Blog 8

Blog 8

27th March Saturday

I got up late, Linda went off to spray blackberries, James and Bindi off to slash the paddock for the Easter campers. Bindi came back with the ride on mower because it wasn’t cutting the grass. This needed my attention when I arose. I found it was stuck with long grass clippings. I cleaned it, tightened the pulley, hit it with a hammer and unjammed it. This solved the problem. However by the time Bindi got back to the paddock it wouldn’t work, so she put it in the shed. What a waste of time! It had broken itself again while going back to the paddock. All the machinery round here is old and needs humoring, just like a man. It obviously needs a women’s gentle touch.

We decided to go swimming for some relaxation. Linda did her usual 2km. While I managed 10 laps, not a bad effort for me. I must admit I did feel refreshed after the dip and the sauna. Next I got on the internet to up date my emails, blog 7 etc. At night we watched a good movie called “Enigma”, about the code breakers at Bletchley Park, Milton Keys, during WW2, while enjoying a good bottle of South Australian red wine.

Up for midnight feast of more red wine, cheese and cream crackers. Unfortunately there was only Linda and I to enjoy this! Where are all the hunks?

28th March Sunday

First job today is to reinstall the dish washer in the kitchen. This could prove a little tricky as the pipe broke when I was taking it out. Old brittle plastic pipe is difficult to handle, just like men. Next we defrosted and moved out 2 fridges to the back verandah, in preparation for tiling the laundry floor.

29th Monday

We both had an early morning swim at 6.30am at Fairmont Resort Leura. Great swim but terrible time of the day to be abroad. After a good breakfast and a chat on skype, we went to Richmond where I had a good look about the town. We did some supermarket shopping at Coles (like Sainsbury). Back to Penrith to get more tiles for the laundry and exchenge gas fitting that didn’t seal properly. Also got some more outside power points and electrical cable (another job awaiting me!) (think I’ll have to come back next year to do all these jobs!)

30th Tuesday

Linda off for another early swim, I needed a sleep in after all our adventures. I went on line to update emails etc. Back at the farm we defrosted the freezer and moved it to the back verandah. Removed the gun cabinet, which was bolted to the wall and the washing machine and laundry tub. O no not another drain problem! Now I have discovered a 2 inch pipe that empties into a 5 inch pipe and low and behold they don’t line up, nor does the drain hole in the laundry! Looks like I have to go under the house again! Bug-er, Sh--. What a fiasco this job has turned out to be! One job just demands the attention of another. I think these convicts that come out really earned their keep, just wish they knew how to plumb! Just for some light relief Linda said we had a flash flood in the kitchen with the dish washer in action. I was really pis--d off now! I went to investigate just to find she was only joking! Then we had a really good laugh. We took the old linoleum tiles up and discovered we had a concrete floor instead of a wooden floor. That will be a challenge for new plumbing! What a challenge we have, what a laugh we have! Guess you have to smile as you go under!

31st Wednesday

Last day before all the marauding hordes arrive. Up early to carry on, first sorted motorbike battery before removing cemented tiles in laundry. Really looking forward to meeting the odd 50 or so of some of Linda’s extended family. It should be a hoot if Linda is anything to go by. Very chilly today, I think we need to light the rayburn (aga) wood heater. It’s really 15 degrees Celsius, not bad by English standards but it does feel cold, guess it’s because its raining the chill factor kicks in. We had 30 mL rain yesterday and 29.4mL rain today. Think it will be another wet easter having a drink or three around a wet fire that won’t light! Better get to work just to keep warm. Bloody drains again, now the bathroom drains are leaking! Can’t believe how long it takes to get jobs done. We had to go all the way to Katoomba to get washers for the drains. Even then we couldn’t get what we wanted. This was a three hour trip! What a waste of time. Put battery in motorbike, fixed jockey wheel trailer with correct U bolts, realigned bolt in ride on lawn mower, put diesel in tractor, connected slasher, all before I could start on the laundry floor. Managed to sand floor and apply sealant before making rissoles for dinner. Linda back by 8pm after slashing orchard and lane way. Another eventful day on the farm. You never know what will happen next here! Also we lost a chicken tonight. 11 chickens went out for a run but only 10 chickens came back! Mother chock was very upset to loose one of her brood!

1st April

“All Fools Day” today guess I must be a fool to be here! Those blo-dy drains strike again. This time the laundry drains needed sorting before I started tiling! Another excursion under the house to investigate again! Think I can sort it but don’t want to waste another day on drains so decide to begin tiling laundry. First though I have a big cooked breakfast courtesy of Linda. While she is cooking I tried to stop the diamond tile cutter from wobbling. Very frustrating, so I sent Linda off to Blackheath to get another washer or disc. I began tiling. All going swimmingly till Linda decided to do some clothes washing and caused a flash flood on the back verandah. Difficult to stay focused on the job with all the distractions Linda throws up! Guests began to arrive first Dave with caravan in tow. Then Ben and Finlay in BMW coupe. Eventually Gwen and Jack rock up. Gwen is stunned by the finished kitchen floor and really appreciates the gas stove! WOW! I am still tiling trying to get the laundry floor finished by the end of the day but I didn’t quite make it. I had a quick bath and off to the camp site for a few well earned Bushmill whiskeys. Dave’s wife Jenny had arrived and as the night wore on so did two of their children, Sandy and Angela. Next to rock up was Mitchell another young motor bike fanatic. We all enjoyed a roaring fire and great yarns. Several bushmills later we toddled back home to enjoy dinner which Ben and Gwen had prepared.

2nd April “Good Friday”

Day off work today! I’m not doing anything! Linda washing clothes this time minus the flash flood, thank goodness, because I fixed it before she started! Phoned home to make sure David was coping ok and wish the kids a happy birthday. People started arriving for the easter break. Several people walked to the Cox’s River about 3 miles distant but 1500 vertical feet drop. We picked them up in a four wheel drive ute. Wonderful scenery lively company, much frivolity.

3rd April

More people arrived to celebrate easter. More socializing with more of Linda’s family. There seems to be an inexhaustible supply of relatives, food, drink and good fun. We walked down the hill through the paddocks (3 miles) to Glen’s farm next door. More food, Gwenda had made a yummy fruit cake and celebrating before returning home to a delicious corn beef from Megalong Beef. Further company was enjoyed with the campers round the camp fire, which was enlivened by many sprits much alcohol and good company.

4th April

Everyone exchanged easter eggs. I think ozies must be chocaholics, with the amount of chocolates consumed today. Chocolate eggs, chickens, chicks, bilbies, blocks and even easter buns! The assembled family of some 50 odd enjoyed the ozie BBQ and salads of all descriptions. We indulged so much that dinner in the evening was skipped. All the children participated in an easter egg hunt. The kids were armed with a plastic bag each and went off to look for chocolate easter eggs and chicks. The easter egg hunt seems to be a tradition in oz. All the little ones were well satisfied by there haul. We rounded up a wonderful day by enjoying lots of stories round the camp fire.

5th April

Generally went from camp to camp chatting to most people. The weekend was rather on the hectic side to say the least. By 5pm most people had gone and the house was quite again thank goodness. So I laid a few more tiles in the laundry room. Ben turned up to have a chat with Linda, two people siting in the kitchen did not bother me at all, after all the gathered clan had left.

6th April

I did some grouting and and cleaned up the tiled laundry room. Watched a DVD of PD James a murder series and promptly fell a sleep, after de-stressing with several whiskeys.

7th April

Started to put back the sink and washing mashing and that meant crawling under the house again, yes you got it, I fixed the drains again! A trip to Blackheath for more pipes and parts. Then I went under the house again only to be distracted by the ginger cat “Boot”, who was crawling all over me! Boot tried to get access to the house via the hole in the floor. Boot needed a cuddle before I could go on. Next Linda’s two great nephews, Heath and Finley, wanted to inspect under the house also. Typically inquisitive little children, they wanted to know what was going on, plus they found all sorts of interesting junk. Hurrah all the drains done! Now for a bottle of Champagne unfortunately we have none! Ha Ha the jokes on me!

8th April Thursday

Chickens off for a holiday. We have to farm out the house animals so we can head off to Tasmania. I put the gun cabinet back in place and secured it to the wall. Also put the fridge and freezer back in their respective positions. This accomplished I fixed a new chrome drain cap so it was level with the new floor. Along came Fran to say good bye with her 4 lovely young children, so that took up an hour or so. Back to packing and ironing, when there was a knock on the back door which meant we had two complete strangers in the camp. These two poor lost soles, Owen and had been tramping all day since 7am and had just walked up a hill 1500 vertical feet in three miles. Needless to say they were exhausted, so I revived them with a hot cup of sweet tea and Linda drove them back some 6 km to their car.

So now out came the Whiskey and the Red wine, while waiting for our dinner to cook. We had had quite a few drinks before eating. I couldn’t work out why dinner was taking so long to cook. Then I realized I had the gas cooker on low, so no wonder dinner took so long. Oh well better have another drink! 10pm is rather late for dinner though. Especially since breakfast was so long ago.