Nimmitabel: A Work in Progress: February 2012

Arrived in sunny Inglewood with another child in tow :- Alistair - Fraser's mate from school. I brought the boys up, after collecting the school supplies, and Justin drove up in the ute with Mad and the garden furniture from Ocean Grove.

Mad and garden furniture now at Inglewood

I almost forgot to mention that my hero:- Justin saved the day by unlocking the front door that I had stupidly inadvertently locked last time when I left on New Year's Day. Who would have known that the round knob slides back as opposed to turns. Doesn't make sense. Anyway, he figured it out in 10 seconds flat so we were able to re-open the front door. Certainly makes things easier...

As per the weather at Christmas it was hot and sunny, yet despite this the boys set off for a bike ride quite quickly

off exploring

Given that it was so hot, we didn't feel like cooking up some dinner, so instead had an antipasto type meal of tuna, salad, dips, olives, dolmades etc. Very refreshing and easy...Thought that Alistair wouldn't like tuna (based on a prior sandwich offering) - however he was a good sport and tried it. In fact he was a very good guest, polite, well mannered, helpful, and enthusiastic. It was great having him with us

Alistair helping out by drying the dishes

Made some simple bread in my bread maker which I brought up from Melbourne. Turned it on overnight - so it was ready for us in the morning. Very nice, although next time I should put the timer on so that it is ready at 7am or so - that way it would be warm when we take it out. I think it suffered a little by staying in the bread maker so long, might have steamed a bit... Was still very nice though, but not crusty on top

After fresh bread for breakfast the boys did more bike riding - across to Becky's house and saw Elise and the donkeys/horses.

Justin and I did a bit of sanding in the top left hand room - after first moving the bed to the "garden room" on the mezzanine level

Mad in the garden room #1

Mad in the garden room #2

Justin figured that he would be able to fix up the walls with the existing ladders, but that we would need a 10 foot step ladder to do the middle of the ceiling. I wondered if it needed to be that tall, as he had said that the ceilings are about 4 metres high - so then given his height, a shorter ladder would be high enough. However he said that he had calculated the measurements quite carefully, and that he wouldn't want to stand at the top of the step ladder (unsafe) and would stand a few rungs down. That said, my grand plans for completing another room unfortunately didn't reach fruition. For one, it was very hot, and therefore not that great for working hard, and then we also didn't have a tall enough ladder. I had suggested doing the "garden room" as that has a lower ceiling, however he wants to do the other front room. So he plastered and I sanded a bit... Mad also helped a little

Justin - plastering / fixing up cracks

Up a short ladder...(not a step ladder)

Me sanding

Mad sanding

I took the boys to the pool in the afternoon, Mad and Justin weren't interested in coming and elected to stay at home. I also swam and cooled down

Boys at the pool

Pub for dinner, and it was packed ...so had to wait quite a while, but that was OK, as we'd had some nibbles first back at the house. Had our usual parma equivalent, and the kids hoodwinked Justin into giving them a few dollars to play on the claw and "win" some chocolates''. Not so much luck, as there was a dratted small bar of something blocking their way to choccy riches. We left soon after.

J realised that he must have left his wallet and mobile back at the pub after an hour or so. He'd wanted to charge his phone, but couldn't find it in the usual spots - so made the sinking realisation that he left it behind... Quickly walked up, saw Enzo, and Enzo found them for him - on the table just where he'd left them. Hoorah - everything intact - as what a hassle it would have been to cancel and replace credit cards, drivers licence etc. We were very lucky as that all ended well

The next day (Thursday) was Australia Day and we went to the pool for the flag raising ceremony at 11am - and yes once again it was hot and sunny. On the way in we were handed small Australian flags and cards with the program, the words to Advance Australia Fair, (as although the kids know the National Anthem, J & I grew up singing God Save the Queen in primary school) and an affirmation

See the flag behind the sail

Program & National Anthem words

triple the flag fun

affirmation

There was also a guest speaker - Alla Wolf Tasker from the Lakehouse restaurant in Daylesford - as she is a regional ambassador. Unfortunately we couldn't really hear her speech, as she didn't talk into the microphone properly. The president of the Lions Club also handed out local awards. They put on a free sausage sizzle and icecreams after this, and then there were kids swimming races. I urged the kids to enter, but unfortunately they didn't want to.

Anyway, the 2 boys stayed at the pool for the day, while J, Mad and I went back home

I went back to the pool later in the afternoon - after first going to the IGA to get some slushies, and snacks for the boys. They had thought I'd forgotten about them, but were quickly placated by the junk food. They also obviously could have walked home at any stage. I stayed and had a swim to cool down also and we went back home after 6. Almost had the pool all to ourselves - lovely! Once again a cold salad, antipasto type dinner - so a lovely Australia Day

Australia Day still life

Australia Day salute

Mad helped me watering the garden a bit after dinner - as everything was very dry. However I'm glad to say that the tomatoes that we planted at Christmas have thrived (Gordon was watering them) and some pumpkins have also come up in the vegie boxes

what a helpful girl

trying to be funny

yes!! - growing vegies

However, given that it's been so hot and dry, the plums have almost become prunes on the branches, but I was able to pick some. Also discovered that we have some date palms

if you squint - you might see the plums on the tree - looking a bit dried up

dates - not much flesh like the ones that you buy - but quite tasty!

The next morning - Friday -Fraser thought that he would cook up a nice breakfast for him and Alistair. Inglewood free range eggs in a basket - which they ate on the front steps (with Monty who of course had put in an appearance)

Fraser at the range

Breakfast for 3

Justin and I were more civilised and cholesterol conscious, and had cereal/yogurt and coffee under the front portico. Justin also had to go into Bendigo to do a video hookup for work - hence the suit and tie

Breakfast before going in to work

Me - enjoying the paper (post breakfast)

Luckily, it didn't take very long and Justin was back by 10 am or so and came and joined me on the front verandah. (We have many places to sit and read the paper - in or out of the sun )

Back from work #1

back from work #2

The boys were also keen for Justin to do more work on the cubby house (while they weren't riding their bikes or swimming at the pool). So he did some more tweaking - and the boys enjoyed the climbing

what to do next?

Alistair coming down

Fraser up the tree

going up

The boys are up in the tree - as I saw them when I
took this photo - very hard to see now though!

Mad also wanted to make some icypoles with the maker that Karen had given her & F for Christmas

The boys visited the IGA a few times to score more chocolates from the claw...(easier/more generous than the pub machine). Below is a photo with some winnings...

Back to the pool later in the day, and the boys were having fun diving and jumping in the pool

Fraser with Alistair airborne behind him

what is that boy doing?

Fraser had also learned how to blow rings of bubbles under water (can't really see properly in the photo)

water bubble rings?

And no, by this stage I guess we'd had enough cold dinners - yes it was still hot, we got takeaway pizzas from the bakery - however given that it was a Friday night - and we hadn't asked how long it would take ....it took over an hour...Luckily the kids had had a snack before hand.

More bike riding for the boys on Saturday and then home to Melbourne for a late lunch. Over the days, I had suggested going yabbying, but they weren't interested. They had suggested going fishing, but we didn't have any gear with us - and to be honest I didn't feel like buying everything from scratch. They didn't ask again - as they were happy to climb the tree, go to the pool etc. That said they had also shown an interest in swimming in the river, but J though it not such a good idea with Alistair - the river is brown and muddy, if one of them goes down - we couldn't see where....