Coffee Break sketch......the greatest motivation

The sun is still blazing in Northern Ireland and I think it has actually got warmer rather than looking to be cooling down. It's getting to that stage now that it is time to sit in the garden and relax rather than doing any hard work in it. This has slowed down the progress of the vegetable garden but I'm enjoying this great sun while it's here.

They have now started a hose pipe ban, so it is going to make the garden harder to keep watered. 

We were back on the snooker table as well this week and after about 6 weeks play, I'm not sure I can see any improvements yet but I'm willing to keep on playing as it us great fun and to be honest we're not the must competitive of guys.

The World Cup has now passed the group stages and England are still flying the flag for the home nations which is great to see. My sweepstake team Germany have been knocked out in the group, which has been very disappointing. Spent Friday with no football which was awful but thankfully it is back today. 

I've really enjoyed this tournament, plenty of goals, upsets and VAR. It's just a pity, there will be about 4 weeks of no football until the football leagues start again.

Until the next update, enjoy your Saturday wherever you are.

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@homemadedad 

Coffee Break sketch......the greatest moment

Morning all, I've been a tad shabby on the blog in recent weeks and not been putting much on. I've had to work on a few other things which has stopped me from entertaining you all. Unfortunately it hasn't been anything particularly fun.

We are still enjoying this amazing run of good weather and I am you g to be particularly sad when we do go back to bad weather. I've enjoyed the heat, yes it's not get when you are stuck in work or when Finley is struggling to sleep due to it. But waking up each morning to beautiful blue skies and knowing that the day will still be bright after 9pm is just wonderful. I would say that the Christmas period is my favourite time of year but apart from that, the long summer nights when you can get some much more completed outdoors is definitely up there. It does help that this is the first proper period of sunshine and heat that I can remember for a very long time.

The vegetable garden is making a slow progress but it is progressing and that is the main thing. In the coming weeks there will be many things required to be completed and I'm sure that I will have many a photo up here showing Finley helping me out.

In the evenings I am managing to get my comic strips drawn and I am well on track to get the 24 days worth ready for the First of December. Links will follow to my Facebook page and I hope you all pop over and not only click the LIKE button but also share the page with all your friends. The more the merrier I say.

Finley has decided in the past few weeks that again this sleeping at night is just not his sort of thing and has been giving us quite the "sleepless in Northern Ireland" and then when I need to get up being fast asleep. Sleep will come to us and at least he is getting some sleep.

The link to my drawing work -  https://www.facebook.com/SantaandRuudy/

Twitter- @homemadedad 

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Coffee Break sketch......a good Father

Its looking a tad duller around these parts so far this morning. Hopefully it's just a blip and the sun will be pouring all over us once more. Allow the plants are in need of some liquid refreshment and it's a long job watering all the plants. 

I have taken up an old hobbie again, after almost 22 years I have taken "Betsey" out of retirement and started to play snooker once a week with my brother and father-in-law in-laws. I have to say it's been mighty craic but I am awful! 😂 Definitely getting better but I not even think the amateurs need worry about my skills on the table.

Follow my progress and more via Twitter- @homemadedad 

Coffee Break sketch......a state of gratitude

What a wonderful weekend it has been. The sun is still blazing away in our wee country. Which has given Finley and me enough time to get the secondary greenhouse almost rebuilt. It certainly has been a labour of love.

The main greenhouse and you can see the secondary one on the right.

The back end of the main greenhouse. 

Finley has had a great time out in the garden, digging and playing with (non sharp) tools and having a ball.

We are nearly onto the next phase of the veggie garden, once the rest of the hedges have been cut back it will be on to marking out the boundaries of each veggie area.

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Saturday morning in the vegetable garden......

A weekend off from work and Zoe was working last night, so Finley and me dawned the boots and set off down to the vegetable garden. There is a lot of work required to get it into any kind of shape for next year.

I was planning on cutting down more hedges to give the family more space for the new beds to be built but earlier in the week I had started to rebuild the secondary greenhouse. I had begun to rebuild in early spring but with the need to get the inside of our home decorated after our move, the greenhouse got left to the side. Storms arrived and what work I had completed on the build was left in tatters. Thankfully no metal work was too bad damaged and I have been able to make a few amendments to fix any issues which have so far arose.

Finley collecting all the hose pipe pieces.

Unfortunately, after I had built the greenhouse in its original position at our old house, I lost the paperwork to rebuild it but after taking a few attempts and a little longer than what would normally be needed. I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. Once built, it will need a good wash down before any tables etc get built and put in.

Finley enjoyed himself in the main greenhouse and kept himself occupied with a whole array of tools. (All sharp and small objects were moved out of little hands reach. As well as an liquids etc...)

Finley got some real dirty play time today and as you can see enjoyed his digging time.

After over an hour it was time to come in for a well earned break for the boss and me. The think that is probably the must I will get working on it today but happy with what we have managed to get built.

The next time I am down in the vegetable garden I'll take a picture of the progress we've made.

As you can see from these images that the secondary greenhouse took a bad battering during the bad weather. 

Overgrown and in disarray,  sounds a bit like me but with a bit of hard work may be a change will happen to not just the vegetable garden but me too.

Follow the smaller details about the gardens development on my Twitter feed- @homemadedad 

Coffee Break sketch......Two options

The weather is still beautiful in God's own country. I can't remember the last time Northern Ireland had such a stint of sun.

I have managed a few hours in the vegetable garden to start work on fixing the secondary greenhouse. It's not going to be as easy as I had first hoped but I will get it fixed and get the garden ready for growing next year.

The scan for today's sketch hasn't came out the best but I hope you all are enjoying the drawings.

Slowly getting time to work on my own animations and working on background development at the moment.

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Coffee Break sketch......the most room in your heart

I thought our Northern Irish summer was over on Thursday BUT it came back in the evening and all day yesterday. Hooray! A little bit of rain to revive the plants and then sun to help them produce.

This morning there is a foggy haze, so here's hoping that we are going to have another wonderful day.

In the vegetable garden, I got started on cutting back the hedges to give us a little more space for growing. Once I have this stage completed, I hope to get the secondary greenhouse rebuilt. 

Enjoy your Saturday, whatever and wherever you may be.

Twitter- @homemadedad