to the food.  As you can see below, this is working really well.  (!)

It’s only...

It’s only when the tide goes out that you learn who’s been swimming naked.


Warren Buffet.

Forty years ago few children survived childhood leukaemia


Now the survival rate is 80%



Forty years ago only 46% of women diagnosed with breast cancer survived five years or more

Now that figure is also 80%



Forty years ago 3% of people diagnosed with pancreatic cancer survived five years or more

That figure is still 3%

Joke of the day...

... actually this came from my Bible reading notes* (!)  It made me laugh...

A man decided to give up worry. 
When a friend noticed how relaxed he looked and asked how he'd conquered worry he said "It's simple; I just hired a guy to do my worrying for me". 

Asked how much that cost, he replied calmly "£10,000 a month". 

"But where will you get the money?" his anxious friend queried. 

The man replied calmly "That's his worry".

*The Word for Today, available free in the UK from United Christian Broadcasters Ltd
Operations Centre, Westport Road, Stoke-on-Trent ST6 4JF
Tel: 0845 60 40 401

Birthday newspapers

Yesterday was my birthday and I have tried, over the years, to collect a newspaper or two published on the day. Sadly I missed a couple of years from Cyprus times. (Well, I bought the papers but sadly they didn't make it back to the UK in the emergency move back to the UK).


I note with interest the number of papers who featured Diana on the front - or Margaret Thatcher. I guess the two are (or were) close to royalty anyway!

1987 – how scary is that headline?! “Thatcher goes for a third win”. Maggie was planning to stay as Prime Minister until 1997.

The oldest newspaper I have is 1977. I was born in 1962 so I have been collecting for 33 years. Actually yesterday this became a rather poignant exercise for me as I have to wonder if I will ever see another birthday. I found myself remarking to a friend that the 2010 newspaper featuring Cameron going into No. 10 would be “interesting to look back on in years to come” – which of course will not happen.

Anyway… mustn’t get maudlin.

I offer no comment...

Thanks to Lindsey out of New Zealand for that valuable link.

Birthday pic

Bike modifications

I have made some modifications to my bike as below.  

I am hoping it will improve my fuel consumption.

(Thanks to Keith for the original!)

Saturday Birthday Party

Saturday we had some friends round and had a cake party - strictly speaking this was prior to my birthday.
The cakes were fab - all of them.  I think I had sampled three of the six. by the end of the evening.

Thanks to all that came.  Thanks to Jane for working so hard to make all the cakes.

Some images, old and new

I bought a book last week that had some interesting images from old Aberdeen.  It's called "Wheels around Aberdeen" by Alan Brotchie.  (ISBN 1840332484).

There are a couple of scenes near to where we live - so I popped along and took a snap of how things look today compared with how they looked in the past.  I hope you find them interesting.  In one case it was difficult to get the exact same point of shooting as the road layout has subsequently changed.  I'm afraid I wasn't willing to get run over just to get a good photo!

Mr Bond

Mr Bond

A ride out on my motorbike

With Bill & Gareth.

Wildlife outside the window

Wildlife outside the window

Flippineck - that's a big rabbit...

Flippineck - that's a big rabbit in my garden...

Cool panorama feature on my new camera

My new camera has a panoramic feature.  This was taken looking out over Aberdeen beach / harbour.

A nice walk by the river Dee - Aberdeen

Ouch! That must have hurt!

First thing to say:  This is NOT me now.  It was 2001.  Repeat - I have NOT just hurt my face.

My brother remembers me knocking myself about.  This (below) happened when something fell on my face when I was working in the garage.  Actually it got LOTS worse a few days after.. both my eyes were black, then blue, then yellow, then purple.  (I think that was the colour sequence!)

By the way - nice wallpaper, wouldn't you say?  I think it's fair to say I was lucky that the object missed my eye.

Sorry but the other picture of the really HUGE bruise is not suitable for the internet!!