Internal scaffolding Sunday 16 - Tuesday 18 July 2023

Left Melbourne after lunch on the Sunday and drove to Sutton Grange to pick up the olive oil.  Unfortunately despite our prodigious olive picking (around 120kg), and Terry's 36kg, John said that we had 153kg (have to allow for boxes/baskets weight) and only made 18 litres of oil.  I thought we were going to make much more than that - but John had said that the green olives didn't have much oil in them (hadn't fully ripened) and the black olives had taken on water - so the oil was harder to extract from them.  He did say that it was very nice oil though

So I didn't get to Inglewood til around 4.30

And it was cold - was very pleased to have the split system

Monday morning - there was a lot of frost - and the old kitchen bowl outside which had water in it was frozen

The ice was reasonably thick

The thermometer on the fridge said the downstairs temperature was around 7 degrees....which is pretty chilly

The scaffolders came around 7.30 - and didn't take long to put up the internal scaffolding

And I prepared for the new fridge - clearing out a suitable space in the hallway 

And also gathered together the painting supplies/equipment for Fraser & Rileigh 

I also had a coffee and a chat with Pauline

And then I got down to sanding - ie what Vic hadn't finished upstairs ie on the skirtings and also the wooden beading on the arches etc - was very dusty work 

Below are some before and after shots

I also rather fortuitously took photos of the scaffolding from various angles, and put them on our King St family whatsApp group

Justin quite rightly came back to me and asked how Fraser & Rileigh were supposed to paint the walls below the platform.  I hadn't even considered this - having concentrated on how they were to reach the ceiling

So I had to call back Matt from Bendigo Scaffolding to come back and rectify it - put another platform/ do something.....which he did - on Wednesday morning (after I'd left)

Fraser and Rileigh were going to come Monday afternoon, but ended up coming early Tuesday - maybe too early - as they were tired when they arrived, and so had a nap 

I also picked more olives - this time for table olives.  Ended up picking close to a full basket - around 9kg

Saw Terry out of the corner of my eye - leaving the front door - so we went in and had a coffee.  He told me that he was having a working bee at his place in 2 weekend's time - as he was maybe going to sell (I hope not)  

The fridge was also delivered from the Good Guys in Bendigo - and fit in well in the space I had made for it 

After Terry left I went back into the garden and did a bit of trimming, weeding, and also planted another loquat - maybe this is the 3rd or 4th - they never seem to survive - hopefully this one will

My final job was to empty the cellar (again) - got out the pump again, and the long hose.  And got Fraser to assist in holding it - while I unspooled it - and and worked out the correct length to cut it - so that it could reach the cellar and the scullery sink - but not be so long as to get kinked etc - which is what was currently happening   

So did this - and had to muck around a bit with the pump - it didn't seem to want to start - so I wondered if the water was too shallow - but I persevered - and it finally started up - hoorah, but there will still need to be further manual scooping out

No plumber again and Madeleine & Hughie

So, I dropped off that Jacobbean loune suite in California Gully on the way to Inglewood (yes we'd finally sold it for a song)

George helped me strap it down securely in the Ute - making sure that I had a clear backward view with the rear vision mirror

We were so pleased to eventually get rid of it - didn't want it to go to landfill, so were pleased when the lady said she wanted it 

Got to Inglewood around 1pm, and Craig, the 2IC was there, the electrician had already been - and changed the light fittings, and put in the ensuite one, but the plumber hadn't shown up at all

Craig was trying to contact him, but couldn't get through.  As it was we never found out why the plumber didn't show up - and it was so frustrating, as it had already been cancelled/no show twice before

I had been looking forward to a lovely hot bath in our gorgeous new ensuite - as yes, the weather is now quite cold - however sadly that was not to be.  The plumber is now supposed to come 20/7/23 - but I won't be holding my breath....

Anyway, I checked out the electrician's work

Kitchen - the  light will be positioned over the island bench, and can be lowered/put higher.  I think it  looks fab

Ensuite - we swapped out the original light fitting that we'd put in - to the scullery - as it was brass, and we didn't think that it would go with the chrome tapware/sconces 

Scullery - as I said this was the light that we'd originally put in the bathroom

Music Room - Justin had picked up this light fitting from ebay last year some time  - it was too long, the extension rod was taken off it (the ceiling is not as high in this room) 

Bee room - I wasn't quite happy with the bee room light - as the light fitting should have been lower.  I did ask them to take the rod from the existing bee room light, if they thought it wasn't low enough - so either they thought it was ok, or didn't read the email properly

  

He also put the powerpoint in on the landing  - but for some reason it didn't seem to work.  I also tried the electric kettle - in case it was the light that didn't work

Craig had also fixed up the floor in the powder room

 After inspecting inside - and having a late lunch - I went and planted the bulbs that I bought from Bunnings a while back.  I hope that they flower for me

Also did some weeding out the back - the gravel around the vegie garden

Is quite annoying that there are hundreds if not thousands of parsley seedlings in the gravel, but not one in the actual vegie bed!

Went back inside around 5.30 or so

Given that it is cold, and Justin isn't here - I put a hot water bottle in my bed - however I must not have closed the lid properly, or else it's a bit faulty, anyway when I moved it some water came out and wet the sheet/my pjs etc - I decided to just stay - thought that my body heat would eventually dry it out.  No such luck - it was still damp in the morning

I had to put the split system heater on to fully dry it out - decided not to have a hot water bottle for the next few nights 

Thursday, and Matt the scaffolder came to have another look at the stairway - and yes he'll come back on the 16th to set it all up - in preparation for Fraser & Rileigh to paint the stairway

Madeleine & Hughie said they'd come up for a few days (as they hadn't last weekend) - Hughie wanted to pick some olives etc

They haven't been here for ages ie last time with us was November 2020 - so they haven't seen the wallpaper, new plastering, bee room etc - they knew that we'd done it - and seen photos - but nice to see it in real life

I thought I'd make them a nice dinner in my tiny scullery kitchen

Went to Deb the butcher and asked her for her "best steaks" - she said they were "all good", but then pulled out a huge 1.2kg cryo vacced scotch steak - which she said would be perfect first seared, and then slow cooked for hours 

I explained that I didn't have a slow cooker at the moment, but realised that I could use the electric frying pan that Alex gave us years ago - so I bought it - along with some cabana and sausages

Made a feast - seared and slow cooked the steak

In the early evening I wrapped the steak in foil, and then cooked up sliced onions in the rendered fat - delicious!

Once these were done I removed them and cooked up the mushrooms in the same pan

I cooked the potatoes in the microwave, and then mashed them, and also cooked up some broccoli in the microwave

No dessert - I'd bought some chocolate, and we also had some pastries from Fraser/Baker's Wife 

Despite Madeleine finishing work (at Deakin) at 4.20pm - they didn't arrive til close to 9pm

We ate in the dining room 

I corrupted them a little - ie they were going to do "Dry July" - but decided to have some red wine with dinner (we also had lime flavoured soda water)

I also had to go back down into the cellar (in my pajamas) - to get another bottle of wine.  Had to take off my dressing gown, and put on gum boots- as there is still water down there

After dinner we went upstairs and played some board games - Madeleine had asked me to get them out before hand

We played a couple of games of Uno - which Hughie won, and then scrabble - Mum would have been so proud

They also sampled some of my "gins" - a spiced Sloe Gin, and also Genepy - which they liked 

Because I felt like spoiling them - (wanted them to come back) - I brought them breakfast in bed on Friday morning once I'd established that they were awake (around  10am I think) - coffees and avocado on toast

Pottered around a bit and then went up to the Post Office to have a look at the mugs with a photo of our house for sale (Pauline had seen them and told me)

They were with other gift merchandise at the back - $10 for the mug - we didn't buy one.  I was leaving and the Post office woman asked if I had needed any help.  I explained that I came to have a look at the mugs, as my house was on it -she then apologised to me - and asked if it was ok for them to sell.  It was fine - not as though we have a copyright on the house image 

Walked back towards Chancery lane - and Mad and Hughie liked the broad trunked trees leading up to it

 They felt like takeway for lunch - so we went to GGs - however we were told that they would take at least 20-30 minutes for an order. And Maile and David were coming at 1pm 

Despite the wait, Madeleine still wanted chicken kebabs from there, while Hughie and I went and got a pie from the bakery.

I went back to the house and ate it, while Hughie went back to Madeleine - and they fossicked in the Op Shop while they waited for Mad's kebabs

As it was, Maile and David got to our place around 1.15 - so there was plenty of time for them to finish off their lunch

The reason that Maile and David came to our place was that the Kingower road is still washed out to their place, and I couldn't remember the other way, so we followed them back

Saw quite a few kangaroos on the way - which was unusual during the day

Maile showed Mad and Hughie around - as they hadn't been there before - and then we started picking the big beautiful kalamata olives - we were picking them for table olives, not for oil

 

  Maile also gave us some limes and rosemary

Had a coffee and some biscuits, and then back to Inglewood  - no more kangaroos

Mad took a nice photo in the bee room

Hughie and I picked some more of our olives - so that we can compare and contrast them - have a competition as to who made the best tasting olives.  I'll be making 3 types ie - Maile's kalamatas, my smaller green olives, and then my tiny wild black olives.

I'd booked the pub for 7pm, and was very surprised when we arrived and there was only one other table there - given that it was Friday I thought it would be packed.  Plenty of people in the bar though.

I had the calamari and prawns, and suggested that Hughie get the mixed grill - he was stunned by how big it was (he ended up taking half of it home).  Can't remember what Mad had

Back to the house - and we watched a movie in the bee room - to be honest I can't remember what it was - was falling asleep - so went to bed 

Saturday - and I thought we might have brunch at Cafe 3517 - as I had seen it advertised in the window

However when we went in - the woman there said that the owner wasn't there (who normally cooks these brunches)and that she couldn't poach an egg, but could do fried eggs and bacon, so Madeleine and I had that, and Hughie had a bacon and egg focaccia

When she said "bacon and eggs" - that's literally what we got 2 x fried eggs, quite a lot of bacon, and a  little one half piece of untoasted but buttered foccacia on the side.  I certainly would have wanted/ expected some toast - so wasn't really very impressed

Back to the house - a quick tidy and pack up - and then back to Melbourne 

 

3rd year Olive Oil Thursday 29 - Sunday 2 July 2023

And here I was back less than a week later (but for longer) and still no working ensuite or powder room - but I wrote about that in the last post

Anyway, Justin got home late Thursday afternoon, and suggested that we leave for Inglewood tonight.  Didn't take long to pack, and I already had the olive baskets and plastic bottles in the car

Here's a photo of the traffic that Justin took while I was driving

  

Bit of traffic into the city and at the start of the Calder, but not too bad

Was nice to wake up in Inglewood on Friday morning.  

Justin took a photo of the new powder room vanity - with the "N" for Nimmitabel

Justin started work in the dining room at 9am, and I went out into the garden around 9.30am to get a head start on picking the olives

Started on the first tree next to the rotunda - and filled the basket (takes over 2 hours to fill a basket)

Pauline came over around 11, and we went for a coffee and a chat - at Cafe 3517 - she then showed me the progress at her buildings

Back home, and more picking, and then a quick lunch with Justin    

After lunch I started on the little self sown olive out the front - Enzo stopped by around 3.30pm, and I invited him back at 5.30pm for a drink

This olive tree took ages, because they were small olives (had to line the bottom of the basket with newspaper to stop the olives falling out)  Basically I just picked til Enzo arrived

He brought a bottle of red which we had in the dining room - haven't really caught up with him properly since Ros died

He had to leave before 7pm, as he was picking up his son outside Bendigo.  

Saturday, and it was another grey day, but this time the olives were wet (hoped that didn't matter)

I weighed the baskets from yesterday, and they were about 12kg each - and we need 80kg as a minimum.  Madeleine and Hughie had been going to come and help, but Hughie was playing soccer, so they cancelled on us.  Damo and Nicole were also going to help, but they cancelled also, so it was just myself and Justin 

Today I started at 9am, and Justin came out soon afterwards - I was listening to Chris Hammer's Tilt - talking book - was a great story/well plotted. Justin was listening to podcasts

Justin went up and got us pies for lunch - and then it was back to picking

I called it quits around 5pm, was getting cold and tired - and I just didn't feel like doing it anymore. Can't remember how many baskets we'd done by COB on Saturday. (However I did a rough weigh in on Sunday morning, and figured we'd done maybe 107kg all up)

It was the first Saturday of the month - so a gathering up at the Village Green in Kingower.  Justin didn't feel like going (tired and sore back) - but I went - after a nice long hot shower to warm up.  

Usual suspects there - and Anne A told me that Jill McF had died the previous week - how sad.

I didn't stay that long - put an alarm on my phone to remind me to leave - so I got back to Inglewood around 7pm and had dinner with Justin

Sunday morning and another 9am start for me - Justin did some other chores ie another coat of estapol on the ensuite vanity (it had an unwelcome fingerprint on it).  He came out afterwards to help - and took a photo of me

And I took one of him

It was also a lovely blue sky day today - unlike the previous 2

 Gordon also dropped by to say hello - and we had a cup of coffee and some fruit cake in the rotunda

Terry also dropped by with his olive pickings - around 36kg

I got us a couple of hamburgers with the lot from the Inglewood Cafe (pretty good) for lunch - and we had them in the rotunda also

Pretty much called it quits for olive picking after lunch - had to do the dishes, and pack up

Did a proper weigh in of the olive baskets - around 122kg - woo hoo - most ever! and could have been more - as we didn't empty the trees (did 9 baskets worth).  Justin thought he did 2.5 baskets worth  - which meant I did the rest - ie 6.5 baskets.  I did pick for longer than Justin, but I think I was quicker also - or was maybe picking bigger olives so the baskets filled quicker

So on to Sutton Grange - to drop off the olives.  wonder how many litres we'll get with this batch?

   

Template dash Friday 23 June 2023

Well, a very quick visit up and back in the day

I had originally thought I might go up on Thursday night, and then come back Friday late morning, but no such luck - as I had a long standing invitation to talk to the Bentleigh Probus Club re CWA at 10.30am on Friday morning - which I had momentarily forgotten about 

And the reason for this mad rush was that I had been told that the plumber and electrician were going up next week to fit off the ensuite and the powder room 

I then asked about the powder room vanity - which Mark from up the road had finished at least 6 weeks ago 

They said yes it should be there - so I organised this

I then asked about the stone top - which Cam was going to organise.....(but he's currently overseas)

I said I could do it - so was  given the name of a stone mason company in Mitcham

I rang them, and then went to see them with the measurements that Mark had given me - this wasn't enough - they had to have a template - which meant I had to go to Inglewood ASAP to make this template...as they needed a few days to cut the stone (and here I was thinking that I would just go and pick it up that day - ie Thursday afternoon)

What is so frustrating is that all of this could have been organised weeks ago - ie before we went to Ningaloo....  

Anyway, as I said, I couldn't go on Thursday night, so contacted Probus and asked if I could be first on the agenda - yes I could - but they didn't start at 10.30, so by the time I left there it was 11.20am....

Drove straight to Inglewood  - got there just before 2pm

Had organised with Terry to help me do the template (the stone guys had given me a large thick piece of cardboard to make the template) - or more honestly to do the template - as I didn't want to stuff it up - measure twice/cut once and all that. And it wasn't a simple rectangle, and the wall was a bit crooked....so not easy

Anyway, Terry came just after 2pm, and luckily brought tools ie an old roofing ruler (right angled) and tape measure etc.  That said I also had to go in the shed and get some more - ie plane and screw driver

There wasn't enough light  - so we rigged up the builders light

The cord wasn't long enough so unplugged the fridge in order to move the powerboard closer, and plug in the light/  Put my car keys next to the fridge plug to remind me to re-plug in the fridge...wouldn't want to forget that (and didn't)

 

 

Luckily Terry is very precise - and planed down the sides of the template to make sure that it fit exactly with the wall 

I had also asked if we should allow for the basin drain hole, and was told yes - so we found the basin and made allowances for that

Terry then asked about the taps and spout - ie wall hung, or on the benchtop.  I couldn't remember (it had been over a year) so had to go back over old emails - and yes they are on the benchtop

Found what we had allocated to the powder room, and then found the actual taps - so we could make allowances for those holes also....

All up, took nearly 2 hours to do all this - as there was quite a bit of mucking around 

And here I was thinking it would only take about 20 minutes, 1 hour tops....

There was also more water in the cellar again...arggh!

So, back into the car with the template, and back to Melbourne at 10 to 4  - was racing against the clock also - as I'd organised a 6.30pm birthday dinner for Madeleine and the rest of the family at Taxi Kitchen in the city - and I wasn't sure if I'd get there in time

Justin was able to change the booking to 7pm, and as it was I got home just after 6pm, so could have made it to Taxi by 6.30 (on the train) - but I'd had such a hectic day - that it was good to just sit for a little while

A footnote is that the plumber cancelled, so the ensuite and powder room were not done - they have now said they are coming the following week - but really who knows - he's cancelled twice already - very disappointing, and a total waste of my time to rush up on the Friday - and a waste for the stone masons to hurry through the job as a favour....