The Cottage Smallholder

brightspark said:

Danny said:

Any guesstimate as to how many machines and bikers attended?

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Last year's estimate was 4,000 people attended, although that could be people as opposed to actual bikes, not sure. We will be meeting up on Thursday evening, so perhaps we'll know a few more figures to relate by then. The St John Ambulance lady who is here every year with her colleagues reckoned that this year was bigger, but we'll know a bit more by the end of the week I expect.

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I was told at lunchtime (today) that 4000 was indeed the number of bikes last year.

brightspark said:

Lord Lansdowne (The Bowood Estate) this year invited the Bikers to a 'ride-out' to his home, at 4pm, with a beer tent and a live Rock Band, until 6 pm, with an aerial photo to be taken of the assembled bikers. Having had a sneak look at some of the bike forums, I saw that the ride-out was very well received, and the comments on those forums and by individuals on the day suggest that this is a 'must do' event in the annual bike calendar.

Tiring, but fantastic day.

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 For 4000 bikes I wouldn't like to have been behind the bar at the beer tent…..or waiting in the queue to get served….if we'd have known in advance we could have all had got our French Maids outfits out, helped out and considered it a rehearsal for the CS event…. 

Well done to you with the cake stall…very worthwhile causes….Rotarians do a lot of good that is unsung….

  Today has seems a bit like a week if you know what I mean.      It started off with a planned visit from a very handsome black labrador called Sam.    He had come to meet his new wife, my lab Midge.  After a dodgy start ( you don't want the details !!), he seemed to get the hang of things and they mated successfully.  The same thing happens again tomorrow morning.   If successful, this will be her third and final litter.  First time she had 6 pups  and last time she had 5, not too many and manageable for her and me.  It is all very exciting.

Then I had to go to my friends house .  He is away in Zambia specifically to shoot buffalo, quite a dangerous pastime as they are very big and can be very aggressive.  Anyway I am looking after his dogs.  I can't have them at my house for lots of reasons, Midge being in season being one of them, so it back and forward for me. 

Then off to Tighnabruaich for a visit to the lovely breast screening van.  What a lot of fun that was..  but a necessary evil methinks.  Then I did some shopping and then stopped off in Glendaruel  at a friend's house.  She was preparing for a visit from people involved in Permaculture and I had been invited for supper later on.

Then back to see the dogs again and give them a good run and then home to do the same for my dogs.  

At no time did I mention breakfast or lunch – no time to fit any of that in. 

Then paperwork for the Village Hall and a quick look at CSH. 

I have just spent a lovely relaxing evening putting the world to rights with friends old and new.  We had a lovely meal and I am now relaxing with a glass of white at home.

Tomorrow as I said more dogs and then I am going to visit a Victorian walled garden that has now grown wild.  There is a wonderful glasshouse there and I wish it could be renovated.   I'll let you know what the permaculture guy thinks could be done with it.

Phew Phew  Phew        

 

Now TA

Strange you should mention sun-bathing…..Dolly Parton laid a blanket on the ground for other reasons which shall remain nameless ( and it is against my religion) but I have just strategically placed the sunbed underneath the said tree when I climbed the ladder to get some more free stuff…………

(a) to catch the ones that didn't manage to get to the blanket and

(b) hopefully something soft to aim for if I fell off the ladder….(see my diary for pickies later).

 

I do think at my age that I should be 'looking for a small child to get them down…now what did you have in mind for entertaining the one you have….