Bunya rolling pin 24-25 March 2023

Was a quick visit, hadn't planned to come up, but Mark who is making our powder room vanity had suggested that he could come out and measure up on the weekend - so I went up on Friday after lunch, and came back on Saturday after lunch 

As it was, Mark couldn't measure up, as not all of the plastering was completed there -I had previously asked Cam if he though it was ready to be measured up, and he thought so - but Mark didn't - so that was that - a somewhat wasted trip

This is what we are thinking of though - powder coated in black - with the "N" for Nimmitabel

There was also a curious letter in the letterbox - basically saying that they like the house, that they are not a real estate agent, but a cash buyer etc.  I told Justin and he assumed it was a form letter - as it appeared to be printed not hand written - and nothing specific was mentioned about the house.  I might call up and see what they say - just out of interest.  They might then ask which house/town I was talking about - anyway we'll see 

Afterwards I called up Terry to see if he wanted to do something on Saturday - suggested going out on the Loddon in his tinny, or else making a rolling pin out of one of the bunya pine pieces (I had suggested it previously as an activity, and he'd said yes in principle)

Anyway, that's what we did - the rolling pin

Saturday morning (after wordle/quordle/sudoku, the Saturday Age) - I went and selected 2 x bits of wood

One which had been hollowed out by the termites, but was taller, and the other which was shorter but more solid.  Both were still quite heavy, so I used a wheelbarrow to take them to the car

Then onto Terry's place

He thought the longer piece was better.  So first he had to chainsaw out a couple of chunks (and yes I was wearing earmuffs and safety goggles also)

Next was to try make the chunk square - using a variety of machines and also a bit of hand sawing 

The purpose of getting it square was to be able to centre it on the lathe - below

 

so that it would turn evenly - and we'd get a round, not wonky rolling pin

Once it was square - Terry attached it to the lathe

And then started turning - using a chisel to get the bits off - he obviously made it look very easy - which it wasn't 

I had a few goes - no photos - as Terry had to closely supervise me to ensure that I didn't maim myself...I wasn't very confident - didn't want to put my hand too close to the guard - and as such couldn't control the chisel that well.  Terry fixed up my mistakes.

Terry then started on making short handles.  I had a go at this also - was better at that (shorter length to move along) 

And voila - a rolling pin - from a tree from our Inglewood garden and which I will christen in our new kitchen once it is finished

 

Terry then also sanded it smooth on the lathe - brilliant - as it would have taken ages by hand 

As it was though - it took about 2 hours - including setting up time etc.  Should be quicker for the next one  - I thought we could maybe make one for Madeleine and Fraser, or maybe some spoons  

 

Given that we finished around lunch time - I suggested that we go into Inglewood for some lunch - either at the Bakery or Cafe.

Ended up at the cafe and had a stuffed baked potato - was ok

Then back to Terry's where he invited me to pick some tomatoes - he had heaps - delicious - I love home grown produce

And then back to the house 

Compared my rolling pin to an original piece of wood

And was pretty pleased with it - will just need to fill in some of the natural holes with black epoxy, and then oil it - maybe with some of my Nimmitabel olive oil...

 

Labour Day weekend 10 - 12 March 2023

Justin finished work a bit early and we left Melbourne around 2.30pm (trying to beat the long weekend traffic).  No such luck - took us more than 3 hours to get there...it was a long weekend and all.

We thought that Cam and the plasterers were going to be there, and stay the night, but Cam had booked the plasterers into the motel, and he went camping 

They were back at 7.30am on  Saturday morning though

Doing a great job (father and sone - the "Ivans") - putting final coats on the downstairs hallway

Justin and I then thought we'd visit Terry around 10 or so, and went up and had a coffee with him

For lunch we went to the Bridgewater Hotel - sat inside - as it was too sunny for Justin to sit outside.  We mainly had the tasting platters again....only they made a mistake - gave us a main pork belly, as opposed to the pork belly baos which we had ordered.  Oh well, it was all very tasty though

Also thought we hadn't seen Maile and David for a while - invited them to Sunday lunch - but they couldn't make it, so they dropped in around 5pm for drinks under the big tree.  Was nice to see them

 

And then some sort of picnic dinner and a movie in the yellow room

Sunday,  and one of Justin's colleagues Viv came to lunch (she had been staying with her parents in Newbridge - so wasn't far to come), we also invited Terry

Given our current lack of kitchen facilities - I kept it simple - BBQ chicken from the supermarket, some salad, and some deli/antipasto bits and pieces.  Ate out in the rotunda, all very pleasant, no photos though

Although it had been a lovely sunny day, looked a bit stormy in the evening -as captured by Justin

Monday, and Justin wanted to fix up the table some more - so sanded and water proofed it

I read/relaxed in the hammock in  the background - and also admired my rosy pomegranates

 and Yucca blooms

Also took photos of the plastering progress

 

 

, 

Tunnel Exploration with RA 22-25 Feb 2023

 I'm beginning to feel like a furniture removalist....yes, we were successful with that couch and 2 matching chairs that I mentioned in the blog last week - so I took them up this time.....

Once again there was traffic- and it took 3 hours to get there....(not happy). So I got there at 6.45pm

I'd organised earlier for Michael to help me take them inside, so I texted when I arrived, and he came over

I had too-ed and fro-ed over coming tonight or first thing in the morning - as Restoration Australia were here again to film the tunnel exploration.  And they wanted to start at 9am.  It was probably a good idea to come up the night before - because who knows what the traffic would have been like on Thursday morning.  Also, I wouldn't have been too confident backing the ute out of the garage in the dark....

Anyway, Mark and Tim the ground Xray guy arrived around 9am - and started setting up

Tim had a type of trolley with a scanner suspended below - and this could be adjusted to show 30cm to 10 metres depth.  Then there was a tablet on the handle above - which he read to see what the conditions were like below.  Basically he was looking for ground disturbance

And the reason that Restoration Australia was there - was that we had told them about this urban myth - that there is a tunnel somewhere between our house and Tivey's old store - which is now the Inglewood Emporium - and we wanted to be able to prove or disprove it   

So we walked up and down the garden - sort of in a diagonal line with the back gate.  Mark wanted me walking beside the guy chatting away/asking questions 

We found a few things - as per below - and he marked them with blue paint.  Actually the below spot turned out to be a new pipe taking roof water to the tanks at the back. (so no great mystery there)

And we found further disturbances which were in a general line leading to the gate.  You might have to squint to see the blue marks in the below photo .....

Anyway, after our garden, we went out onto Storm Lane - but couldn't find anything there really, and then into Steve and Denise's cellar.  By this stage we had been joined by 2 women who had wall scanners

They initially thought they found something in the wall, but then decided that it was probably just showing the different constitutions of the different rocks 

So they went back to the ground scanner

They thought they found something in the back right hand corner - a disturbance which was in line with the outside marks 

Lastly they checked out the actual drain

So in the end - it was positively inconclusive - there had been some disturbance - but they couldn't see any voids.  Maybe there had been a tunnel, but if so, it was probably more of a crawl space, rather than able to be walked through.  Maybe they pulled trolleys through on ropes ie sly grog etc - who knows?

Friday, and it was hot again, but I wanted to do something positive - so set about stripping the paint off the kitchen hearth surround

Put the paint stripper on, and then went and had a coffee with Denise - as it was supposed to stay on for at least an hour

Well, it was easier said than done - the pinky layer came off

And then there was green paint under that, with cream paint under that, and white under the cream....

And it was still very hard to get off....easiest on the flat surfaces.  I had thought it would take me an hour or so, no such luck.....And it was sticky and mucky

I put more paint stripper on, and went and visited Pauline to say hello. Came back and scraped some more.  And then put on more paint stripper, and went and visited Terry.

He was in the middle of pulling up floorboards (as water had got under the house, and some of the joists had rotted) - which was no doubt an even more terrible job than mine. He was glad of the company.  I had also offered to help, but there was not that much that I could do.  

He gave me some of his lovely home grown tomatoes when I left

Anyway, back to the house to do the day's last bit of scraping - and I was heartily sick of it by that stage.

Terry had suggested that we get it dipped/sand blasted, and then powder coated rather than putting stove black on it - as it would be more durable.  

Saturday, and I was off to Kyneton for a CWA lunch.  Had a lovely time - and Rachel came too

But once again there was traffic on the way back - so it took me just under 2 hours to get home - grrr