Your Duck is Dead.

A woman brought a very limp duck into a veterinary surgeon. As she laid her pet on the table, the vet pulled out his stethoscope and listened to the bird's chest.

After a moment or two, the vet shook his head and sadly said, "I'm sorry, your duck, Cuddles, has passed away."

The distressed woman wailed, "Are you sure?"

"Yes, I am sure. Your duck is dead," replied the vet..

"How can you be so sure?" she protested. "I mean you haven't done any testing on him or anything. He might just be in a coma or something."

The vet rolled his eyes, turned around and left the room. He returned a few minutes later with a black Labrador Retriever. As the duck's owner looked on in amazement, the dog stood on his hind legs, put his front paws on the examination table and sniffed the duck from top to bottom. He then looked up at the vet with sad eyes and shook his head.

The vet patted the dog on the head and took it out of the room. A few minutes later he returned with a cat. The cat jumped on the table and also delicately sniffed the bird from head to foot. The cat sat back on its haunches, shook its head, meowed softly and strolled out of the room.

The vet looked at the woman and said, "I'm sorry, but as I said, this is most definitely, 100% certifiably, a dead duck."

The vet turned to his computer terminal, hit a few keys and produced a bill, which he handed to the woman..

The duck's owner, still in shock, took the bill. "$150!" she cried, "$150 just to tell me my duck is dead!"

The vet shrugged, "I'm sorry. If you had just taken my word for it, the bill would have been $20, but with the Lab Report and the Cat Scan, it's now $150."

Dead heading.

This flower obviously doesn't need dead heading but there certain ones that need to be kept dead headed in order to encourage them to keep on flowering. Also as its forecast a nice week here in the UK it would be a good idea to get out and get those weeds under control as this is by far the best sort of weather for that job.

-- Sent from my HP Pre3

Singapore Grand Prix.

At the moment I'm watching the Singapore grand prix, it looks like Vettel is going to win again and as usual Lewis Hamilton is having a very incident packed race. Vicki has gone to the hospital with Fallon because she went to the dentist last week and he took out a tooth and he didn't do a very good job and has been in terrible pain ever since.

-- Sent from my HP TouchPad

Confusing.

A bit of fun for you.

My daughter and I went through the McDonald's take-out window and I gave the clerk a £5 note. Our total was £4.20, so I also handed her a 20 pence piece. She said, 'You gave me too much money.'
I said, 'Yes I know, but this way you can just give me £1 back..'
She sighed and went to get the Manager who asked me to repeat my request.
I did so, and he handed me back the 20 pence and said 'We're sorry but we do not do that kind of thing.'
The clerk then proceeded to give me back 80 pence in change..
Do not confuse the clerks at MacDonald's. 

-- Sent from my HP TouchPad

Cow girl and sheep dog.

Tonight Vicki has gone to a barn dance and so decided to dress up as a cow girl much to the amusement of Tess.

-- Sent from my HP TouchPad

Who's bed is this?

Come on guys move over, its my bed when all's said and done.

-- Sent from my HP TouchPad

The worlds biggest mower.

I saw this video on Youtube yesterday and I thought it was so amazing that I would share it with you. I find it hard to believe that even non farming people would not find interesting. The second video is much the same as the first but I think it's worth watching just to see how the whole things packs up in to a nice little road going package, it certainly wouldn't look out of place in a Transformers movie. I will have to see if I can persuade the boss to buy me one to cut the lawns!






-- Sent from my Windows 7 PC

Classic Tractors.

Tonight I am going to post a few more pictures from this years festival of the plough. The festival is all about bygone times so all the exhibits and demonstrations etc. are things from my past, my fathers past and even from a time when my grandfather was growing up. I can still recall stories told to me by my granddad of steam engines and thrashing machines and at this festival you can actually see them all working more or less the same as he had in his day.

Below are pictures of some classic tractors, mostly from recent history, all of these models have been around during my lifetime. The red one in the third picture (a David Brown Cropmaster) was the first tractor I ever rode on, my dad used to take me ploughing with him on a similar but older model to this. Another thing that I find amazing is that these tractors have most likely been run almost to destruction yet to look at them on display now you would think they just left the factory. I think the way they look is a great credit to the people who have restored them.

David Brown 780

Fordson Major Diesel

David Brown

Massey Ferguson 135

Massey Ferguson 2640

International 3588

-- Sent from my Windows 7 PC

Fourth Generation.

Sara left a comment on last nights post saying that she didn't know Tomatoes could have another crop, it's understandable to think this because as far as I know the usual thing is to just crop them once and then pull them up. Another interesting things about these two plants is that they are in fact the third generation. I sowed the seed in January 2010 and grew them on in the normal way. Then at some point in the summer of 2010 I rooted a couple of side shoots which I grew on to crop during last Winter. Before these winter plants were pulled up I took two more cuttings and grew these plants on to produce an early crop this summer and these are the two plants that you see in the picture which as you can are about to crop for the second time this summer, the second crop coming from a side shoot allowed to grow after the main stem was cut down. Also from these two plants I have taken two more cuttings which I hope to grow on to produce a crop this coming winter and these plants will be the fourth generation of the plants I grew from seed sown in January 2010. I'm doing this just as a bit of fun, the main body of the crop comes from seed in the normal way.

-- Sent from my HP TouchPad

Second Crop.

Today I cleared out all but two of the Tomato plants from the greenhouse. The two plants left are in actual fact starting produce their second crop of the season. After they finished cropping the first time I cut the plant down to the ground and then allowed one new shoot to grow and so produce the second crop that you see in the picture.

-- Sent from my HP TouchPad

A day off work.

I have a day off work today as there is some stuff to sort out with our house so we have come to see about the and maybe take the dogs a walk somewhere later when we have dropped my parents back home. The picture with this post is of the lane by our house.

-- Sent from my HP Pre3

Festival of the plough 2011

Today we went to the annual 'festival of the plough' near Epworth. With me and Vicki were my parents and as it is a great place to take dogs I took Tom with us who always appreciates a good day out especially if at some point the is a picnic involved.

In the picture is one of a number of stream engines, this one was working with another to pull a plough back and forth between them.

-- Sent from my HP TouchPad

Tonight me and Tess are going to stay at my parents house as I want to take Tess for a little walk tomorrow. The first one won't be very far as the vet said to break her in slowly.

-- Sent from my HP Pre3

Potatoes in pots.

This morniing I have been potting up some Potatoes to be grown in the greenhouse for a Winter crop. You will notice that I haven't filled the pots to the top which I could have done but I'm going to do that when I see some growth coming through and the reason for this being so that I can mix feed with the growing medium before applying. In the picture you will see the pots under the greenhouse staging where  they will stay until I see growth then they will be brought into full light.

-- Sent from my HP Pre3

Windfall Apples

Today is mowing day and as a resulf of all the wind of late there were lots of apples to pick up before I started with the mower.

-- Sent from my HP Pre3

Potato Crop.

The picture shows part of this years Potato Crop, there was another wheel barrow full like you see in the picture.
Having gone through the summer without a break from work I've booked a weeks holiday for next month, I'm not sure what we are doing yet, it would be nice to go away but Vicki is thinking that we should do work on our house as the building work should be completed by then.
As you will see I have been making alterations to my blog, I've sort of incorporated my two blogs in to one. I'm not sure if I like it this way but at least its more practical for writing and probably for reading as well as everything is all in one place. I did like the diary layout but it was not very handy for personlising.
I've spent most of my time at work today weeding and tidying. Things have dried out again what with the wind and the sun so I thought I would take the opportunity to get rid of some weeds that have been lapping up the recent rainfall.

-- Sent from my HP TouchPad

Flyball Training.

Hello everyone, Have you had a good day? Today I have been lifting the potato crop at work, I am pleased with them as there is a good amount of large ones which seem sound and blight free. It always pays to keep an eye on them through the winter though. The other thing is to find somewhere cool dark and frost free, oh yes and be sure to watch out for mice or even rats, both of which are good at sniffing out food as winter sets in.

As promised below is the video of Tess doing a couple of runs during last Saturdays Flyball training. If you turn up the volume you can hear Fallon shouting encouragement.

Flyball Training.

Hello everyone, Have you had a good day? Today I have been lifting the potato crop at work, I am pleased with them as there is a good amount of large ones which seem sound and blight free. It always pays to keep an eye on them through the winter though. The other thing is to find somewhere cool dark and frost free, oh yes and be sure to watch out for mice or even rats, both of which are good at sniffing out food as winter sets in.

As promised below is the video of Tess doing a couple of runs during last Saturdays Flyball training. If you turn up the volume you can hear Fallon shouting encouragement.

A bit of news.

Hello everyone, I hope you're all feeling well. I am having a lazy day today. I went over to see to the greenhouses this morning and then at lunch time it was time to watch the Italian GP from Monza which Sebastian Vettel won with Jenson Button second and Fernando Alonso third. The highlight of the race was the battle between Lewis Hamilton and Michael Schumacher.

Yesterday me and Fallon took Teas to flyball, I am now nothing more than a spectator and companion to Fallon. I was looking in to local obedience  classes the other day thinking maybe I could Take to those instead but I am a bit reluctant after my failed attempt at flyball. Anyway with me playing no part in Flyball it gave me time to take a video of her progress for you which I will post in the nest day or two.

Things with our house upgrade are going apace, I haven't been down since before the work started so I am looking forward to seeing how things are going. There was a worrying sag to the kitchen floor which had me thinking that there was a serious problem with the foundations but they have the floor up and it seems that it's just the underfloor hardcore that has sunk and simply needs renewing and concreting over so that's good news. The rest is just general stuff with no hidden entry's.

-- Sent from my HP TouchPad

A bit of news.

Hello everyone, I hope you're all feeling well. I am having a lazy day today. I went over to see to the greenhouses this morning and then at lunch time it was time to watch the Italian GP from Monza which Sebastian Vettel won with Jenson Button second and Fernando Alonso third. The highlight of the race was the battle between Lewis Hamilton and Michael Schumacher.

Yesterday me and Fallon took Teas to flyball, I am now nothing more than a spectator and companion to Fallon. I was looking in to local obedience  classes the other day thinking maybe I could Take to those instead but I am a bit reluctant after my failed attempt at flyball. Anyway with me playing no part in Flyball it gave me time to take a video of her progress for you which I will post in the nest day or two.

Things with our house upgrade are going apace, I haven't been down since before the work started so I am looking forward to seeing how things are going. There was a worrying sag to the kitchen floor which had me thinking that there was a serious problem with the foundations but they have the floor up and it seems that it's just the underfloor hardcore that has sunk and simply needs renewing and concreting over so that's good news. The rest is just general stuff with no hidden entry's.

-- Sent from my HP TouchPad

Tess at the tree (September).

Last night I showed you the tree for this month so tonight it is the turn of Tess. Tommy doesn't get to go to the tree any more but last night he did join us for a one off visit which is how he comes to be in the picture with Tess. It's worth enlarging the picture just to get a look at the expression on Tess's face. The trouble with having your picture taken is you have to stay still for at least two whole seconds which is why she is looking like she is about to start the 100 yard sprint.

July

August

September

Is that the look of a cheeky monkey or what?!!

Tess at the tree (September).

Last night I showed you the tree for this month so tonight it is the turn of Tess. Tommy doesn't get to go to the tree any more but last night he did join us for a one off visit which is how he comes to be in the picture with Tess. It's worth enlarging the picture just to get a look at the expression on Tess's face. The trouble with having your picture taken is you have to stay still for at least two whole seconds which is why she is looking like she is about to start the 100 yard sprint.

July

August

September

Is that the look of a cheeky monkey or what?!!

The Tree (September).

Below is a picture of 'The Tree' for September. As you can see the shadows are now getting longer as we slowly turn full circle, soon the leaves will be gone and maybe we will get one picture with snow on the ground before we say goodbye to the tree. In the field the old crop of oilseed rape is now nothing more than dead stalks waiting for the farmers plough to come and turn them under ready for the new crop to be born and so life in the field goes on year upon year and this is the world of the tree, it never moves yet it has seen many changes during its time on this earth.

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

The Tree (September).

Below is a picture of 'The Tree' for September. As you can see the shadows are now getting longer as we slowly turn full circle, soon the leaves will be gone and maybe we will get one picture with snow on the ground before we say goodbye to the tree. In the field the old crop of oilseed rape is now nothing more than dead stalks waiting for the farmers plough to come and turn them under ready for the new crop to be born and so life in the field goes on year upon year and this is the world of the tree, it never moves yet it has seen many changes during its time on this earth.

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

Vista.

Vista to the palm house from the gazebo.

-- Sent from my Palm Pre

Ripley Castle.

Today me and Vicki are visiting Ripley castle in North Yorkshire. With a bit of luck I might get an ice cream afterwards!

-- Sent from my Palm Pre