Cry for Help

I am a in bit of a quandry. Just before Christmas my elderly next door neighbour had her daughter move in with her. Now Poppy (real name) is 84 so her daughter must be about 60 and what a pain she has turned out to be. Not only did she move in but she brought nine (9) cats with her. It looks as if she picks up strays etc. Anyway, the gardens around here are reasonable enough but not to support 9 cats so of course they are doing their business in everybody else's gardens including mine. They have already dug up the flower beds and it's getting to be a bit of a pain. Anybody got any ideas as to how we can resolve this. We did try to speak to the daughter but she was quite rude and then walked off so no joy there.

RSPCA nor the council want to know as they say provided the cats are not ill treated or there is no big smell getting into our house they have no power to act. I'm thinking of getting one of those water guns. I don't want to hurt the cats but we also have a cat, a rather small on who is now being bullied by these much bigger males ans hardly goes out anymore.

Suggestions welcome guys

Kevin

New Addition

The new year has given us a very auspicious start with the birth of a new grandson, Logan Jude, born at 11:59pm on 1st January 2011. Just managed to creep in on the first day. Pics to follow when I get them as unfortunately parents and baby live a little too far away. Looking forward to visiting next weekend.

New Years Party

Well there's no doubt that 2011 has started in the Jones household with a bang. Last nights party was great fun with friends and family around us. This was the first time that a New Year has really been celebrated in this house as last year we had only just moved in and we went to friends.

This year was going to be different we decided as we had so many friends to thank for the wonderous support that they have given us over the last 10 months with Marlene's illness. So we invited them all and other than one couple who were unable to make it, all 16 turned up, on time and bearing wonderous gifts, such as a bottle of white and a bottle of red. Wine of course.

We let the fireworks off at about 10:30pm so that we could enjoy ours before the main celebration and also set off about 5 chinese lanterns. It was a little chilly outside and the air wasn't heating enough to make them float, hmm, my portable gas blowlamp soon sorted that and all the lanterns rose to quite a few hundred feet. Pity I didn't take any pics but I was too busy.


Later on, at 12 midnight there were fireworks and chinese lanterns going everywhere. At one stage we counted 19 lanterns in our patch of sky. A truly wonderful sight.

Just before everyone went home, it was time to sit and chat over a coffee. A few pics were taken but not many. Andrew, a friend complained that his head was getting cold as his hair was disappearing, so Marlene lent him hers, what a laugh, sorry Andrew, blond hair doesn't suit you.

 What can one say.

 
Anyway, the New Years resolution is to try and post on a more regular basis and include some fun as well as interesting pics. Happy New Year to all that read this.

Twas the night before Christmas, well nearly

So, three days to go and all sorted, just some fresh veg and milk and bread to buy and that's everything done for the Christmas break. Just hope that the snow goes away so that my daughter Kate can travel down from Somerset for the Christmas weekend.
Before the thaw

After the rain

The snow is very pretty but it does tend to dispupt travel plans. Hopefully it will wait until everyone has got where they need to be for Christmas then it can snow for a week.

Update

Well, it's nearly Christmas and so much has happened since I last wrote on here. Still getting used to it and doing it on a regular basis. I am now a grandad for the second time with another baby on the way. Fliss, my daughter gave birth to baby Samuel on 27th October weighing at almost 9lbs. A beautiful little boy he is.

Nic, my daughter in law is just waiting now as baby is due anytime between now and 2nd January, it depends on whose right, Nic & Steve (my son) or the hospital. We'll see, but until then we have to wait for whether it's a boy or girl.

The job is going well but with all the new business we are taking on it's meant a lot of travelling accross the South of England and even up to the South West training new people in readiness for the opening of new stores. Too much driving as it's given me a sore back which is really painful. Doc has given me painkillers and they seem to work. Hope it's good for Christmas.

Really looking forward top this weekend as my youngest daughter is coming to visit for Christmas, that's a first for us as Kate is a new addition to the family despite the fact that she is now 26 years of age. maybe some of you out there will understand when daughters appear that you never knew about.

Anyway, it's an exciting time for me and Marlene as middle daughter Su and new husband Gavin are also coming for christmas lunch. Su got married on Agust 29th and what a wonderful day it was. One of the proudest days of my life. I say one because of course the first proudest day was when dauhter Fliss got married. The pleasure and honour of walking your daughters down rhe aisle is something that can never be fully described, only felt. Your always proud when your son gets married and of course I am with two sons, both married but it's a different sort of feeling with a daughter.

Like most of the country we have some snow down here in the South but not too much although the forecast is for more. not too bothered as I shan't be travelling far for the next couple of weeks.

Unfortunately Marlene has been quite ill for the last 10 months, that dreaded thing that most women fear to have. Happily we have beaten it and although it's been a traumatic time chemo etc we can now look forward to a new year and a new beginning. Treatment is all over and done with and just a small visit to the hospital next year for the last op to reconstruct and then, watch this space. As we haven't had much time to get out on the bike this last year we intend to make up for it with a few long weekends as soon as the weather changes for the better. That and a trip to Scotland with Su and Gav in may is giving us both something to look forward to. In the meantime I have to satisfy with the odd short ride out by myself.

Right so I'm going to try and add a few photos and hopefully I can start updating on a regular basis.

Littlehampton - The Town that Time Forgot

Well, today was an eventful day. A couple of hours spent this morning posting parcels and things, then an early lunch, get kitted up and the wife and I were off on the bike to visit the joys of West, or maybe even East Sussex. Little hampton to be more precise. The wife went on holiday there in the 70's and fancied visiting again. To be fair we have been there once or twice in the last 20 years but that's about it. Anyway, it was a good ride down as it's only about 30 miles away and the weather was reasonably kind to us today.

When we got there, it was just the same except that maybe there was one or two more flats or rather, retirement apartments and there seemed to be a new amusement park. That was it, the rest of Little hampton is exactly the same as it was the last time we were there. Even down to the couple of cafes and fish & chip bars along the waterfront.

For all that though, it was a nice couple of hours spent wandering along the waterfront, we stopped for the obligatory coffee (with a rather large slice of lemon meringue) (which the young girl forgot and I had to go and ask for) and enjoyed watching the people walk by.

The only excitement that day was when we were at the end of the jetty and an old WW11 fighter plane flew over, very slow, so much so a bird nearly overtook it.

Anyway, enjoy the pics as we enjoyed the day and the ride back home even if I did turn into a rather posh estate and had to turn around and ride back out. It was fun and we enjoyed ourselves.

Tomorrow, well the wife is back to work but I'm off for golf, anybody fancy a game.

Day One

Well, here goes. Day one of the Blog. I spent a good morning playing a quite successful round of golf then came home to meet up with my wife, daughter and grandson and took them all to lunch. Josh, who is only 4yrs behaved impeccably and ate most of his dinner but all of his ice cream. No surprise there. Then it was off for a sunny afternoon ride on my motorcycle with the wife who is a recently converted biker chick. What more can a man want out of life.

So, soon as I can I will get some more pics on the site and let you have some different news.