Good morning all you sleepy heads, it is a lovely sunny Sunday morning, cool but sunny.
Was up early for my shower then dumped all my dirty clothes in the washing machine. Just after 8am took my car for a run to warm up the engine, called in at the servo to pump up the tyres I had let down during my recent bog.
Put the car straight in the garage in preparation for changing the oil and oil filter. Well, to cut a long story short, it is draining as I type. I have to be honest it took me ages to find the oil filter - it was at the front of the engine behind a plastic cover (yes, I know, should have read the manual). Anyway the job is half done now, will give it al hour to drain then replace the oil filter and bung in the oil.
I doubt I will ever do it again! Crawling under the car is not fun, it’s a simple job complicated by age.
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Hope your Sunday is a bit more interesting and relaxing than mine (so far). What do you have planned?
Good morning everyone. I understand what a tiring, annoying job the oil change is @Bruce, my husband used to do it always on his own with our cars, apart from the last two cars we had which had been manufactured in a way that trying find anything in the engine boot is like finding a needle in a haystack! I think they purposefully do this now with big modern cars, so the mechanics get more clients, DIY maintenance is being sabotaged
Just though I’d post some photos of my colourful hortense plant and oleander, to brighten up our Sunday morning for any early risers like me.
I finished the job about 1.30pm, the plate hiding the oil filter had five bolts and a clip holding it in place, the five bolts had three different head sizes between them, quite absurd. I have written all the spanner/socket sizes needed in the handbook so if I ever do it again, I am ready!
Total empathy, I understand. My husband always made sure he had a good stock of every single different size of spanners and other tools. I used to tease him that we had more tools at home than in a hardware store. I feel completely helpless now he’s gone, with all these useful tools and I haven’t got the know-how to put them into good use. My son does what he can, my daughter also, but they have their own personal lives to get on with, I can’t keep asking them to do this, do that.
Morning all – bright and sunny this morning, hope it stays that way!
As it is Sunday I was late carrying out my cat servant duties, she showed her displeasure as soon as I walked in the door, very vocally telling me off! She left her little gift in the litter tray which pleased me but then I found another behind the kitchen bin and also another outside the cloakroom door! After her breakfast she ignored me, went into the garden and left me to the cleaning! Well that put me in my place!
The new books arrived yesterday but I have yet to start them – have finished the previous book which seems to be the start of a series about the same main character. Unsure whether to buy more of those – it was well written but a bit slow and repetitive for my taste.
My “exciting” plan for today is to change the bed sheets, followed by dusting and vacuuming the rooms in the house I rarely use!
Bruce
i bet you have not changes the air filters inside the car that keeps the air flow clear of pollen etc. the air vent ones I am talking about
I don’t mean the main engine air filter which no doubt you have already done. Also good idea to change the gear box oil at the same time if it is seperate from the engine
Good Morning everyone…
Decided to do my five this morning, weather was sunny and fine and an ideal opportunity to stretch my legs a bit. Very muddy through the wood and down the lane after some very heavy rain overnight, but managed to avoid wet feet and slipping down…
The usually busy road was almost deserted except for a fine example of an old Triumph TR4 parked in the layby. I passed the time of day with the driver and complemented him on his motor. As I walked away, another old sports car passed, and later I heard the sound of a restored BSA Star come humming past…Beautiful sounding machine…
Must have been a classic car and bike rally somewhere.
Changing the oil takes me back Bruce…While working as a courier I would arrive home, sometimes at midnight, run the van into the garage and drop the oil out and remove the filter before going to bed. First thing in the morning, filter change and replace the oil ready for the first job. When you work for yourself every job is important and there was always a snap tin full of sandwiches ready for a quick start…
It still makes my heart skip a beat when I hear my mobile phone ring while I’m in the shower…
Talking of which…I had my breakfast first when I returned from my walk, I was very hungry, so Mrs Fox informs me that perhaps now would be a good time for a scrub up… @Rose2 That first plant looks like a hydrangea? Great photos though…
John Puller and Amos Decker are two of the characters found in my David Baldacci books Sheila, both of them have a small series of books based on them. A bit like Jack Reacher characters. I did find I was unable to put the books down once I had read half way through…
Yes, @OldGreyFox, you’re right, it’s a hydrangea, we call it Ortensia, we don’t really use the scientific name much. I looked up the translation and it gave me Hortense or Hortensia!
I admire your stamina and “get up and go” approach, good for you, great inspiration.
Thanks Rose, those scientific names in latin really confuse me…
And that’s easy these days…
Walking in the country is a good time to put everything in order and realise where we stand in the universe, with no distractions…I consider it essential…
Good afternoon all!
Blimey, we’ve actually kept the sunshine up until now, wonders will never cease.
It’s just a mellow Sunday for us, pottering around, cleaning the laminate floor, spicy chicken drumsticks in the oven, a bits and pieces kind of day, suits me fine
It’s good to read and see all is well out in forum land. Chilli’s place is spruced up to have everyone over, Rose has the flowers and the view, Alice has the coffee, Bruce’s vehicle is fit to drive us and the rest of us are home getting things done and ready for a break. Chilli just needs to set the time…
Sometimes you go with the flow, and that is exactly what I did yesterday. The 20s were eager to get out into the sand and sun for some and socialization, so with the boat packed chock-full of them we headed to the little barrier islands where the throngs love to amass on the weekend. The water is only waste deep at high tide, so swimming around, floating, SUPing, blasting the music, and so on. After some time, the dinghy was off to the tiki bar for bushwackers while a few stayed to float, listen to music, or get a little sun. Crazy, isn’t it! (I was fun, but confess I am glad to be back home )
The 20s who wisely chose the water over the tiki bar:
Good afternoon - Despite a bad start, the weather has turned out nice. I’ve done some work in the garden, including clearing the polytunnel of weeds and planting the tomatoes into tubs. Quite pleased with those seeing as how they have been grown from the seeds of a supermarket tomato (Aromatico).
I need some more compost before I can finish in the polytunnel. I’ll get a bag tomorrow now I can lift stuff around again.
Going to watch TV for a while and then cook a curry for tonight’s meal. Beer is in the fridge.
The David Baldacci book I read is the first of the Amos Decker series - I found the constant repeat about how he got his injury was a bit annoying, however, if you recommend the series I may try book 2
I like hydrangea too, I have a few in my garden. They grow like a weed, just break a bit off stick it in the ground and you have another, great plant. They don’t like the sun here so are best grown in shade otherwise they wilt.
Bruce I have a renewable main dealer 3 year service contract on both cars . So they are serviced each year Should the time come to sell a car with a full main dealer service book will fetch just that bit more, not that we are going to sell