Saturday, December 12, 2015

Hello Hello!

I can hear you calling me through the ether wondering what is happening. So in order to appease you all this is going to be a rambling marathon post. So now is the time to make a tea and have a wee before you settle in for this jaw-dropping saga.

R is for red car
 
Here is the little Holden Cruz we bought. Cheap to run - $40 of fuel goes a looooooong way. Automatic all-wheel drive so the dirt road is not a problem Some sections of road and starting to corrugate and these tend to bounce it around. Answer - drive slower.

 

G is for Green Stuff
We have been threatening to grow a row of vines along the back of the solar panels, because, lets face it, awesome as they are, aesthetically they leave a bit to be desired visually.
Well we have posts n wire from our treasure trove of useful stuff from behind the shed.
Put in some fairly small passionfruit and built the Great Wall of Gardens to keep the Brush Turkeys, Wallabies and the dog out which proved unnecessary.
 
The I decided that a few vegies could go in until the passionfruit got going.  A couple of thunderstorms and got going they did! So the race is on to see what we get first, lettuces, tomatoes, beans or passionfruit.
 
S is for Shady Characters.

Last November, yes that's right, last November I bought some external shade blinds for two of our windows to stop the blazing sun from toasting all residents who walked past. A couple of weeks ago, yes that's right 12 months later, I finally put them up. They do seem to keep the lounge and kitchen a little cooler.

 

W is for Water.
Now was the time to plumb the guttering into the new water tank. 
Two questions, how hard can it possibly be? and why do plumbers charge so much?
The plan was to drop the 90mm down pipes into 100mm pipes suspended under the floor, join them at a point and run them up the house wall and into the tank. Simple right?
Not knowing exactly how to get the pipes to where I wanted them, bought 2 of every available angle joiner for both size pipes. Also got extra lengths of 90 and 100mm pipe.
Then the answer to the plumber question began.
Day 1. Drill a circle of holes in the front guttering to make hole to take the down pipe fitting and install 90mm downpipe.(we only fitted one downpipe each end of guttering when we initially did it. Hindsight is wonderful)
Day 2. Joined up various uncemented joiners to take the pipe under the house. Trip to hardware store for more angled joiners to complete 2 downpipe.
Day 3. Put long pipe runs in position under house propped up on boxes and other stuff to get to the tank. Trip to hardware store for more joiners.
Day 4. Happy with layout of piping to the the side of the tank. Began cementing all joins and installing the pipe hangers.
Day 5. Trip to hardware store for more angled joiners to take piping up the wall and across to the tank, and another piece to add to system for a cleaning port. Assembled joiners and pipes and fixed all to the wall and across to the top of the tank. Cut section in existing pipe to take new cleaning port.
Day 6 & 7. Drill circle of holes in back gutter to move a downpipe opening that was too close to the corner flashing. Drilled another opening for the second downpipe fitting. Fitted pipes. (All done at the end of a 3.4m ladder.)
Day 8. Work out what additional fitting we needed to duplicate the piping run for back half of house. Trip to the hardware store for fittings.
Day 9. Dry run of all joints and pipes to side of tank. Cement all joints and fit pipes up walls to go to tank.
Done! 
 
 
Took the Feral Fossils 9 days to complete and that, dear readers is why plumbers charge so much.
And we have to do it all again at the other end of the house for the other tank. 
Oh and for all the Doubting Thomas's out there, it works.

M is for Medication.
The medication that Jim is currently on has made a great difference. This time last year there was no way he could have worked as hard as was required for the tank plumbing. He still gets tired and slow, but as long as he doesn't overexert himself, can basically just quietly work most of the day.        


is for Green Stuff #2

Here is part of our future lawn, well grassed area will do. A bowling green lawn is our area ain't gonna happen.
As the instruction on the grass seed said sew in spring or autumn and made no mention of sewing in the baking heat of summer we put up a shade structure to stop the new seeds from drying out. Worked a treat. 
Look widdle bwades of gween gwass!


G is for Garden Beds.
In order to avoid having to put in safety rails across the front of the house, we are going to put in raised garden beds to bring the ground level to less than 600mm. Used left over sheets of custom orb to fill in the front and side of the offending high area. This is to support the soil as some areas need to be half a metre deep.
 
Jim is pleased with the result as he had issues with the exposed top hat and C sections on the face of the verandah. In the process of collecting old fence posts and logs for retaining walls.

M is for Mouse, Meece, Mice
Have had the odd mouse in the house and the only thing they chewed was the packet of oats in the store room. Out with the live trap. Tried oats as bait - no go. Then tried Arnotts cheese shape biscuits - best mouse bait ever!
To date have relocated some 25+ mice to near our dam. The thought being that the snakes would go for the mice and leave our frogs.

M is also for Mud Wasps
I have no idea how these creatures managed to reproduce before human habitation. They love the house and have made little groups of mud cocoons everywhere. The best way to deal with them is to let them do their thing and remove them later.
  

W is for Water #2
Have run a pipe up from one of the man shed tanks so we can use the water, as it is just sitting there. Yep took 3 trips to the hardware store for all the fittings.
We can now water the new vines without having to lug buckets.    


Ah I see that some of your eyes have glazed over and some of you are starting to squirm. So a little break for more tea & wee before we continue is in order.
 

Moving Back
Last November, yes again! in a moment of weakness I agreed to do a joint exhibition at the Gin Gin Gallery. Paintings & Jewelry my co-exhibitor commanded.
Piece of cake I thought have plenty of time a whole 12 months. 
I'll start in July, August, September. Suddenly here it is October and the Exhibition opens mid December. PANIC
Did a couple of paintings but my studio does not have enough bench space for canvas, paint and all the stuff that goes with painting. So moved onto the verandah
Was in danger of a nervous breakdown worry over spilling paint on the timber deck and the paint drying too quickly on account of the sun.
As I was hauling out tables and the other paraphernalia onto the deck I had a blinding flash of inspiration. Our old Gunyah. I wonder if that could be turned into a painting studio. Of course it could!
Made some prop-out awnings to get some ventilation through the joint. Moved some tables, old chest of drawers, and other useful stuff in. Moved all the paint, canvas and everything else and began working. 
Meet Studio 2

Here I can sharpen my pencils on the floor, splash paint and toss around all mater of detritus and just walk out the door.

Now I just know you are all a-quiver with anticipation and cannot wait to see what was produced in this lovely creative space.



 Fade and Remain
 pen & ink

  The Hay Shed
  pen & ink


Singers of the Rain
watercolour & ink



Under the Mango Tree
watercolour


Saltbush & Sand
Pastel

The Watcher
pastel

 
Open Late
acrylic


November Cane
acrylic




Anticipation
acrylic

On the Beach
acrylic

Easily Emused
acrylic

 
A Sticky End
acrylic



Swept from the Sea


Perantique


Song of Beaten Gold


Perfume of Delirium


Spell of Binding

Exhibition opens Saturday 19th December with a proper artist opening. Speeches, wine, cheese and hopefully buyers.

Friday, October 2, 2015

SCORE!

Inveterate scroungers, collectors and pack rats as we are, some freebies are too good to pass up.
A pile of unwanted pallets, earmarked for some judicious hacking to become vegie garden edging.

SCORE #2

A nicely rusted component from a truck wheel just begging to become garden sculpture or somewhere to corral a rampant piece of vegetation, or both!
 
 

Wednesday, September 9, 2015

Tank You Very Much!

Tank arrived yesterday, went into position painlessly thanks to the boys from Childers Tanks.
Blends in well with the house don't ya think? So many people have cream tanks that stand out like . . .  anyway, first load of 13,000L of water has gone in. Waiting for the truck to return with the second load.
We now have 22,500L to play with. Cue the longer hot showers!


Tuesday, August 18, 2015

Cue the Led Zeppelin Song . . .

At last the temporary stairs with the uneven spacings and depths and slightly rickety treads have been retired.


Proper stairs! Steel stringers and hardwood treads all to code. Used the timber salvaged from the St Agnes creek bridge as the first step.
Not quite the 'Stairway to Heaven', but close enough.
(You may imagine the attractive garden filled with beautiful flowering plants beside them. Oh and the illumination so the Feral Fossils can find said stairs at night)

Friday, July 10, 2015

Civilisation Obtained !!!

Look!
Here is our outdoor sink all abandoned and forlorn.


No dishrack, no more tied-down pot scrubbers to stop the Butcher Bird from nicking them.
No more moths raining down on a summer night. No more frantic washing with one eye on the approaching storm.

We have this!



Here is the side burner on the BBQ and trusty kettle, all abandoned and forlorn. 



No more boiling innumerable kettles to get hot water.  

We have this!

                                  
  
Here is our trusty galvanised bucket and saucepan, all abandoned and forlorn. 


No more lugging buckets of water to the bathroom and no scrunching up on a seat to make sure you get all the warm water poured from the saucepan.

We have this!!


Oh yeah Civilisation!

A real out-of-the-wall genuine hot shower.
(There is now a very great possibility I will NEVER come out, ever)

Saturday, June 13, 2015

Adventures in Greywater Land

Deep square hole for round object

Lowering round object into square hole

 

Round object in position in square hole

Long trench with black plastic arches and blue stone aggregate.
Round object in filled in square hole attached to trench with  black plastic arches and blue stone aggregate. Hose from our house water tank filling round object. (Load of water booked for refill)
 Now begins the raking of all the rock and rubble to make a super smooth lawn ummmm area of rough grass when the wet season arrives

Tuesday, May 12, 2015

Kitchenalia

Tiling done - tick
Grouting done - tick
You-beaut painted feature wall done- tick

Monday, April 20, 2015

A Gaseous Gasocity

Gone into retirement!

The new stove which is now. . . 


Celebration!
 YUM!! - pass the gravy!