Yay, it's cheery Friday.

[RIP]

So. Friday. Sometimes one just finds it necessary to go and visit an old mate and talk rubbish in the pub. So having obtained the required emergency pass that's what I did. Unfortunately we had such a nice lunch time that we rendered ourselves overly-convivial. This meant that we had to go for another ride to allow myself time to get into a state where I could, er, ride home again. I'm not sure why we thought it was a good idea to ride to get ourselves into a fit state to ride, if you see what I mean, but we did.

We were riding my mate's manor which I'm sort of familiar with but at one point we appeared to be temporarily geographically challenged and I said "er, Jez, where are we exactly?". Jezzer professed not to know. "Eh? I thought you knew". Both of us have lived around here for more than 40 years. We rode around generally hoping something would look recognisable. Nothing did but somehow we ended up back at his house.

I believe the following photographs are a representative sample which show that we were fully in control of our destiny at all times. Yes, we were. Admittedly not always vertical I grant you but still.

Simple pleasures, happy days.

(and no, "no crops were flattened in the process of making these photos", we were quite careful)

[fatbikephil]

First proper thunderstorm here after months of them being forecasted.
Bivvy or bust this weekend. Memo to self - try and get somewhere a bit further afield this month!
See you on the other side.

[RIP]

Don't forget to attach your lightning conductor to your tarp pole!

[pistonbroke]

Bloody Spanish health system!
Had an appointment at the local hospital this morning at 8.10 arrived at 8, took my ticket and waited a whole 3 minutes to go in. Had a brain scan ( nothing found before you chip in) then saw I had another appt scheduled for 8.40 so messaged Mrs PB to have a quick coffee in the canteen and went to check the screen. The nurse was in the corridor shouting my name so in the time it took for Mrs PB to queue for a drink, I had my height, weight, blood pressure and circulation tested. All done in half an hour. Feeling a bit cheated of an opportunity to complain

[PaulB2]

All done in half an hour. Feeling a bit cheated of an opportunity to complain

Ha, I had a CT scan 7 weeks ago, I finally find out the results on the 4th. Not sure if that’s an oblique way of telling me that it’s nothing serious. 5 months in and no concrete diagnosis.

[ledburner]

Don't forget to attach your lightning conductor to your tarp pole!

Phil ... dig a ditch, (not a titch-ditch)..
And a rubber insulated bivvy mat?

[ledburner]

I've woke up Hungry 2 morning on the trot., (It hasn't been like that for years). I think I've kick started a higher metabolic rate I've also lost a 1.5kg. In 3days. Constipation was a Pain i.t.A'se. It must have been the general anaesthetic a few weeks ago.
Also Trespass sizing, trouser large, waist 33-35". On size chart.
Arrive label 'Large 36-36" '. A little generously cut mis labeled & may be not needed...

[whitestone]

Bloody Spanish health system!
Had an appointment at the local hospital this morning at 8.10 arrived at 8, took my ticket and waited a whole 3 minutes to go in. Had a brain scan ( nothing found before you chip in) then saw I had another appt scheduled for 8.40 so messaged Mrs PB to have a quick coffee in the canteen and went to check the screen. The nurse was in the corridor shouting my name so in the time it took for Mrs PB to queue for a drink, I had my height, weight, blood pressure and circulation tested. All done in half an hour. Feeling a bit cheated of an opportunity to complain

The NHS used to be like that (There you go, I'll do your complaining for you! ) Good to hear all's clear though.

And....

We're off on our hols tonight, over to Ireland for a week's bike touring around the SW.

[RIP]

Also Trespass sizing

Were you prosecuted... or persecuted... ?

[pistonbroke]

Sorry to confuse with the nothing found quip, the scan will be analysed in due course, my follow up appointment with the consultant is next Wednesday. Not sure whether the speed is worrying or just par for the course in the Spanish system. My issue is persistent migraines which as of yet they've not found a cause for. The speed of treatment here is amazing, the only time I've waited more than an hour for anything was when the doctor was ill and I failed to understand the tannoy announcement asking those waiting to rebook.

[Bearbonesnorm]

The postie has just delivered two pairs of lovely socks. Why is that cheery? Mainly because they were a surprise from an anonymous benefactor ... thank you

[thenorthwind]

Off to Estonia today (well, actually Latvia, because we're flying to Riga, but Estonia tomorrow). Our first overseas holiday since 2019. Travelling around quite a bit, so I've applied TLS principles and just taking a 60l rucksack for 16 nights. We're hiring bikes and spending 5 days touring one of the islands - will be taking even less for that bit

[Dave Barter]

Cheery Friday here in Devon as it is the LAST day of school holidays and the grocks will be on their way home soon

[ledburner]

Also Trespass sizing

Were you prosecuted... or persecuted... ?

I pleaded innocent as just lost in their sizing.

[fatbikephil]

Very, very cheery for me
Knocked off from another fraught working week (bloody net**** r**l) cruised down to local country park, inflated packraft, paddled to the middle of the loch, stopped paddling and laid back in the sun whilst the wind gently wafted me across to the far side, paddled back, came home, now drinking beer. Same venue tomorrow for some leisurely conservation volunteering ('orchard management' = a bit of grass cutting, eating apples and sitting in the sun with bits of straw in our mouths saying things like "'appen it's been a no bad summer all in all") Sunday I will be taking a train to fair Stonehaven and then peddling into the hills ("The Mounth" no less) for a few days of cycle touring with not much kit and off road (ish) oh that will be bikepacking then

PS - weather forecast looks absolutely stunning!

[frogatthefarriers]

Ha, I had a CT scan 7 weeks ago, I finally find out the results on the 4th. Not sure if that’s an oblique way of telling me that it’s nothing serious. 5 months in and no concrete diagnosis.

Double Ha! When I’d had my heart attack back in May 2020, they sent me to Bangor hospital for an MRI scan, (eighty miles each way, mark you) on a special kind of scanner that they didn’t have in our local hospital. The appointment was for the beginning of September. I went, then forgot about it until one day at the end of October, when I got a call from the hospital.

“Mr Frog?”
“Yes?”
“Are you all right?”
“I sure am. What's up”
“Oh, well we found a blood clot in your heart. You’d better come in right away while we think about what to do next”

An afternoon on the ward followed and I left with some tablets that turned me into a haemophiliac for six months

It’s a good job I’m made of sturdy stuff, that’s what I say.

[PaulB2]

Ha, I had a CT scan 7 weeks ago, I finally find out the results on the 4th. Not sure if that’s an oblique way of telling me that it’s nothing serious. 5 months in and no concrete diagnosis.

Double Ha! When I’d had my heart attack back in May 2020, they sent me to Bangor hospital for an MRI scan, (eighty miles each way, mark you) on a special kind of scanner that they didn’t have in our local hospital. The appointment was for the beginning of September. I went, then forgot about it until one day at the end of October, when I got a call from the hospital.

“Mr Frog?”
“Yes?”
“Are you all right?”
“I sure am. What's up”
“Oh, well we found a blood clot in your heart. You’d better come in right away while we think about what to do next”

An afternoon on the ward followed and I left with some tablets that turned me into a haemophiliac for six months

It’s a good job I’m made of sturdy stuff, that’s what I say.

Ok, you win

[ledburner]

Yesterday my head's in a good place. Returned to work. After a crappy week. A UTI & chronic constipationand attending our of hours surgery had us on the wrong bus on the way home. Which is why it took forever to come up with a fare, not a simple "this is the wrong bus". Whilst deciding where it was best to get off, I thanked my daughter
"for taking the old lad out for an afternoon out on the buses".
Then added a bit later, "I suppose this is what you'll be doing in 25 years time", (meaning taking me for days out).
Her reply "Getting a UTI! Well Thanks dads".

At least the minor ops been successful removing a cyst pseudo bollock. (Like a non negotiable 3 for 2 offer down there.*)
I look forward to riding the bike comfortably next year.
.....and return of a think before post filter (must be the post UTI).

* The consultant, 'yes it large enough to operate, not the biggest that was grapefruit sized [testicular] cyst'

[Edit] now Mrs ledburner has offered me fresh plums from our garden. ..wooden spoon...

[RIP]

[Edit] now Mrs ledburner has offered me fresh plums from our garden. ..wooden spoon...

Now that was naughty of her

[AndreR]

The 23% climb out of woolacombe to get back to croyde wouldn’t be fun

Pretty sure we saw you coming up thatas we were driving down, did yell Boners out the car windo as we passed!

[PaulB2]

The 23% climb out of woolacombe to get back to croyde wouldn’t be fun

Pretty sure we saw you coming up thatas we were driving down, did yell Boners out the car windo as we passed!

I don't think it was me, I didn't end up using my bike since the kids pretty much wanted to just go to the beach.

[ledburner]

I just done my first watercolour in 30+ years.

I enjoyed the switching off whilst doing it...


I'll let you decide which way round & what it is ...

[JohnClimber]

My week long our of office comes on in 3 hours.

And this just arrived ready for the holiday

[whitestone]

Currently sat in the shade in a sweltering Phoenix Park.

[Bearbonesnorm]

I just done my first watercolour in 30+ years.

Something very special about 'creating' - lovely