House Renovations.....still going

The house is progressing well, we have just about wrestled the garden back from Mother Nature and it only takes 5hours mowing and 3.5hours using the line trimmer to do the grass, every 5 days!

View from the front - thanks to a useful gadget on the camera.

The Canary Yellow walls are slowly being changed to something a bit more “us”. The neighbours seem very pleased with the change and have already thanked us for getting rid of the colour that they hated!

If this was a movie you would see my legs shaking – with ladder is at full 6m extension. I used the window to secure the ladder but I have a feeling that if things had gone wrong then the fall would have only been my first problem, followed immediately by the window/frame joining me on the ground!  Just as I was at full stretch, with my heart rate hitting dangerous levels,  Immi was in the lounge saying “Dad, Dad, can I have a drink”.....not now, Dad is very very busy!   

Wilson modelling his “invisible fence” collar.  After constantly leaving the property and straying across the estate we fitted this fantastic gadget. If he gets within 5m of the boundary the collar chimes, at 4m it chimes twice and at 3m he gets a “correction” via a capacitor. He’s reached the correction phase once and set a height record for his breed – similar to me hurdling our car port....... he now chooses not to stray beyond our fence .     

Weather now warming up, so BBQs from now on.

Note to self - shave legs more often.

It’s Dance Season

Just 2 weeks until the Jays Dance group Christmas show and its full costume rehearsal time. All 3 girls are in the show and doing a total of 19 dances between them! Gone are the days when we waited for 2 hours to see Katie do her 3 minute dance........but with 19 dances, we have more outfits than Les Miserables.

 Immi Sat with her friends......maybe not.

 Only 5 nights of sequin sewing - well done Sal

 Another very worrying photo for Dad 

 Its not Cling Film - its the Avatar costume

Nope, couldn't do any of those positions without pre-booking A&E.

 

Weekend in Eden + Fishing - Whats all the fuss?

Hello All, thought we’d put up a few photos of a recent weekend away to Eden with friends. It was also a chance to try fishing for the first time in Aus, although my previous experience (Crabbing in Conwy Harbour) didn’t help much.

Our friends used their camper trailer – all terrain, canvas “tardis”, with fold out BBQ, kitchen sink, annex and a dingy, boat trailer and outboard!.......the entire thing is water tight and can be submerged and the tow hitch even has a joint that allows the trailer to roll over completely without effecting the car......although, I think you are meant to stop if that happens.

Sat AM – Andrew and I swing into the local fishing tackle shop for a few tips on lauching, fishing license, bait (I’d done this before with Dad – “Le petit poison, en trape le grand poison”) to use etc etc.......now this is new world to me and these shops have absolutely everything under the sun, for catching fish or is it just stuff that makes you think that you will catch fish – does a flash reel costing $$$$$ and matching jacket / hat honestly make the fish take your hook more often?

Holly, Jack, Immi and Lilian

Off we trundle in the boat to an area about 200m off shore. Andrew shows me how to attach the weight thingy and hook / bait (my only knot – rabbit up through the hole & around the tree...wasn’t ideal) . Then we are fishing......hmm, 8 minutes gone and nothing.....not exactly dynamic is it. Andrew is casting into the distance but I have no idea how the reel works so I just opt for dropping the line over the side and “bumping” the weight on the bottom to stir up so interest........10 minutes gone and I thought I'd reel the bait in to see if it’s still on the hook........Oh my, it is on the hook but it not alone – 0.5m “flatty / shark ” (UK Dog Fish) on the line! Bit of a fuss in the boat and it’s into the cool box. I drop the line back in and do the same again twice over....forget your flash reel, matching hat and underwear, the only difference between this and the fish mongers is that I don’t get to choose dinner. Andrew is having no luck casting so we move the boat.....we settle in and I snag on a rock, no worries – pull until the line snaps and then do the “special” knots again......line drops in again,  quick drink of the cold-one (beer) and bugger, I’ve snagged another rock....OK, usual drills, pull, pull.....deep breath, pull....wow, the rock has moved....oh hang on, this is no rock.....its a stingray.....on seeing the stingray my first thought was that one of these things killed Steve Irwin so I handed the rod to Andrew and grabbed the net. Picture below – we put this beauty back. Still not sure what all the fuss is about.

Holly gives it a go..

The race lasted about an hour until they were all exhausted

Cooked the Flatties on the BBQ, I don't really like fish but they were fantastic.