A beautiful day

The day got off to a great start today with a well deserved lie in.
I'm not a big lie in fan normally preferring to get up and enjoy the day, but just recently I have been really enjoying a bit of extra time in bed in the morning.
I think I was up and about just after 10ish, had a good shower and shave and was set up for what was looking like a perfect day.
All forecasts were looking good and for tomorrow too.
So we got a bit of washing out, had a bit of a tidy up and then it was time for a quick bit of lunch before heading up to the health centre for the afternoon table top sale.
We arrived very early, in fact too early for the tables hadn't arrived when we got there.
It wasn't long until they turned up and we set about sorting out various bit and bobs to sell.
The sun was lovely and warm and the view from the car park very good too.
We had the sale from between 2.30 and 4.30 although several keen buyers were checking out the goods well before that! hehe.
The sale was a success being in aid of the Hospital league of friends and we were helped out by our local young footballers who were helping out behind the tables as part of a community task for them to be able to take part in the upcoming Plymouth Argyle training weekend being held at the end of this month over here.
The kids were really good and were a pleasure to have around.
We raised over £200 today from sales of jumble,cakes,toys and books, plus a raffle.
So it was all good.
After the sale all of us that organised the sale felt it would be a good idea to pop down to the chip van again..
And by the time all the unsold goodies had been sorted out it was almost teatime.
So we headed down to Porthcressa once more for some sausages and chips tonight.
It felt a bit warmer tonight as there was no wind to speak of at all.
There were many people out enjoying the weather, people walking, playing volleyball or just sitting enjoying the view.
Whatever you fancied it was a good day for it!
After tea and a quick kick about on the bank we had a quick look down the quay (the boys favourite place!)
And then it was home for bath and bed.
I certainly feel like I have been in the sun today, my ears are hot and I reckon I really should have put on some suncream!
That is the problem over here it needn't be hot to get sun burnt.
The temp was about a top of 16 degrees in the sun out of the wind, but the strength of the sun is quite something, and I saw more than a few people looking a bit to red...
A warning for any visitors out there, wear a hat and always apply a good suncream before heading out when any sun is about.
Tomorrow being Easter Sunday, no doubt will be an early start with the boys being keen to find out what the Easter bunny may have left...

Bank Holiday Friday

Well today was the day that I had been looking forward to for quite a while as it heralds 4 days without any work.
I didn't hang about making the most of my relaxing time and didn't get up until 8.30.
I was prevented from lounging around for too long this morning as Michael was heading off at 9.15 to spend the morning making and selling doughnuts out the front of the Island Carriers office.
It was a beautiful sunny start to the day, if a little cool in the westerly breeze, but after yesterday rain it was great to see the sun for my time off.
After dropping off Mike I did a quick spot of shopping and got some diesel in the car and headed home.
There wasn't allot of time at home before we were all off to sample the doughnuts and then try out a pastie from the Pilchard Pit on the quay.
At £2.50 a throw they were very nice pasties.
We were on the quay to meet up with our good friends who have come down from Devon for a few days and they were arriving on the Scillonian.
It was a great day for photography and I reckon I took a pic of pretty much everything I saw today!
After meeting our friends off the boat we headed to Holgates Green for what turned out to be the rest of the afternoon.
We had ice creams and sat and chatted all afternoon.
With the weather being so good we decided that we should stick around and have some fish and chips on Porthcressa Bank.
It was very good having got ours from the chip van.
The evening ended at around 7.20 fro I needed to drop off my niece to a party for 7.30 so we all headed up to the golf club with her to drop her off.
It was certainly a really good day and just what I needed after such a sustained time of hard work.
I ended up falling asleep on the sofa for an hour or two before awaking and having enough energy to get on here and put something together for the ole' blog!
Tomorrow is looking good again but will be slightly spoilt by having to partly organise a table top sale and attend the event too.
At least the forecast is good again, so i'm sure it will be another great day one way or another..

St Martins

It was pretty foggy last night when it was dark and I was pleased to see that it had gone when I woke up this morning.
It was still grey though and there was a stiff southerly breeze, set to increase throughout the day.
I had breakfast and headed down to the quay to see if any boats were heading up to St Martins.
I had a job up at Churchtown Farm again to do another 2 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms.
I was in luck, as I arrived the Lightning was just getting ready to leave.
So i hopped on with my tools and all and headed off into the choppy sea.
It was a fine trip up and I managed a couple of pics.
There is a Razorbill in one shot, you can just make out a blackish blob!
I got a lift up to the farm from Lowertown Quay and set straight to work.
I timed the day well, with it being Keith Lows' official retirement "do" at the farm and at 10.30 everyone stopped for coffee and cake and other nibbles.
It was lovely and there was speeches from Andrew Julian and Keith himself who was presented with an brand new outboard as a retirement gift.
He has been dedicated to his job and this is truly a worthy gift for a highly respected local man.
I had lots to do though so headed back to work and I had one room completed by lunch.
After lunch of a couple of sandwiches I knuckled down to work and finished off the other room and bathroom and was all done by 3.30.
So another successful day on St Martins.
There was a boat to catch back down at Lowertown at 4.10, so we got a lift down and when we got there the weather was pretty grim.
The tide was high making it difficult to berth the Lightning but skipper Paul Smith did a great job of bringing her in and although she was bobbing like a cork alongside the quay all the passengers and luggage were safely transferred.
The trip back was quite rough to start off with a by now very fresh wind probably a force 7 or so..
It was also nearly high tide which at the moment are spring tides and this made a difference to the sea state too.
When I arrived back at St Marys I had a few things to do and by now it was raining properly after being on and off spitting for most of the day.
It dried briefly letting me take a few pics from up at Buzza Hill and down at Holgates Green
From Holgates I spotted an old Bonwitco "With" boat that is pretty much what I am looking for by way of a new boat...so if any one sees one similar for sale let me know please?
They have brought out a new model now so may look a bit different but these boats are ideal for over here.
Well those and maybe a Pioner 15 or Viking for me.
I had the Pioner Maxi and we outgrew it as a family of 5!

Sunday,Monday,Tuesday and today.......in brief!

So after a really busy week and hopefully my last one like it for a long time.
It was great to wake up on Sunday morning to open the curtains on a beautiful day.
today was the last league match of the year and was being played just down the road on the primary school pitch.
We headed down a bit late with a picnic and watched the men play while also playing on the skate park.
It was great down there and we all had a good time, after the men had left we had a kick about before heading up to the Garrison to do a bit of Lasertagging.
This is like paint balling with the paintball guns.
You use laser guns instead that are very accurate..
You wear a baseball cap with a sensor front and rear.
We started off on the football pitch hiding behind camo windbreaks that well placed all over the field.
After that we headed off into the pine trees for a team game and then back to the field to do a last man standing game where it was every man for himself.

Now I'm not an aggressive person at all, but I have to admit I did get caught up in the game and took it all quite seriously, particularly i our final game that was adults only in the woods where my team took on another..and won!
The guys running the lasertag sessions were across from Penzance where they run a business over there where you can go along and play.
It was great fun and I think everyone should have a go...
After all the running around of lasertagging and lots of football I wasn't really up for much for the rest of the day, and didn't do much when we got home.
A good day off.
I woke up Monday morning determined that my busyness was over and I was going to have an easier time now.
This meant re arranging jobs and basically avoiding work for a few days.
The boys are off from school for the Easter holidays and I really struggle to go to work when the whole family is home having fun.
I think I finally went to work mid morning and did some work.
Can't remember exactly what now......
I certainly recall spending a long while on the phone to some men in India about my lack of internet but was assured several times that it was an exchange fault.

On Tuesday I was pinned down to finish off my last job for Island Properties.
A hall,stairs and landing at 2 Bayview Terrace.
I got this done in quite good time with my son Brandon helping me out.
I reckon he will be the one son that might well follow in my footsteps.....
At lunchtime I had another half an hour on the phone to Tiscali but had a bit more success managing to reset my router of which half of the setting were incorrect, but it still didn't work.
So I went back to work again.
When I got home after work the internet was back and I was a happy man.
No idea what happened in the end, why it went off or how it came back and I don't care really.....It just good to have it back!

Today Wednesday has been fairly straight forward with a bit of running around with the kids this morning and the guinea pigs to clean out, washing to hang out and some vinyl to fit in a bathroom.
After lunch I did another bathroom vinyl and prepared a room for more vinyl.
It was a fairly easy day, and tomorrow I am heading back up to St Martins and Churchtown Farm to do 2 more bedrooms and bathrooms in their staff accommodation...

St Martins

So going back to last Friday and it was quite a hectic day.
I had a whole load of work to do on St Martins, 5 bedrooms,hallway and lounge carpets to be done on Friday afternoon and Saturday morning before the guests arrived at lunchtime on Saturday.
Now I'm not normally this dis organised and usually manage to get my jobs done with time for the customer to get their places ready for their visitors.
But this one I had left a bit late and then was let down by the carpet manufacturers who took well over a week to get the carpets delivered.
This usually takes a few days...
The problem was compounded by the lack of the Gry Maritha and it was all down to my friends at the Carpet Warehouse in Penzance who managed to arrange to get the carpets on the Scillonian.
It was always going to be a bit of a rush.
The delivery went well and it everything arrived on time, more or less.
The Lightning took all of the carpets and underlay in one trip and I followed up on the next trip after having to wait a while until I could find the Gripper that was also on the Scillonian too.
It was found just in time by my mate Eldred on the quay who found it for me and I had about 3 minutes to spare before the Lightning left for St Martins.
So a mad hour there...
On arrival at St Martins I was presented with a mountain of carpet and underlay that all had to done in a short space of time.
We didn't hang about and set straight to work.
I managed to get 4 bedrooms and the hallway done by the time my boat home was due to leave at 6.50.
By now the weather had closed in and it was raining and blowing hard too.
But I was happy with my achievements for the day.
I was glad to get home for a good rest, but I would be up early the next day to head back up to finish off.







Saturday...

So it was an early start with a 8.10 boat.
It was a bright start and with just a bedroom and lounge to do and some doors to plane I had no real worries that the job would be completed in time.
I set about finishing off and got it all done by my lunchtime deadline.
the guests had arrived on an early boat but were happy to sit and wait in the garden sat out on chairs in the sun.
I took a few pics when I had finished and took a walk down to the quay before heading home on the Voyager.
On the quay it was really good to see Bee and Jeff from Bristol who had just arrived for a diving trip.
I'm glad the weather was good for their arrival.
While leaving on the Voyager the wind was offshore and the smell of the gorse that was in flower on Cruthers Hill was truly amazing.
Just a lovely scent.
I headed home when I got back St Marys for a well earned rest and settled down for a nice weekend...
Then I lost my internet connection!!!!!

I'm Back

Well kind of..
My internet died sometime on Saturday and after many calls to Tiscali it has returned at last!
I will get about to updating again now really soon.
But I have the last pool night tonight and have no recent pictures due to not having any internet.
So I'll do a quick one later on...
Thanks to those of you who are still looking in!