I love my slow cooker

I usually get home from work around 6.30pm and the thought of having to cook a meal at that time doesn't always appeal. I love cooking though, and really like to make sure I get a good meal. But by the time I've prepared and cooked something I don't get to eat until nearly 8.30pm...not ideal.

That's why I love my slow cooker. I've had it for years now but don't use it as often as I should. Last night I chopped up some veg, taking about 10 minutes then put it in some water to keep for this morning. I set my alarm ten minutes earlier than normal and after sealing the joint of lamb in the frying pan added it to the slow cooker with the veg and some gravy and left it on high for the day.

When I got home tonight the whole house smelt of lamb, it was such a good feeling to know that dinner would be ready and I wouldn't have to find something...or even worse go to the supermarket.

I must use it more often so I've dug out a slow cooker recipe book and I'll make sure it doesn't go back on the shelf to gather dust again!

Catching time for a sunset

During the winter months I don't usually get away from work in time to catch a sunset but today was different. The office was pretty quiet all day so I took the opportunity to catch up with a lot of paperwork and to organise my next round of inspections. I then had a few visits to make so I set off in the car and took a drive through the countryside to the sites I needed to visit.

As I'd finished my last site visit I could see a beautiful sunset about to form so I took a quick drive home to grab the camera and headed out for a quiet road I knew near Huggate on the Yorkshire Wolds. I found an isolated tree and took a few RAW shots, I intended to merge them using Photomatix when I got home but once they were loaded onto the computer I really liked them as shot and not HDR.

I love watching the sun go down, I think I'm more of a sunset than a sunrise person :)

Like the Mary Celeste

I'm the only one in the office today, every one else is either off on leave, at home sick or out on visits. It's very quiet an peaceful. Maybe I'm speaking too soon, it might cause the phones to start ringing again :)

I'm off out this afternoon on inspections...unfortunately I've left my camera at home so my photo-a-day project shot will have to be afterwork. I'm finding it harder and harder to come up with original ideas, maybe a drive in the countryside this afternoon will provide some inspiration

My bed was shaking!!

My bed started shaking just before 1am this morning, I'd only just dozed off so I woke up with a jump and was pretty scared. I looked out the window to see lots of lights coming on in different houses, then suddenly the big Sea King helicopter from nearby RAF Leconfield came over really low so I thought it might have been the noise from that which woke me up. I turned on the telly and watched Sky News for a little while until they suddenly started to report some breaking news about an earthquake. Reassured I wasn't imagining things I went back to sleep.

Apparently it measured 5.2 on the Richter scale and was the most powerful to hit the UK in 25 years.