Preparing

Given how well the new Blip works on mobiles thought I would get the tractor fitted out with the kit especially as the tractor will be celebrating it's 50th birthday shortly.

Found a remarkably good deal on ebay, two phones, hands free function, Just need to find out how to attach the window fastening antenna as the tractor doesn't have any hand winders let alone electric buttons for windows. For that matter it doesn't have any windows at all. I don't reckon with too much flack from the purist restoration lobby as the equipment idoes have a certain "old" feeling to it even if the turquoise Siemens lettering does clash with John Deere green,

Sure we will get this fixed in due course and I can sell the PC & monitor.

Mucked out this morning and did the "Collect Flash" run. interesting to see on Angie's Blip the two dog types.

Flash lying down is always "on duty" - attentive, protective, thinking ahead and takes up position to block Sultan from taking off.

Luna always looking out for something more exciting, not a care in the world and certainly no responsibilities to fulfill. I wonder sometimes if she reckons that Flash has everything under control, so doesn't need to bother. Would she be different if she was alone? I suspect so, at least with time.

Back home, checked out the bees to make sure I hadn't killed them off yesterday. All seemed well and certainly quite a few dead varroa mites.

Then went back to the garden gate problem abandoned a few days ago. Tried the Windows method and turned off the whole electricity supply and did a restart. At least the LED blinked at me even if the remotes didn't work. Took the unheard of step for a male of reading the instruction manual (sorry members of the species for letting the side down but I did do it in a windowless shed with the door closed). Then a minute or two of fiddling around with things I don't understand like jumpers, managed to get it all working again.

I am far from convinced it will last. As I coudn't find a use for the Siemens antenna attached it to the gate system and it appeared to increase the range of the remotes but I suspect it has nothing to do with it (what is 433Mhz?) but simply by handling the receiver unit I had cleared away sufficient amounts of spider webs and slug trails to let a signal get through.

So a successful day and rounded off with a sauna followed by a roast pork dinner to put back the lost gramms.

Weather was a little better during the day: dry, less wind and the very odd ray of sunshine. It had however rained heavily last night and more due tonight maybe even snow but it won't settle.