I had the same pain at the base of the thumb, eventually had a trapezium (I think) which was interesting to watch. Not much pain now but it does crack and bang a bit. Probably need the left one doing as well
Don't think i could watch the opp I might need thumb bone fusion next, its amazing how much the joints can take over a life's time of work.
The surgeon used a lovely set of stainless steel tools including a hammer and chisel to break the bone out. Best was after he finished and before it was sewn up, I could move my thumb around and watch the tendons working.
Rode to our b&b, one mile from the tunnel, ready for our rather marvellous Euro trip, starting first thing tomorrow.
This morning we docked in Bilbao, then we drove right across Spain and I’m now overlooking the Mediterranean and before it got dark I could just make out The Atlas Mountains in Morocco. On the way down the weather improved vastly, so I thought I’d try and get in touch with the guys from RPM Speedshop and advise them to head south. North of Madrid was grey, rainy or threatening to rain and just glum. As usual and as I’d advised them when you get down to Madrid the weather always improves. From there the skies just got clearer and clearer. So I phoned Ray Petty Mechanica and the guy on the phone denies any knowledge of anything to do with RPM Speedshop and no, the Boss wasn’t away in Spain this week. Strange because the guy I spoke to looked like the guy in the pictures on the Web site. So that’s a mystery I need to try and work out. Other than that, driving in Spain is so easy compared to the UK. Tomorrow I’ll be pulling the Monster out and deciding what new tyres to put on it. Metzeler, Dunlop or Continental’s.
When my sister lived in London she had one come in through the cat flap. She'd give it nuts. One time I was there, everyone else was out, and in it came. I didn't exactly approve, but was fascinated, so I proffered a shelled hazelnut between thumb and forefinger and it came up to me and took it - thankfully without biting my finger - then turned round and scampered leisurely back out the cat flap. Three houses back when I had a big garden with trees and shit there were half a dozen bird feeders, two 'squirrel proof' - with the exterior cage - and they worked; though limited the kind of bird that could get to the peanuts - and it could only be peanuts. Also they'd regularly fall off the branch with the weight including that of the squirrels trying to get at them. I had one - non-squirrel proof - hanging from the underside of the bird table, on a chain, for pheasants. Squirrels hung from the table by their back legs to get to that. It was entertaining to watch though and I felt like they earned it. Dozens of kinds of birds there from goldfinches and long tailed tits up to buzzards and ducks. Also foxes and badgers. I'd go out, slowly and quietly of a night and stand amidst a family of badgers as they foraged for the pieces of peanut buttered bread I scattered. Life is a lot less interesting today - though it does have Ducatis in it, while back then there was just a seriously bent Bonneville.
I have noticed that the regular bluetits to the garden are missing this year. They usually nest in the boxes and have been coming here the last 16 years at least
I got a call from a friend some time back looking for some joinery work. A squirrel had fallen down the chimney in the middle of the night and in its mad panic to get out had chewed a squirrel sized hole through the wooden French door. After all the overhanging tree branches were cut back, creature proof chimney pots installed and a new French/ garden door fitted the house was once again squirrel proof, and he a couple of grand lighter. Bastards I tell ye.
We have a few boxes occupied this year and also bluetits are nesting in my workshop wall. I was in there yesterday working and listening to the chicks when mum and dad arrived with food. It soothes the soul.
When we moved to our current house 14 years ago we had 20 or 30 pairs of bluetits in the garden, after about 6 years they seemed to have almost disappeared but this year and last they seem to be returning but still maybe only 5 pairs. We previously had sparrows as well but I have not seen one in maybe 7 years. There seem to be about 5 pairs of magpies which may account for the decline in song birds.
So far this morning i've drained down on the slave cylinder and removed the master clutch cylinder, 50 odd minutes so far but a problem with the replacement part. Now doing battle with an ebayer as the part doesn't quite match the original, the union doesn't lock up even with two copper washers, the plastic cap's crossthreading and the threaded metal shaft isn't the same spec adjustmentwise.
Bluetits have good and bad years depending on when the caterpillars appear to feed the chicks, if it’s late then they suffer and have less time to breed but magpies do take a lot of fledglings I’ve seen them take young blue and great tit. Last year we had wrens using a box right outside our lounge window and the day they started to fledge the magpies were waiting to pick them off as they came out. I don’t usually interfere with the natural balance but I went out and built a wire cage around the bush the box is in, the wrens could pass through the wire but the magpies couldn’t. I probably saved about half the brood I reckon.
Just been over to my daughter’s and the caterpillars have decimated the box privet. Apparently there have been reports of birds such as blue tits and jackdaws feeding on the caterpillars but it's not yet known if this will have any serious affect on numbers.
Painted a ceiling at home (busman’s holiday) begrudgingly then I planned to get a bike out but it’s started pissing it down. Oh and I’ve got myself a cylinder for the Nsr from Japan.
