Another Doggy Walk!

It was a bright and sunny afternoon on Saturday, so we decided to take the dogs for another walk. The usual havoc as soon as we went near the leads! Alfie went totally mad, barking madly and attempting to attack Poppy's lead. We did manage to get him into the cage in the boot of the car and Poppy jumped onto the back seat. We went to Furzton Lakes, which is a relatively short drive up Chaffron Way. The carpark near the lake was really full, and it seemed that every other dog-owner had got the same idea as us as we walked gradually round the lake. It is around a two-mile walk, so the dogs were well and truly exercised. We let Alfie off his lead, and he really loved running up and down and meeting up with the other dogs. We don't let Poppy off when near water as she has a habit of jumping in. It may have been sunny, but I think the water in the lake would have been too cold. Alfie has been in, but I don't think he likes it much. He did an unexpected jump in over a low wall when we walked along the canal some while ago (this is mentioned in an earlier post.) and was somewhat surprised to discover that water is cold and extremely wet, so won't go near again, having learned the hard way! The locals would have been totally aware of Alfie's presence, as he began yapping and generally making a lot of noise as soon as we stopped the car in the carpark.
We had some shopping we needed to do so drove to Morrison's at Westcroft, leaving the dogs in the car as we went in. We were somewhat surprised to discover that the store is in the midst of being re-fitted, as a lot of the shelving units have been moved. When we went to Bridlington in October, as part of our holiday to Flamborough Head, we went into the local branch of Morrison's and found that branch was being renovated, so perhaps all branches are having similar work done.

Spring Is In The Air!

Well, it's a bright and sunny morning, as I write this. The temperature has gone up considerbly, some 10 degrees, which is high, considering that in parts of the country it's been minus 15! The birdies are singing and bulbs are showing their green shoots and I think I may have seen buds on some trees. We saw primroses when we went to Stowe the other day, so that's a good sign. The bird-feeder which I gave to Carol at Christmas has been attracting quite a variety of birds, and a rather large pigeon sits on it regularly. The dogs are spending a good deal more time outside in the garden. Carol has applied for two jobs in Yorkshire, so, if things go according to plan we will be moving! Can't wait, as we so love that area of the country. It would be great to live somewhere which is within reach of the sea. This area is about as far as you can get from the sea, it's around a three-hour drive to the coast from here, depending, obviously where you go. Cromer is a good three-hour drive from Bedford, but it may be shorter, as the road towards Norwich has been improved over the past couple of years.

Pancake Day!

It's one of my favourite days! I just love pancakes. What would it be like to miss out on eating pancakes on Shrove Tuesday? I don't know, because I never let this day pass without making this delicious dish. I've always made them so this year is no different. With perhaps one of the most famous Pancake Races on in Olney, which is only a short drive from here (a pity it's mid-week, otherwise Carol and I would go and watch this event.) even more excuse to indulge in these treats.

They're so easy to make. Nothing much to it, really.  I can't believe that you can get pancake mixture, which I've seen in Tesco's and Asda. Or even ready-made ones. Just lazy, really. My tip is to make well in advance and leave the batter to stand for as long as possible, preferably at least an hour. The same with batter which you make for Yorkshire Pudding. I start with a decent-sized mixing bowl. Mine is a Pyrex glass one, ideal for making batter or cakes. It's big enough to put in all the ingredients and mix thoroughly. First put in the flour.  If you have time, put through a sieve and  shake into the bowl. This puts air into the flour and will help make the batter lighter. I actually prefer plain, but self-raising will do. There's no set amount, you can generally judge for yourself the amount, depending, obviously, on how many people you are making the pancakes for. Make a well in the centre of the flour with a spoon, and crack two eggs into a seperate container, such as a cup. I do this just in case the eggs are off, and to avoid getting any shell in the mix. Then pour the egg contents into the well in the flour. Next, pour a little milk into the bowl and with a large spoon mix the ingredients together. Keep on mixing until you have combined all the ingredients and then gradually pour more milk into the mixture. Keep on blending the ingredients and adding more milk until it has the consistency of paint, so that the mixture will pour off your spoon. Add a pinch or two of salt and keep on mixing. If you have an electric mixer, use that, as this will save you time. If not, a fork will do. A balloon whisk is even better. Once fully blended, allow to stand for at least an hour. As I've already said, if you leave for longer, all well and good.

To cook, use an omelette pan if you have one. We got a decent frying pan, ideal for the purpose, in IKEA last year and it cost no more than £2. Use sunflower oil and place a small amount in the pan and allow to heat. Not too hot, otherwise it will burn. You will need to waste at least one pancake to get the consistency right. I put my batter into a jug which makes pouring into the pan much easier. Pour a little of the batter into the centre of the heated pan and then swirl the pan around, so as to coat the surface of the pan sufficiently. Return to the heat and leave to cook. Once the batter starts to blister, you know the pancake is almost done. If you move the pan around and the pancake moves, you know that it is done. At this point you must turn it over and cook the other side. If you are brave enough you can toss the pancake! I'm no good at this, but it's worth a try! I suppose it adds to the taste, but I'm not sure.  If you want to make a reasonable amount for your family or friends to eat immediately, serve straight onto plates, but I usually make mine in advance and keep warm by having a pan of boiling water on to which I put a plate. Keep the water on low heat so as not to boil over or even dry. I put kitchen towel on the plate and then between each pancake so as to make it easier to take off and to absorb any excess moisture.

Serve with sugar and lemon, which is the traditional method, or else some icecream, fruit or whatever you like, perhaps maple syrup.

Doggy Walk At Stowe

Carol is on Half-Term this week. As it's been reasonably bright and sunny this morning, we decided to take the dogs out for a walk. We had to nip to Lidl to get some groceries, and, having got the dogs in the car, after something of a wrestling match to get Alfie loaded into his cage in the back of the car, amidst his protestations, we eventually decided to drive over to Stowe Landscape Gardens.  How he knows we're going out, I have no idea. I think he manages to pick up the little signs when we mention the word 'walk' and sees us putting our coats on. There has been some new building done there, a brand new carpark and visitor centre which we knew was opened recently and were keen to have a look. We haven't been to Stowe for quite a while (have a look at the previous post on this.) This was one of the first places we visited together when we first met and it was also at Stowe where we joined the National Trust. For those who don't know, if you are a fully paid-up member of the National Trust you can get into their many and various properties throughout the country free. As a annual membership for a couple is around £85-90 and the average admission to one of their properties is around £6-8 per person you can see how much you save as members. Not only that, but there are usually excellent tearooms and restaurants where the food is excellent. Whenever we go away on holiday we usually manage to visit the near-by National Trust properties.

Stowe is near Buckingham, around 15 miles out of Milton Keynes. The journey generally takes around 20-30 minutes, depending on how much traffic there is. You drive through the centre of Buckingham and approach Stowe along a straight road, through an avenue of trees, and you see a large arch which leads into Stowe (which also has the famous school within Stowe House, which isn't managed by the National Trust, but which is sometimes open to the public on certain days throughout the year.) Previously, you entered the park from a totally different direction, and parked up near the school. The entrance is now near the archway and near the visitor centre, which houses a shop, restaurant and other modern facilities and an area outside which has tables and chairs set up ready for the better weather so people can enjoy their tea and cakes in the sunshine.

We parked in the new car-park, which was already half full when we arrived and then unloaded the dogs, with Alfie yapping at full-volume, which let all and sundry know that we had arrived. Poppy is just happy to be out and going for a walk and doesn't need to make so much noise.

The walk down to the gardens was quite long, and there is, we noticed, a landtrain, not so much a train, as such, as a tractor pulling two trailers with seating inside, and covered with a green awning. We thought it better to let the dogs walk as they needed the exercise as much as we did. We haven't been out with them for a long time, well before Christmas, owing to the weather. Alfie in particular doesn't like cold weather although Poppy doesn't seem to bother so much as she has a thick coat. There were lots of other people walking towards the gardens and some had dogs with them. Poppy makes friends easily and Alfie marched ahead like a good little dog. He was so easy to train to the lead and walks to heel without any bother. He may be small but he's a tough little character. A lot of children love to pet him and make a fuss and if he meets up with dogs that are a good deal bigger than he is he goes up to them and sniffs them without in any way being scared. He gets in their faces, which probably scares them because he is so fast, dashing around like a whirl-wind and they don't know how to deal with him. Poppy is more measured, quiet and takes things in her stride, which is just as well.

You now enter the garden by a gate near one of the pavilions which face the main house (which is across the lake) and has a cottage at the back. We walked towards the Palladian Bridge and then back round towards the arch. We were quite surprised to discover that there was a fair amount of ice on the lake. We then walked back to the gate and got the land train back to the carpark. Alfie wasn't too sure about the ride. I don't think the likes the movement of the land train as it was somewhat bumpy over the surface of the new road. We got back to the carpark and came home. We will have to return this weekend and sample the food in the restaurant. The old restaurant was the other side of the gardens, in a somewhat delapidated temporary building which had seen far better days, so it was time to replace it. We will also bring the digital camera so that we can take photographs and upload them onto my post for that day.

To discover more about Stowe, paste the following link into your browser:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stowe_House

Car Passes It's M.O.T.

The car went to the garage yesterday for it's annual MoT  at 2 o'clock (for those living outside the United Kingdom, you won't know what I'm alluding to. It's an annual test, required by law in the U.K., to make sure a vehicle is road-worthy.) We have used T and H  Brake and Service World  in Bletchley, situated on Watling Street near Milton Keynes football stadium.  They are exceptionally efficient and do the job very quickly. I had booked the MoT on Monday afternoon, and they even rang yesterday morning to remind me that the appointment was booked. To gain the 'pass' certificate they needed to change just two little bulbs and that was it! Done for another year, although they tell me it will need new brake pipes as they are somewhat corroded. Not surprising, when you consider that they put salt on the roads during the winter months when there is ice and snow around.

Snow . . .Gone!

Well, following my post of earlier today (as below) I can definitely confirm that the snow has finally gone completely. I'm not so sure it's much warmer. It was raining earlier when I drove to the local shop to buy milk. Cold and wet, the best description I can use for this weather.

New Week, Milder Weather and Snow Gone (well . . . almost)

The temperature has increased considerably over the past few days, and we waken up this morning to find that there is virtually no snow left in the garden. Well, there are a few patches, but nothing much to speak of. Considering that the temperature has been well below freezing at some point over the past week, somewhere around minus 16 in some parts of the country- it seems positively summery as I write this.

Overnight Snow, but a sunny morning

It has snowed overnight, although it can't have been much. This morning it's quite bright and sunny out. It's really rather beautiful, a hazy sun on snow, giving a sort of muted light. I really should go out with the camera and try and capture this somehow. 

The dogs reaction to snow is intriguing. Poppy seems to love it, and she prances around in it happily. She's got a really thick coat, so she can keep warm. Alfie has a rather thin silky coat and suffers from cold terribly. Infact, at both ends of the temperature range. We took him for a walk at the Marston Millenium  Country Park a couple of years ago on a rather hot day and he was reacting badly, trying to lay in the shade and we feared it might result in fatal results, so we came home quickly, with him making horrible noises in the back of the car. I'm not so sure how he takes to snow. He will go out into the garden and run around, but I don't think he likes it much. You have to keep an eye on hi. He starts to shiver so I am reluctant for him to stay out for long.

Very Cold . . . well below zero

We have some snow laying around. Looking outside it doesn't look very cold, but if you go out, there is a definite nip in the air. The temperature must be well below zero, although I'm not sure what the exact temperature is. We have had a slight fall of what at first looked like rain, but must be the beginnings of a further fall of snow. I suspect that if we do get more snow it will settle as the ground is so cold. I can't believe we have the first sightings of daffodils and other spring plants beginning to appear above-grount, particularly in next door's garden and on the roundabout on Standing Way, crossing over towards Asda. I imagine that as soon as the snow comes again and covers the shoots it will prevent these plants shooting up, although a cover of snow might possibly protect them until it thaws and spring can start properly.

Snow, ice and nowhere to go

We stayed in all of yesterday, due to the weather. We have come to the very simple conclusion that, as Milton Keynes is once again shrouded in snow, although nowhere near as bad as last year, or even the year before, there was really no point in braving the elements and going anywhere in the car. We managed to get the car fixed before the snows came. We managed to get shopping done in Sainsbury's on Saturday morning, on the way home from having the new tyres put on the car, so we 'battened down the hatches' and made sure the house was sufficiently warm and just stayed in for the rest of the weekend. This included not going to church on Sunday, even though M.K.C.C. is a short walk or drive from here. There is always the possibility of slipping over in the snow and ice, the car skidding off the road or into another car, or just not getting in and out of either our drive, Eaglestone, or any of the minor roads we'd need to use. 

We are seeing reports on the television news of the road and other transport conditions at the moment, some of it looking decidedly nasty. Unless a journey is desperately important, what is the point in going out in it? And if people will insist on going out in this weather, they really do expect to get either stuck in the snow or to have an accident of some sort. I just get somewhat annoyed that people then expect others, namely the emergency services, to come to their rescue. It's just putting other people's lives at risk for their selfish ends. Just stay indoors, in the warm, and just say to yourself 'this is winter. The weather can be very unpleasant at this time of the year. It's to be expected. So don't go out in it.' Logical advice, I would have thought, particularly as we've had plenty of warning about the weather.

Car Has New Tyres

We managed to order four new tyres on-line with a local company in Bletchley called Just Tyres.  The wheels have been re-aligned and balanced, so the car now drives a good deal better than it has in quite some time. We went to the workshop (just opposite from IKEA and Asda) and it was done within 30 minutes or so. There is a threat of really bad weather, snow and very low temperatures, so it's as well we got it done when we did as we may be stuck in like it was early last year with snow and terrible road conditions. At least we can walk to and from the Academy.

Battery Arrives . . . Fitted . . . Car Starts!

The car battery was delivered mid-morning yesterday. It came from a company called Tayna. I must say I'm really impressed that they managed to get it to us so quickly, as it was only ordered yesterday late afternoon.  Carol came home with a spanner she was lent by her colleague, Tom. We soon managed to take out the old one and put in the new one and the car started first time! So that problem has been solved, thankfully.

Sorting Out Car Problems

We have managed to order a new car battery on-line. It should arrive sometime before 5.p.m. today. Tom, one of Carol's colleagues at the Academy, is coming to help to take out the old battery and put in the new one. We have no tools, and he has a set. So that, hopefully, will sort that problem out. Tomorrow we are having a new set of tyres fitted on the car- already paid for on-line. There is one tyre which is always requiring air in it whenever we go out. It's the off-side front tyre. It may be caused by the fact that there are so many roundabouts in Milton Keynes or else it's the poor quality of the roads around here. There are still a number of potholes left as a result of last winter's snow and ice. The local authority has repaired quite a few, but a lot have been left, and, with the amount of traffic running over them, adding to the further deteriation of the road surface in some areas. We did see Council workmen repairing the road surface along Chaffron Way the other day. They seem to have left it rather late, though. 

The weather has got considerably worse over the last few days. Today it's extremely cold. I am making sure I wrap up warm, with a wooly hat, scarf and gloves. I have been getting very cold hands as a result and some of my fingers have felt numb. In fact, a couple of fingers on both hands have gone white and felt really numb. I think it has something to do with blood circulation. I think if this continues I may have to make a doctor's appointment as I am worried that it may lead to another blood clot, but I'm not entirely sure what is causing it.

Car Won't Start . . . What's New?

I have been tucking the car up for the night. Opening the bonnet and putting a couple of old pillows over the engine and battery in an attempt to keep the frost out. Last night was bitterly cold. I had intended driving into Central MK to get my hair cut, but the car refused to start. We used it yesterday to go to Asda, so I don't see why it's playing up today. I reckon the problem is not only the cold, but the fact that the car is sitting on the drive and only gets driven a few miles a week, not enough to keep the battery charged. It will no doubt start again, if it's given another jump, or, perhaps, if the battery is charged overnight (we don't have a charger, unfortunately.)