Nimmitabel: A Work in Progress: Breakdown and more paths June 29

Breakdown! Just outside of Lockwood South. The alternator had apparently shut down, and with it all the electricals. It was just me, Fraser, and Basil the cat. Justin was driving up a bit later in the ute.

Fraser waiting #1

Fraser waiting #2

Fraser filling in time #1

Fraser filling in time #2

The RACV ended up taking my car into Bendigo to get fixed, and good old Gordon came to rescue Fraser and me. We're very lucky that we have friends in Inglewood that we can call on in times like these

Justin arrived about an hour after us, we had some lunch, and then into the garden for a bit of work.

Fraser helped tremendously by removing 2 x stumps which had defeated me. He used the fencing post and jemmied them out. Clever, strong boy! (Justin helped with the 2nd one)

stump #1 from under the hoop pine

stump #2 near the olive trees

After stumping there was a bit of hockey at the town hall opposite

Fraser going for a shot

Justin -waiting for the return

Around 3 or so, we lit the outside fireplace in preparation for my slow cooked lamb in the dutch oven that I had received as a parting gift from work.

Justin was of course in charge of fire making

Justin positioning the pot

I prepared the lamb; rubbed it down with olive oil which had solidifed due to the cold

Olive oil butter?

and some Morroccan spice, rosemary and garlic.Unfortunately despite being cut, the lamb shoulder was a bit big for the pot. I had to try and manoeuvre it, or more likely jam it in, but it was still too big, so the lid didn't fit snugly. I ended up balancing a couple of half bricks on the lid as an interim measure

dutch oven with slow cooking lamb shoulder

Now, as you can see from the above photo, there are a few flames licking the pot, and this proved a problem. Yes, the outside of the lamb was quite charred, so you couldn't taste the spices etc, but the inside was quite nice. Be that as it may, I was disappointed with my first dutch oven attempt on an open fire, this will not be the first and last time. Next time we'll wait until we have just embers. And maybe rest the pot in the embers . It's trial and error.,.. and I will succeed

Nin, Claire and family arrived later in the afternoon

Claire with nibbles by firelight

We had drinks and nibbles while watching the pot, and then dinner in the dining room.

The next morning we walked up to the tennis courts with a couple of racquets and the kids had a play, and a run around

Nin and Charlie shooting goals?

Fraser & Rory

Fraser, Charlie, Ceski, & Rory

as above plus Nin

Delicious pea & ham soup (that Nin had made) for lunch, and then a walk along the river in Bridgewater

lunch

Fraser is high up in the tree (but I can't see him in this shot)

Claire removing the lunch dishes

Nin contemplating a shot

river walk #1

river walk #2

Justin & Fraser, Nin, Clare, Rory & Charlie left later in the afternoon leaving me and Ceski. I did a bit of gardening out the front, while Ceski scootered. I also did a bit of scootering with her.

Now, the reason that Ceski remained behind with me was because Helen & kids were bringing Madeleine up later in the afternoon, and Ceski would have a few days here with Mad. Mad hadn't come up with us, as she had a party in Melbourne that she wanted to attend.

We had dinner in on Sunday night, and I took some nice photos of the kids

lovely cousins #1

lovely cousins #2

Lovely cousins #3

plus a boy cousin #1

Plus a boy cousin #2

The next day, Helen drew up a hop scotch game for Michaela out the front

contemplating hop scotch strategies

So we tootled around on the Monday, Madeleine broke my new phone charger, so I was without both a car and a mobile phone....

I got very cross with her because she had just pulled it out at the cord. I felt like I had the "Inglewood Blues" ie my "car broke down, bah-bah, ba-ba", "my charger got broke, bah bah ba-ba", "my man left town bah-bah ba ba" etc etc. Maybe Justin can work on it, and sing it to me next time....Anyway, luckily I was able to borrow a charger from Steven & Denise (they have one that fit), but my car wasn't ready until late Thursday!! They'd received the wrong alternator from Melbourne, so wasted a day, and it also took them a lot longer than anticipated to remove and re-fit it, bloody Volkswagons... It's even difficult changing the battery. I ended up picking it up on Friday morning. Denise had to go into Bendigo, and kindly gave me a a lift, and also shouted me a coffee.

On Monday night I made pizzas and they were a 75% success (unfortunately one of the 4 got quite badly burnt - my fault, as I was busy making the last one and didn't think that it would cook that quickly) The others were delicious though.

Given that I didn't have my car, Helen took Mad and Ceski into Bendigo to catch the train back to Melbourne on Tuesday around 12 noon

goodbye #1

goodbye #2

I worked in the garden, removing and replanting more jonquil bulbs

On their return, Xavier was very keen to help me "work"

Xavier working with a stick #1

Xavier working with a stick #2

Xavier smiling with a stick #1

Xavier smiling with a stick #2

Given the general success with the pizza oven the night before, Helen was keen to use it again, so this time we had fish, and she also made an apple strudel which we likewise cooked in there

Fish with assorted veg including broccoli from the garden

apple strudel

Although it was cold, I strangely didn't feel all that cold. I'd also been chopping some wood (stumps that Fraser had got out), and Helen had said that wood fire warms you twice, once when you chop the wood, and the 2nd time when you have the fire. Francine from next door had an additional step saying that you are warmed 3 times - the first time when you go to gather the wood! Maybe I also "acclimatise" when I come here, as in I expect that it will be cold, so dress accordingly. Helen however did feel the cold, and even inside with the fire, she had 5 layers and a hat on! By comparison, I think I just had a t shirt and jacket!

rugged up inside

And lastly, I did some "capital works" on Thursday and Friday - as I wanted to expand the path ways, and tidy up more around the front

before shot (with various tracings for proposed path)

after shot

Yep, I sure was busy laying more brick work, getting rid of the weeds, and doing more planting. However I'm sure that Justin will once again cock his head to one side, shake it slightly and say "that's great sweetheart....but...) He will undoubtedly tweak it, bury the bricks more, change the angles etc. That's why I didn't lay any of the stones. I am pleased with the result though. It looks a lot neater.