Tyres, Radar, Canada, Shadow….. Keeping Busy

A puncture to the McCobbs People Mover (its been sat a while) where it waits for Rachel & Matt to return from Abu Dhabi for Easter and Summer breaks, gave an opportunity for Prisci to learn wheel changing.

I showed her quickly, and was surprised how this pocket sized person got full torque on the wheel nuts 👏A few more jobs were at Valerie’s: pool-filter controller exchange, supply cables re-route, remove the old alarm system and replace some temperamental switches and sockets. She has a lovely home with a swimming pool and hot tub. The ladies help with comments from their armchair in-between sips of tea (or whatever pleases them at lunch time)🤷🏻‍♂️ I’m starting some work at the same time at Karl’s: lighting inside and external, faulty switch units and general sweep-up of unfinished work before he and Trish moved in. The apartment rental has pushed my slack time more into odd-job-man than travelling house sitter. I do like this new period in Puerto Mazarrón as I settle more (and miss the storms, snow and cold elsewhere).

The Volvo has been brilliant to knock-about in but I’m envious of the three wheeler buggy Karl has for a Rambla runabout House sitting isn’t dead. I’ve still got some sits coming up, a reminder of one today in the form of an email from Shadow. We will be walking the park in Fareham at Easter. He’s being kept warm meanwhile

In May I’ll be deep in the mountains near Cartagena to Sit for Nadine and Mark. Nadine will be at one of her daughters wedding in UK. A chance to return to Canada too. Joan and Kevin are looking for sits for a month. I’ll keep their Mercedes ticking over, some jobs aren’t so bad I’ve enjoyed three Canada trips, running the Niagara Falls Marathon (3hrs 14 mins) was a great experience, start line in Buffalo New York, with the finish line a rainbow over the Canadian falls. Two years ago today I took a train across America (Washington DC to Seattle) and then up to Vancouver, from there across Canada to Toronto. In Vancouver I visited a rain forest park that has a special walk I’m enjoying making new memories now in Spain, the Salsa lessons are great fun as Prisci and I have moved on from the basic steps. She gets regular tickings off from Alice the class instructor, because she takes the lead from me (worth slipping a step to see her reprimands).

The new volunteer work at the Cartagena Military Museum is fascinating, the Spanish written manuals are starting to make sense and I can follow electrical/technical explanations of the Search Radar system now. A re-wire of the Servo Amplifier should see the antenna rotate this coming Wednesday. It’s Mano-Mano stuff working with Stu. Time I enjoy and value, not just for the beer and chips en-route home. I think 2018 is going to be busier again, it is surprising me how each year is getting richer in quality time, not the slow-down folk think after giving up mainstream careers.

Some of the little tasks I’m doing pay for fuel and jaunts, but I might work a bit harder (the bad word I try to avoid!) and see if I can buy a toy like the Beemer Buggy 👨🏼‍🏭