Monday 28 January 2013

You Have My Whole Heart

Walking around some tourist-y shops in Mogo, I see this sign.  I stand there, staring at it.  The Machinist joins me.  I walk away.  He stands there staring at it.  I cannot look at him.  Then, from behind me I hear him "...you definitely have mine..." Then he walks away.

The End

Australia Day 2013 Part 2

 After fish and chips at the Boathouse in Bateman's Bay - fun and frolicking.

 Stormy skies approaching.

 The day's line up...."...altogether now, girls..."


 A skeleton fish head, visible from the deck at the rear of the Boathouse.  These seagulls always tempt you to feed them, despite the signs asking us not to. 

 Keiralea, having a chuckle and sporting FOUR teeth.  She loves her Rabbie...

More stormy skies.  Oh, do we have to leave now?
 
Ok, so I couldn't resist the temptation to feed the gulls.  We gathered the scraps and fed them away from the other diners.


 Keiralea determined to have more of her mummy's ice cream


 It started to rain as we headed back home up the Clyde mountain.

 I so wanted to get a good pic of Pooh Bear's cave.  Alas, not.  On the way down, though, we could see a dozen or more Pooh Bears having a tea party in the cave....


On the flat lands...still raining.  This is why it's called the Southern Tablelands.

 Dark already.  Still raining, with the addition of thunder and lightening.  


 Try as I might, I just couldn't capture the huge streaks of lightening.

Almost home, but the rain was coming down so hard and fast that we had to pull over for about half an hour.
 
Finally, on the road again.  Fortunately, the flash storm had not resulted in the Workshop being flooded out again.  The dogs were delighted to see us, and spent the night indoors.

Australia Day 2013 Part 1

An early morning drive to the coast via the dirt roads - just out of our small country town


 Signposts

Arriving in Mogo, checking out the shops and people.  Lots of people.

 Sarah and Cam monkey-ing around and being 'Posers' - hugging a Totem pole

 Our traditional and annual stick on tattoos, courtesy of a bubble gum wrapper. We have to walk around with these corny tattoos all day.

 Stopping at a beach near Mossy Point.  There was a lagoon, rocks and then the beach.
 
 Crossing the laggoon
 
 The rocks here were worn away and formed lines of honeycomb

 Loving the rock pools and what hangs out in them.

Loved how the birds gathered here....

 Tide coming in.  Also, a storm warning....

 The Machinist exploring the rock pools

 
 Looking back to the shoreline


I looked down and this was 'waving' at me, flowing with the ebbs....

 
 Can you see the worm tower in the sand?

 Knock knock.... anyone home?


 Multitudes of life and forms in one small area....



 The Machinist wrote my name in the sand with his big toe


 Another planet?

 The Machinist and I were sitting on a rock together - away from the maddening crowd.  A young boy suddenly appeared holding this crab.  "Can I take a picture of your crab?" I asked.  "Sure, but he's dead you know..."  The boy walked away triumphant that someone else was interested in his find.  The Machinist leaned over to me and whispered..."that boy is really pleased with his spoils of the day..."

Thursday 17 January 2013

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF THE MACHINISTS WIFE

Wake at around 8am

Tea with the Machinist at the kitchen table

Check emails to see if there is any news from Council.

Coffee with the Machinist in my office.  Hayley makes a wrap for her 'Daddy Andre' to munch on while we discuss Council issues on Flooding and Flood Levels in our local Creek, Building Class, Surveyors and The Building Code of Australia,

The Machinist then phones the Council while I check out another Engineering company's website, whereby the Machinist's eyeballs nearly pop out of his head, as he checks out photos of their machinery, -  not missing a beat in his current conversation with a Council staff member.

Sarah comes in for her 'to do' list, which I have been compiling between phone calls and emails. She is still cleaning out the Workshop A, organising shelves, putting like with like (as much as a girl can put like with like when they're not sure what certain metal items are). Our barn is getting fuller, but at least various items are becoming contained in one place - like a 'one stop shop'.

Discussions with Council continue through lunch.  The Machinist and I become flabbergasted at one of Council's requirements and we embark on a somewhat loud yet funny tirade of abuse against Policy Makers in general.  Emma wafts in and puts her finger to her lips, then starts flapping her wings.   "Just so you know, we can hear you in the kitchen".

That pesky baby monitor in the shape of an angel.  It must have ears in the back of its head.

Emma is determined to finish the job she is on in the Workshop.  She is transferring poems from local Poets using CAD and then sending them to the plasma cutter.  These poems will appear as Tourist attractions throughout our Shire.

I've nicked a couple of the photos she took today, - pictures of when the sparks hit the fan:



Hayley sets off after lunch to paint what was once a food store in the pie shop (now called The Block), to apply water and mould proof paint, as said food store has been transformed into a bathroom.  We are confident that she and our Sam will move in very soon.  While Hayley is gone, I get to look after our darling Baba, Keiralea.  "If she stands in her cot, I pick her up, lie her down on her back with dummy, then put Blankie Ted and Rabbie under her arms..." Hayley instructs me.

My intentions are always good and I'm all for following a mommy's wishes for her Baba.  However, after ten or more sessions, I succumb to infant loveliness, swoop the darling up into my arms, give her 'fairy kisses' and rock her gently.  Within minutes she is asleep and I transfer her to her cot, quickly scooting Blankie Ted out of the way with the back of my hand.



While Baba sleeps, I hand draw a Plan View of Workshop B - a silly requirement of Council, showing the positions of Plant & Equipment.  Later, Emma will draw this up on CAD as well.

After work, we have cold drinks and some of us swim.  Baba falls asleep in her pushchair and I wheel her into the lounge, set myself up on the brown leather lazy boy (girl) chair and promptly nod off....zzzzzzzz......

The Machinist takes the Baba and puts her in our laundry sink, which he has filled with bubbles and her yellow Duckie (a gift from her Pop).  She loves splashing in this tub and it saves our backs.   I dress her and feed her.

Right now, Sam and Hayley are frolicking with their offspring on the rug.   Sarah has gone out with her fiance, Cam, and Emma is cooking.  The Machinist is grilling kebabs on the BBQ.

I'd better be off... The Machinist just popped his head in my office door -

"Do you know how lonely it can get - barbequing kebabs?"

And later - "Did I tell you how hot you look today, Babe?"

THE THING ABOUT COUNCILS...

Like many people who have experience with new builds, we are having 'difficulties' with our Council.  The thing about Councils that I think one should be wary of; that the old saying "no news is good news" is not true of especially small town Councils. No news should prompt the applicant to inquire or confirm, so that a Conditional Bomb isn't let off at the 13th hour. 

Still, we are hoping that there won't be too many conditions that the Planning Department want to enforce on our Development Application, especially seeing as this 7m high structure still remains our neighbour, even though it is, after 15 years - still unapproved and still standing:



It's not even that I dislike it.  It's more of - well - a precedent issue.

Very soon, I will glance towards these three Prophets of old, as I like to refer to them, and I will no longer see them from our garden.


 I will miss the sight of them.

But then, the new Workshop ( our new build) that will block their view will hold much promise and not only fulfill the Machinist's and my long term dreams, but offer a legacy for our children.

Tuesday 15 January 2013

CLEANING THE WORKSHOP

On our last day of the holidays, the Machinist and I walked around our workshop to take stock of all that has to be done in an effort to prepare for the expansion of our Engineering business.  So much piles up so quickly.


I have made lists of all that has to be sorted and organised and over the next few days, (hopefully not weeks!) the girls and I will -  hop to it!. 
 

Even though our trade is metal fabrication and engineering, the accumulation of consumables that have nothing to do with the trade directly are apt to increase as the months go by.


Today, I made labels for tubs in preparation of organising the supplies:  Cars (motor oils and spare globes etc), Electrical (every time the Machinist acquires a new tool or machine, there is a component of electrical work to be done) Plumbing (for both the Workshops and the Block), Garden (for hoses and fitments - especially to have our property bushfire ready with fire fighting pumps), as well as general Hardware.


The Machinist is delighted that we will be in 'his' territory.  He says there's nothing better than a 'woman's touch' when it comes to cleaning and sorting and having all the tools and accessories in an orderly manner. 


We anticipate lots of cuppas from the lads for our hard work!

Sunday 6 January 2013

Fitzroy Falls, Kangaroo Valley, Nowra, Berry

 I love it when the Machinist has time off work.  We do unusual stuff.  We go for drives.  Here are some pics of one of our spontaneous getaways to Kangaroo Valley.  

Firstly, a stopover at Fitzroy Falls.  Here is the dam at Fitzroy:



The Machinist commented how we are always told what to do: "No this, no that, no the other..."


A beautiful misty scene:


Driving down the mountain into Kangaroo Valley.  And talking of Kangaroos, note the black tape on the dashboard.  This is the result of the airbags going off when we hit the kangaroo on our way home one night - a few months ago.


On previous visits to Kangaroo Valley, we would stop at this old store for ice creams.  There is a sign outside saying "The World's Best Pies".  Well, I don't know about that.  Actually, I do.  They don't have the best pies, but the ice cream was always the creamiest....



Part of the Valley:


More of the Valley.


We still have some pottery purchased at this old store - way back in around 1995:


Imagine having to travel on this.  Talk about a bone-shaker!


A sample house in the old Gold mining village:


The famous Hampden Bridge:


The Machinist walking towards the famous Hampden bridge:


Mr Ernest De Burgh - Engineer


A plaque telling more about the Hampden Bridge:


A tow-path leading underneath the bridge:



Swimmers frolicking underneath the bridge.  You can't see it in this photo, but there was a rope swing, which sent me on a diatribe to the Machinist about the rope swings I've played on in my younger years.  I could have easily gone down there to have a go, but the Machinist held me back. 


Please note that this post is not about Hampden Bridge!  

We also drove up to Nowra for fish and chips, then returned via Berry and got lost on some very narrow, winding back roads. 

CATERPILLARS & KEEPING IT REAL

 Table talk amongst our children is and always has been, -  a rabbit warren . We start off in one hole and end up in another -  quick smart....