October

O hushed October morning mild,
Thy leaves have ripened to the fall;
Tomorrow's wind, if it be wild,
Should waste them all.
The crows above the forest call;
Tomorrow they may form and go. 

O hushed October morning mild,  Robert Frost

6th October 1973

Just before the pub opened

42 years this year and no regrets, couldn't have asked for a better best friend.

We spent our anniversary in Emsworth Hampshire in a "restaurant with rooms" for three nights.

And very good it was too, great room, excellent food. 36 on the Quay

Pubs very close by, also offering good beer and food, a new part of this country for us both, with visits to Hayling Island,Winchester, Rowlands Castle and Horndean the site of the old Gales Brewery, now mostly residential.

The view through the window

I see no ships

15th October

This years MOT for my Octavia 1.9 td (51) has just been completed.

It failed on rear coil springs and front brakes.

Had a full service and some minor other bits fixed and it cost me £475 in total.,

With another £380 spent this year on battery and tyres, I'm quite happy that my costs are pretty good.

177000 miles on the clock, and still with plenty of ooomph

My car owning philosophy is to treat a car as nothing more than transport for there and back.

I don't clean it, just fill it up with diesel, if the warning lights come on for oil and water I give her a top up.

So the old girl gives me no reason to trade her in.... just yet. 

20th-21st October

My first trip out to fish a river this season took me to the river Wye with Steve Pope on what was from the Barbel Society R&C Fund raiser that I donated to at the last auction.

The 4 hour drive 196 mile from 4:30 am was not the best journey across for me. 

I've not been a fan of night driving ever, and until the sun gave us light I have to say it was a stressful journey.

Dark unlit  roads with big trucks just starting their day from lay byes. and coming towards me with a multitude of lights is not my idea of fun and what happened to the old rule of turning off full beam when approaching another vehicle?.

Anyway I met Steve at 8:30 on Geoff Maynard's (Yes he of Fishing Bake Off, but that's another story) at Llanthomas Fishery near Llowes on the A438.

To cut a long story short, the river was very low and very clear, we fished for about 11 hours until well in dark when Steve caught a couple of chub..

Me? Not a nibble. 
I spent most of the day bird watching and was honoured by the presence of dippers and a buzzard overhead for much of the day at this fantastic location.I'll be back when the river fills up a bit

We stayed the night and decided next morning after a very good nights sleep on site and watching the morning rain, that we would call it a day and left after I'd cooked breakfast .

My very comfortable stress-less drive home took about three and a half hours door to door.

The car averaged just over 60 mpg at an average speed  off 55mph, so deserves it's reprieve.

I have a trip lined up for the river Dane on friday of next week across the M62 and another early start and probable late return to look forward to!!!!

My report will follow