New Tyre day!

[Beelady]

Tuesday will be raining hard, according to the forecast, as always. I am having new tyres fitted. Bridgestones! I'm treating myself to a pair and also a Scottoiler. I am very sick of having a filthy back wheel and the constant effort of trying to keep the back of the bike and me clean. Also I can't get the bike onto the centre stand. After 50 million attempts I have given up.
I had one on the Striple and it was brilliant. The modern version is very expensive and I also have to pay to have it fitted. I hope it's not too technical. The old version took a bit of experimentation to get the drip rate spot on in all weathers but I'm told these modern ones work it out for me. Yeah. Right. I'll believe it when I see it

[Beelady]

Yes. It rained a lot. Yes, it was very windy. Yes, I froze and wondered what I was doing out there, but the new tyres stuck to the road nicely and I felt pretty safe.
I was so pleased to get home and have a hot bath. and while I was warming up it occurred to me that I had just done a round trip of 120+ miles, all in truly awful weather, some of it on new tyres on a modern motorcycle that has rider aids and a special rain mode button.
I wish I'd remembered that before I got home

[Snev]

I tried using the Rain Mode once, nothing happened, it still carried on raining !

Seriously though Emma, it's great to hear you are well and out there riding.
Not much happening here, motorhome stuck on the drive, blown main fuse somewhere, Airbag ECU warning light on again, got to get the ECU reset before the MOT or it will fail, Side entrance door lock busted for no reason at all, needs a full service, Cambelt and Waterpump too.... The Tuono has a serious engine issue most probably expensive, the Grom doesn't like Winter and just refuses to come out of the Garage, the FJ 1200 is in a state of deep hibernation so that just leaves the Electric bite which I use every day but not for any long trips.
Going a bit stir crazy to be honest, taken up bird watching and feeding them all.

[Beelady]

I used to love watching my birds and it used to cost a fortune in food, but worth every penny. All sorts of birds used to come. Once there was even a Kingfisher visiting, I think almost every common bird in Britain used to come and then in winter there were Fieldfares all over the hawthorn hedges as well. I even saw a female cuckoo in one of the trees.
Moorhens with gangly chicks used to come into the garden and eat the duck food and Swans nested on the edge of the dyke. It was over 20 years of amazing surprises. Absolutely brilliant.
Do you tick your birds off in a book? Some of the twitchers couldn't move without writing every sighting down.
You had to be careful about muddling your Reed Warbler with your Marsh Warbler. All in the leg colour and a minute eye marking apparently.

It's strange how often one vehicle has a breakdown and all the others join in too. I'm finding not having a car rather strange. I have taken to hanging around in car parks, trying to find another car to buy.
I think the trouble is a complete lack of interest. I know what I want but there's nothing recent.
All the local car sales places think I'm weird as I want to be able to sleep on the back seat now and again. I get the impression that's not a very high priority for most people

[Snev]

Feeding the birds has always been a thing but more recently i've become a lot more involved, I buy large bags of different foods and make up different mixtures with lard or Suit and place them strategicaly so that I can watch from the motorhome and also to stop all the magpies and other larger birds from pinching it all. I do scatter nuts and seeds further up the drive so at least they get some.
We have lots of many species now but no Finches of Thrushes, too many Starlings though, they are absolute thugs !
Cars, we now own a 2000 (W plate) Toyota Yaris 1.0 litre which only has 56,000 miles but with full history, It does the job.

Our Son just bought a new VW Golf so we let him park it on the drive ! All our neighbors have new Electric cars but the Yaris is the talking point !!!!

[Snev]

Oh and just to add that i saw the car up for sale, went and took a look and it dents dings and scratches on every panel so It's ideal for Sam to drive !

[Ninjachica]

We buy bags of nuts for the red squirrels. Such fun to watch.

Ed made a wire basket and they go in upside down to take the nuts.

Not seen many recently, but the nuts are going.

Then i spotted a magpie on the edge of the basket. He tipped up like one of those funny balancing things you got on drinking glasses in the 70s, and swiped the nuts.

[Snev]

Not seen a Red for so long now, plenty of Greys though.... I discovered a while back that Magpies like curry ! They are terrible bullies though especially to Pigeons.