My grandad the hooligan.

The day was going well - up with the curlews and the oyster catchers and every other noisy bird here in Orkney at the moment! Chickens fed, eggs collected, extra chunky brownies* cooked, puppies walked - in and out of the house 4 times before 7am, before I noticed the obvious.....Ladies and Gentlemans we have a flat tyre. Deep joy - 7.15am daughters bus due at 8am one mile away - easy you'd think? Normally. However, the pesky car jacks (both of them) were in Darwin, currently in the garage in Stromness being fixed for the summer. Oh dear, however a quick head scratch and conflab with the cellist - we decided best plan was to don bikes, howk (definition here, I'm using it the sense of figuring a cunning plan) ourselves up to the neighbours half a mile away and borrow a jack. The cellist turned cyclist carried on to school bus and I ambled home with a 'borrowed jack' in my hand! I like neighbours, very helpful. Now, what on earth to do? Gotta change a wheel I guess unless any keen participants step forward?

Well boy/man child snored, Mr F off in some forgien location - that left chooks and mutts. The chooks were completely useless and pointed me in the direction of the trailers wheels which were it had to be said nice and plump. Pesky chickens always like to know better!

The hoonds (those manly chaps) - decided to protect the brownies in case of alien invasion of brownie eating fiends and watched on from the window. The team work has probably begun - maybe one of them flattenned the tyre (on smelling brownies) and the other was about to lock me out?

 Even the weather was not being awfully helpful - to say its been a mixed week of weather up here would be an understatment. And, the frequent hail/snow/rain storms of the week appeared to approaching with speed. Eek best get on with it eh?!

However, all is not lost. Firstly this girls' not shy of changing a wheel - and whilst it was a bit of the pain in the derrier - I can change a flat tyre and its not life threatening when at home, early and no pressing engagements. I'm armed with experience in flat tyre changage. 

I blame this entirely on my Grandfather. No shrinking violets on his watch, not a hope. First car I ever got I drove proudly to show him. First thing he did after inspecting my Primrose Yellow Mini-metro? Let the air out of one of my tyres. A grin on his chops - the monster - he flattenned my tyre just like that! Whilst he has previous for being a vandal, on several counts, he chuckled and informed me of his cunning plan. Seemingly, all girls, even pesty ones like me, should learn to change a wheel - so he thought he'd prempt my 'first time changing a wheel tragedy' and supervised me throughout the prempted sabotaged operation. What a lovely kind chap eh? Like I said - he was a complete hooligan through and through. But, I do know how to change a wheel due to his 'kind' help, pesky grandads who help you learn stuff........

Mr James T Henderson of Broughty Ferry, Dundee - Thank you very much - even if you were a hooligan, I can change a wheel like the best of them.

To be honest though - that was far too much excitement before 8am in the morning - I retired for the day with tea with a damp tea towel on my head and arranged to have a chat with a lovely chum  the puppies for a walk to Brodgar! And, just the therapy I needed!

*I've put the brownie recipe on the 'grub' page if anyone's interested - its my friend Janes recipe and its simple and quick and so yummy! This time I doubled the batch mix for a lovely chunky brownie - will do that again - they were lovely. Sadly all gone now!