Fender Bender

I just came across this simplistic mud guard design over on Don Blog.
http://donblog.tumblr.com/post/4234756835/urbanbixi-holland-is-a-land-of-rain-spring


The maker's explanation, here:
http://www.pristinefixedgear.com/site/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/FENDoRBENDoR-WITINDUSTRIES.pdf

Exactly the sort of money making scheme I need!

Homage with Cheese

When I was a boy I would spend time at the weekend doing DIY with my Dad.  We might be fixing fence panels, digging the allotment, constructing flat pack furniture... or I might just be passing him tools while he fixed the car or the boiler.

He'd quietly disappear for 5 or 10 minutes at mid-morning, then reappear with two plates of the most perfectly constructed cheese sandwiches.  Just the most basic and unfussy cheese sandwich.  Everything about it was perfect and each one seemed like a gift.

Dad seemed to treat the sandwich simply as fuel, and would have it polished off in about three mouthfuls. 
I'll have to get him around here for a morning of DIY.

For display purposes, only.  This sandiwch bears no resemblence to the sandwich described above.

Slow Coast

Oh.  I've been browsing Nick's site for a few months now.  Whilst cycling the coast of the UK, Nick Hand has created an interesting collection of images and interviews with some tallented and inspirational people.  Its only now that I write the words Slow Coast, that I realise the double meaning of the word coast.

I've recently fallen back in love with coasting about on my bike.  I've been charging about too much.

This is one of my favourites, about an incredible private collection of vintage road bikes.
http://www.slowcoast.co.uk/soundslides/soundslide.php?id=79

Park after tea

We went to the park after tea on monday night.

A quick game of Football, a go on the assault course, and then 'throwing the toy lion in to the blossom tree'.

Thank you camera phone for turning on quickly enough to catch this moment.

Another day off

Just had my second coffee of the day.  Going out with my camera for a play.

Lucky me!

Kelly Kettle

I've had this Kelly Kettle since my birthday last December.

I've tried it out a few times and always failed to keep the thing lit.
I blamed the damp winter twigs.

I took it back to the plot by myself today. There were no excuses because its been dry for ages.

It took a while. About 6 matches and three false starts - but I finally got it to boil. Boiled water in about 3 exciting minutes.

Going to make a stash of tinder in a tin, and make a collection of #1 sticks. Organised, see?

Fixing

*wishes he'd never fitted gears back on his bike in the first place*

The Bent Gear Hanger

Hard to believe that I broke my gear hanger 2 months ago...

I finally got hold of a lovely straight replacement hanger and treated the bike to a brake bleed and mech setup at one of the local bike shops.  The Mech is apparently bent, too, but the mechanic still got it shifting more nicely than I've ever managed.  As chance would have it - the newly serviced bike and I were out on a ride within about 90 minutes of it being home.

Oh lovely mountain bike, I have missed you.