Retreiving Cat

Vegas has found out that cable ties are great fun and been playing with one for weeks now.

In the process we have discovered that, unlike Peggy (who's version of fetch involves running off and chewing whatever she should be fetching), Vegas is an excellent retreiver. It took a little training to get him to drop it inside arms reach. Now, as you can see, he's really got the hang of playing "fetch". Like any good retreiver, the owner gets bored long before the Dog, errrr, Cat.

More Baby Photo's

Don't panic, it's not just going to be baby this, baby that on here from now on. You've got all sorts to look forward too, a cat fetching a cable tie, gardening exploits, a broken car, a working car and so on. You will, however, have to bare with us. First time Auntie, amongst others, has asked us to publish a few more pictures of the little charmer. So here they are!

Drying after bath time number 2.

Wide Awake.

Playing piano with Daddy, for the musically concerned, he seems to like Debussy better than Beethoven and Fur elise is a definate no-no.

Nappy change number 273.

Labours' Reward

On Wednesday the 9th of April 2008 at 08:44 a.m. our first born son came into the world after a short but intense labour which started at around 02:30 a.m. On arrival at the hospital at 05:56 a.m. we went straight to the home style birth ward as planned. The non-availability of pain killers didn't cross our minds, it all happened so quickly there was hardly time to ask. Although I would have liked to try some laughing gas myself!

FBS weighed in at 4.27Kg, that's 9Lbs 7Oz in old money and was 53cm long, scoring 10,10 on the Apgar scale in the process. As you can see, Mrs Vls neat little tummy that produced so many comments was hiding a big whopper!

Both parents, understandably, are proud and think they've got the best baby in the world just as all other new parents do!

For 300,- Kr a night we were able to have a family room so I stayed in the hospital for both nights, that was a big plus for me and hopefully a big help for Mrs VL (she confirms as I'm writing that it was indeed a big help).

The hospital staff were fantastic, we managed through the nights without their help but their advice, help with food source attachment tecniques and demonstration of important tasks (such as bathing, below) were invaluable.

The journey home on Friday afternoon was uneventful, albiet a little bit of a challenge to work out baby to seat and seat to car attachment procedures!

The first two nights at home have been disturbed but by no means excessively. We are very satisfied with our "Baby Bay" sleeping arrangement. We are very grateful for the recommendation and viewing that we recieved during our visit to the wedding helpers on day 12 of Sert.

Baby Room Part 8 - Coving and Window frame

Still no movement..... The day that I am writing this is the official due date, so clocks really ticking now! Anyway, here's a tummy pick painting the coving for the ceiling, which, I have to say was a little bit of a challenge to cut out. Oops, watch the paint cat!

Undercoat on and another cat.

And in place, I used a little flexible filler stuff in the joins, as they were not perfect! We also found out that the pre painted ceiling panels were not as white as the white paint we used so they got 2 coats of white paint as well.

Mechanised Farming Phase 3, Aquisition.

Right, keeping to a strict chronological order I've got as far as Easter monday.

I work on the principle that regardless how much immediate pressure to get specific jpbs done one can never let long term goals slip too far from ones mind. One of these long term goals is to cultivate an area of land using one, or both, of my tractors. To do this we need a plough and a harrow in addition to the equipment we already have. So, when I found out about a harrow going free to a good home, I had no option but to jump in my tractor and go and fetch it!

I had to organise a wiper that worked for the windscreen and fill 10L of oil in the gearbox before I left and never mind that it took me 1 hour and 50 minutes to complete the nearly 40Km round trip, it's home. A quick fill of air in the tires and it'll be good as new!

Some pictures from my journey, as you can see I was even outside the kommune (council is the English equivalent, I think).

Loverly weather for an outing, just as well that the neighbours had bought the wrong wiper for their Honda CRV and that I was able to botch the rubber bit onto the Zetors wiper arm.

Was it really only 2.5 Km from the last junction, seemed like 25Km!

And another "In Tractor" shot for good measure.

Baby Room Part 7 - Wall papering

Don't worry, the baby rooms come a lot further than this, I'm playing catch up and no, there's no movement yet.

After 3 hours in the decor shop deciding which wall paper to have, in the end we had to settle for our second choice as it turned out our first choice was an old model and no longer available, typical.

Out first choice involved a border and 2 different types of paper so in some respects life was made a lot easier by the simplicity of chioce no.2.

The last time I was involved with wall paper was helping Father of All in the Bathroom in the Organists house, in 1980 something.... Then it was wall paper paste on the paper. Now, over here, it's glue on the wall and a damp sponge on the paper. Not difficult but easier than it sounds all the same!



Job done, not 100% but not at all bad! Would you look at all those cute rabbits, all together now "Ahhhhh".



We've had lots of requests for photos of the tummy before it dissapears, we're on the case but the tummy is proving not to be the slightest bit photogenic.

Fish Treat

On the Thursday before the Easter Weekend, I availed of the opportunity to eat pizza for lunch leaving my normal pack lunch untouched in my laptop bag. This included a tin of Sardines. Needless to say, I forgot that this was in my bag when I came home all ready for the long weekend.

Any food left lying around in bags after bed time is considered fair game by Peggy, who has a fantastic nose, is adept at opening zips (without damage) and getting around most types of packaging.

This is what we found the next morning. I think it's fair to say, that this takes the sardines!