Back at the Rocks By Rail Museum - only seems like yesterday when I was last there. Oh it was! Today back to mowing and hedge trimming. My corded hedge trimmers at home broke so I bought a cordless set that I have now tested at the Museum - they work well! Too well probably as I have been asked to trim more hedges!
Starting my vegetation butchery....
Another great Quarry Operating Session at the Rocks By Rail Museum today. I was acting as one of the shunters so had the delights of points and couplings. Having done this a few times now I was taken aback by the number of visitors who took up position to watch the activities in detail rather than glance and walk on. Hopefully they enjoyed it as much as I did. Unfortunately for them they would not have been early enough to see the Museum come to life. The steam loco being fired up, the diesels warmed up and the excavators readied foe action - all fascinating stuff to someone like me!.
Once visitors arrived it was action stations with shunting and wagon exchanges all day.
It was both a warm day and hard work so at lunchtime it was the perfect time for a Magnum ice cream!
It is Sunday so it is a day to spray - for me anyway! The spraying I am talking about is more colour added to parts of the Italeri DAF 95 Canvas Truck which is progressing.
The cab is now a satisfactory glossy green following the issues I experienced earlier.
As it was a Bank Holiday, a warm day and a way of avoiding doing any gardening myself as I still feel shattered, I took Mrs. Woody off to Easton Gardens near Colsterworth in Lincolnshire to see the hard work of others in producing gardening magic. I thought that we had gone there last year but through the magic of being able to go back through this blog it was actually August Bank Holiday 2021! Click here for that post. Time flies! Anyway, despite it being nearly two years much was the same but much was different with a different season displaying itself in the garden. I do love those little spots where something has been created or there is just so much character.
Take a look at the gable end wall of this building. So much history with various builds, alterations and repairs. To build a model of that would require real skills - so I won't be building one!
This little bench set under trees with a few pots scattered around it just looks so simple but just so right.
Going back to the character of the place there are these two metal giraffes that are welded up from metal sheet of all things!
Then I came across something I did remember from the last visit - the robotic lawn mowers. This one, having completed a day of mowing, was on charge.
Maybe this is something that the Rocks By Rail Museum should invest in!
Back in the reality of the WMD HQ Estate the Italeri DAF 95 Canvas Truck cab has been rubbed down, washed and is currently drying thoroughly before going back into the spray shop, hopefully tomorrow.
Over the past few months I have complained about the miserable cold and wet weather so this week I have really been enjoying the much warmer and sunnier times especially out cycling and in the garden but I think I might have over done it! Did not feel particularly brilliant today and a 22 mile bike ride felt more like one of the 100 mile time trials I used to ride many years ago! Seeing how I have caught the sun during the week I think that may have something to do with it. I will inform Mrs. Woody that I will need to cut down on gardening for health reasons! However, if I do tell her that I will actually have a higher risk to my health from her reaction then from the sun!
Hopefully I have now acclimatised to the warmer weather so I can continue to enjoy it and get out more on the bike (and garden) to take in sights like these which were on my cycling route this morning.
It is all about the colours in the past few days. Grey, red and now green. The green in this case refers to two things. Firstly the cab parts of the Italeri DAF 95 Canvas Truck are now in green. The paint job needs further attention as I made the mistake of washing the cab which was in grey undercoat and although it was dry it was not really dry! The paint had absorbed moisture which really needed a day to dry off again. Oh well lesson learnt!. I will leave this a day or so before giving another coat which will hopefully dry glossy.
Meanwhile the cab interior is progressing. The right hand drive dashboard has been glued in place with super glue and the pedals and gear leaver added - on the right!
Strange thing is that although Italeri make this kit as a left hand drive I noticed that on the floor pan there are location points on both sides for the pedals - most strange but very welcome!
The second part of the green day was a further day of planting out the flower beds. The other side of the garden is now done.
With the space created in the greenhouse as the plants have come out I was able to pot up my home grown tomato plants that I am proud of!
It will be a red day once they hopefully start producing!
A day of gardening here at WMD HQ taking advantage of the warm weather. Today saw the main flower bed planted out which was a task and a half as despite all the recent rain the ground is rock hard. A combination of watering, compost and sheer determination saw about ten trays of home grown plants set out, planted and watered. No idea how it will all look if they survive. I am no Alan Titchmarsh in gardening knowledge but if it all comes out green with some coloured flowers I will be happy and I am sure Mrs. woody will be - especially since she did not have to plant them!
Of course this now means that I have additional watering duties every day!
I did take the occasional break - important when it is hot outside as I have informed Mrs. W to justify the breaks - and managed to undercoat the cab parts to the Italeri DAF 95 Canvas Truck. The same grey that I used for the chassis was used and will be ideal for the green top coat.
It certainly looks a little less plastic and toy like with the grey applied. Hopefully with the warm weather it will dry fairly quickly. At least I don't need to water it!
A red day as I was red in the face after several hours of grass cutting at the Rocks By Rail Museum. Not only the heat made me red but the mower broke on me again! Luckily John saved the day with a quick repair to get me back out there again! After three weeks not cut I faced a major uphill task to cut through the thick long grass. However most of it is done - until next time!
Meanwhile back at WMD HQ the red theme continues with the chassis of the taleri DAF 95 Canvas Truck now in red! A bit brighter then my face!
Hopefully tomorrow will not be such a red day!
A lovely day which started with a nice 23 mile bike ride and then time in the garden planting out the plants that Mrs. Woody and me had grown from seeds in the greenhouse. Still more to plant out but there is beginning to be a bit of space in the green house. The only thing about plants and sunny warm weather is that they require watering so I am busy with the watering can!
In between planting I did have a chance to get in the man cave and apply some undercoat on the Italeri DAF 95 Canvas Truck chassis. A nice light grey that will be ideal for the red top coat. It does make a big difference getting all the various parts harmonised in one colour - even if it is grey!
Today saw me assemble a large kit of parts for a cat climbing frame. In my ever continuing quest to clear my garage out I came across a box which I purchased some ten years or so ago (it is not only my model kits that don't see the light of day for decades after I bought them) from the middle of Lidl (other similar stores with middle aisles are available!). Today it got put together - with assistance from some of the felines who were keen to experience the finished product!
The scattered parts are reminisent of my workbench in the man cave!
The chassis is just about ready for paint. Maybe tomorrow.....
After yesterdays moan about the slow progress and problems with the Italeri DAF 95 Canvas Truck kit it has been a more positive day.
To get to the hub of the matter, the after-market resin hubs have now been fitted. The front ones were straight forward enough and just slid over the kit axle with the hub cover being glued on to trap the hub on to the axle. The rear ones were slightly more complex. Firstly they needed drilling out so that they could fit over the kit rear axles.
Temporarily putting the cab and body in place adds even more to that new look.
I do like those wheels and hubs!
