it has been to long

The 3rd of August  2024 was the last post. I did start writing some new posts but they were never finished or published. So here is what has happened in the last 16 odd months (in no particular order):

• Retired
• Our cat Domino, had to be put to sleep.
• Karen Legs are still an issue
• Our back garden of 6ft high brambles have been levelled, now 9 inch weeds
• We got a new (to us) car
• I have retired from work
• We have two new cats
• 2 Holidays one location
• And more
• Conclusion

Retired

I guess the biggest note on the above list is I have retired. It was towards the end of 2024 I realised that in just over 12 months before my retirement date was reached. After Xmas 2025 I decided I should do some checking to find out A) when can I retire and B) if I could afford to retire. Back in my younger days I was more concerned about the present rather than saving for tomorrow. I found out from the government web site that I could retire on 9th Jan 2026 when I turned 66. So I had a date but could I afford to?? I had been well advised many years ago to put even a small amount of money aside, fortunately it would provide for me in retirement.

While I was happy that I could retire, the wife was not, she also checked the date when she could retire and she has another couple of years to go. Apparently DoB falls the wrong side of the women retirement age change. Not a happy bunny.

I decided that there was little point in me going back to work after Xmas and New Year so I retired on 24th December 2025. Slowly getting into the change of lifestyle. Knowing I was retiring, meant I need to ensure I had a hobby to give me something to do. I had plenty of hobbys but none that I would call active. I decided that after 20 plus years I had had enough of Fish Keeping. Hopefully by early February the last of the aquatic equipment should have gone. I will let you know what the new hobby is later.

New car, Bramble Removal

Having decided to retire and setting the retirement wheels in motion, I was a afforded a lump sum on money. We had already discussed that at some point in the future we would change the the current car (o7 Fiesta). There was nothing wrong with the car, it was still classified as low mileage for its age. There were no issues with it but that is not going to last forever. Having decided on a budget the search for a replacement started. We soon realised that our budget did not cover our the cost of our preferred car (VW Tiguan). While looking at various options we found a 2019 Nissan Juke,  Low Mileage close to where we lived. The looked great, took it for a test drive and it is now sat on our drive. Thank fully  the Fiesta was sold to a neighbour relative.

Garden Make Over

We decided to get somebody with the proper tools to remove the brambles from the garden. They were over 6ft high in places and thicker than your thumb. We also found a Wasp nest and  Bees nest. The wasp nest was the size of a football, fortunately we were out the day it was removed.

 

It took the gardener 7 days to clear the Garden, right through the hot spell in the summer. We then spent the next couple of weeks digging up brambles roots and new bramble shoots. Being retired means I (hopefully) can spend some more time keeping the garden under control.

Domino RIP

During September 2025 we noticed that our old Foster Cat Domino was going down hill. He had a large cancerous growth on his left shoulder. He also had an issue with his nose which was basically being eaten away (cancer again). The vet recommend that we put him put to sleep and said that they would not be able to provide any further treatment for him. We said that he was not suffering. His list of aliments was long and the outlook bleak, but he was still the same old cat we took on back in 2023. We took him home and continued to look after him. Unfortunately a few weeks later there was a noticeable change and after discussing with the Cat Rescue we decided the time was right to have him put to sleep.

Taking him to the vets for the last time has to be one of the hardest thing we had to go through. Knowing we would not be bring Domino home was hard. Walking out of the Vets we were both in tears. The cat rescue offered to take him to the vets for us but there was no way we could not take him.  You never realise how far those little furballs can work there way into your life.

Hello Milly & Molly

We decided that we would adopt a cat again but decided it would be after Xmas (2025). We were told in January  of 2 indoor cats were available and I agreed to go and see them. My daughter came with me (the wife was working). I walked into the pen containing the cats we were looking at and within 20 seconds I had been chosen by one of the cats (when I say chosen, the cat came up to me and placed its paws on my shoulder and tried to climb onto me). A few minutes later the same cat took a flying leap onto my daughters shoulders. The other cat was slightly  more timid but would allow you to approach touch and then run off.  I decide that yes we would take on these two new furballs, little did we know what we were letting ourselves in for.

Two Holiday, One locations

During 2024 we decide to rent a converted Hayloft in Hertfordshire for our holiday in September. Not sure where we found this place but it was online and it looked really good. When we got there it was so much better than the description and photos had shown. Spacious, quiet (accept for nature), in the middle of no where & well equipped. The only downside was it rained for most of the week. Did not stop us for getting about and enjoying ourselves.

It was so good that we decided that we would go back in September 2025. This turned out to be not such a good idea. Its a bit like having a favourite restaurant. You tell all your friends and family how good it was. Then you take your family and friend for a meal at the restaurant and the meal turns out to be average. There was nothing different about the Hayloft (or the weather), but it just did not have the sparkle, excitement the previous year holiday had. We relaxed and enjoyed our time there. Got caught in horrendous thunder storms, had sunny days and wet days.

We sprung a leak

Late one Sunday night after xmas we were sat there when all the computers and other electrical equipment all went off. Further investigation found that the downstairs circuit had tripped. Rest it and all started working,  20 minutes later tripped again and thus the reset trip continued  until our sun noticed we had a water leak in the utilities room. We traced the leak to a solder joint on the central heating boiler, which just happen to be directly above a 240v fused switch (fused spur) for the boiler. We turned the boiler off and place a container under the leak and once again reset the electric. Once again this all happened in the cold snap just after Xmas. Had to wait 3 days for the plumber but we were fortunate that we had a boiler service booked.

Billy the Badger

Ever since we moved into our current house we have had wild life in the garden. We have had Foxes, Squirrels, Toads, Slow Worms, Hawks and yes Badgers. It is worth pointing out that we live in the suburbs built up area. We noticed a large hole going under the fence into the neighbours. Thinking it was foxes I filled it in. Next day it had been dug out. So I filled it back in and placed a large concrete block in the hole. Following day the hole had been dug out again and the concrete block moved out the hole!!

While we have not seen Billy, he has been spotted by our neighbour late at night\early morning trotting up and down our drives.

After showing his muscle and finding many more of his entrances and exit to our Garden he showed his displeasure by pulling our fence apart (the fence devide’s the front and rear gardens). The badgers did this several time the latest was  eating the the bottom of the side gate. It was rotten but billy went out of his way to show us. So we had to spend more funds to have the fence and gate replaced.

Garden Part 2

Having spent a small fortune having the garden cleared plans were made on what we wanted to do and where were were starting. Well due to the weather that went out the window. Have not been able to get outside, managed a couple of hours before the rains returned couple of days ago. Back in November I pruned some Forsythia and piled the clipping up at the bottom of the garden. Image my surprise when I went to pick them up and place them in the garden bin, the clip[pings were budding and close to flowing.

We have had so much rain that even laying on the ground they have managed to survive and grow. I took clipping from them and hopefully they will take and and become additional Forsythia bushes. It is now mid February and I have managed just 1.5 days in the garden. Monitoring the garden for bramble growth will be a priority assuming it stops raining and warms up.

I want to get one corner of the garden sorted out as we need to bury the ashes of Domino (our first cat) in the garden. I don’t think sitting in a cardboard box on top of our unit was what we had in mind when he cremated.

Conclusion

Well as much as I want to keep this blog up to date it is not happening. Most of my good intention for the new year have gone out the window for reason like weather. I am trying to get my weight under control I have not weighed myself but I will later tonight as I have a diabetes check tomorrow. But my step count for the most part has been up since the start of the year compared to what my step count was when working. Not much but it is a start.

I have a plan in my head for the next 5 weeks until the end of March, some of it is weather dependant. Some is get up and go dependant, trying to make it all work. Lets see what happens.