Solo 2 :- Blister 30 & 31 July 2011

Went up by myself again due to kids sporting commitments etc.  J took care of them this weekend.

I wanted to check on the pear trees that I'd planted a couple of weeks ago, as well as the  transplanted almond and roses etc.

Anyway, all looked good, I sat on the verandah and had lunch, read the paper and then it started raining - so much for my planned afternoon of gardening...

Well, I wasn't going to by the wet and muddy garden martyr, so sat and read the Saturday paper - while the rain set in.

Did put on my rain jacket to walk down to the IGA to buy some milk, and then wandered down the main street to see if there had been any changes.  There hadn't really.  Also popped into the Empire to explore the possibility of a coffee and cake, but decided against it, had a quick chat with Enzo and fortitiously asked if he was going to be busy for dinner tonight.  Given that he said yes, I quickly booked  my table for one. He must have been surprised, felt sorry for me - as he offered to find me a bloke to keep me company - I assured him that wasn't necessary, as I had one of those back in Melbourne.

Anyway, wandered back home, made myself a coffee, and read the paper some more - this time in the kitchen.  it everntually stopped raining, so I got the overalls on and started shovelling wheelbarrows full of mulch - and putting them out on the wide garden bed outside our front fence - as there as still a bare bit left - as we had run out of mulch last time.  Took quite a while....Figured that it was quicker (but muddier) going across the blown down fence into Storm Lane than walking across the garden and out the front gate and then back along Verdon Street.  Must conserve one's energy.

Once I'd finished that I went across to Grant & Francine's to ask if Grant could come and look at the kitchen stove and flue and advise if he thought it would work - as it was rather cold...

They both came over, had a look and reckoned it would work, although the oven wouldn't heat properly because of the broken off pieces.  But, really at this point in time,we just want it to be able to warm up the room, as the kitchen is the coldest room in the house.  Grant showed me how to open the flue, where to put the sticks, etc - and suggested that I pull all of the existing fuel/rubbish out and start again with just a small fire to make sure that it worked, and that I didn't smoke out the room.  Well, I took his advise with a grain of salt, in that yes, I did pull all of the crap out - plastic, bandaids etc - and put some new balled up bits of newpaper in and then piled the small sticks flammables stuff back in and tried lighting it from above in various locations.  Well then I found it a little difficult to get the hotplate back in a proper posotion, so smoke started coming out of the cracks on the hotplate part - first a little smoke, and then quite a bit more... had to open the back door to let it out.  Not my finest hour, tried fixing it up, -repositioning the hotplates etc - but the smoke still kept coming.  I don't think that fire ever really lit properly.  Anyway, by this time it was time to go to the Empire for dinner.  And yes, it was very full, took about 1 1/2   hours to get my meal, but that was fine - I had the Age Samurai Sudoku with me (which I successfully finished) and then read the rest of the Good Weekend - whilst also looking around at the other patrons.  Came home and watched 2 x epsiodes of Spooks (season 4) in bed - and had a another not wholly sucessful fire in my bedroom.  The problem was that I hadn't primed it properly ie had used some small twigs to start it off, and then much heavier logs, before it was really hot enough - so had to keep fiddling around with it to keep it alight etc.  It eventually became self sufficient - but it took a while.

Had a good night's sleep, and got up quite late for me (8am) - had woken up earlier, but had fallen asleep again (good).  There was a heavy fog, but no frost that I could see  although the lady at the IGA said there had been frost on her car wind shield that morning.  Had some George Foremanned toast with tinned chicken for breakfast - and attempted the kichen stove again.  This time taking everything out again and trying to set a proper fire.  Well after quite a few matches, I did get it going properly, yes the smoke did come out of the cracks again - but only at the start.  Once the fire took, the smoke diminished and went up the chimney - and you could see the fire glowing through the cracks. 

I obviously wanted to boil a kettle for a coffee - so did so

fire glowing below..

It actually didn't take all that long to boil (quicker than the gas sometimes) - and I was so stupidly thrilled that I had made myself a coffee using the kitchen stove. - it was the best coffee that I've had there!

Also went outside to make sure that the smoke was coming out of the chimney alright - and yes it was

So it was still very foggy, so cleaned up the stove area - took out 3 buckets of soot that had accumulated over the years - in a sort of suspended shelf over the range  - it was very thick!  Also laid more rat sack etc - as it was still foggy and very dewy and not very conducive to gardening again...  Gordon dropped by while I was cleaning the soot - and we had a chat.  he told me that the Royal was closing tonight - which was rather  sad - the manager thought that there wasn't enough business.  Although as Justin said the first few times we went there - we were put out in a back room, as there wasn't any room.  I told Gordon that I would be there this afteroon before I left - as a tribute

Anyway, the fog eventually lifted, and I decided that I would transplant jonquils, irises, and other mystery bulbs from the grass areas to the "garden beds" as Gordon had said he would come back soon and mow the grass - and I wanted to save them...(although they must all be pretty tough in order to have survived thus far)

So - I got my trusty shovel and started digging, and then my trusty trowel, and started replanting - must have moved 100s... Was surprised when I looked at my palm as I thought something was stuck there, but rather it was a large blister which had nearly popped, so I just ripped it off.  Yes, I should have worn gloves on my soft office hands - but I tend not to for gardening unless it's really mucky.  It also got rather warm; when I had started I was still wearing thermal long johns under my overalls, but had to take them off - and was eventually just in a t shirt, as the sun came out, and I certainly worked up a sweat!

dirty hand with popped blister

So continued on til 4 or so - with a quick sandwich and some fruit for lunch.  Only a couple of people looked in to comment on the house - once again they had been driving by for years - and wondered about the progress.

small section of replanted bulbs

So finished up, locked up and walked down to the Royal for a well deserved drink.  Gordon was there, so I teased him, and asked if he was minding an empty stool next to him for me.  He invited me to sit there if I liked.  Went up to the bar to get my white wine (sure I could have had a beer  for more cred but I wanted wine).  Anyway was intercepted by the couple from the butcher shop - Kat and Jim - who asked how it was all going - so we had a nice little chat - and I was a while getting back to the stool and Gordon.  Once back, he introduced me to the others in his group - and we all had a chat and a laugh -  all very pleasant.  And when I'd finished my drink, I had to go, - especially as I had requested a roast dinner to be ready for me on my return - and luckily yes  it was.  J and the kids had made a lovely roast lamb and vegies, J had got me some roses and the kitchen was lovely and tidy, maybe I should go away more often!