9th Sept 2012
Other than the crowded garage we have found
a home for most things although our storerooms are looking quite full. There
are still a few issues to address such as window coverings in certain rooms,
gardens and a small garden shed to put outside items in. Until we finish
tripping around Australia and more about that later, we won’t be going over
board with furnishings downstairs or building a workstation in the garage and
the BBQ area will make do with our old BBQ’s that have serviced us well for a
long time, wonky as they are. In the original design a BBQ was to be built in,
but we were un-decided as to what we really wanted and didn’t want to be
restricted to a fixture. So we got the builder to run required services to the
BBQ area ie water, drainage and power and when we eventually make up our mind
we will probably have a small work station with a nice modern portable BBQ
alongside. Some of these things have to wait, the purse strings have become
frayed and the zip is crusty. (she’s asleep at the moment).
Our side fence eventually got finished, two
days work only took three weeks. Front gates are being delayed, owner of the
company fabricating them came and apologised for the delay, apparently his
welder got bitten by a White Tail spider, he ended up in hospital for a week
and nearly lost his thumb unfortunately he is taking a long time to recover,
getting a temporary replacement has been a nightmare for the owner and needles
to say his business is suffering. Nasty business and not much point us jumping
up and down under those circumstances we will just have to be patient.
The man scheduled to seal our external
tiles has been in hospital with Asthma and so he also has been phoning in,
apologising – what can you say, knowing how ill Nancy was with it recently I
would be pretty callous to go off my brain, I guess it will get done one day.
Bathroom extractor fan in Lisa’s bathroom
hasn’t worked since we shifted in, the original was replaced by the builder’s
electrician, the replacement didn’t work either so it became a warrantee claim.
It took three bloody weeks for a service man to finally get here only to inform
me the fan is faulty and has to be replaced which will take approximately two
weeks, what a lot of crap, what sort of garbage are they making these days this
was supposed to be very good quality.
We haven’t had rain since early July (whose
complaining) the weather is fabulous, clear skies, high twenties and no
humidity, spring is certainly good this year. From my leather recliner I can observe
the bird life activity in the gum trees across the road, these gnarled old
giants are host to numerous bird varieties. Through my binocs I can closely
observe a couple of Rainbow Lorikeets canoodling like lovers on a park bench, a
solitary magpie exerting great effort to produce a melodious tune that surely
must be his mating song, to no avail, a brace of white cockatoos and the odd
crow.
Around three thirty each afternoon the tree
comes alive with feeding lorikeets cavorting about with feats of gymnastics acrobatics
while seeking nectar from a profusion of gum flowers, and all the time a
constant chatter like excited kids in a children’s playground. I guess it won’t
be long before we see mated couples of the various birds popping in and out of
the many hollow branch stubs we can see throughout the two big trees. Already
our resident Plover couple are seeing off those that venture too close to an
obvious nesting area, which as usual with these strange birds is completely out
in the open. Unsuspecting victims, particularly those with a dog on a leash
suddenly enter into convulsive ducking and weaving as a kamikaze attack together
with staccato warning screeches, sends them scurrying from the plover’s no go
zone. Unfortunately they often attract snotty nosed brats who delight in in
throwing sticks at them from a cowardly distance, thank goodness their aim and
strength is normally quite wayward, disappointing how oblivious parents are to
the potential harm their loved ones are indulging in, harming the plovers that
is. Soon however when the chicks are born their will be two plovers attacking
from different angles, this evens up the odds a little and last year afforded
me endless hours of amusement and saves me bellowing at the little sods so much
(I don’t care if I’m a cranky old bastard).
Looking out my study window there is
actually a large grey cumulus cloud forming, this would have to be the first significant
cloud I have seen in two months, it’s pushing up from the south/south west and
appears to contain moisture, promising rain perhaps? Oh well we’ve got to get it
some time I guess.
I’ll keep you posted.
Following is a few photos of the finished house
