Ashes to ashes

Drilled punched or countersunk!
A phrase often used by the guys I used to deal with when at work,those who looked after the property maintenance of all the shop properties I've ever  been involved with.
For me since coming back from Russia, that's just about what's been happening with not enough hours in the day.
Either that or I've forgotten in nearly 11 years of retirement how to manage my time.
I've also been pretty knackered a lot of the time as a result of the chesty cold I bought back from the cruise.
Not enough sleep with a hacking cough that would just not move off my chest. I'm not going to count back but after 5 weeks it's nearly gone, just the occasional tickle.
Anyway what have we been up to?
Well, not fishing I'm afraid, but sorting out Jim's house and making sure I know how his heating system works. The insurers are happy to carry on covering an empty house, did I tell you it's going to take 9 to 12 months to sort out the Probate? Anyway the insurers wanted me to completely drain down the water/ heating system, or ensure the heating was maintained at 10 degrees through the winter months.
I've set it at 14c after working out how to use the remote timer that Jim had recently organised.
Fortunately the fuel dealers carried on delivering propane gas by a top up system I didn't know existed, and we now have a full tank, luckily there was enough to pay them from the solicitors client account.
Still a lot to do with the house, we've had the valuers in, but can't get rid of any of the chattels until Probate is sorted, so clearing out at least 15 year's of accumulated "just in case" stuff,and cupboards full of charity requests and general junk mail. Don't ask me why he kept it!
Fortunately I remembered the loft space yesterday, had a look but there was not anywhere as much stuff as I expected.
Stacks of clothes, to give to charity, but I haven't given that too much thought, another job that should be done soon before the moths get hold.

Not all work though.
Jim asked me to organise a dinner for his closest village friends, and those that had helped him out over the last couple of years in particular. So I did, and chose what would have been his 81st birthday last Saturday to take seven of us along to one of his favourite spots.
Very good it was too, a three course dinner, with plenty to drink and an 8 seater cab there and back.
 A popular location in a Best Western Hotel on the way to Grimsby.
http://www.oaklandshallhotel.co.uk/grimsby-restaurants.html

Caught in the Act
I decided on Wednesday to have a little break, and went along to see Bob Roberts and Stu Walker make a presentation of the latest two dvd's in the series of four.
Put on by Nottingham Piscatorials at an amazing venue, with a crowd I'm told of around 350 anglers, it was indeed up to their usual standard of presentation.

The Dome at Kelham Hall

If you're into dvd's of fishing, this is a must have to add to your collection. From just the excerpts it's easy to see that they put a great deal into making this angling spectacle, it's even better than Barbel Days and Ways.
Well done both.






Caught in the Act


The Ashes bit
Today, without getting a reminder, I picked up Jim's ashes,  of which I had been instructed by him to spread around the Lincolnshire countryside. A job to be done soon, on a dry windless day and around his favourite hostelries in the area.