What Are You Doing Now?

[Bertie]

Sat in the shed with my 'outdoor cats', giving them some company on another wet and windy day. However I've got a terrible cough and cold and my frequent coughs and sneezes are startling them - Beauty often shooting out the cat flap when I have a lengthy 'fit' of either! Muttering something about 'sniffofit' on her way.

Pretty certain sitting in here for hours during this horrible spell of weather is the last thing I should be doing given how I feel, but while I'm sat nice and warm in my house, with Slinky my indoor cat, I feel guilty about Beauty and Ginge out here in the shed and feel it's my 'bounden duty' to spend time with them. Though with each coughing and sneezing fit that startles them, they're probably wondering 'when is he going to go!?'

[Lenoir]

That's quite a thing to do when you're not feeling well, and I hope the cats appreciate it. I know some cats need company, despite what people say.

Having time on my hands, I have been sorting through a few things. Today I unpacked my train set. I must have had it since the sixties I think. It was stored in a cardboard box with other childhood treasures (a jigsaw, a Cluedo set) and was in its original box. I can't remember when I last opened it.

I didn't even realise I still had the whole set intact. Memories came back - how to connect the railway lines together, and how to connect the power supply. Surely the engine wouldn't still go? Surely the transformer wouldn't still work, and in any case wasn't it a bit risky to connect it to the mains? Reasoning that the worst can could happen was something tripping on the electrical board, I went ahead.

I was thrilled to find out the engine does still run, only slowly and only a short distance at a time, but it still goes. It doesn't have enough power to pull the rest of the train, but can manage to pull the guard's van, the little van that goes at the back.

[Courtenay]

Hope you're on the mend soon, Bertie. Very good of you to spend time with the two cats in their shed under those circumstances! At least they have a decent shelter in this horrible weather — think how much worse it would be for them if they were still homeless.

That's lovely about your train set, Lenoir. Do you know if there are any old-fashioned repairers / model railway enthusiasts you could possibly take it to, and someone might be able to go over the electrics and restore it to proper working order? Hopefully that's not impossible. We have a lovely TV show here in the UK, The Repair Shop, featuring a group of experts who restore and repair all sorts of old treasures and keepsakes that people bring in — often including old toys and other things with complex mechanisms. It would be great if you could find something like that in your area!

[Bertie]

Thanks, Lenoir and Courtenay Yeah, you can tell they appreciate it and that they really enjoy it. Though Beauty is only comfortable around me for now, and would rather not have any other human company. While Ginge is happy for anyone to give him some attention.

Great to hear about your train set, Lenoir. Growing up, my dad and two older brothers used to be very into them and we always went to one or two of the local exhibitions to look at some very impressive ones. One of my brothers then later joined his local model railway club and so they took their sets each year to those same exhibitions - though he's drifted away from it all now. And my other brother took his kids to a neighbour just yesterday who was showing them his layout that he's got set up, which they all loved!

I'm glad it all still works. And also like the sound of the old Cluedo set - that was always one of my favourite board games.

[Chrissie777]

Chrissie - words fail me, what an awful awful time you've had. No wonder you'll be glad to see the back of this year. 70 years is a wonderful achievement, they were obviously destined to stay together. I'm sorry you've lost Cody too, I enjoyed reading your posts about him on here. 8 is a good age for a German Shepherd. I hope you have a much happier and far more positive 2024.

IceMaiden, I know of two female white German shepherds who lived until they were 16.
So of course I always hoped we would have our Cody for another 8 years.

[Katharine]

Chrissie, sorry to hear that 2023 hasn't been a good year for you - I hope 2024 is better.

[Katharine]

Bertie, hope you feel better soon -there are a lot of germs circulating at the moment.

Lenoir, your trip down memory lane sounds lovely, glad your train set still works, even if a bit slower than it should.

[IceMaiden]

IceMaiden, I know of two female white German shepherds who lived until they were 16.
So of course I always hoped we would have our Cody for another 8 years.

They were extremely lucky owners (and dogs) then as that is very very rare. The average lifespan for a German Shepherd is 7-10 years, with females usually living a little longer than males. Unfortunately big boned, large heavy breed dogs, in particular males, are sadly prone to cancers, particularly bone cancer. My friend's dogs had it, one had surgery which bought him an extra 4 months. The other had tests done which showed nothing and by the next week it was so advanced nothing could be done. The only symptoms they had shown was a slight limp. It is frightening how quick it can come from nowhere in them.

Bertie - have you thought about putting an electric heater in your shed both for you and the cats? It's awful weather to be sat outside in a shed, I used to have rabbits kept in a shed and going out to feed/clean them in the winter was not fun. A heater made it a bit more bearable .

Lenoir - you should post pictures of your train set, I for one would enjoy seeing it . There's something special about vintage toys, you can almost feel the memories in them. I'd collect them if I had the space as I love them!

[Anita Bensoussane]

I'm very sorry to hear of all you've been through in 2023, Chrissie. I hope things settle down for you now and that you have a happier 2024.

Bertie, I hope you'll soon be over your cough and cold. I'm sure Beauty and Ginge appreciate the time you spend with them.

Lenoir, it's wonderful that your old railway set still works to some extent. You must be over the moon. I wish my sister and I had kept our Hornby railway set from the 1970s, but sadly we sold it when we were in our teens.

[Boodi 2]

Hope your cold will be better soon Bertie!

[Bertie]

Thanks, Anita and Boodi.

IceMaiden: Yeah, that is a good idea about the electric heater. And one that I've considered. They are still so kittenish and giddy at times, so I'm worried about any potential accidents should I forget to turn it off any time when I leave if I took in the bigger radiator type one that I've got in the house. I guess a smaller, more portable one that I take away with me each time would be safer - although it would offer less warmth when on than a bigger one. Still, it would be a lot better than nothing, and I'd feel safer knowing I'd brought it away and nothing could go wrong while they're alone in there. So I think I'll opt for that.

[Lenoir]

I like ginger cats, they seem to be more friendly than others.

I could post a photo of my train set, but I need to get a photo hosting site first. The one I used before closed down.

[Chrissie777]

Chrissie, sorry to hear that 2023 hasn't been a good year for you - I hope 2024 is better.

Thank you, Katharine. Have a happy and healthy New Year!

[Chrissie777]

I'm very sorry to hear of all you've been through in 2023, Chrissie. I hope things settle down for you now and that you have a happier 2024.

Thank you, Anita. The funeral of my parents-in-law is on January 6th and after that the healing can begin,
Have a happy and healthy New Year!

[Chrissie777]

Very sorry to hear all that, Chrissie.
Really hope you have a much happier 2024, and that you finally get your vacation in France at some point.

Thank you, Bertie!
I also hope that next year nothing interferes with our long France trip.
Happy New Year!!!