G'Day,
Even though winter has not started yet I believe in being prepared so over the coming weeks I plan to do some of the things that need to be done in the cooler weather rather than in the hotter weather.
I plan to put up our clothes line, start a new garden for veges, finish off the office in the van, install a rainwater tank, install a security spot light on the verandah and put up some protection around the verandah so that it becomes more comfortable.
So over the next few months I will concentrate the postings on what we are currently up to and any new improvements that we have made along the way as we complete each project.
We bought a trolley for Maree so that she could drag her washing across to the laundry, which is about 100 metres away over rough ground and it saves having to lug heavy baskets to and fro. That is for both of us as they can get heavy.
Here she is on her way back from the laundry with her trusty trolley by her side.
It's Saturday 21st May 2011 and I decided that it was time to put up the clothesline that I bought about two months ago.
It was a beautiful autumn day and just perfect for digging holes for the posts, so out came the tools and after measuring it out we started to dig.
Well before you could say Jack Robinson the trusty little trojan had them dug. What a woman!!!
By george it was a tough morning!!
Any how the next stage is cutting the posts and concreting them into the ground prior to assembling the clothesline ready for use.
We have to wait a little bit for that as the park owner will give us a hand when he is free as he owns the mixer and likes to do these things himself.
For now we wait!!!!
For now we wait!!!!
Monday 23rd and it turned out a miserable day with a lot of rain and wind. There was not a lot that we could do so we spent most of the day inside and under cover after doing the school run.
Most of the week turned out this way and it was really messy up on the mountain on the dirt roads which just turns to mud and slush in spots.
It was not heavy or torrential rain but constant all the time for about three days or so and each day the bus got messier and messier and made it difficult to clean on the following Sunday ritual.
The creek crossings started to rise on Tuesday and by Thursday morning, the main one Ironbark creek, was runing fairly swiftly across the causeway but at this stage not impassable.
By Friday afternoon there was a steady flow across the causeway and slowly receding.
More rain over the weekend could make Monday interesting!!!
We have to revert to plan "B" when the road becomes impassable. More about that in a future blog or when it happens. It has only happened to me once which was on the very last day of school in December.
Most of the week turned out this way and it was really messy up on the mountain on the dirt roads which just turns to mud and slush in spots.
It was not heavy or torrential rain but constant all the time for about three days or so and each day the bus got messier and messier and made it difficult to clean on the following Sunday ritual.
The creek crossings started to rise on Tuesday and by Thursday morning, the main one Ironbark creek, was runing fairly swiftly across the causeway but at this stage not impassable.
By Friday afternoon there was a steady flow across the causeway and slowly receding.
More rain over the weekend could make Monday interesting!!!
We have to revert to plan "B" when the road becomes impassable. More about that in a future blog or when it happens. It has only happened to me once which was on the very last day of school in December.
Due to all the rain we decided to buy a water tank as Barraba is on bore water which of course is loaded with calcium which in turn builds up on all the utensils that you use to cook with etc.
It's a real headache and difficult to move from them. Anyhow we bought the tank on Thursday 26th May and it was delivered the same day.
We are in the process of having a stand built for it and over the coming weeks we will install it and connect the rainwater to it.
More on that later.
Saturday 28th May 2011 and the poles have been cut and concreted into the ground ready for the clothes line to be installed.
We assembled the clothesline on Saturday morning and now it is ready for use on Sunday!!
Apart from assembling the clothesline, it was not as easy as it looks, I installed a double power point on the verandah for a security spotlight as it is as black as pitch when the moon is not up of an evening.
Our van is the futherest point away from the main road and has no lighting whatsoever and the ground is uneven and it would be easy to trip over in certain circumstances so we decided that we should put the sensor light up.
Late afternoon and after a well earned shower and tidy up it was time to decide what should happen next.
As obvious as the nose on your face it was time to wander over to the "local watering hole" and have a couple of snorts and we finished the day with a Chinese meal and then walked home to watch the Swans give Brisbane a real touch up in the "greatest game of all".
Sunday morning and after a sleep in we washed the bus, vacuumed the floor, a quick wash of the floor and cleaned the windows ready for Monday.
It is a futile effort every Sunday because on the first trip on a Monday the bus is either covered in a layer of dust or mud and it never looks like it is clean.
Not to worry!!
After the bus it is time for the washing and a test out of the new clothesline.
So here is the trojan pegging out the washing and thank goodness it stood up!!!.
So for now See ya all soon
Bill and Maree
