Dave's "S200KYS" Jimny 'laner Build...

THANKS for all your well-wishes

I'd say I was somewhere around 90% right by now, having been out of hospital for 4 weeks. I've been eating like a horse to build my weight and stamina back up, and controlling my blood sugars much better now I'm on insulin rather than tablets.

I had a potter on the Jimnys on Sunday for the first time this year, and was planning on having the day in the garage today - my day off in the week - but decided this morning I didn't feel like it / wasn't up to it... times a healer and I don't want to do too much too quickly.

Likewise, some of our little group are greenlaning in Shropshire on Sunday, but it's an 8am start there so would mean me getting up early to drive to Brett's to be his passenger / gateboy for the day... But, unfortunately, I decided earlier this week that it would be too long a day for me as I feel currently, so it's back to plan A of rejoining the group in April for the trip planned then...

So I'm getting better, but it does take time... although saying that I do feel I'm recovering from it faster than most people indicated I would

Dave

Excellent news. Steady away and off you go in no time!

Damn! I missed this one too!

Hope your'e back to 100% very soon, Dave. Take your time and recharge the batteries gradually

Thanks ALL!

I took another little step forward yesterday... I had an optician;s appointment as I felt the sight in my right eye was getting worse, in fact it was better (hopefully due to better diabetic control), and my prescription has changed in the last few years since I started wearing glasses, so a new pair of glasses are on order...

The 'young man' that saw to me (about my age!, I normally see his Dad!) was very thorough, and during a good chat I mentioned my fear was my driving licence as driving has been a lifetime hobby (turns out he's into track days!), so he also gave me a 'mock' DVLA exam, particularly the peripheral vision test, and I passed with flying colours! He said DVLA will ask for his contact details eventually to perform this test on me periodically.

So... driving licence... TICK!

That's the one fear I have of getting older, is o e day they're going to say "Sorry buddy, we need you to surrender your driving licence. " the very thought makes my blood run cold. Hopefully it will be a long time yet for all of us!

On a more cheerful note... I recently (Sunday) felt well enough for a potter, and the missus agreed I could as long as I stayed warm and didn't over-do it...So a few little jobs on S200KYS...

First thing, it had been stood so long that the batteries were flat?...



Both my daughters cars were on the drive in front of the Jim' so it was easier to push it up towards my eldest's C1 to give him a jump :lol:

Then onto...



On my last trip out with 'our little group' something in the shubbery had ripped Brett's passenger-side mirror of:( I was "luckier" that it had a go at my door rather than the mirrorand pushed the wing in (again!),so out came the lump hammer and a pry bar! -



As good as new! :lol: Or acceptable for a greenlaner anyways!

I then tidied the inside, retrieving empty bottles and lunch wrappings from behind and under the seats where they tend to get chucked on a days greenlaning!

Then. on to trying to resolve the problems with the CB, which would transmit but not receive? I confirmed this using my handheld wandery-around CB which is also always in the back of the Jimny just incase I or one of the other lads have problems with a dash mounted CB too. I double-checked all the connections but failed to find anything wrong, so ripped it out and ordered a new set from Thunderpole which awaits fitting this weekend.

Almost ready for some greenlaning then?

After a leave of absence of three months due to illness and subsequent recuperation, today I went out for a local wander to ease myself back into greenlaning. Some of the group had been out on a laning trip to Shropshire on the 24/02/19 but I felt that was too long a trip / day for me in my stage of recuperating from pneumonia and most of January in hospital. So I ,muted the idea to Alan my co-driver and Darren, a local chap with a Jimny I'd chatted to in the shop. and also seen on YouTube that he was out regularly greenlaning. I also mentioned it on our group's WhatsApp group, but on the day it was just...



Darren in his Jimny and Alan & I in S200KYS that met for...



Breakfast in the WhistleStop Cafe in Rhuddlan, before ...



Setting off to drive the route that Alan had plotted on paper map nnd I had then transferred into MemoryMap to follow on the dash mounted iPad in my Jimny. Some 16 greenlanes on the route, with a 9am start we figured that would take us to mid-afternoon...

Not a full blog on this one, just some highlight photos...



At the top of a BOAT (ByWay Open to Al Traffic) above Tremechion , not far from my house!



SNOW! Wasn't expecting that! Below the Moel Y Parc TV mast in the distance.



Up to the top of Moel Dywyl in the Moel Famau Country Park.



Driving along the side of the Clwyd Valley, stunning views when it's clear...



Our view ahead to Rhyl on the coast in the distance.



A great sign on another BOAT, that says it all!!!



Dropping back down into the Clwyd valley...

We would have finished the route early, so we added another 5 lanes at the end of the day to make 21 in all, and I was still home in time...



To drop this rather dirty Jimny round to the...



Hand Car Wash 100 yards around the corner from my house... note the sign on the wall! - "PLEASE NOTE - EXCESSIVELY DIRTY CARS ... WILL INCUR AN EXTRA CHARGE" Yup, a tenner! LOL Saves me taking it five mile away and washing it myself at a friendly garage...



Clean and shiny and back on the drive waiting for it's next jaunt!

A great day out! Lots of 'lanes and still back in time to get the Jimny washed, write this mini-blog and have roast 'dinner' with the family.

THANKS to Alan for plotting the route and opening and closing countless gates, and to Darren for the company / second vehicle... I'm loathe to venture out on my own, just in case...

"Our little groups" next trips are a weekend in Northumberland on the 30th/31st of March, but I said that was too much for me yet, and the Lleyn Peninsula on the 28th of April... so to keep my tyres wet and muddy we're squeezing another little Sunday wander in on the 7th of April... from the llangollen area to Betws-y-Coed.

I'm hoping to restart the buggy project soon too when I can rip myself off the sofa on Sundays LOL :lol:

So glad to see you out and about again!

Thanks Lambert! So glad to be out again, it's been far too long!

Superb day out there, some very nice scenery round your way

Darren's YouTube compilation of the day -

Very nice